ThePiglet

Would it be better to run it from a 3.5kW inverter rather than a generator? The only issue with this is having enough battery juice and the startup current.

If I'm butchering 3-4mm steel then I usually do use it on the higher setting to get a reasonable penetration. I don't tend to do long welds, it's not shut down on me yet. I was thinking about the power factor issue, if it's just a big transformer and rectifier, how can it be anything other than a PF of 1? Or something... I confused myself

Thanks, After looking around at options, I think it might be more worth while if I save for an extra month and go for a super silent 4.2kva. I don't do structural. I want my boat on the water, not below it

I've got a 'toy' welder which I want to do a spot of work on the boat with. I don't have access to any power on my mooring and I don't want to keep bothering the very nice people at Avoncliff, so I figure I need a generator to make some for me. The specs for my welder are in the image below, I figure a 3Kw cheapie would do the job but I thought I'd run it past the opinion of the experts you lot before money is spent...

Is this close enough? http://www.waterexplorer.co.uk/gmaps/inter...vecanalmap.aspx

Webasto didn't sell the unit to the OP. The NBC sold it as suitable to be run from red diesel, it wasn't, their problem.

The earlier one shows "Item location: Taipei, Taiwan" where as the latter one in post #2 shows "Item location: Geisenheim, Germany" Presumably this is why there is no duty payable within Europe as it's being sent from a country within Europe rather than direct from Taipei. This seller seems to offer stuff from both Germany and Taipei so keep an eye out. The same item from Taipei is selling for £299 but with postage of £80 (rather than £28) and the risk of import duty. I'd go for the £399 one fom Germany.

Ta. My plans are that gas will only be used for cooking as heating and hot water is from diesel, fridge is 12v. The only downside is the cost of refills for smaller bottles isn't quite so economical. Edit: now I look at it, the shape is a bit boaty-unusual.

The first and the last photo show the bottom of the locker which is welded all round to the sides. It drains to the outside via the sloping 1.5" tube in the third photo.

After a conception lasting weeks and an all-day delivery, the beautiful child of my labour is born. Behold, my new gas locker! Lid up Lid down Solid drain Gratuitous leg shot This uses the dead space in front of my water tank to hold 2 x 7Kg butane or 2 x 6.5Kg propane tanks. It's placement meant moving the front T stud back a bit. Not bad for an enthusiastic DIYer if I do say so.

Thanks to your help I've just completed 4 coats over 2 days from 17litres of bitumen. I pressure washed it first, then went around the whole lot with a spinny wire disc in my drill to scuff up the existing layer. My god has it made a difference to the look of it, the thing might just float! Now to organise some lifting and moving... Oh, and my hair smells rather odd now. I get the feeling Swafega wasn't intended to be used as a shampoo

My boat has just passed it's BSS. All the fuel lines are flexible hose (black rubber sort) and they all have the ISO number printed on them. All connected onto hose ends (jagged type) with jubilee type clips. The examiner said it was a perfectly acceptable setup provided the hoses looked to be in good condition, had the right ISO certification and were well supported. Edit: All my hoses are single clamped, I put two on the fuel filler line as the tank's lip was a bit smaller then 2" and a bit bigger then 1.5"

That's fine. I don't mind paying a bit more for the blacking then the basics. Rytex looks to cost between £50 and £60 for 10 litres, is that about right?I already have a pressure washer so can do that no problems too. Thanks for all the tips.

Hi, I've bought an unfinished project from someone that bought it as an unfinished project of someone who shotblasted and repainted it. That last blacking/shotblast was over 5 years ago and the boat has not been in the water since it was done. I have decided that prior to making wet, I need to reblack my bottom (Springer 27ft with V hull) and simply can not afford to shotblast it. What do I do? The current blacking appears OKish, one side has been in the sun for years and it's gone a bit sparkly, the other side is normal. I was thinking of giving it a good rubbing down with a wire brush and rolling on a couple of coats of bitumen. Is this a good idea? This is my first time blacking a narrowboat, is it acceptable to use warmed bitumen, like the roofing stuff? I understand coal-tar is a no-no, right?

I was thinking of clear waxing the showing face, would that and a varnish on the back/edges around windows, doors, other holes be suitable? You haven't seen what I've ripped out, THAT was amateurish! Battens were stuck on with some kind of solid "No-more-grab-just-sling-it-everywhere" and flaked off where the windows were badly put in and leaked. I've taken out the whole lot, sanded back, welded on millions of angle brackets and then used Evostick wetgrab (waterproof and flexible) in conjunction with nuts n bolts to attach new. Very satisfying.

Thanks for all the replies, I can't see any positives about MDF so far. I guess I'll do the 3hr round trip and get some faced ply, it was my prefered choice anyway. Worth the point ablut doing me sums right so I get it all in one go so as to get a good grain match.

Hi All, I've finished battening out my 27ft refit and have decided to line it with some nice ash veneered wood. I've tried to source ash faced plywood locally but the only thing available is faced MDF, what's the general opinion on MDF for lining? Previous posts and topics suggest that some are for it and some against, what's the current thinking? I keep meaning to take pictures of my boat but keep forgetting to take my camera with me! John

I'm thinking of adding a wetroom to my boat. I was planning on fixing the floor and lower walls with a very rigid ply with a slope to a drain hole, then putting a layer of fibre glass and resin for extra waterproofing (kind of like a shower tray), then fix a layer of tiles on top. I've been told tiles will stick to fibre glass if the appropriate sticky goop is used.

Proper job. I blew through it today and there doesn't seem to be any through to the actual exhaust. The engine only has one pump, so it'll be direct raw-cooled and directed out of the boat via the second hole in the bottom.

Hi, I've just bought an unfinished project 27ft Springer from a chap who was mid-fit of a Lister Petter AC2W engine. His plans were to direct raw-water cool it and I've decided to go along that road too for now, most likely in the future converting it to indirect via heat-exchanger. My question is, on the AC2W exhaust manifold there are two holes that appear to be 3/4" BSP. One on the top and one on the bottom. The botom one is closest to the manifold exit. At the moment they are holes with nothing in and appear to have some corrosion (rust type) but no soot. Are these likely to be for a water cooled jacket on the exhaust? As I've been witing this, I've just though that blowing through one and plugging the other would tell me if it's sealed or not. I'll try that later today. I'm sure I'll have many more questions as the weeks/month(/years!?) go on John