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Timleech

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Everything posted by Timleech

  1. Do you want the brazed nipples for appearance, or because you believe they're better? I've had pipes made up for T series Kelvins with Rolls-Royce nuts and conventional nipples, which seem entirely satisfactory. Daltons in Horwich (Bolton, Lancs), used to make pipework for Gardners. I believe pipes currently supplied by Kelvins (British Polar) are conventional, although the price might make you expect otherwise I expect the nuts are standard thread (14mm?) I think you're unlikely to find anywhere that can supply the brazed nipples from stock, unless one of the Kelvin specialists has had some made. HTH Tim
  2. There are a good many other builders who skimp on the hull painting. I reckon anyone with a new hull, unless they *know* it's been properly prepared & painted, would be well advised to have it repainted after 12 months. Tim
  3. I wouldn't recommend shot(grit)blasting *unless* you're going to use a 2-pack afterwards. It's a good option, but expensive and not many people offer it (I don't). It really needs a dedicated site with proper screening etc. Tim
  4. 'Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole' is probably an expression dreamed up by people who had never touched a barge pole. Or shaft. Or 'barge'. They've always been 'shafts' to me, going back to the mid -1960's in the NW, and spending time with working and ex-working boatmen. A pole was what 'Noddy-boaters' used. (A Noddy boat was a small glass fibre cruiser or converted lifeboat). Quant is surely a Norfolk Broads term? Never heard it used around here. No doubt other terms may have been used in other parts of the country and on other types of craft, but as regards Narrow Boats, Edward Paget-Tomlinson's definitive tome 'The Illustrated History of Canal & River Navigations' refers to 'Long Shafts' and 'Cabin Shafts', the same terms that I've always known. Of course in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter a jot so long as people understand what you mean, hence my smiley, but it saddens me a bit when some of the older methods and language are displaced. Tim
  5. It's not usual to prime under blacking. Unless you use one of the special primers intended for the job (and maybe even sometimes if you do?), the blacking *will* tend to flake away from the primer. Tim
  6. Some of the best poles were made from Spruce, basically from skinny tree trunks, I believe they were forced through a die rather than machined from a bigger piece. Much lighter than ash, and the way they were made meant they were strong. I used to have one which was 25' long, which had come from the Dukers (Bridgewater) barges. Sadly some pi**ock broke it for me by misusing it. Oh, and they're not poles. They are SHAFTS! (or were, in working days) Tim
  7. Probably only really viable if you do all the refitting etc yourself. I've done a few in the past on that basis, but I don't offer too much encouragement now to people who ask. Tim
  8. I don't think they 'always have been' permitted. There used to be a requirement for the vent to rise at least 100mm (IIRC) above the filler. I have to say I wasn't aware (until today )that the swan neck to deck level was accepted now. Tim
  9. 1) They're Dollies, not studs. Studs are the Tee-shaped things used normally on the top of the stem. 2) There's no reason why they should be seriously weakened by being hollow. Most of the strength is in the outer part. They can be welded just like a solid version, just as soundly. 3) Vents have to be above the filler cap, & the filler has to be arranged for any spillage to go overboard, so not sure how you plan to arrange the last bit. Tim
  10. I don't know the box in question, but some boxes require Auto Transmission Fluid which is usually red. Tim
  11. Tropical cruising boats? wishing you were in the Caribbean instead of the English canals? I don't understand that bit about Blade Area Ratio, Tony, until the limit of prop size is reached. After that yes it can be an issue, though I reckon the majority of modern boats could accomodate a substantially bigger prop than they are fitted with (I see a lot of them out of the water), but builders are happy to perpetuate the myth that you need 40+ bhp for a typical 57' narrow boat. It's certainly handy to have that power available when all you have to transfer it to the water is a little daisy. It doesn't matter, AIUI, whether it's today's engine, yesterdays or one from 50 years ago. What matters is the horsepower and rpm. Or torque and rpm if you prefer, as hp = torque x rpm. If you gear an engine giving 20 hp at 2000 rpm down by 4:1, the result is the same as for an older engine giving 20hp at 500 rpm direct drive (think Bolinder semi-diesel). The propellor won't know the difference. (THe modern engine probably won't last as long as the Bolinder, but that's another issue). Torque at lower speeds than max is largely irrelevant because the torque required by the prop goes up with rpm far more sharply (square law) than any engine torque/speed curve goes up or down. Tim
  12. Also the bigger prop will be more efficient, especially at starting & stopping. The only thing you lose is the max power available from the engine, but do you really need it? Tim
  13. You might find the gloss paint tends to lift slightly where there are exposed edges of paint, from chips, scrapes etc. Tar paints are much worse for this than bitumens, though. Tim
  14. Don't forget that, at that age, the hull is probably 1/4" all round or maybe 1/4" bottom & 3/16" sides. With a wooden top there is bound to have been dampness inside, condensation on the hull plating etc., plus 'wet' bilges were the norm at that time. I'd be quite surprised to find the hull was worth spending serious money on having a new top & a refit. Stranger things have happened, though. Tim
  15. If it smelled badly, the flame isn't burning cleanly & the burner needs servicing/cleaning. Tim
  16. Which make/model of alternator? is it working through a diode splitter (box with fins on)? Tim
  17. What's a 'standard battery bank'? My reading of their chart is that it takes average '2 amps per hour' in Freeze mode, I suppose they mean an average of 2 amps taken over an hour (or 2 Ah/hour, 48 Ah per 24 hours) Half that in fridge mode. Quite sinificant, but probably manageable for some. We've got a little CF-18, run it from the car battery when camping etc. Quite a nice little unit, works very well, except that the lid hinges are cr*p, mind you I got it cheap because they were already broken Tim
  18. If you can't find a more direct way, you should be able to get a 32mm to iron (BSP) connecter, and then a hose barb with bsp thread. Tim
  19. I'm not entirely sure what it is you're looking for - a reshaped wooden tiller, or a more conventional steel arrangement? In either case unless it's a mass-produced boat they will be one-off items, any decent 'skilled' boatyard should be able to sort you out. If it's the wooden one you're after you do really need to find out whether they have the right skills & know what you're talking about. What part of the country are you in? Tim
  20. The important thing is that you're happy with it. It's not a museum exhibit, after all! Tim
  21. Rusty gas lockers can be a bit of a nightmare. Luckily it sounds as though yours is well above the waterline. A sleeve can be a good answer, but remember it'll need a drain plumbing in to the outside world, and your rusty steel will continue to fester around it (OK, you can take steps to arrest that to some degree) Fibreglassing might work for a couple of years, then whoever gets the job of fixing it properly will curse the bloke who did the fibreglassing. It sounds as though your job needs looking at soon, as judging by your description any leaking gas will be going into your bilges. If you're passing (not on a bank holiday ) and can manage to get out of the tunnel, by all means give me a shout & I'll offer an opinion. Tim
  22. It isn't, but I've lived with it for more than 20 years. Heavy stuff has to come in by boat or, very occasionally, across the farmer's fields. Thanks for the offer, it's not really 'problems with cruising clubs' so much as problems created by the sheer numbers of boats when the CCs come through, on top of already heavy bank holiday traffic. 40 or 50 boats trying to come through tunnel & lock as close together as they can is bound to stretch things a bit. It's not as bad as it was with the old tunnel times, when it wasn't unknown for the whole lot to come through on one 'tunnel', things did tend to get seriously manic then! Tim
  23. Why should I (and do you really think I haven't thought about it ? )? There is access provided by BW as part of my agreement, if the lock is operated properly there's no problem. Of course I would love to have road access, but it would be prohibitively expensive bearing in mind the other limitations of the site. Also it would be the more than a mile by 'road' from my workshop, which is on the other side of the lock, 100 metres on foot. The only other way would be a swing bridge or high level bridge, the swing bridge wouldn't be any better than the lock gates in the Bank Holiday situation. It's only really a problem at Bank Holidays when the Cruising Clubs are out en masse. BW's answer when I raised the matter some years ago and suggested manning the lock was that the CCs should work within the rules (and BW wrote to tell them so), there was no reason why BW should incur extra costs to accomodate them just because they wanted to go on mass cruises. Tim
  24. If only life were that simple ! Several snags with that idea:- one, the people opening the gates may have the best of intentions of getting them closed afterwards; I can tell you from observation that it doesn't work (usually). Somebody somewhere down the line will lose interest/lose the plot/not give a stuff, and the gates will get left open. two, it isn't always safe to do it - sometimes the difference in levels is too great, but you can bet your life some idiots will still try. Who decides when it's safe, and takes the rap if it isn't & there's harm done? three, there's a right of way across the lock. For me & my customers. It's the only access to my business premises, customers moorings etc. In years gone by, I've often been slaving away on Easter & may bank holiday weekends to get boats ready. It used to be Hotel boats for the start of the season. If I (and others) are doing our best to get the job done it can be intensely aggravating when there's a line of boats (illegaly) going through the lock & every one of the boaters thinks it more important for them to get through than for you to get your work done. Some of the Cruising clubs seem to have rules which require them to keep in a continuous line behind the admiral or commodore or whatever he is, and can get really agitated if the line is broken. Even worse if we're stuck the wrong side of the lock with the gates left open (abandoned). That can be a ridiculous time waster In recent years I've tried to avoid working on Bank Holiday weekends simply because it's bad for my blood pressure, but it's not always possible. I have suggested in the past to BW that they man the lock on Bank Holiday weekends, their men could decide when it's safe to force the gates, and make sure that access is maintained. I honestly think that would be the best answer but they don't want to know because it would involve paying overtime. If boaters stick strictly to the times, and keep a safe distance behind the boat in front, there should be no more than about 10 boats passing each way per hour and not much of a problem with queues. Unfortunately they don't. Rant over Tim
  25. I think you'll probably find the main 'cause' (most accidents are the result of more than one cause coinciding) is often blocked/inadequate ventilation. Tim
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