starman

Like cleaning old pennies! BTW the spot of oil tip was a good one - still needed some spanner work but much easier. Thanks.

I’ll certainly try that. Perhaps I have also been making the job harder for myself by not using any sort of pipe sealant or Ptfe tape (because it’s frowned upon) which would have lubricated the doing up.

All the stuff is the right size - it’s straight from BES & Wade and I’ve re-measured too. What I have also done is experiment with the doing up 11/4 turns from finger tight as recommended by Wade - and that is ferociously tight on the 3/8 stuff. It certainly locks everything up but needed a couple of hefty spanners to achieve. Tighter than I would have gone normally. Sounds daft but maybe the cold weather has hardened stuff up...

You did indeed - apologies! But I just checked the specs with Wade and they are in fact annealed. The factory specs also say that for this size (3/8) they should be done up hand tight then spanner tightened a further 11/4 to 11/2 turns. I’ll do a test piece like this and see where we go. My concern is that even when the olive appears to be nipped up the fitting can still be turned on the pipe. That surely can’t be gas tight?

No I haven’t annealed them. Never thought about it - I’ll give it a try. And, yes, they are Wade fittings and I’m pretty sure all the stuff is correctly sized.

Correct pipe Tony and these are the olives: https://www.bes.co.uk/wade-parallel-soft-copper-olive-imperial-3-8-9542/

No problems like that - new fittings, new pipe (and even new cutter!) they are flat olives not shouldered in any way like brass ones. I’m just wondering if that’s making it harder or maybe the cold weather has hardened everything up a bit.

I can’t recall having problems in the past but I’m having the devil of a job getting copper olives to ‘bite’ on my 3/8 soft copper lpg pipe and fittings. I’ve always been conscious not to over-tighten compression fittings but it’s taking quite a lot of spanner action to stop fittings simply dropping off. And even when they’re on they still can be moved which doesn’t seem right . I’m using no tape or ‘goo’ btw.

My DM2 is plumbed with the header/expansion tank in the return line from the skin tank (going into the top of the header then out at the base) rather than what appears to be the usual method of putting it between the flow from engine thermostat housing to skin tank. Apart from this it seems to be a pretty much 'standard' system with the calorifier in the by-pass loop and an AAV where this joins the thermostat housing. The engine hasn't had any serious running with this set-up so my concern is will it work okay and will it be prone to airlocks? I have noticed there is no air bleed close to the skin tank which I wonder could be another source of air locking.

Trouble is that’s a while ago now and I can’t really remember well enough how I did it ?. The oven is a Baumatic - a secondhand snip, virtually unused. Don’t get many boating bargains!. Happy new year to you - stay safe (and warm!)

I'm plumbing in an entirely new built-in oven and hob set-up with a new gas line too. I have the BSS Guide but am still somewhat unsure how to interpret what it requires. Chief query is how the final pipework and connections to built-in appliances can be accessible for inspection as required. The Guide also says that 'Hob/oven arrangements may be deemed one appliance' for the purposes of having a local isolation valve - so just a single shut off valve then a Tee to the two appliances is okay? And rigid or flexible final connections? I've used both in the past but rules and interpretations seem to change. Also, I'm fitting a bubble tester for the first time on one of my boats - is it sensible to go belt-and-braces and have a manometer point as well? I'm confident of doing the work – just want to get it right first time.

A slightly more brutal technique in the end but it came off! Next step - decide what to put in its place ?

Neat idea, I might try something similar.

Yes Webasto make a big thing of their pipe being essential and it does have a very small bore size. The difference between 3/16 and 5mm is indeed only 0.25mm but it’s meant the installer couldn’t get a 3/16 brass olive on the inlet pipe so it’s sort of perched on the end of the pipe! Ideally I’d like to get it off and do a proper job but I’m nervous of wrecking the pipe end.

I'm just re-installing a Webasto Thermotop which I've moved. I know it's supposed to be plumbed to the tank with Webasto's own 5mm pipe but the previous owner used conventional 3/16in soft copper instead. As a result I have a length of feed pipe from the tank in 3/16 and a similar short length from the Webasto - whose inlet pipe has also been modified (not very well) to take a 3/16 fitting. And a gap in between the two! I also have a new fuel filter to accommodate. So the question is, do I somehow try and adapt the present 3/16 ends to take 5mm throughout or go the simple route and just use 3/16 pipe everywhere? Webasto say using their pipe is very important but the heater did work before. It certainly won't be easy to sort the Webasto end either - the flared end of the inlet pipe has been cut off and a 3/16 olive crammed onto the end of the slightly bigger pipe. (The inlet pipe is integral with the burner too so can't be replaced.)

I went to a traditional pie, mash & liquor place in Woolwich nearly 50 years ago. Never repeated the experience - thankfully.

I’m not so strictly speaking the rules are easier.

I've just watched the videos linked to in an earlier thread about adapting a bubble tester to 3/8 pipe but I'm still a little puzzled. Do the 8mm and 10mm bubble testers have the same size end fittings (the ones that have to be removed and replaced)? I'm assuming not but the vids don't make that clear. If different, what ones do I need for a 10mm tester? Next question, if I fit a bubble tester would it be useful to have a manometer access point in the boat too or is that just an unnecessary extra fitting? And finally, I will have a separate hob and oven so can the final connections beyond each isolation valve be made in braided hose? All joints to be visible to the BSS inspector (some seem to be more picky than others in that regard I recall.) Just adding an extra query: the gas pipe runs from the gas locker up front through the cratch, through the cabin bulkhead and into the boat. It's not a self draining well deck so obviously I have to be particulalrly careful how the pipe runs from the locker to the bulkhead. Is there an acceptable, gas tight bulkhead fitting I can use?

I have friends in the USA who are thinking of a Covid permitting 8 - 12 week boating trip to mainland Europe next year. They want to rent a three cabin boat so visitors can join them along the way. They’ve looked at prices from the main hire operators and obviously it’s no cheap trip for that length of time so they are wondering if there are any direct from owner hire options. Anyone have any knowledge of the European scene?

We are using an outfit called Efoam. They seem very helpful but I guess the proof of the pudding will be in the eating - or rather the sleeping.

I have built a stepped side bed so during the day two pieces can sit on top of each other with the third remaining in the bed hole. Will either chop up an existing mattress or buy three pieces of foam. What sort of foam is the puzzle.

It’s time to order some foam for the back cabin bed. It’ll be our principal bed so naturally we want to make it as comfortable as possible - even though the mattress is only four inches thick. Can anyone offer advice on the best sort of foam, mattress toppers etc for a good nights sleep.

I thought this would be simple but I’ve gone round in circles looking for fire resistant panelling round the Epping. Masterboard is the only name I call but all the local builders merchants steer me off towards other stuff, like Glasroc F which seems to be a fire resistant plasterboard or Magply Renderboard (which isn’t plywood btw). Does masterboard exist? Are there alternatives?

If forced by time constraints to choose then personally I’d opt for spending time on the Lark and (especially) the Wissey as well as the Lodes off the Cam rather than push on all the way to the top of the Ouse (fine river as it is). As I say, purely a personal thing. Ah - should have read further through the post. Save the comments for next year then.

I quite often think that!