Book For Someone Fitting Out A Narrowboat?

[reg]

3 hours ago, Bod said:

Screws and glue are remarkably expensive, if you haven't budgeted for them.

Reasonable quality tools, wood saws, planes, chisels, pipe cutters, drill bits, never mind electrical crimping tools, are all much more costly than you might think.

If progress is to be maintained, then waiting for a good tool at carboot sales, cannot be done, do you know what difference is between a usable tool, and rubbish?

It's easy to budget for the larger items, it's the sundries that get forgotten.

 

Bod

Checking my old spreadsheets I found that I spent more on the wood stains and varnishes than I did on the actual timber.  

 

Screws

I found the Screwfix Turbogold screws were great quality and  fantastic to use,  saved a lot of time when used with a power driver.

 

[reg]

3 hours ago, Murflynn said:

 

not forgetting Vehicle Wiring Products for all things 12 volt related.

Forgot those

Here's the link 

https://www.vehiclewiringproducts.co.uk/index.php?route=information/contact

 

Although no hard copy catalogue I Also found 12voltplanet very useful 

https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/knowledge-centre.html

 

 

[BEngo]

The most important, in fact absolutely essential,  book for any one fitting out is a cheque book.  (Modern equivalents are available.)

N

[IanD]

On 08/03/2022 at 09:35, Porpentine said:

Oops, sorry, double post. Mods, please feel free to delete this one!
 

I know someone who is fitting out a new narrowboat, or at least will be once it’s finally delivered (many delays due to Covid, etc.) I’d thought of buying him a copy of “Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual: Repair and Improve Your Boat’s Essential Systems” by Nigel Calder. I haven’t seen the book myself* so I’m not sure how useful it would be, especially as the boat he’s getting is a serial hybrid. I think it’ll be coming with electric engine installed but I don’t know whether the generator will be and I don’t think the solar panels will be. Any thoughts as to whether this book could still be of use or interest? Any other recommendations?

 

* OK, even if I had seen a copy firsthand it wouldn’t mean much to me. He on the contrary is very handy. 

 

There are a lot of potential pitfalls with a DIY series hybrid, especially battery choice/installation/management/protection, so I hope your friend has done a lot of reading up on this 😉

 

If he hasn't, here is a very good place to start...

 

https://marinehowto.com/lifepo4-batteries-on-boats/

 

The books (and Tony's website) referred to above have a lot of excellent advice on conventional boat fitout and building, but AFAIK don't touch on electric propulsion. The Nigel Calder one may be different (he was involved with the Integrel mega-alternator development) but I haven't read it so I don't know for sure...

Edited March 13, 2022 by IanD

[Porpentine]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions.

 

I suspect that he'll have a lot of the necessary tools and know where to source materials as he is used to fitting out kitchens and renovating houses. But these are all good suggestions and there may well be some sources he's not aware of.

 

Quote

There are a lot of potential pitfalls with a DIY series hybrid, especially battery choice/installation/management/protection, so I hope your friend has done a lot of reading up on this 😉

 

If he hasn't, here is a very good place to start...

 

https://marinehowto.com/lifepo4-batteries-on-boats/

 

Thanks for this suggestion IanD. I think he has done a lot of research but don't know if he has come across this link. (And I certainly hadn't

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by Porpentine

[Sass]

On 09/03/2022 at 20:01, OldGoat said:

At the risk of 'some-clever-clogs' accusing me of not answering the question -

Wharrabout looking at youtube videos  as well? There's a huge amount of stuff there - good as well as bad to direct your mind.

(FWIW - and that may be not worth a lot) to my mind self fitouts seem to be going down to B&Q / Wiches  and worse, cutting down small fittings / firniture and stuffing them under the gunnels. Looks awful and probably costs a lot, but what can you do if you don't have a workshop - so who am I to criticise.

 

Best advice is spend many hours looknig at YT including what some of the better brokers have on sale and choose the fratures that you think you can incorporate??

 

Must go the Warder has summoned me...

 

can you recommend some YouTube channels? I'm about to embark on this (forgive me) and I can't actually find any that tell me quickly and efficiently about plumbing, electrics, all the bits separately. it seems to mostly just be fast forwards of people fitting from start to finish! funny, but unhelpful lol. 

[LadyG]

36 minutes ago, Sass said:

can you recommend some YouTube channels? I'm about to embark on this (forgive me) and I can't actually find any that tell me quickly and efficiently about plumbing, electrics, all the bits separately. it seems to mostly just be fast forwards of people fitting from start to finish! funny, but unhelpful lol. 

Colin Jacques, skip early stuff. I'm not sure if he did much electrics.himself

journey with jono .   He now works for Victron, due to his skills, not just electrical, but also logic etc.

 

 

Edited September 28, 2022 by LadyG

[Sass]

Just now, LadyG said:

Colin Jacques

 

thanks you!!!