Fire Guard

[BeninReading]

Afternoon all,

 

My girlfriend and I are starting a family and are thinking ahead to a fire guard. We have a Morso squirrel in the corner of the boat and were wondering what is the best type of fire guard? Does anyone have any experiences with any? We are after one that covers the two exposed sides of the stove.

 

Many thanks for any help,

 

Thanks,

 

Ben

[alan_fincher]

Can't help, but I'm interested in replies you get....

 

Must be a fairly common requirement (on boats!) to have something that is effectively just two panels at right angles to each other, but I have failed to turn anything suitable up, (in our case it would be to protect a dog....).

 

We are currently using a haevily modified "children safe" type guard, that came with the boat, but to be honest they are ugly as hell, even before modification, and I'd like something prettier.

[Chertsey]

I haven't researched this in great depth but were looking for a (second hand) guard to surround my son's small solid fuel stove and keep his toddler away from it. It seems that child protection fireguards have moved away in recent years from being unobtrusive bronzy coloured wire mesh that I recall from my childhood, towards looking more like stairgates or playpens (partly I think because they are all part of an interchangeable system). These would certainly look pretty ugly on a boat and would take up too much space as, because a child could put its arm through the bars (rather than just a finger through the mesh) it has to be a long way further from the stove/fire.

[sebrof]

Rope is best.

 

Tie one end to something immoveable, and the other to the child's leg. Allow enough slack to enable child to disport itself no closer than eighteen inches from said fire, measured from fire to nearest point of child.

[David Mack]

A chocolate one?

 

Probably about as much use as some of the alternatives...

 

David

 

(coat)

[twbm]

A chocolate one?

 

Probably about as much use as some of the alternatives...

 

David

 

(coat)

 

Dammit I've been resisting saying that all day. Ashtray on a motorbike anyone?

[Yellowback]

Custom made by a local blacksmith?

 

Design your own that way.

[Tony Brooks]

The nursery fireguard we bough when our grandson turned up is of the typical "big rectangular box" type except it is made in two halves and clips together. If you can find one on freecycle etc. one half would probably fit up against the cabin side & bulkhead. It may well need a quick spray with paint to smarten it up though.

[Mac of Cygnet]

The nursery fireguard we bough when our grandson turned up

 

My God, another illusion shattered.

[Grace and Favour]

Depending upon the type of finish you want, I'd have one made up by a local metal fabrication company in fine wire mesh . . you'll then have the choice of aluminium/anodised aluminium, stainless steel, painted mild steel, in a design that suits your exact requirements

[Guest]

This one on eBay looks nice and is of the mesh type which reading the posts above seems to be better.

 

It would just need some hooks rigging up so it couldn't be toppled.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3-PANEL-BRUSHED-GOLD-FIRE-GUARD-/230640479486?pt=UK_HG_FireplacesMantelpieces_RL&hash=item35b33e6cfe

 

ed to add slightly different version.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-4-PANEL-FOLDING-FIRE-GUARD-SAFETY-SCREEN-PANEL-/300563115153?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Decorative_Accents_LE&hash=item45faf52c91

Edited July 7, 2011 by MJG

[alan_fincher]

This one on eBay looks nice and is of the mesh type which reading the posts above seems to be better.

 

It would just need some hooks rigging up so it couldn't be toppled.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3-PANEL-BRUSHED-GOLD-FIRE-GUARD-/230640479486?pt=UK_HG_FireplacesMantelpieces_RL&hash=item35b33e6cfe

 

ed to add slightly different version.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-4-PANEL-FOLDING-FIRE-GUARD-SAFETY-SCREEN-PANEL-/300563115153?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Decorative_Accents_LE&hash=item45faf52c91

Neither are really suitable around a corner location in a boat, though, or at least not for a stove that is aligned with the boat sides.

 

The first will attempt to "cut off the corner" and will end up prbably fouling the stove corner, (but might be fine with a stove that was angled across the cabin). Holding it's cabin side edges will not stop it being able to move, because it has 2 folding joints.

 

The second certainly has too many folds, and can simply get collapsed, and pushed against the stove - no rigidity at all.

 

What is required is one with 2 of the big panels, not one big and 2 small, or just 4 small. That is just one hinged joint.

 

If you had one of those, and attached it to hooks on each cabin side it contacted, then it would form a box around the two outer surfaces of the stove, but with just one joint could not be pushed and collapsed on to it.

 

I haven't seen such a beast - presumably because it would only be useful for a corner mounted stove - something probbly fairly unique to boats, and not often found in houses.

 

Yes, I guess you could have something fabricated, but my guess is it would cost a fair bit to do so.

[Chertsey]

Neither are really suitable around a corner location in a boat, though, or at least not for a stove that is aligned with the boat sides.

 

The first will attempt to "cut off the corner" and will end up prbably fouling the stove corner, (but might be fine with a stove that was angled across the cabin). Holding it's cabin side edges will not stop it being able to move, because it has 2 folding joints.

 

The second certainly has too many folds, and can simply get collapsed, and pushed against the stove - no rigidity at all.

 

What is required is one with 2 of the big panels, not one big and 2 small, or just 4 small. That is just one hinged joint.

 

If you had one of those, and attached it to hooks on each cabin side it contacted, then it would form a box around the two outer surfaces of the stove, but with just one joint could not be pushed and collapsed on to it.

 

I haven't seen such a beast - presumably because it would only be useful for a corner mounted stove - something probbly fairly unique to boats, and not often found in houses.

 

Yes, I guess you could have something fabricated, but my guess is it would cost a fair bit to do so.

Couldn't you get hold of an old fashioned one and modify it, perhaps by removing one of the sides?

[Guest]

Couldn't you get hold of an old fashioned one and modify it, perhaps by removing one of the sides?

 

I think with a bit of ingenuity the second one on eBay I linked to could be made suitable.

[alan_fincher]

Couldn't you get hold of an old fashioned one and modify it, perhaps by removing one of the sides?

Yes, quite probably.

 

What you don't want though, is one based on something never intended to fold. You do need to be able to fold whatever you have out of the way, either when the stove isn't running, or even just when you need to move the guard to fuel or otherwise "tend" it.

 

We currently have one based on a cheapo "nursery" style one, but it is bloomin' ugly!

 

I think with a bit of ingenuity the second one on eBay I linked to could be made suitable.

Again "possibly", but if you actually get your hands on a typical one, they are not very robust at all. Very "flexy", even without considering they have too many hinges.

 

If it's for the safety of children you are using one, many are not tall enough to stop a kid reaching over them.

 

I'd say there intended use, (other than "decorative"), is to stop embers from an open fire reaching surrounding carpets. Those like you have pictured would not offer a child much protection with a typical boat stove, even if you can overcome the folding problem.

 

Might keep a small dog relatively safe, (our requirement), but not really a child who can stand and reach over, IMO.

[Guest]

Then it would have to be something like this, but the room it would take up on a boat is probably not acceptable...

 

 

Not very pretty either

[Chertsey]

What happened to those big mesh ones - not just the little ones for embers, I'm thinking of something four foot wide and eighteen inches to two feet deep, with a top section too. Are they no longer around at all. That's the sort of thing I was thinking could be adapted.

 

Otherwise, if it comes to getting one made, see if anyone has recent experience of having a mesh flywheel guard made - similar principle.

[Guest]

What happened to those big mesh ones - not just the little ones for embers, I'm thinking of something four foot wide and eighteen inches to two feet deep, with a top section too. Are they no longer around at all. That's the sort of thing I was thinking could be adapted.

 

Otherwise, if it comes to getting one made, see if anyone has recent experience of having a mesh flywheel guard made - similar principle.

 

Like these??

 

[Chertsey]

Like these??

 

Yes, was just about to add a picture of that exact model.

yours for 25 quid here.

Worth a try?

[alan_fincher]

Like these??

 

 

Yes,

 

We already have something based on something very like that.

 

They don't adapt all that well to be honest, although that one may have panels that are a different dimension to ours - it's worth checking, so I will.

 

(You can't really cut the panels down, if too big, and using two overlapped if too small is fairly ugly).

 

Even as designed, they are very utilitarian, and and certainly not items of beauty. Admittedly ours has some rust, and added Jubilee clips, so is even less pretty!

[Guest]

Worth a try?

 

I certainly would have thought so.

 

At the risk of sounding daft I think it may also be possible to adapt/modify one of these, as it would also provide access to the stove inside that Alan referred to, by utilising the doors they come with. Which would need to be made child proof.

 

[alan_fincher]

Otherwise, if it comes to getting one made, see if anyone has recent experience of having a mesh flywheel guard made - similar principle.

Yes - Sickle has a very unprotected fan belt and alternator fan that present a considerable hazard when visiting the loo!

 

What sort of outfit would one have to talk to to get a nice bespoke grard welded up that meant you had less chance of getting grabbed by a running engine ?

[LEO]

Yes - Sickle has a very unprotected fan belt and alternator fan that present a considerable hazard when visiting the loo!

 

What sort of outfit would one have to talk to to get a nice bespoke grard welded up that meant you had less chance of getting grabbed by a running engine ?

 

Hi,

 

Have a word with KK he made up a bespoke one for his lump.

 

Leo

[Chertsey]

Yes - Sickle has a very unprotected fan belt and alternator fan that present a considerable hazard when visiting the loo!

 

What sort of outfit would one have to talk to to get a nice bespoke grard welded up that meant you had less chance of getting grabbed by a running engine ?

Oh dear, toilet at the flywheel end...

 

... or should that be 'flywheel at the toilet end'?

 

Fortunately we have a gearbox-adjacent toilet.

Edited July 7, 2011 by Chertsey

[Guest]

that meant you had less chance of getting grabbed by a running engine ?

 

For some reason the thought of that is bringing tears to my eyes....