Traditional type mop

[Liam]

I think I remember seeing a post on here with either an explanation, or a link to a website that explained how to make a traditional style "rag" mop that you often see on top of the back cabin of working boats.

 

Is anyone able to remember the link or point me in the right direction please?

 

Thanks.

[Timleech]

I think I remember seeing a post on here with either an explanation, or a link to a website that explained how to make a traditional style "rag" mop that you often see on top of the back cabin of working boats.

 

Is anyone able to remember the link or point me in the right direction please?

 

Thanks.

 

First buy a donkey jacket.

Then wear it for five winters.

Next cut it into rectangles to make your mop

 

etc etc.

 

Tim

[carlt]

I used to have an old Waterways World with an article about making one (Rose Whitlock demonstrated the technique, iirc) but it went up with Usk.

[furnessvale]

First buy a donkey jacket.

Then wear it for five winters.

Next cut it into rectangles to make your mop

 

etc etc.

 

Tim

 

This is how I made mine. A variation, less likely to scratch shiny(ugh) cabin roofs, uses a nail with a thin rubber cover protecting the head but I never had any trouble with mine.

 

1. Obtain mop shaft. Needs to be more substantial than a standard mop and long enough to dip in cut while standing on top plank. Shafts sold as smaller boat hook shafts can be suitable.

 

2. Make and fit metal(brass) ferrule to fit on mophead end to stop it splitting.

 

3. Obtain long brass screw (3" or so), a large repair washer and make two thick rubber washers half inch or so larger diameter than shaft.

 

4. After five winters take donkey jacket off Tim's back, beware it will be welded on. Cut it into strips 2ins wide by about 20ins long.

 

5. Feed repair washer, one rubber washer and then the centre of each strip in turn onto screw until you have a nice full mophead. Add final rubber washer.

 

6. Drill pilot hole in centre of shaft end and screw mophead on.

 

7. Learn how to spin it dry.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Steve King]

This is how I made mine.

 

And that's pretty much how I made mine too, back in the late 1970s that was the right way to do it.

 

I would make a couple of observations:

 

i. In the good old days I understood the material to use for washers was leather, not rubber, and that might avoid black marks on the paintwork.

ii. Having used a big galvanised screw (which I thought would be nicer than the heavy duty square boat nail that seemed to be 'de rigeur') I found that when the mop was twizzled it would come unscrewed, which was not ideal. If I were making one again I'd try and find a way to stop this happening, perhaps by aralditing the screw into the wood.

 

 

Steve

[Timleech]

And that's pretty much how I made mine too, back in the late 1970s that was the right way to do it.

 

I would make a couple of observations:

 

i. In the good old days I understood the material to use for washers was leather, not rubber, and that might avoid black marks on the paintwork.

ii. Having used a big galvanised screw (which I thought would be nicer than the heavy duty square boat nail that seemed to be 'de rigeur') I found that when the mop was twizzled it would come unscrewed, which was not ideal. If I were making one again I'd try and find a way to stop this happening, perhaps by aralditing the screw into the wood.

 

 

Steve

 

I've always used leather washers, generally with a galvanised rose head spike rather than a screw. Not everyone will have these spikes to hand, of course (I can find you one if you want to pop in for it, Liam). The drilling has to be spot on for these to work without splitting the wood. The posh way to do the last washer is to use a leather strip with a hole at either end, this is looped over the spike (or screw) head to protect paintwork from damage.

If you can get hold of a Pyckle (sp) (Pitchfork) stale, these make a really nice shaped mop handle. No idea whether they are any longer made.

 

Tim

[Liam]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the replies. Before I go and chop up my my dads Donkey jacket I think I shall practice first using some old clothes. If I'm OK at doing it then I'll be looking for the scissors!

 

Thanks for the offer of the spike Tim. I'll be passing your place on the May bank holiday, most likely the Saturday, so will see you then if you're about.

 

Liam.

[Phil Speight]

This is how I made mine. A variation, less likely to scratch shiny(ugh) cabin roofs, uses a nail with a thin rubber cover protecting the head but I never had any trouble with mine.

 

1. Obtain mop shaft. Needs to be more substantial than a standard mop and long enough to dip in cut while standing on top plank. Shafts sold as smaller boat hook shafts can be suitable.

 

2. Make and fit metal(brass) ferrule to fit on mophead end to stop it splitting.

 

3. Obtain long brass screw (3" or so), a large repair washer and make two thick rubber washers half inch or so larger diameter than shaft.

 

4. After five winters take donkey jacket off Tim's back, beware it will be welded on. Cut it into strips 2ins wide by about 20ins long.

 

5. Feed repair washer, one rubber washer and then the centre of each strip in turn onto screw until you have a nice full mophead. Add final rubber washer.

 

6. Drill pilot hole in centre of shaft end and screw mophead on.

 

7. Learn how to spin it dry.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

Exactly so. The last one I made had a major failing though . I used so much of the donor donkey jacket that my customer found the mop too heavy to spin once it was thoroughly wet . Doh...

[Liam]

Phil, you mean they're not just for deocoration!?

 

Yes, I am joking

[springy]

There is a PDF on the HNBOC site in the downloads section (extract from one of the newsletters), though the

instructions are pretty much as already given.

 

Using a square boat nail prevents the mop head spinning on the shaft - with a round nail or a screw

the mop head could rotate on the on the shaft which makes it difficult to get it to spin fast enough to

spin out the water.

 

springy

[Rick-n-Jo]

The link you're looking for is the from the HNBOC, one of their archived newsletters, its a pdf document.

 

Here's the link

 

Rick

 

 

Ha! Springy just beat me to it while I was typing

Edited April 20, 2009 by Rick-n-Jo

[NBMike]

If you used a left-hand thread bolt it would tighten up rather than loosen. (As long as you twist it the right way!)

[Liam]

Hi Rick,

 

Just found the article in the old HNBOC newsletter (January 2002). Thanks for the pointer.

 

It is interesting to note, but quite obvious really when you think about it, that you should be careful on what material you use as you wouldn't want the material to start fraying, and also that it should be used to not only wash down the boat but also dry the water up after washing down so any old material probably won't be as effective as tried and tested stuff (old donkey jacket).

[bargeeboy]

Oh how I lust after some Croxley rag

 

Anybody got any I've now run out after 20 years and using old courdrey trousers.

[Derek R.]

Oh how I lust after some Croxley rag

 

Anybody got any I've now run out after 20 years and using old courdrey trousers.

 

So if I put my forty year old Enfield Borough Council issue Donkey Jacket (real leather trim) up on Ebay - you'll all be outbidding each other - right?

 

[Phil Speight]

So if I put my forty year old Enfield Borough Council issue Donkey Jacket (real leather trim) up on Ebay - you'll all be outbidding each other - right?

 

You all seem to have forgotten about duffle coats. Negotiable currency round Dadford`s.

[Rick-n-Jo]

Charity shops; invaluable resource!

 

Got an old coat for 10p. Looks OK but if it doesn't mop as well as it should, I'll just have to go invest another 10p, or maybe 50p!

[BEngo]

Charity shops; invaluable resource!

 

Got an old coat for 10p. Looks OK but if it doesn't mop as well as it should, I'll just have to go invest another 10p, or maybe 50p!

 

 

Never mind the bottom end, where does one get a proper ash mop stick these days? A boat shaft is too large.

 

(And a tin of that stripey paint)

 

N

[carlt]

Never mind the bottom end, where does one get a proper ash mop stick these days? A boat shaft is too large.

 

(And a tin of that stripey paint)

 

N

I've got several broom handle planes of various diameters, though I've yet to actually use them.

 

The stripey paint used to be available in tubes (rather like Aquafresh toothpaste) but I haven't seen any for years.

[dave moore]

Hi all

I use a 6' long ash shaft, around £20 from Midland Chandlers, for my mopstick. One and a half inch diameter gives a chunky look to the whole thing and allows a decently broad stripe if I'm asked to twist paint it. Modifications include a couple of rubber rather than leather washers ( I cut them with a holesaw from tyre sidewalls) to sandwich the filling with...and I screw the whole caboodle to the shaft with a 4" coach screw, which allows easy removal when it comes to replacing the mop fabric itself. Finding decent fabric is the difficulty, as others have mentioned. I found some thick grey stuff at a flea market which seems OK...lost my donkey jacket years ago and charity shops don't seem to have them...or duffels!

Cheers

Dave

[BEngo]

I've got several broom handle planes of various diameters, though I've yet to actually use them.

 

The stripey paint used to be available in tubes (rather like Aquafresh toothpaste) but I haven't seen any for years.

 

 

ISTR the stuff in the stripes (hexacellophane or something) turned out to be carcinogenic.

 

N

[Graham_Robinson]

Use a galvanised roofing nail to fix your mophead, make sure you drill a correct size pilot hole before you knock it home cos it definitely will not come loose. The hayfork handles are ok nicely shaped to let the hand get a good grip but they're too short to be used from off the top planks. I've made quite a few now started off with the HNBOC article and modified it, as you do!

Melton cloth ( donkey jacket material) isn't so easy to get hold of so I experimented using old fleeces with excellent results and you can have any colour or combination of colur you want. So you could have a barbers pole paint job and a multicolured mophead how cool is that?

Edited May 23, 2009 by sparky2