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Mass production of riveted narrowboats.


IanR

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Has anyone got any images or film footage of riveted narrowboat manufacture, H+W in particular if I'm being selfish? Were the iron or steel plates and guards etc predrilled for rivets, even precut to shape, then distributed around the works as a kit of parts? Predrilling would certainly be an easier operation, accuracy dependant. What were the tolerances involved I wonder?

 

Many thanks, Ian.

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In shipyard work the plates were edge planed after shearing, then  holes were punched, often undersized before transfer to the build slip for riveting.  Where undersized holes were punched they were enlarged with a drill on site, to match the plate they were fitting.

N

 

 

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3 hours ago, IanR said:

Has anyone got any images or film footage of riveted narrowboat manufacture, H+W in particular if I'm being selfish? Were the iron or steel plates and guards etc predrilled for rivets, even precut to shape, then distributed around the works as a kit of parts? Predrilling would certainly be an easier operation, accuracy dependant. What were the tolerances involved I wonder?

 

Many thanks, Ian.

This image, from the C&RT Online Collection, shows G.U.C.C.Co. Ltd. motors being built by Harland and Wolff Ltd., Woolwich. There is certainly evidence here that the plates were pre-fabricated and then assembled to produce a boat, with what looks like loose counter wraps in the foreground and swim plates complete with stern tube fabrications to the right of them. I have seen better photographs of pre-fabricated sections but can not put my hand to them at the moment :captain:

 

61.jpg.936124c73593998faf7d8e750d240abf.jpg

 

  • Greenie 3
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3 minutes ago, pete harrison said:

This image, from the C&RT Online Collection, shows G.U.C.C.Co. Ltd. motors being built by Harland and Wolff Ltd., Woolwich. There is certainly evidence here that the plates were pre-fabricated and then assembled to produce a boat, with what looks like loose counter wraps in the foreground and swim plates complete with stern tube fabrications to the right of them. I have seen better photographs of pre-fabricated sections but can not put my hand to them at the moment :captain:

 

61.jpg.936124c73593998faf7d8e750d240abf.jpg

 

And bottom right are some of the one piece castings comprising sternpost, sterntube, shoe and skeg. Interesting to see that the propshaft seems to be installed before the swim plates are riveted on.

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1 hour ago, David Mack said:

And bottom right are some of the one piece castings comprising sternpost, sterntube, shoe and skeg. Interesting to see that the propshaft seems to be installed before the swim plates are riveted on.

I would say that’s the lining up tool so as too keep all things square once the plates are riveted up that would slide out and the shaft slid in 

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1 hour ago, alan_fincher said:

Thats a real production line. Presumably they side slip the boat furthest right into the river, then shuffle all the rest down the slip, so they can start buulding a new boat on the left.

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There are films old and modern demonstrating rivetting on ships, bridges, etc on YouTube which gives some idea of the planning and work involved.

 
From the earliest times holes were usually punched out with hammer and punch then as the industrial revolution really took off during the 19th century it saw the emergence of hole punching machines, hydraulic rivetting then compressed air riveting.
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I wonder what the bottle of Heinz vinegar  under the saw horse was for?

Interesting to see how close a fit the ellum was to the stern post and how little front rudder blade there is on the motor.

With all those shavings on the floor I'm surprised that they didn't burn the place down, though nobody seems to be smoking.

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Having had a closer look, the gear on the floor is definitely a mahl stick, palette with dipper attached, along with small pot of paint, all standard signwriting gear, still used today. The boat behind seems partially lettered and the trestles are placed at a convenient height for the writer to work on,  No crouching in a paint dock here!

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6 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

 

Interesting to see how close a fit the ellum was to the stern post and how little front rudder blade there is on the motor.

I think a “leading” blade on the rudder is a relatively new design by modern shell builders. It gives more balance making the tiller lighter to operate. Without it on a tight bend with a big prop and a few revs on, you really do have to put your back into it. 

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Thanks for the replies folks, some lovely insight and atmosphere in those pics, though they throw up more questions for sure!! Is the chap in the white jacket putting the finishing touches to the paintwork on a steel band, a blurred paintbrush can be seen? The close fit of the ellum might be an optical illusion due to the stern post being much thinner than the ellum timber?  On some H + W cabin structures the panels are recessed. On others there is no framing. In some of the austerity liveried photographs the cabin structure can clearly be seen, with the vertical planks of the cabin sides visible from top to bottom, plus the ends of the cabin roof planks visible under the handrail strip and above the cabin side planks. Did the structure design change throughout production to lose the 'framing'? 

 

Ian.

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3 hours ago, IanR said:

Did the structure design change throughout production to lose the 'framing'? 

 

I believe it changed during the production of the Big Woolwich boats. BELFAST (1936) has corrosion pitting around the edges of the steel engine room structure, indicating were there was damp behind the wooden framing, and there are brass rivets in the screw holes where the framing would have been attached. FULBOURNE (1937) has no such corrosion, rivets or screw holes, indicating that it never had the framing fitted.

Edited by David Mack
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2 hours ago, roland elsdon said:

Fenny has no such corrosion either ( though she has loads elsewhere)

she was built at the same time as Fulbourne. 


These two  and Gainsborough were the last town class Harland and Wolff  built  So possible economies being made.

HAMPSTEAD, GREENLAW, HADLEY and HAWKESBURY were all delivered after FENNY, FULBOURNE and GAINSBOROUGH with the latter two by almost two months :captain:

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Some excellent photos there, very interesting to have in addition to more 'stock images' and youtube videos of ship building at the time. 

On 26/11/2019 at 13:20, BEngo said:

In shipyard work the plates were edge planed after shearing, then  holes were punched, often undersized before transfer to the build slip for riveting.  Where undersized holes were punched they were enlarged with a drill on site, to match the plate they were fitting.

N

Certainly makes sense for the punched holes to be a little underside, if still mad to think you can get them close enough even for that with the curves etc but in guess they had made a lot and  honed it to a fine skill. Mechanical punching obviously makes a lot of sense, before the days of laser cutting and or good hss mag drills. 

 

Daniel

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Gainsborough rego date 21/9/37 build 37/03

Hampstead 15/06/37 build 37/04

Fenny rego date.   16/11/37 Build 37/03

Hawksbury 37/05 build

 

maybe fenny had issues or they forgot about her. 
as the build dates are broadly similar but rego way different.

course rego date could be wrong. Truth is flexible..... as we know

 

 

 

 

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