Traditional chimney/exhaust stack makers?

[DShK]

I'd like a proper nice traditional chimney, and a real nice solid exhaust stack (the chandler one I have is poor quality and does not fit well). The only place that I could see that has an online presence is South Island Marina, and they seem to have stopped making them. The only other info I can find are phone numbers on here from a decade or more ago!

 

Any recommendations here?

 

Also, my impression is that you don't really want to use your nice chimney as the smokeless fuel will eat it alive. How are people storing their chimneys when not in use?

[rusty69]

I have heard good things of these people, though must confess, never have I used them:

 

Ours is a basic double skinned stainless and is in its fifth year. The cheap steel ones would only usually last 2 years.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/littlechimneycompany/?paipv=0&eav=AfZvKAU9PE0spyoj8b_uQdudeCHbGfTMOFDpS42tU26v4kzqhwhaOsUF_SgaThqremQ&_rdr

[DShK]

10 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

I have heard good things of these people, though must confess, never have I used them:

 

Ours is a basic double skinned stainless and is in its fifth year. The cheap steel ones would only usually last 2 years.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/littlechimneycompany/?paipv=0&eav=AfZvKAU9PE0spyoj8b_uQdudeCHbGfTMOFDpS42tU26v4kzqhwhaOsUF_SgaThqremQ&_rdr

Ah yeah I've heard of these guys and heard good things. I don't get he impression they do "traditional" though. I definitely will look to get one of theirs for my "standard" chimney when my current one fails.

 

I'm after this type of thing:

 

[rusty69]

Just now, DShK said:

Ah yeah I've heard of these guys and heard good things. I don't get he impression they do "traditional" though. I definitely will look to get one of theirs for my "standard" chimney when my current one fails.

 

I'm after this type of thing:

 

Could try a traditional boat builder. Brinklow perhaps?

[David Mack]

I made my own exhaust chimney. Oversize stainless steel tube from ebay, slit down its length and pulled in to the right diameter using jubilee clips, then pop riveted through the overlap. Brass strip and aluminium D section, also from ebay, curved to fit round for the bands, top rim and the hoop on the top, and again pop riveted on (with copper pop rivets). Polish the brass and paint the steel and aluminium with high temperature matt black engine paint from Halfords.

[DShK]

1 hour ago, rusty69 said:

Could try a traditional boat builder. Brinklow perhaps?

Could be a good shout, thanks. At the least they may be able to point me towards someone.

32 minutes ago, David Mack said:

I made my own exhaust chimney. Oversize stainless steel tube from ebay, slit down its length and pulled in to the right diameter using jubilee clips, then pop riveted through the overlap. Brass strip and aluminium D section, also from ebay, curved to fit round for the bands, top rim and the hoop on the top, and again pop riveted on (with copper pop rivets). Polish the brass and paint the steel and aluminium with high temperature matt black engine paint from Halfords.

How would you achieve the "rolled" part at the top? If I were to do it myself I'd worry I'd end up with a worse result than the chandlery one!

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, David Mack said:

I made my own exhaust chimney. Oversize stainless steel tube from ebay, slit down its length and pulled in to the right diameter using jubilee clips, then pop riveted through the overlap. Brass strip and aluminium D section, also from ebay, curved to fit round for the bands, top rim and the hoop on the top, and again pop riveted on (with copper pop rivets). Polish the brass and paint the steel and aluminium with high temperature matt black engine paint from Halfords.

I used a length of car exhaust. That comes in loads of sizes and my local (small) garage got a length for me. Its quite a good gauge and not tinny. Again a couple of brass strips round it. I think Michael Pinnock use to make them.

 

[Ray T]

3 hours ago, rusty69 said:

Could try a traditional boat builder. Brinklow perhaps?

 

Recommend Brinklow Boats. They made me a double skinned stainless steel one in 2014, still going strong.

Propper rivets, not the "pop" variety.

Not cheap but then, buy cheap, get cheap!

Edited February 21, 2023 by Ray T

[DShK]

16 minutes ago, Ray T said:

 

Recommend Brinklow Boats. They made me a double skinned stainless steel one in 2014, still going strong.

Propper rivets, not the "pop" variety.

Not cheap but then, buy cheap, get cheap!

 

 

That looks great. I'll contact brinklow then. The inner skin looks like it pokes out the top - is it removable? By which I mean, do you use it without worrying about the smokeless corroding the entire thing? I hear that it doesn't play with with brass too...

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, DShK said:

How would you achieve the "rolled" part at the top? If I were to do it myself I'd worry I'd end up with a worse result than the chandlery one!

I just bent it by hand round a piece of steel pipe of the right diameter I happened to have. This put the bend in the middle with straight bits on each end. Then put the straight ends in the vice and pulled the curved bit over. The straight bits poke down the inside of the pipe and were riveted on at the same time as the rim.

It was easier than I expected.

21 minutes ago, Ray T said:

Propper rivets, not the "pop" variety.

I would have preferred that, but I don't have a suitable 'anvil' to put inside the pipe to hammer against.

[pearley]

4 hours ago, rusty69 said:

I have heard good things of these people, though must confess, never have I used them:

 

Ours is a basic double skinned stainless and is in its fifth year. The cheap steel ones would only usually last 2 years.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/littlechimneycompany/?paipv=0&eav=AfZvKAU9PE0spyoj8b_uQdudeCHbGfTMOFDpS42tU26v4kzqhwhaOsUF_SgaThqremQ&_rdr

Thoroughly recommend Kim. Usually moored around Fazeley Junction.

[tree monkey]

17 minutes ago, pearley said:

Thoroughly recommend Kim. Usually moored around Fazeley Junction.

Made me a chimney and replaced my flue with a stainless one, 3 years ago now, still looks brand new and considering the cheap chandlery ones are lucky to survive a winter, it was a bargain (chimney that is the flues last a touch longer than that)

[Annie cariad]

Love to see one recommended on here 

 

Bought a "stainless one from a well known swindlers" useless not stainless at all !! 

 

 

[Ray T]

4 hours ago, DShK said:

That looks great. I'll contact brinklow then. The inner skin looks like it pokes out the top - is it removable? By which I mean, do you use it without worrying about the smokeless corroding the entire thing? I hear that it doesn't play with with brass too...

No it is not the inner skin but a piece of metal tube pushed in the top. I can make the chimney taller to improve the “draw” if needed when moored or push it down when cruising. The boaters of yore used a National dried milk tin amongst others for this purpose. These tins are no longer made. The tube also acts as sacrificial end saving the chimney top from corroding.

The stove on our boat is a wood burner, never used coal.

 

Edited February 21, 2023 by Ray T
Add picture

[noddyboater]

David Parrot makes traditional exhausts and chimneys,  top quality but has a waiting list I believe.  You can contact him through his son Matt, who runs the Northwich dry dock company on the Weaver.

[magnetman]

2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

I used a length of car exhaust. That comes in loads of sizes and my local (small) garage got a length for me. Its quite a good gauge and not tinny. Again a couple of brass strips round it. I think Michael Pinnock use to make them.

 

Car exhaust tube is great.

Quite thick wall actually. It's only 304 stainless usually but is durable. I use swaged tubes on one of my fires. I drop the first one into the top of the flue elbow then the next section just drops into the top of the swaged end. Excellent stuff. That's 70mm but they do larger. This means the whole lot can be disassembled easily for cleaning or putting away in summer. 

 

One thing to be careful about though is bridges. You actually want a chimney terminal to crush or fold if you hit a bridge rather than for it to lever the deck collar out or even worse damage fittings on the fire or engine. My boat is on the Thames so no issues but on the cut it would be slightly risky to have 18 inches of flue sticking out which is directly connected to the fire. 

 

Swings and roundabouts but I'd say for a decorative chimney which is on most of the time you want thin wall stuff really which will crush on impact. 

 

 

Edited February 21, 2023 by magnetman

[DShK]

28 minutes ago, Ray T said:

No it is not the inner skin but a piece of metal tube pushed in the top. I can make the chimney taller to improve the “draw” if needed when moored or push it down when cruising. The boaters of yore used a Nestle dried milk tin amongst others for this purpose. These tins are no longer made. The tube also acts as sacrificial end saving the chimney top from corroding.

The stove on our boat is a wood burner, never used coal.

 

That's super interesting and good to know, I'll definitely look to have something like that.

18 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

David Parrot makes traditional exhausts and chimneys,  top quality but has a waiting list I believe.  You can contact him through his son Matt, who runs the Northwich dry dock company on the Weaver.

Good to know, I'll give them a bell to in due time. Thanks!

11 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Car exhaust tube is great.

Quite thick wall actually. It's only 304 stainless usually but is durable. I use swaged tubes on one of my fires. I drop the first one into the top of the flue elbow then the next section just drops into the top of the swaged end. Excellent stuff. That's 70mm but they do larger. This means the whole lot can be disassembled easily for cleaning or putting away in summer. 

 

One thing to be careful about though is bridges. You actually want a chimney terminal to crush or fold if you hit a bridge rather than for it to lever the deck collar out or even worse damage fittings on the fire or engine. My boat is on the Thames so no issues but on the cut it would be slightly risky to have 18 inches of flue sticking out which is directly connected to the fire. 

 

Swings and roundabouts but I'd say for a decorative chimney which is on most of the time you want thin wall stuff really which will crush on impact. 

 

 

 

The point about crushing - never considered this. I have come very close to striking my exhaust a few times. I've seen some genius solutions involving counterweighted hinges. Perhaps something like that would be good.

[ditchcrawler]

16 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Car exhaust tube is great.

Quite thick wall actually. It's only 304 stainless usually but is durable. I use swaged tubes on one of my fires. I drop the first one into the top of the flue elbow then the next section just drops into the top of the swaged end. Excellent stuff. That's 70mm but they do larger. This means the whole lot can be disassembled easily for cleaning or putting away in summer. 

 

One thing to be careful about though is bridges. You actually want a chimney terminal to crush or fold if you hit a bridge rather than for it to lever the deck collar out or even worse damage fittings on the fire or engine. My boat is on the Thames so no issues but on the cut it would be slightly risky to have 18 inches of flue sticking out which is directly connected to the fire. 

 

Swings and roundabouts but I'd say for a decorative chimney which is on most of the time you want thin wall stuff really which will crush on impact. 

 

 

Sorry got confused, it was my engine exhaust stack

[Ray T]

8 hours ago, DShK said:

Also, my impression is that you don't really want to use your nice chimney as the smokeless fuel will eat it alive. How are people storing their chimneys when not in use?

 

Our Chimney(s) fit nicely behind the stove when not in use and the roof collar gets covered with one of these.

When the boat is not in use it may be needed to chain the cap down or it may "walk."

 

Edited February 21, 2023 by Ray T

[magnetman]

11 hours ago, DShK said:

 

The point about crushing - never considered this. I have come very close to striking my exhaust a few times. I've seen some genius solutions involving counterweighted hinges. Perhaps something like that would be good.

When I had a narrow boat with top exit flue I used a length of stainless steel Flexi pipe for the exhaust. Just pull it over to the side under bridges and excellent for tunnels as you can direct the gases sideways so they don't drop a load of debris on the boat. 

 

1 metre of this stuff they call it "Polylock". Bends quite a long way I was able to bend it over to horizontal output quite easily with boathook but then I had no back cabin so exhaust outlet was closer than usual to the helm. 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131335394556

 

Not very "traditional" but very practical ! 

Worth considering perhaps .

Edited February 22, 2023 by magnetman

[Tony Brooks]

9 hours ago, Ray T said:

 

Our Chimney(s) fit nicely behind the stove when not in use and the roof collar gets covered with one of these.

When the boat is not in use it may be needed to chain the cap down or it may "walk."

 

 

Have you compared the cost of those caps compared with a cheap stainless saucepan from a cheap shop? Even cheaper is one from home with a burned/loose handle. Just take the handle off and it is less likely to walk off.

[David Mack]

Fulbourne has an upturned Fray Bentos pie tin with a piece of wood attached to the middle which hangs down the flue and adds enough weight to stop it being blown away. Does the job and cheap enough to replace if it goes awol.

[magnetman]

Butt weld end cap might work. 

 

For the exhaust it is either the old cast iron calor gas bottle valve caps, cut down shell casings or butt weld end caps. All nice and heavy. 

 

a piece of chain on the inside going into the exhaust is a worthy addition as long as it 100% won't ever come loose and drop into the exhaust system. 

 

[Rob-M]

30 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Fulbourne has an upturned Fray Bentos pie tin with a piece of wood attached to the middle which hangs down the flue and adds enough weight to stop it being blown away. Does the job and cheap enough to replace if it goes awol.

A fairly traditional approach I've seen on many working boats.

[magnetman]

6" weld cap £16. 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334636253816

 

Might not quite fit over a large collar though. Would need checking. 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2023 by magnetman