Flue maker

[Sea Dog]

Can anyone recommend someone who can measure up and manufacture a single skin 4 inch flue, either black painted steel or stainless? Reasonable radius from Autherley junction at the bottom of the Shroppie preferred so they can get to me to measure up, otherwise somewhere there's water in the cut if I need to go to them!

 

Thanks in advance.

[Richard10002]

I'm going back 5 or 6 years, but I bought a length from Midland Chandlers and cut it to size with a special cutting tool.

 

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/products/flue-pipe-steel-4-o-d-x-1500mm-hf-401

 

 

Edited July 14, 2022 by Richard10002

[Jen-in-Wellies]

10 minutes ago, Richard10002 said:

I'm going back 5 or 6 years, but I bought a length from Midland Chandlers and cut it to size with a special cutting tool.

 

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/products/flue-pipe-steel-4-o-d-x-1500mm-hf-401

 

 

Used these on my own and friends boats. Seem to get around six years out of them full time living on board. I've trimmed them to size using a metal cutting blade in a jigsaw, after drilling a hole big enough to take the blade. An angry angle grinder and suitable cutting disc will also work.

Not answering @Sea Dog's question, but if he is happy to DIY this bit, then he just needs to find some one to weld up any bends required after cutting at the appropriate angles.

Edited July 14, 2022 by Jen-in-Wellies

[Chewbacka]

A word of caution if using milk steel rather than stainless.  Mild steel flue pipe is normally ‘black vitreous enamel’ and after welding the joint will have a band of unprotected steel inside the flue where the enamel should be.  This will corrode faster.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

12 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

A word of caution if using milk steel rather than stainless.  Mild steel flue pipe is normally ‘black vitreous enamel’ and after welding the joint will have a band of unprotected steel inside the flue where the enamel should be.  This will corrode faster.

The Midland Swindlers pipes that @Richard10002 linked to have no coating at all, so rust all along the interior. They seem to perforate first where the pipe goes through the collar in the roof.

Stainless pipes could have corrosion problems at any joint welds, if the wrong filler wire is used. Fortunately for me, the flue on my boat is straight, with no welds.

[BEngo]

Mild steel flue pipe of the variety commonly  used in boats (113 mm 3mm wall  CHS usually) has no vitreous coating at all.  If it is black rather than mill scale blue/black it has been painted.  

That said, the welds can still be weak points if they are not full  thickness  or are under cut.

 

N

 

PS for Sea Dog.

 

Any welder or fabricator should be able to make up your flue pipe, Midland Swindlers sell the pipe, though it is lots cheaper from a steel stockist.

If you really get stuck come to Circus Field and I will make you one.

N

Edited July 14, 2022 by BEngo

[Higgs]

The life of a flue can vary, dependant on smokeless fuel type used; at least, I've stopped buying the cheaper varieties. Went through one flue fairly fast, on the cheaper ones. Acidity in the chimney, I think. Generally used the tubes from the chandlers. Good so far, with the latest 4 year old flue.

 

The flue has a slight elbow, so needed a welder. Took ages to find one to do it. When I did find one, I had two flues made. Still have that spare one. Bound to need it in a year or two. 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2022 by Higgs

[PaulJ]

You could try Phil Jones at Hatherton. Top Bloke though imagine you will have to take boat to him.

[Sea Dog]

Thank you for the various info above folks.

My current mild steel, black painted flue has ten years on the clock and is in good shape - another like it would do nicely.

My issue is that, whilst there is a slight kick to correct the angle where it meets the collar at the deck head, at the bottom it exits the cast iron stove top collar at about 5 degrees, placing some stress there which has eventually caused that casting to crack at the lip. Not to the extent it could leak, and removing a bite and re- cementing has ensured all is functioning properly. However, the flue really needed a slight kick there to be dead right. I have a new collar ready to go, so I could just pop that in and go keep the existing flue, bit I thought I'd turn the challenge into an opportunity(!) and take the stove out, replace the tiles with some smart new ones, and then pop it back in with the new casting and a stress free flue.

With my 'to do' list already being sufficient to keep me from being bored, I thought the flue job might be the right  one to get someone else in for.

2 hours ago, BEngo said:

If you really get stuck come to Circus Field and I will make you one.

A kind offer indeed. Aylesbury is maybe a bit of a stretch at the mo, but I'll tuck that offer away in case of a rainy day. Thanks again 

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, PaulJ said:

You could try Phil Jones at Hatherton. Top Bloke though imagine you will have to take boat to him.

That's not a difficult place for me to get to even if it involves a journey to measure up and a later visit to get the thing in. Thanks for the tip. 

[Peugeot 106]

I’m sure we saw a boat trader on the K &.A a couple of weeks ago. If there is a list of boat traders somewhere he specialises in Narrowboat flues and fabricates them onboard. He may not be that far off you if you have car. There is also a Narrowboat blacksmith boat trader on the same canal who may know of his whereabouts. The blacksmith was heading Bath I think.  Everybody seems to know the blacksmith and his wife. We travelled with them for a couple of days and they were really helpful. 

Good luck

[Tonka]

5 hours ago, PaulJ said:

You could try Phil Jones at Hatherton. Top Bloke though imagine you will have to take boat to him.

Think he has Dave Harris helping him out occasionally 

[Peugeot 106]

Little Chimney Company! They looked good on his Narrowboat!

[Peugeot 106]

Sorry it looks like he may not in your area. It could be we saw him a lot earlier on our trip and i’m confused. Give him a ring 

[blackrose]

Why not just measure it yourself? Plot some dimensions on a drawing and give it to a chandler who will make it for you?

 

Paying someone to visit your boat simply to use a tape measure seems a tad profligate. 

 

Better still, if you still have the old one just give it to the chandler to copy. 

Edited July 14, 2022 by blackrose

[Sea Dog]

54 minutes ago, blackrose said:

Why not just measure it yourself? Plot some dimensions on a drawing and give it to a chandler who will make it for you?

 

Paying someone to visit your boat simply to use a tape measure seems a tad profligate. 

 

Better still, if you still have the old one just give it to the chandler to copy. 

Well, it's not just a tape measurement as there are 2 sets required which need to be in the right place and at the correct angles. The way to do it, I think, is to screw 3 pieces of batten together to the correct profile.

Whilst I doubt a Chandler is the place to get it done, and the shape of the old one is not the shape I need, a decent metal worker could probably work to my template. However, if the finished article then isn't quite the fit either of us would hope for, there's an issue to overcome.

Combine all that with what I said about my 'to do' list, and I think you'll see why I'm  looking at this being a job I'm content to pay someone else to do for me,  both to measure and to make, preferably also to fit. 

You may think that profligate, but I'm thinking it may be the best balance of my time versus monetary resouce. Of course, I could flog myself to death or even choose instead to pay someone else to do some other boat maintenance I have lined up, work on my house, finish getting the roadster back on the road, take the missus on holiday, go to the wedding I have to attend in August or a host of other things but, all things considered, I'm still thinking the flue is the right choice for me. 

[waterworks]

Staple some 4 mm ply strips together, get stainless tube TIG welded. 

 

1 mm seamless EW stainless tube , it radiates a load of heat into the cabin, runs hotter so it doesn't soot up and doesn't corrode. 

 

[Richard T]

What about Oxley Marine - they seem able to tackle most jobs on a boat and are near to you.

[Sea Dog]

3 hours ago, Peugeot 106 said:

Little Chimney Company! They looked good on his Narrowboat!

Ah yes, saw the boat recently I think. Thanks 👍

They're just chimneys though, aren't they? It's the flue inside I'm looking to change.

 

59 minutes ago, waterworks said:

Staple some 4 mm ply strips together, get stainless tube TIG welded. 

 

1 mm seamless EW stainless tube , it radiates a load of heat into the cabin, runs hotter so it doesn't soot up and doesn't corrode. 

 

Food for thought, many thanks. 👍

 

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Sea Dog said:

Ah yes, saw the boat recently I think. Thanks 👍

They're just chimneys though, aren't they? It's the flue inside I'm looking to change.

 

 

Where are you? Have you said?

 

Not many NB flue-makers in Devon as your profile says. 

 

 

[Sea Dog]

17 minutes ago, Richard T said:

What about Oxley Marine - they seem able to tackle most jobs on a boat and are near to you.

Hadn't thought they might do flues, so I'll have a look. Thanks.

[Sea Dog]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

Where are you? Have you said?

 

Not many NB flue-makers in Devon as your profile says. 

 

 

Not much in the way of network canals neither, so I've had to be a bit flexible to go narrowboating!  

I'm looking around bottom of the Shroppie, Staffs and Worcs atm. Happy to cruise elsewhere if necessary, but I'm not sure there's enough water to go much further!

[MtB]

6 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Not much in the way of network canals neither, so I've had to be a bit flexible to go narrowboating!  

I'm looking around bottom of the Shroppie, Staffs and Worcs atm. Happy to cruise elsewhere if necessary, but I'm not sure there's enough water to go much further!

 

 

Ah I see. I know someone who lives on the southern Oxford who might do it for you, if you can get down there! 

 

 

[Sea Dog]

On 15/07/2022 at 09:02, MtB said:

 

 

Ah I see. I know someone who lives on the southern Oxford who might do it for you, if you can get down there! 

 

 

Thanks Mike. I could throw a stone and hit the Black Country from here, so I'm hoping to be able to get the metalwork done more locally. I'm thinking I might struggle to get as far as the southern end of the Oxford until they refill the canals, although the red warning of biblical rains can't be too far behind the current red warning of spontaneous combustion of the elderly can it? 

[MtB]

49 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Thanks Mike. I could throw a stone and hit the Black Country from here, so I'm hoping to be able to get the metalwork done more locally. I'm thinking I might struggle to get as far as the southern end of the Oxford until they refill the canals, although the red warning of biblical rains can't be too far behind the current red warning of spontaneous combustion of the elderly can it? 

 

 

Nearer, what about the blacksmith chappie in the workshop at one end of the Blisworth tunnel?