Fitout "good ideas"

[Bobrowne]

If you dpnt have a flap wheel. Get a piece of round steel that will fit into your drill. Hacksaw a slot along the length about 1" long and insert a peice of sand paper, or emery for metal, making a sort of flag. When this spins in your drill you will have a similar effect as a flap wheel.

You could use a large split pin to hold the sandpaper

[Chalky]

Use different colour conduit for different circuit types. I used black conduit for 12V circuits and White conduit for 240V. This means that I can easily tell what the system is.

 

Extend some of the conduits in the roof to meet up with the mushroom vents. Then circuits such as solar panels and antennas can easily be routed from the gunwales to the outside without any extra holes.

 

Add a fuse box half way along the boat and connect it to the main system using large diameter cables (I used 22mm csa because I had a large roll). Makes adding additional circuits easier later on.

 

Use wire colours other than red and black when legally allowed to do so. Makes it easier to fault find.

 

Draw up a big circuit diagram of the whole electrical system and update every time a change is made. Invaluable when you've got a problem.

 

Consider using a 6mm cable from the batteries to the bow and controlling the lights and tunnel lamp at the bow via relays. You'll only need 1 large cable, the others can be smaller and it'll save some money.

[ymu]

Great thread. Thank you all.

 

An embarrassingly simple tip to add:

 

We've put luminescent stickers on the ceiling lights so they're easy to find in the dark. We found some that came in hand and feet shapes. The hands point to the light switches and we'll probably get around to using the feet to mark doorways and exits also, to make life easier for guests needing the bathroom in the middle of the night.

[ditchcrawler]

Great thread. Thank you all.

 

An embarrassingly simple tip to add:

 

We've put luminescent stickers on the ceiling lights so they're easy to find in the dark. We found some that came in hand and feet shapes. The hands point to the light switches and we'll probably get around to using the feet to mark doorways and exits also, to make life easier for guests needing the bathroom in the middle of the night.

I have mounted small led'sin the switches to make them easy to find http://www.harnser.info/html/illuminated_swich_locations.html

[PatM293]

Hi All

 

 

1.Fit a outside Hot water tap at rear of boat.Great when washing windows etc

without carrying a bucket through the boat.Cold dirty water is of coarse free!

 

2.Lie!! Open as many trade accounts as possible. When fitting a boat every penny

counts!!!

 

3.Dont be afraid deviating from tradition. Boat builders are set in there ways!

 

4.Split up with your girlfriend/Wife before you start.

She will prob leave you anyway within 9 months of building since you become

a complete bore to her and you stop caring what you look like

Remember Divorce stops you ordering the more expensive items like heating boilers etc!!

 

 

A bit underhand I know!!!

 

 

Glenn

 

Easier Solution to No. 4 Advertisement : WANTED, Terminally ill, female, Boat Owner, Age, & Looks unimportant.For LTR Please forward Pictures of Boat to.......

[Guest]

I have just fitted a water tank gauge, and really don't know how I managed without.

Also have a temperature gauge on the calorifier, so I know when it is hot enough to take a shower!

(Used a cheap room temperature meter with a remote probe, and just taped probe to outlet union.)

 

OK So I'm a control freak!

[davey b]

Great thread. Thank you all.

 

We've put luminescent stickers on the ceiling lights so they're easy to find in the dark. We found some that came in hand and feet shapes. The hands point to the light switches and we'll probably get around to using the feet to mark doorways and exits also, to make life easier for guests needing the bathroom in the middle of the night.

 

If the hands mark the light and the feet lead to the doors, what shape leads to the bathroom?

 

 

Good idea though, a bit like emergency 'lighting' on ships and planes. Could be used for fire appliances too.

[ditchcrawler]

If the hands mark the light and the feet lead to the doors, what shape leads to the bathroom?

 

 

Good idea though, a bit like emergency 'lighting' on ships and planes. Could be used for fire appliances too.

I wired a LEDs across the switch and mounted it in the switch plate so they are illuminated when the lights are off.

[Québec]

Haven't checked right through this thread, so may have been covered, but we made ourselves a window that fits neatly (and quickly) over the stern door entrance so we can keep the doors open, let the light in and keep the heat in, in all weathers.

 

Piece of good quality acrylic sheeting, cut to fit the entrance, with a couple of 'ears' at the top that slide into the narrow gap between the open doors and the cabin side to hold the whole thing in place. A strip of draught excluder along the edges to make a half-decent 'seal'. In windy weather a narrow strip of dowel fits between the lower hinges to stop it bending.

[stevesouthwest]

Clevett.

 

I have had no luck at all with smoke alarms, I found wherever I put them they were forever going off for no good reason.

 

John Squeers

 

yes john i agree, i hide mine in the cupboard until bedtime,

[Guest]

yes john i agree, i hide mine in the cupboard until bedtime,

 

Seriously - this is a silly thing to do (assuming you are not just joking) - you just need an optical type smoke detector (sometimes called 'toast proof' )for a boat not an ionising type - you will reduce false activations to a minimum or as in our case to zero, and keep yourself safe.

[Penny Black]

Glenn,

Only just stopped crying with laughter at your 'split up with the girlfriend' comment!

We moved on last December and by February she had legged it!

I have now found a new woman who it a boat nut, makes life so much easier.

Regards

Andy.

 

Ha! My girlfriend had the foresight to retain her house when I moved aboard... Not our original plan but so far it seems to have saved the relationship!

[Miracle]

I've been thinking about my next kitchen and I really like a thing called "Birds Beak" shelving supports. apparently its an old carpentry style with notches that let shelves slide in and out. No holes.. no ugly supports. err, thanks to Martha Stewart

 

can't seem to find a pic i can use. sorry.

[davidc]

I've been thinking about my next kitchen and I really like a thing called "Birds Beak" shelving supports. apparently its an old carpentry style with notches that let shelves slide in and out. No holes.. no ugly supports. err, thanks to Martha Stewart

 

can't seem to find a pic i can use. sorry.

 

Try this photo gives the idea

[Ex- Member]

Try this photo gives the idea

 

Like It

 

Sturdy anyway, like the idea of easily making a shelf deeper.higher to accept awkward items.

 

 

 

[Ex- Member]

Thought I would add this as a good idea as I've no seen it before.

 

The idea basically came about because Lynn was worrying where to hang washing when we CC. For me the only logical place is the cratch as we have such a small stern. We then came across the mini rotary washing for caravans, good compact hing, problem though asit would block the cratch if placed on the floor. So I thought hanging it over the gas locker lid would be the ideal place, as it's not in the way. It then dawned on me we could do two jobs in one by doing away with the rotary tripod and designing a bracket that would not only accept the washing line but also a large sun umbrella.

 

So this is what I came up with, basically as I saw this 8 inch diameter round piece of 6mm stainless steel on e-bay which cost just 8 quid delivered. I then visited my local metal man and he let me rummage through his large bin of Stainless Steel off cuts where I found the piece of 40mm id tube. Including cutting one end at an angle for me it cost just a tenner.

 

I beveled and polished the top entrance and later the fabricator welded it to the disc and drilled the 6 holes for me. Cost another 20 quid.

 

So we ended up with this

 

 

 

Fitted this to the locker a couple of days ago. Used a piece of 6mm thick rubber to act as a gasket/seal. The underside of the gas locker lid has a large sheet of 6mm thick Aluminum plate to add some rigidity. The whole lot is bolted together with 6 x 30mm S/S bolts & Nylocks & washers.

 

 

 

The brolly works a treat, it can swivel and tilt and can completely shade the Cratch area. The rotary works well too and doesn't encroach into the Cratch and is a good height to access. I could be raised higher as well if required. There's a few other things the bracket could be use for with appropriate attachments

 

Bracked cost £30

Rotary line £20

Sun brolly £49

[Grace and Favour]

Nicely done, Julynian, - - we did something fairly similar at the bow of our WB a while ago - but used a location spigot on the front deck to drop the whirlygig/umbrella staunchion into- and very successfully too!

 

Will take a photo or two tomorrow just to show another method of doing it!

[Ex- Member]

Nicely done, Julynian, - - we did something fairly similar at the bow of our WB a while ago - but used a location spigot on the front deck to drop the whirlygig/umbrella staunchion into- and very successfully too!

 

Will take a photo or two tomorrow just to show another method of doing it!

 

Cheers g&f

 

Your spigot will be interesting, might be something I can use somewhere else possibly.

 

Lynn did a load of washing today and used the rotary line, the wind actually spun it around, she was well happy, dried a wash load in about 3.5 hours and we had no sun here either, it's about 12c though warmest it's been for a while.

[Grace and Favour]

Julynian,

Three shots of the assembly - the first showing the view from the top, and the top bracket clamped to my bow rail (ooh posh!)

The second shot showing the side view (the whirlygig centre pole slides closely inside the vertical tube in the photo - providing rigid support)

The third shot shows the locating spigot/ring sitting on a 5mm plate that's screwed to the deck

 

The assembly is in Stainless (and the clothes dryer is under the green cover, of course) ">">

 

">Side view

 

"> The base (out of focus I'm afraid!)

Edited March 6, 2013 by Grace & Favour

[Ex- Member]

Julynian,

Three shots of the assembly - the first showing the view from the top, and the top bracket clamped to my bow rail (ooh posh!)

The second shot showing the side view (the whirlygig centre pole slides closely inside the vertical tube in the photo - providing rigid support)

The third shot shows the locating spigot/ring sitting on a 5mm plate that's screwed to the deck

 

The assembly is in Stainless (and the clothes dryer is under the green cover, of course) ">">

 

">Side view

 

"> The base (out of focus I'm afraid!)

 

Very nice work does the job, can't beat Stainless Steel

 

 

Do you use a sun brolly in it also btw?

[Grace and Favour]

Very nice work does the job, can't beat Stainless Steel

 

 

Do you use a sun brolly in it also btw?

 

yup, the sun brolly simply slides into the vertical tube

[pquinn]

Julynian,

Three shots of the assembly - the first showing the view from the top, and the top bracket clamped to my bow rail (ooh posh!)

The second shot showing the side view (the whirlygig centre pole slides closely inside the vertical tube in the photo - providing rigid support)

The third shot shows the locating spigot/ring sitting on a 5mm plate that's screwed to the deck

 

The assembly is in Stainless (and the clothes dryer is under the green cover, of course) ">">

 

">Side view

 

"> The base (out of focus I'm afraid!)

nice job! what do you call those clamps?.they look like they might come in handy to me.

[Grace and Favour]

nice job! what do you call those clamps?.they look like they might come in handy to me.

The clamps:

They're available in both galvanised steel or stainless, in various sizes (aligned to pipe o/d's I think) - and used to support commercial pipe runs

They come usually with a removable neoprene face on the inside

I bought them at Plumb Center - - They are dissected as two semicircles, hinged on one side with a thumbscrew catch opposite.

They normally have a threaded female boss on one external face (to screw on to studs) - but I had these removed and replaced with S/s threaded studs

 

(But I can't tell you what they are called I'm afraid!! )

 

Would you like a photo of one?

[pquinn]

The clamps:

They're available in both galvanised steel or stainless, in various sizes (aligned to pipe o/d's I think) - and used to support commercial pipe runs

They come usually with a removable neoprene face on the inside

I bought them at Plumb Center - - They are dissected as two semicircles, hinged on one side with a thumbscrew catch opposite.

They normally have a threaded female boss on one external face (to screw on to studs) - but I had these removed and replaced with S/s threaded studs

 

(But I can't tell you what they are called I'm afraid!! )

 

Would you like a photo of one?

please.

[Grace and Favour]

View of clamp showing thumbscrew

 

">

 

View of clamp showing hinge (and my 8mm stud welded on)

 

">

Edited March 7, 2013 by Grace & Favour