[water cans]

All I will say is that when I wanted to get one, I asked around members of the Waterways Craft Guild and got a few prices, not even daring approach Phil... but then when the others didn't get back to me, I emailed him - and he was actually less expensive than the lesser known names. So I ordered from Phil and the result is fantastic.

 

edited to ad link to piccy

 

But Phil is fantastic. ( Put cheque in post please Phil)

 

The order, was that the can and handbowl? Nice Xmas presents.

[water cans]

One of my currently unpainted stock of 3 gallon ( i.e."proper" ) cans, once decorated by me goodself, would cost you........ best pm me on that I guess! I couldn`t stand the "HOW MUCH!! comments from those who don`t think years of practice and a good name merit a good price.

 

Phil

 

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

[water cans]

Hope you don't mind if I pop in three questions related to this topic:

 

What would be required to tool up to make cans ? and is there anyone that could teach how to make good quality ones ? And I guess more tellingly; is the demand for quality cans likely to hold out in the face of the cheaper ware ?

 

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.

[water cans]

It all rather depends where he`s got them from. There is nobody in England making cans ( or supplying GOOD ones ) in that sort of volume unless someone has suddenly sprung out of the wood work. I very much hope they have.

I have 5 x 3 gallon cans of excellent quality from Dave Turner waiting to be painted ( offer me a profit if you want one ) - but he only makes a handful at a time and his existing customer base takes absolutely all he can produce. It will be interesting to see if Terence has come up with something because a number of us who`ve been at this game for years have so far failed miserably.

Phil

 

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

[water cans]

Much obliged, I'll give him a ring

[More Old 1970s Photographs]

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.

[More Old 1970s Photographs]

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.

[More Old 1970s Photographs]

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?

[Historic Collections]

 

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!

[Women legging a tunnel]

Edited to add:

 

Here is a picture found from the Internet, captioned.....

 

"Workmen "legging" their cargo through the 900 metre long Islington Canal Tunnel"

 

 

However anybody familiar with the Regents Canal and Islington Tunnel should be able to see that unless these are incredibly tall leggers, this is hardly a picture of a tunnel capable of passing 14 foot beam barges.

 

(I wonder what it's actually a picture of ?).

 

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

[water cans]

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.

[water cans]

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.

[water cans]

A quick search through Internet business directories has revealed that there are still a couple of British companies who manufacture galvanised holloware, both are located in Lye, Stourbridge.

 

Midland Holloware Limited

 

and

 

W. H. HILL (Holloware) LTD

 

If the current lead fails, it may be worth talking to one of the above . . .

 

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.

[Old 1970s Negatives - Part 4]

Aahh photoshop ( CS 5?) where would we be without it?

Probably all looking 30 years older

[water cans]

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.

[water cans]

The methods you learnt might be a bit "new fangled".

You aving a larf?

[water cans]

The Waterweays Craft Guild used to sell them at rallies etc. They usually have a stall at the Braunston Historic Boat Show.

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?

[Traditional type mop]

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?

[water cans]

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?