Graham_Robinson

Have you nothing better to do?

stuart canvas A family firm who produce stitched cloths cotton or pvc

You and I had a long hopefully productive chat on the phone.However you haven't made it clear on your post that your bare/unpainted cans are not for sale only the finished painted article. I believe that is correct isn't it? Which is fine you've put the legwork into finding your source and I fully understand you wishing to keep that source close to your chest. Just so everyone else knows. Just to finally put to bed any lingering doubts about this import thing. If, big IF, you find a manufacturer abroad who is able and willing to produce a quality product at the right price then I've no problems with that. I'll have a look at your cans with your permission and form my own opinions!!!!!! I still think it's sad however that we as a nation produce less and less manufactured goods each year but like I said I don't want to start a discussion on that on here.

But Phil is fantastic. ( Put cheque in post please Phil) The order, was that the can and handbowl? Nice Xmas presents.

Aawh be kind to him Phil!!!!!!!

Q1 The simplest would be 'gilbows', folding bars,seaming set, selection of stakes, soldering iron...... You're not going into full time production with this set up however! To speed the job up and hopefully lower the cost ( time costs money) you would need to tool up, the more tooling the faster the output but probably with a loss of quality until you reach a point where you've cut all the corners you can, you've got all the tooling you can but you've reached a point where you're finished product is still too dear for the market, it's chepaer to import.... then you go bust! Q2 good question, believe me I am searching hard. Of the few people I've talked to who work or have worked in the tinsmith industry non seem to keen to pass on their skills or pass on their layouts or developments (patterns). When I was attending my local tech college there must have been at least 30 tinsmiths a year going through the system from our local shipyard. Where are they all now? I vividly remember as an apprentice being told regularly whenever I asked a question the reply coming back 'that's for me to know and you to wonder'. How we ever learnt anything is beyond me but that was part of the apprenticeship you had to work hard to gain your knowledge then. Happy days. Once you learnt your trade you then were not to keen to pass on your hard earned knowledge so I understand the situation only too well.) Q3 There will 'always' be a demand for quality cans from the old boat fraternity but I've hinted at the problems in Q1 What is needed is someone with the relevant skills either part time or semi retired, a little bit more than an old boy knocking the occasional piece out of his garden shed. ( However any old boys with garden sheds and quality holloware are more than welcome to contact me!!!!!) There quite definitely is a niche market, albeit small, out there for somebody.

I've spoken to Terence and these cans are really for use in his own business and no nobody has suddenly sprung out of the woodwork so to speak, these cans are imported

Much obliged, I'll give him a ring

Thanks.Sort of! I usually press a few buttons until something happens! Resolution always been a bit of a mystery even though I did a digital imaging course a few years back. Knew a tutor @ the local college who was the bees knees with photoshop unfortunately with job cuts he's now moved away.

Let's try again! and this Aah the wonders of modern technology! Light years away from 1966 when these photos were taken, top of Grindley Brook I think.

How do you get your photos posted? I've tried using photobucket but apparently that's not allowed. However I see yours are on photobucket Alan. Where have I gone wrong?

Where do we start? Wall to wall boats here! Lots of Grand Onions a josher or two the odd station boat and a C&C,possibly a Barlow boat. Beats trainspotting which by the way you can do, WCML nearby, if you get bored with boats!

Narrowboat passing through Butterley tunnel on the Erewash canal, Derbyshire, about 1895.

China? Who mentioned China? Did I mention China? I don't think so. I posted this message with the topic title watercans. If you haven't got an answer to my original question then please don't post on this thread. I really don't want a discussion on Far Eastern economics or Chinese steam locomotives neither of which I feel is suitable for a Canal World discussion forum entitled History & Heritage. If you feel you must discuss these issues I would respectfully suggest you do that on another post possibly on another forum, this I believe is the correct protocol. I stand to be corrected but please not on this thread.

Yet another contact this one from Rex Wain. Tony Matts @ Foxton Boat Services used to make cans he is having a look to see what stock he has left since the boatyard closed. I bought a handbowl from FBS many years ago which is really good quality. He was saying to me he was looking at sorting out a shed and possibly going back into production, they still have all the equipment.

Already have. I suspect some of their products are imported now. The dustbins they supply you could spit through! They need decent production runs to make them at a competitive price.That's one of the reasons why it's almost impossible to find anyone making this sort of product.

Aahh photoshop ( CS 5?) where would we be without it? Probably all looking 30 years older

Just had a word with Roger Herrington of The Waterways Craft Guild who told me that they are in the process of sourcing manufacturers in the Black country to start producing quality canal holloware again. He concurs with me that as we speak there are no commercial producers of this type of product left in the UK. Possibly there may be more information to hand @ Braunston next month.

You aving a larf?

Just spoken to Dave Moore (WCG) who's @ Crick he like a lot of todays painters doesn't supply the holloware he paints what the customer supplies. Just called Midland chandlers who tell me their supply has dried up, seems to me there is a niche market here for someone with tin bashing skills. I had the same problem getting a chimney made. Dave Parrott eventually made me one which is top quality but he only makes them as and when. I last did sheet metalwork as an apprentice er hmmm 1967!!!!! How hard can it be?

Use a galvanised roofing nail to fix your mophead, make sure you drill a correct size pilot hole before you knock it home cos it definitely will not come loose. The hayfork handles are ok nicely shaped to let the hand get a good grip but they're too short to be used from off the top planks. I've made quite a few now started off with the HNBOC article and modified it, as you do! Melton cloth ( donkey jacket material) isn't so easy to get hold of so I experimented using old fleeces with excellent results and you can have any colour or combination of colur you want. So you could have a barbers pole paint job and a multicolured mophead how cool is that?

Anyone know of any manufacturer left in this country making good quality cans? Lester's of Brum seem to have disappeared, their web site no longer available. Any ideas peeps and I'm not looking for cheapo 3rd world imports which might look OK on a jolly boat. I want the real thing, is that so hard to ask for in this god forsaken country?