Chris Pink
-
Posts
8,598 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
39
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Blogs
Store
Posts posted by Chris Pink
-
-
Thanks for the up to date information, I stand corrected. A lot can happen in 7 years.....
Buttys don't have gunwales, probably as there was no call for access to an engine room....
Sorry, sorry, couldn't resist out-pedanting the pedant.
Of course they do, all the way along the hold, 5" x 2" oak by specification, 5" x 2" cedar (or possibly oregan pine, can't tell) on mine for some reason.
-
'Cold galvanising'. Don't know about others but I get a little irritated by names such as this.. It comes in a tin, it is suspended in a solvent, you put it on with a brush.
IT'S PAINT ! Some paints are better than others but we don't need pretentious titles.. Mind you things have never been the same since they banned Red Lead.
ok ok John, names apart, give your opinion please, if you would be so kind.
new build hull, never been crossed by brush, spray or hot tank.
What would you use?
I totally agree about red lead, last time I tried Dacrylate made it but you had to persuade them to sell it to you. Has it gone completely now then? I could always make some i suppose.
-
Could be flame/thermal spray galvanising.
cheers,
Pete.
Hi Pete
Tell me more?
Is it suitable for a narrowboat hull? Do you know any companies you could recommend who do it (South west preferred)
To widen this topic slightly;
What are people's recommendation for hull coatings, inside or out?
-
what type of coating do you have, exactly?
from wedge coatings website:
What is "cold" galvanizing?
There is no such thing as cold galvanizing. The term is often used in reference to painting with zinc-rich paint. Galvanizing requires heat in order to produce the metallurgical bond between coating and steel that gives Galvanizing its long life & hard wearing characteristics.
Apparently i'm not the only one who thinks 'cold galvanising' a convenient appelation.
http://www.dstgroup.co.uk/index/products/view_products/148/
I call the coating on the boat i used to own 'cold galvanised' because it was so close to a galvanised finish and nothing like any of the zinc-rich paints i have seen. And it seems fairly unlikely, though not impossible it was galvanised in a tank.
-
".... when it should be acting like the public service it is...."
BW is not a public service, its a business. Thats the way everything in this country has worked since the age of empire and industrial powerhouse ended. Government funding cannot sustain luxuries like BW. I dont mind paying more for my boating if it means the infrastructure stays in it's excellent present condition. The money has to come from somewhere and the British economy is no longer strong enough to provide it from central funding. The british are not great at accepting change and essentially that is what this thread is about.
Whereas I don't want to go throwing personal insults around on a public forum, your arrogant, selfish and ill-informed statement has got me very very close indeed.
I assume from your tone that you have enough money not to be particularly affected by the increases in leisure boating. So all the people who spent their time and energy volunteering and campaigning to save the canals when the British Waterways Board and other managing bodies wanted to abandon and close them, who don't happen to be able to afford top dollar should just slink off and say "enjoy" to the people who can?
If the canals were for profit they would have been filled in long ago. The canal I am on was restored with no support whatever from BWB or BW but rather with the effort and fund-raising of people. as likely to be cruising in plywood cruisers as '58ft' luxury narrow boats.
If you want to stand on their shoulders to get your leisure time enjoyment simply because you are fortunate enough to have more money then I strongly believe that you are a major part of the reason that this society is so divided and thus fundamentally unsustainable.
-
Does anyone have any information about cold galvanising processes?
The paint, suppliers, applicators, including the blasting (in the South West) etc.
I had a 1970s narrow boat whose hull had been cold galvanised and even after 25 years in the water there was absolutely no corrosion damage whatsoever - brilliant.
Out self build shell will be ready for launching in about a month and this is my coating of choice for all surfaces around and below the waterline.
Chris
-
Being the eternal pessimist I was simply sounding the warning bells but is annoying when licence, fuel and moorings all seem set to rocket at the same time by significantly more than inflation for the first time in (possibly) living memory, if not longer.
Hi Ray
Not true, about 10 years ago the cost of licences double over 3 years, 33% per year. I realise that age distorts time but it seems a very short time ago to me looking at another 42% increase.
And this all compounds.
See the DEFRA topic elsewhere for clues as to why we pay more and more. Diesel costs are but a small amount of the real increase in boating costs.
-
Which user group would you suggest? The IWA? You might as well just give your subs to BW. NABO? powerless, gutless talking shop. The special interest groups? Dismissed as anoraks and weirdos.
You might as well join the BCF, at least you can pray to a, theoretically, higher power (though I'm sure BW would dispute that).
If someone forms a 'Boaters Action Group', though, sign me up as a founder member.
The IWA hasn't always been gutless, we owe them a great debt, even if they couldn't agree themselves which way to go. Perhaps it is necessary to re-invent these groups from time to time.
Chris, BAG member no 2.
-
I have a 'handy mains' by Switched Mode, tidgy thing, not particularly cheap or powerful but very reliable, lasted about 10 years now.
And the company is great, support on the end of the phone.
Which is the nub; inverters by their nature run a lot of power around so can be pretty unreliable and go 'bang', possibly taking out the much more expensive piece of kit attached to it, so a make where you have access to support if it goes wrong is important.
Mastervolt; probably the best
Victron, very Dutch, very solid.
Sterling, despite his idiosyncracies a tryer.
Waeco, pretty good American build.
I'd recommend any of these, having used all of them. I would be a bit suspicious of the cheap chinese units that abound these days.
And i think, strongly, that wherever possible use the 12V (or 24V) solution to the problem. It has always seemed daft to me to make 240V to then transform it down to low voltage DC again.
Hot cheapo tip for the mean amongst us;
I had a Belkin UPS (£60 for 250W) that I took the 12V battery out of and used as an inverter. They 'guaranteed' anything attached to it, though maybe not after my modification, and the software was very good at monitoring all my power sources, generator frequency and voltage, battery voltage with very funky graphs. A bit of technical knowledge needed to set it up in this way but nothing too complicated. Most annoying thing was it insisted on warning me that I was using it. I will definitely use one again (the original ended up at the bottom of the canal unfortunately, a fireside tale that one!).
-
You don't stand a snowball in hells chance until boaters attitudes change. How many boaters support a user group?
Until boaters learn to stick together BW/ government will walk all over us.
Sue
Well said, Sue.
-
Any particular reason for hydraulic rather than air?
There was a guy somewhere in the Abingdon area, IIRC, who advertised rivetting tools in the steam preservation press, I bought one of my air hammers from him.
Ignorance.
I understood that the only tool available was air driven hydraulic but as i will probably be the one in the team (hot rivet monkey) that has to catch the hot rivets and put them in 'ole what do i know?
Most of the small rivet tools are air driven and we have a reasonably hefty compressor on site.
Any more information on Abingdon geezer anyone? I have been trawling steam websites but not come up with anything yet.
-
Pedant's Corner
Greenshank is the former GUCCC butty Bawtry, so therefore a Woolwich boat.....
Possibly thinking of Redshank then, one of them, in Bristol docks, has a Northwich style cabin, a bit nicer than Tipton's (Don't tell Andy i said that) so i'm going to try and copy it.
-
"Although Defra does not dispute it paid for staff to stay at the plush hotel, which is part of the Ickworth estate and dozens of miles from the outbreak's epicentre, it refused to state how many had stayed there, for how long or at what cost to the taxpayer. "
"FOI act" they cry
...and the National Union of Farmers' response? Pathetic. Really really pathetic.
-
Have you got a big job breaking out?
Hi Tim
yes, 3 big boys (i'm one) want to, for some unknown reason, play with rivetting to make a replica Northwich motor boat cabin like Tipton, Greenshank etc. We have thought ahead past the 1/2 day doing it with sledge and dolly and I'm now on the hunt for a hydraulic gun.
No danger of putting the Stockton experts out of business but the leader of the crew is an absolute wizard with steel, the hull is looking gorgeous and it seems appropriate to try and make the cabin as 'proper' as possible. I am sure he would do more work using rivetting, no point in buying expensive tooling for a one-off job.
I would like to write a blog about this build but, unfortunately, just don't have the time.
but here's a bit of her
Chris
-
Does anyone know;
What size are the (countersunk?) flat-head rivets used to join the cabin top, cabin frames and bulkheads on Yarwoods boats?
And any suppliers of hot riveting equipment of this scale?
ta much
Chris
-
Hi Baldock
Would also be interested in some more details about Sextant please.
Also;
it did occur to me today that maybe the rounded chines were to avoid wear on the chine, much less likely to rub than a square corner.
-
Now I'll look closer when I get some daylight boat time (weekend) but if it is all the way over, then surely that means I can't tighten the belt any further?
The main thing to show whether the fan belt has had it is if it has disappeared into the pulley, a v-belt should stand proud of the pulley and as it wears it goes further into the slot. Once completely in the slot it should be replaced as it will no longer grip properly.
I assume that the correct fan belt is fitted, though if one of the alternators was fitted later it might be the wrong one.
i shall resist another diagram!
-
Erm... sorry, that still sounds a bit confusing. Are there any diagrams out there in the world? I've tried googling the subject but I'm not finding anything in lay (enough) terms.
Sorry!!
Don't know if this is going to help but maybe.....
it's really a case of identifying the bits you can ignore.
-
Hello,
Knowing F-all about engines, I'd like to know how to tighten the fan belts. I've had a snoop around (as close to the fan belts as you can get under our cruiser stern) and I'm not sure what bit of the fan belt/alternator system is for tightening them!
Please could you explain what I need to do and what tools I need to do it?
Thanks for helping a dim person...
Hi
The alternator will pivot on 2 bolts, back and front inline, there will be a 3rd bolt attached to a flat bar with a slot in it. Loosen all these off (just a little bit). Find a good long bar that will go between the alternator and the engine to act as a lever - steel for preference, i have done it with wood. Pull this hard so the fan belt tightens. with an extra pair of hands re-tighten the bolt in the slot first then the two (sometimes one long) pivot bolts. It can be done without an extra pair of hands if the bar is long enough and you can hold it by leaning on it but, as much in life, easier with a friend.
We are all dim until we know how.
Chris
-
Hi Chris
I have a 1997 cataloque for Davey&Co. (Don't know if its the same firm. )
Address
1 Chelmsford Road Industrial Estate, Great Dunmow, Essex CM6 1HD.
Tel. 01371 876361
Email chandlery@davey.co.uk
Hope This Helps
Ralph
Hi Ralph
How wonderful! Thank you very much. I be gurt scatty at times, Davey, Davies. I need oGoGle for the dyslexic.
Haven't found the art deco lamps online yet but i do like the style of the 1930s bus lights.
Chris
-
Just fitted the new stove and have been trying it out on very dry wood. The glass soots up overnight and is a pig to clean with ceramic hob cleaner. Is the proper stove glass cleaner better?
I am sure that we will have less soot as we experiment to find the best airwash and bottom vent settings but while we are doing that it would be nice to remove the evidence of the last unsuccessful experiment more easily than hitherto!
Nick
Newspaper is the stuff, my gran says a bit of vinegar too but newspaper alone, bit of spit, seems to do it.
Important is to clean it every day. The vent at the top of the door is suppose to keep the glass clear but doesn't seem to do much good.
-
I've just had a look at the Sickle website as I was wondering how to distinguish Middle Northwich craft from others and it explains that they have 'V shaped bottoms and rounded bilges'. Was this to make them more sea-worthy (is that the right phrase?) or just as an experiment or what?
Also, does their hull shape affect their handling characteristics significantly?
Difficult to know whether they are better for handling though they swim very well, their underwater profile is very elegant, especially the butties with large castings where the rounded chines meet at stem and stern, and they have an odd little decorative detail in the point where they meet that can only be seen by lying underneath one.
They certainly don't roll significantly empty, though I have yet to try one with 25 tons onboard.
The picture on the Sickle website of the swim looks to me very 'Yarwoods'. My impression is that the Yarwoods played about quite a lot with the GUCCCo's specification in the 3 classes in a way that Harland and Wolff didn't. Only the middle ones had rounded chines.
Maybe it's the other way around; the rounded chine making for a good ice-breaker once it was clear there were too many boats in the fleet.
-
Hi Tomsk
i have just read this thread, having stumbled upon it accidental like.
Was wondering whether you'd gone any further down the line?
Would you update us please.
Chris
-
Funnily enough, I was looking at a blog called "2ndgo" which is about Sextans, a shortened Middle Northwich. A comment was left by the owner of Sickle, suggesing such a thing. He left his website address, but that didn't work either.
Here's the website; http://sickle.freehostia.com/
Chris
BW and continuous charging, erm..i mean cruising
in General Boating
Posted
What is the problem with that?