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Bob Chamberlain

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Everything posted by Bob Chamberlain

  1. I just read that as 'ballistic' - thought it would be a b it odd to have reactive explosive paint on a narrowboat!
  2. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  3. I'm sure your deposit will brush off once it's dried......
  4. Yes - pop rivets. You need to use 'blind' ones if you drill those out and replace them. Blind rivets are sealed at the end, ordinary pop rivets have a hole all the way through so could allow water to seep through over time. Alternatively you could drill those out and tap the holes to use small machine screws or similar.
  5. Haven Knox-Johnston Really good to deal with
  6. I thought I'd read decent reports (mostly from caravaners) on the ones that Aldi sell? The usual sound quality issues but that's no different to most cheap telly's etc.
  7. Having worked in the university sector the majority of my life I can assure you that academics are often educated beyond their intelligence! My esteemed professor of surgery told me that in the mid nineteen eighties and he's dead right!
  8. Could it be replaced with laminated glass? They can but that straight away to your pattern - I don't know if it is a requirement for the gas to be toughened rather than laminated but thought I'd just mention it anyway.
  9. Before the days of diesel already having additives we used to put paraffin (kerosene) in the tank with the diesel to stop it 'freezing'.
  10. This will be my first winter with my boat so please forgive the following somewhat stupid question! Do you empty the water tank just by turning the taps on and pumping it all into the cut? I filled the tank in the summer and have not used very much at all - maybe as much as five gallons that's all. I was just thinking that running the pump for a long time might damage it or something. Thanks!
  11. I have a new scaffold board that I thought would make a decent gang plank and would be grateful for any thoughts on length and what best to treat it with to weatherproof it. I wondered about fixing thin strips of hardwood across it rather than a dead smooth surface? What do people think please?
  12. Yes it says ten but it's all sorted now anyway. Yes he does need the underwater profile because he does have real wet water in his layout. He has a 'dock' area that he wants to put a narrowboat into - not sure yet if he will actually motorise it or not...It's quite a large live steam layout in the garden.
  13. Stainless steel and aluminium can have a weird reaction together believe it or not! That's why not a good idea on old Land-Rovers (I know Birmabright is a 'special' aluminium alloy) but you might be better with brass screws into the ally for doing term stuff?
  14. I used to moor it at Redhill but am pretty sure it left there a long time ago. Nevertheless I might take a look when I'm up that way. Thanks.
  15. Anyone on here the owner of a 30' centre cockpit narrow beam marine ply cruiser called Swallow? Built in 1963 - only six of the type built by Allbutts (Derby). Last known to be in the Nottingham area. It's my first boat and I'd love to contact the present owners (assuming its still afloat!).
  16. Hmmm....wouldn't want to risk losing mine either! Just thought I might have a pair of leather skiing gloves in the cupboard....they might be a good idea!
  17. What type of gloves do people recommend for taking the helm in chilly weather? I was thinking I could use my motorcycle gloves - but wouldn't want to damage them on ropes etc. Did a quick search but couldn't really find much...
  18. As already mentioned a mains operated drill could draw a lot of amps so make sure your inverter is capable of supplying a hefty current. Far better to use a rechargeable though!
  19. Oh brilliant! Thanks Tracy regards, Bob
  20. Sorry to ask on here but I can't PM Ray T (I don't yet have enough posts it says). Ray kindly replied to my question in History & Heritage (title old working boats) with some pictures of a model he has. I'm hoping to make contact with him to talk more about it. Thanks, Bob
  21. Anyone have any info re an old boatbuilders called Allbutts of Derby? Not 100% sure of the spelling! I had a narrow beam 30' wooden cruiser back in the 1980's. Centre cockpit with slide back solid covers each side, high bow with the forward cabin there, then full head height all the way to the stern. A large wooden bracket spaced away from the transom for the outboard to bolt onto. When we bought it in the early 1980's, it was called Denby Five and needed doing up. We sorted it all out and re-painted it and re-named it 'Swallow'. We moored at Redhill Marina. On our first trip out a lock keeper was astounded when he saw it - turned out it was originally called Swallow and was painted in the same scheme we repainted it in! Blue hull, cream upperworks with red rubbing strakes. I learned that it started life as a hire boat (perhaps?) and that Allbutts only built six of that design. Back in the 1980's I heard that there was one other still afloat and one sort of abandoned. We sold it to my pal in 1990 (possibly 1989). We heard that it went to a marina in Nottingham but have lost track of it - would be lovely to find out if she's still afloat and being used, so if anyone here has any information about it I'd be very interested to hear.
  22. Does anyone have a 'plan' or diagram of the basic hull shape of a narrowboat? My chum is building a model for his garden railway and has obtained drawings of everything he needs above the waterline, but is struggling to find what lies beneath! I've explained it to him but he's a bit of a perfectionist and would like to scale it all properly. we're not sure about the draught of a typical working boat from the early 1900's nor the distance from the stern to the swim where the prop emerges, or the bow shape. Many thanks to Ray T for his photos of his model (see my post/thread under 'historic working boats') - I was going to PM Ray to ask for more photos but I can't until I've done ten posts (which is one of the reasons for this post to get my numbers up! Haha! Thanks, Bob
  23. Nothing to do with plumbing! For some weird reason all of the screws on my external fittings are rusty! I reckon whoever painted it last removed the originals (all 5mm metric machine screws) and replaced them with plain steel or at best zinc plated Posidrive countersunk (NOT galvanised). So, I've been working my way through removing them and replacing them with decent stainless countersunk Allen head screws. So far so good - and I'm managing to remove most of them without the heads rounding off. However, under one off the door hooks they obviously broke off the tap when threading the hole - re-drilled another hole adjacent to the first and broke the tap in that as well! There's not room to drill and tap another new hole under the hook plate.....! So I have two broken taps stuck in the bulkhead and only one screw holding the door hook. Any good ideas on how to remove the broken taps so that I can put new fixings in? Can't realistically apply heat because of burning off the paint etc. and because of how the tap is broken can't get a drill to start on it properly to drill it out. Thanks!
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