36ft Springer build

[jonathanA]

3 hours ago, truckcab79 said:

Anyone recommend a traditional stove black paste?  Was intending using that instead of painting as I’ve seen so many good results  on YouTube and the like.  Can’t seem to find the one they use and when I shop online there are so many that are described as both paste / polish / cleaner that it’s not clear what you’re getting. 
 

I need something that will re-black an old cast iron stove once it’s been wire brushed back to lose the old grime and surface rust. 

i use this stuff

https://www.britanic.co.uk/product-page/black-high-temperature-heat-resistant-paint-stove-paint-600c-2-5l

 

at £27 for  2.5 l tin on all my stoves, barbeques etc.   probably not as a good as say Morso stove paint (about 15 quid for a tiny 250ml tin) but i just give everything a coat with it once a year job done.   

 

hotspot/zebo 'black lead' pastes are great and really traditional, but messy to apply and the 'shiny' finish doesn't last all that long.

 

 

[truckcab79]

Cheers.  Fire bricks are a standard size and I’ve already ordered from Vitcas who I use for wood fired oven builds. Costs a load in postage but nobody near me carries bricks any more unfortunately 

[truckcab79]

1 hour ago, jonathanA said:

i use this stuff

https://www.britanic.co.uk/product-page/black-high-temperature-heat-resistant-paint-stove-paint-600c-2-5l

 

at £27 for  2.5 l tin on all my stoves, barbeques etc.   probably not as a good as say Morso stove paint (about 15 quid for a tiny 250ml tin) but i just give everything a coat with it once a year job done.   

 

hotspot/zebo 'black lead' pastes are great and really traditional, but messy to apply and the 'shiny' finish doesn't last all that long.

 

 

 

I’ve used plasticote stove black in the past and found it excellent.  Might give that a go and then top up with the paste as needed later. 

 

 

[truckcab79]

Well it’s all progress however tiny.   Had a spare 20 minutes tonight so thought I’d have a go at the stove collar. Been soaking the joint for a couple of days in Plusgas. Couple of taps and off it came.  Pretty crusty but a few minutes with a knotted brush in a grinder and it’s comes up lovely.  Pitted but lovely.  
 

 

When I was last done at the boat I also took off the timber supports front and back for the tonneau covers. Figure if I’m getting some made I’ll need to replace them first.  Pretty  knackered looking though actually surprisingly solid underneath.  
 

Now my dad spent most of his working life as a chippy.  Mostly hand-made exotic timber doors and the like. He still has a shed full of timber slabs that must be at least 40 years old.  
 

For a long time I’ve been telling him that it’s worth a small fortune and he should sell it. 
Now of course I need to use a load of it for the boat so have instead taken to referring to it as a pile of worthless lumber. 😉

 

Liberated the first piece a few days back.  A lovely piece of Brazilian Mahogany.  That’ll do nicely for starters.  👍

 

Plan is to copy the old ones albeit 5mm or so deeper and then epoxy coat and varnish.  Haven’t tried the epoxy process as yet. Be interested to see how it goes.  

 

 

Edited October 19, 2023 by truckcab79

[magnetman]

Mahogany is nice but can be a problem outdoors over time. 

 

Its a bit yellow. Its not opepe is it? 

 

The grain does look more like mahogany but usually its a bit darker. 

 

 

 

 

[truckcab79]

18 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Mahogany is nice but can be a problem outdoors over time. 

 

Its a bit yellow. Its not opepe is it? 

 

The grain does look more like mahogany but usually its a bit darker. 

 

 

 

 

Trusting my dad on this. Could well be the LED lighting in my workshop altering the colour. Doesn’t look at all yellow in the flesh. At least to my eye.  
 

Most of his stock is mahogany, teak, iroko and Sapele.  He was adamant that this was mahogany. Wouldn’t know personally but he should. Spent most of his life working with it. (Could just be blagging of course. 😂)

 

Definitely won’t be Opepe. Not a timber he ever used.  

Edited October 19, 2023 by truckcab79

[magnetman]

Sapele. 

 

I've had some of this it is darker to the eye but as you say it could be a lighting thing causing it to look yellow on the picture. 

 

Teak and iroko are good outdoors mahogany or sapele less good but probably ok for this purpose and I know nothing about it anyway ! 

 

 

 

 

[truckcab79]

20 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Sapele. 

 

I've had some of this it is darker to the eye but as you say it could be a lighting thing causing it to look yellow on the picture. 

 

Teak and iroko are good outdoors mahogany or sapele less good but probably ok for this purpose and I know nothing about it anyway ! 

 

 

 

 

I was also kind of constrained by all the crap that he has stacked in front of it. I was lucky to get this, whatever it is.
 

Pretty sure Riva boats are mahogany. If it’s good enough for them  😂👍

Edited October 19, 2023 by truckcab79

[truckcab79]

Briefest of visits to the boat today to check up after the recent storms.  Tarpaulin still doing it’s job but thanks to no central support now has a second job as a swimming pool, with water about a foot deep!  Baled out and manufactured a new support from waste pipe off the van. Much better job. 
 

Bilge still nice and dry except the sump where the pump lives.  Gave it a little test.  Doing its job nicely. 👍

 

Was then meant to be back to the home workshop to work on stove and timber. Never got near the timber but the stove is coming on nicely. 
 

Hour or so with a knotted wire wheel and it cleaned up well.   One of the welds for the glass support was fractured so ground it back and put in a couple more tacks with what can only be described kindly as ‘functional’ welds.  Not my prettiest work. 
 

Found the lip around the top is only tacked on and after banging and grinding all the rust out it looked a bit gappy so welded that from the underside.  Topside will fill up again with paint, paste and dirt in time I’m sure.  
 

Bolt holding tab for glass was seized solid but welded a washer and nut on and the combination of heat and better grip had it out.  Never fails that method. 
 

One fire brick was broken and half -missing. The remainder were cracked. Don’t really have to be replaced cracked ones but might as well do them all.  SDS chisel but soon had them out.  
 

All done for today.  If I can get a few hours tomorrow night I’ll get a couple of coats of paint on it.  
 

Edited October 22, 2023 by truckcab79

[magnetman]

It is interesting they used a welded on strip at the bottom of the glass rather than another stud with a nut and a spring plate thing. 

 

I don't see why they did that. 

[truckcab79]

29 minutes ago, magnetman said:

It is interesting they used a welded on strip at the bottom of the glass rather than another stud with a nut and a spring plate thing. 

 

I don't see why they did that. 

No. Me neither.  Nothing to suggest it’s not original but strip at the bottom and just one tab top centre.  
 

Means I’ll have to pack it with more sealing strip to tighten the glass rather than clamp anything onto it I’m assuming. 
 

And although that strip is angled it isn’t close enough to the glazing recess so that it wedges itself I down think.  
 

Worst case I could cut it off and drill and tap the door if I have to 

Edited October 22, 2023 by truckcab79

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

It is interesting they used a welded on strip at the bottom of the glass rather than another stud with a nut and a spring plate thing. 

 

I don't see why they did that. 

A change to the design after they had made the pattern for the casting?

[magnetman]

I wondered if someone had previously sheared the stud and decided to weld the strip on not realising that the way to do it would be drill and tap or drill through and use a bolt. 

 

I've done the latter on 3 different Villager stoves which have similar studs which tend to shear. 

 

Either that or someone had problems with broken glass and though that the strip of steel answer would solve the problem. 

 

Or it is original but badly done if two of the welds later cracked. 

 

 

 

 

[truckcab79]

31 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I wondered if someone had previously sheared the stud and decided to weld the strip on not realising that the way to do it would be drill and tap or drill through and use a bolt. 

 

I've done the latter on 3 different Villager stoves which have similar studs which tend to shear. 

 

Either that or someone had problems with broken glass and though that the strip of steel answer would solve the problem. 

 

Or it is original but badly done if two of the welds later cracked. 

 

 

 

 

Only one weld cracked. That middle one was added by me for additional support.
 

You can see down the back of the strip and no sign that it’s covering a  sheared bolt.  Think it was always that way. If it doesn’t seal well I’ll whip it off, drill and tap.  Does seem an odd solution.  

[PCSB]

On 19/10/2023 at 19:16, truckcab79 said:

Well it’s all progress however tiny.   Had a spare 20 minutes tonight so thought I’d have a go at the stove collar. Been soaking the joint for a couple of days in Plusgas. Couple of taps and off it came.  Pretty crusty but a few minutes with a knotted brush in a grinder and it’s comes up lovely.  Pitted but lovely.  
 

 

When I was last done at the boat I also took off the timber supports front and back for the tonneau covers. Figure if I’m getting some made I’ll need to replace them first.  Pretty  knackered looking though actually surprisingly solid underneath.  
 

Now my dad spent most of his working life as a chippy.  Mostly hand-made exotic timber doors and the like. He still has a shed full of timber slabs that must be at least 40 years old.  
 

For a long time I’ve been telling him that it’s worth a small fortune and he should sell it. 
Now of course I need to use a load of it for the boat so have instead taken to referring to it as a pile of worthless lumber. 😉

 

Liberated the first piece a few days back.  A lovely piece of Brazilian Mahogany.  That’ll do nicely for starters.  👍

 

Plan is to copy the old ones albeit 5mm or so deeper and then epoxy coat and varnish.  Haven’t tried the epoxy process as yet. Be interested to see how it goes.  

 

 

Is the wood Meranti perhaps? Often sold as Meranti Mahogany ... if it is it's still a nice hardwood.

[truckcab79]

16 minutes ago, PCSB said:

Is the wood Meranti perhaps? Often sold as Meranti Mahogany ... if it is it's still a nice hardwood.

Dad’s adamant that it’s Brazilian Mahogany and he should know but as I said earlier he may just be blagging it.  😂. Might be more obvious once it’s cut and planed and the colour and grain is more obvious.  

[magnetman]

Sapele west African mahogany maybe. There is a lot of it around. 

[truckcab79]

 

 

Well I’ve ordered some new glass clips anyway.  I may well alter the door to take clips rather than that strip.

 

Tried to capture it in these pics. One with glass in and one without. Can’t honestly see how that could hold it.  Maybe with rope stuffed between glass and strip?  but seems a bit Heath Robinson.  
 

5 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Sapele west African mahogany maybe. There is a lot of it around. 

He used a lot of sapele back in the day.  

[magnetman]

I assumed the welded on strip was coming up further and holding the glass. In the photo it seems like it could not work unless there were some spring clips dropped in or something. 

 

I suppose it is possible that it was designed to have a quickly removable glass and perhaps a metal plate as an alternative if my theory about the 'Helmsman' being for seagoing boats is right. 

 

I wouldn't fancy having glass in a fire on a boat on lumpy water. 

 

Maybe I am overthinking it. Again..

 

Makes sense to me anyway and I have seen fires where people got fed up with glass breaking and replaced it with steel plate. 

 

I don't like glass on fires. Mica or no window. Saves agro. 

 

Edited October 22, 2023 by magnetman

[truckcab79]

6 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I assumed the welded on strip was coming up further and holding the glass. In the photo it seems like it could not work unless there were some spring clips dropped in or something. 

 

I suppose it is possible that it was designed to have a quickly removable glass and perhaps a metal plate as an alternative if my theory about the 'Helmsman' being for seagoing boats is right. 

 

I wouldn't fancy having glass in a fire on a boat on lumpy water. 

 

Maybe I am overthinking it. Again..

 

Makes sense to me anyway and I have seen fires where people got fed up with glass breaking and replaced it with steel plate. 

 

I don't like glass on fires. Mica or no window. Saves agro. 

 

 

Spring clips between glass and metal strip would make sense.  Think I’ll just drill and tap though. 

[magnetman]

You will have to cut away those lovely welds !

 

 

[truckcab79]

17 minutes ago, magnetman said:

You will have to cut away those lovely welds !

 

 

😂

[truckcab79]

Hedging my bets.  Clips on the way and I’ve drilled and tapped two more holes so I have three locations, but have left the strip in place in case I’m missing something obvious about why it’s there. 
 

 

[truckcab79]

Need to order my door rope seal.  Original was missing or too far shot to measure anything off. 
 

Channel in door is average 5mm deep. Gap between closed door and main body is 4mm. Seems like 10mm wouldn’t be enough to allow it to ‘squish’ and make a good firm seal so 12mm?  
 

Also is there a difference between black and white rope or is is literally just the colour.  I’d read that there are softer grades of rope but nothing about how they’re identified.  
 

Thanks in advance.  

[truckcab79]

Need to weld up a grate but stove is otherwise done.  Having drilled a second and third tab for the glass clamps I tried it out and one fouled the main body.  Ah well. Cut back that pointless strip and added a third one there. New clips, new fire rope and new fire bricks.  Rope glue wouldn’t set at all without heat so bunged it in the oven. Didn’t want to light the stove yet as the heat would be too intense for the newly applied mortar on the bricks. 
 

Then on to the lump of timber removed from my dads stock.  One big lump of mahogany is now four smaller lumps cut planed and radiused. Have made them a bit meatier than the originals.  Next they’ll need to be drilled before epoxy and varnish to finish them. 
 

Also went and paid for the kitchen. Miles off needing it but have a load of credit at Howdens and the sale was finishing.  Likewise will order the flooring this weekend. 
 

 

Edited October 28, 2023 by truckcab79