Side Doors Problem

[simonk]

The problem is I don't have one of them anymore! A few weeks ago I pushed it open a bit too hard, both the seized hinges sheared off and thing went tumbling into the drink...

 

Buggerations. Sadly the river where it fell in is fairly deep (at least 2 metres), it's very heavy and there's nothing on it to hook on to anyway so I don't see how I'm going to get it back.

 

Does anyone know someone around Bristol who can make me a new one, mainly cutting some steel to the desired shape and welding on some hinges? I'll also need to stick some woodwork on it to make it match the remaining one a bit.

 

Alternatively, anyone who would like to try diving the murky depths of the Avon to try and get it back will be rewarded greatly!

 

Simon.

[Chris-B]

If you can pick him up I have a mate who is a diver

He lives in reading

Chris

[blodger]

Those sea searcher magnets can lift a fair load though I concede you might have to borrow a couple for retrieval but perhaps one would locate and act as a marker for later retrievel.

[alan_fincher]

Those sea searcher magnets can lift a fair load though I concede you might have to borrow a couple for retrieval but perhaps one would locate and act as a marker for later retrievel.

Provided you can get a Sea Searcher onto the flat of the steel, I'd have thought it could lift any typical side door easily. If they are going onto an area of flat plate, their lifting powers are quite remarkable. But get ready to grab it as it nears the surface, as it will try harder to pull away from the magnet if you try to lift it into air.

 

On the other hand, if these are doors that are steel outside, but wood-lined inside, and it has fallen with the steel downwards, then it's highly unlikely that a Sea Searcher will bring it up.

[headjog]

Saw a thread on here last weekend which could be useful - see link

 

Link

[mickspangle]

I've got a sea searcher you can borrow if you like, and I'm

moored outside the Arnolfini in the floating harbour until next Tuesday. PM me if you want to borrow it and go fishing.

[simonk]

Thank you for all your kind offers of magnets, etc. I have a Sea Searcher and have tried it already and it didn't seem to help much, plus there is lots of other metal crap down there and I have tried poking around with a pole too.

 

I took the other door off (in a controlled manner) and lowered it into a shallow bit on a rope to test its buoyancy - even in water it was really very heavy; I can't imagine anything other than a really powerful electromagnet would be any use, even if it landed metal side up.

 

Re. Diving, I forgot to mention that my brother, with wetsuit and mask (though without air or lighting...), went in to have a feel around without success. Maybe its my turn to try.

[alan_fincher]

I took the other door off (in a controlled manner) and lowered it into a shallow bit on a rope to test its buoyancy - even in water it was really very heavy; I can't imagine anything other than a really powerful electromagnet would be any use, even if it landed metal side up.

In the right conditions with good "flat on the metal contact", a Sea Searcher can easily lift a hundredweight (112 lbs) or more. That's in air - it will be a bit more in water.

 

Are you seriously suggesting your side door weighed over a hundredweight ? If it did, that may have contributed to it falling off.

 

If it were laying metal side up, even if it has "suctioned" on to mud, the magnet would latch on to it very firmly, and take a very strong and distinct pull to get back, (ours is a devil if it connects itself to steel piling for example).

 

If you are not experiencing that then you are failing to get the magnet on the flat metal of the door. I'm completely sure of that!

 

We have pulled massive building materials trolleys out with a Sea Searcher, (far, far bigger than biggest supermarket trolleys), and that was relying just on contacting a wire frame, which greatly reduces lifting capacity. Unless you have a bad one, they can lift huge amounts, (if you, and the attached line are strong enough!......)

[nb Innisfree]

In the right conditions with good "flat on the metal contact", a Sea Searcher can easily lift a hundredweight (112 lbs) or more. That's in air - it will be a bit more in water.

 

Are you seriously suggesting your side door weighed over a hundredweight ? If it did, that may have contributed to it falling off.

 

If it were laying metal side up, even if it has "suctioned" on to mud, the magnet would latch on to it very firmly, and take a very strong and distinct pull to get back, (ours is a devil if it connects itself to steel piling for example).

 

If you are not experiencing that then you are failing to get the magnet on the flat metal of the door. I'm completely sure of that!

 

We have pulled massive building materials trolleys out with a Sea Searcher, (far, far bigger than biggest supermarket trolleys), and that was relying just on contacting a wire frame, which greatly reduces lifting capacity. Unless you have a bad one, they can lift huge amounts, (if you, and the attached line are strong enough!......)

 

Worse still if it attaches to the hull, good way of scraping blacking off.

[WJM]

The problem is going to be actually finding it! A flat thing like a door will swim and glide as it sinks. It could be a long way from the dropping point by now.

 

Out of interest, is it a Liverpool Boat? Their hinges are (were) awful. I have had to have some of mine replaced.

[J R]

The problem is going to be actually finding it! A flat thing like a door will swim and glide as it sinks. It could be a long way from the dropping point by now.

 

Out of interest, is it a Liverpool Boat? Their hinges are (were) awful. I have had to have some of mine replaced.

 

The side hatches are quite stiff to open on Salix due to not being opened in winter. Have a fear of busting a hinge or two but the occasional use of WD40 frees them up and use helps as well. Doesn't help the OP but a thought for the future perhaps.

[Richard T]

For £3 or£4 a pair you can get good quality stainless steel bushed hinges which are designed to operate hundreds of times a day with heavy fire doors on them Why boat builders continue to use cheap plain steel is beyond me!! Can be bought from any good archirectural ironmonger - not expensive d-i-y shops.