GSer Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Nearing the end of the fitout and its becoming obvious i need a little more ballast to stbd. I have an area beside the engine beds that is best part filled with engineering bricks, the easiest option would be to replace those with something heavier, i thought lead shot might do it but people are wanting £7- £10 per kilo, what else might do the job, preferably cheaper? I don't really want to remove ballast from the port bilges as i feel the boat is a little light in low down ballast overall perhaps Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Nearing the end of the fitout and its becoming obvious i need a little more ballast to stbd. I have an area beside the engine beds that is best part filled with engineering bricks, the easiest option would be to replace those with something heavier, i thought lead shot might do it but people are wanting £7- £10 per kilo, what else might do the job, preferably cheaper? I don't really want to remove ballast from the port bilges as i feel the boat is a little light in low down ballast overall perhaps Paul I used pig iron but it probably costs £200+ ton now http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_iron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 I have an area beside the engine beds that is best part filled with engineering bricks, the easiest option would be to replace those with something heavier, i thought lead shot might do it but people are wanting £7- £10 per kilo, what else might do the job, preferably cheaper? What about chain/steel plate, etc. Or granite off-cuts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 I was going to suggest 56lb weights but they are selling at silly prices on eBay. Scrap sheet steel from a boat yard? Need treating and or painting though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 We use steel plate cut to size and delivered to the boat by Mann Buck of Ongar. Google them or they advertise in the magazines. Alternatively, I remember reading somewhere of someone who got suitable sized grranite offcuts from a company making granite worktops. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace and Favour Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 We use steel plate cut to size and delivered to the boat by Mann Buck of Ongar. Google them or they advertise in the magazines. Alternatively, I remember reading somewhere of someone who got suitable sized grranite offcuts from a company making granite worktops. David You may also find a source of granite offcuts from a headstone stonemasons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pipe Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Gazelle is ballasted with bar ends from the local scrap yard most scrap yards have these especially in industrial cities like Brum. Mann Buck of Ongar allways seemed very expensive to me charging way above scrap prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tacet Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 My local scrap dealer was willing to sell me lead; in fact I took in a quantity of copper and the cash that I would have otherwise received was discounted by the "buying" price of the lead. This generous loss-of-margin may have been tempered by the purchase of the copper going through the books but possibly the sale of lead did not.. In my case, I wished to correct a list to port without taking up the floor - which meant that there was only a restricted space readily available. The advantage of lead is that it can be cast into a convenient shape - I used some box section steel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smileypete Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 (edited) Nearing the end of the fitout and its becoming obvious i need a little more ballast to stbd. Is that where the corridor is? Some vertical slabs behind the linings could help, putting weight nearer the hull sides gives a greater turning force. Or reduce ballast nearest the port side but replace it towards the middle. cheers, Pete. Edited February 12, 2012 by smileypete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wanted Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 This is what I found in the beak of my new boat, they are really heavy. Guess I meed to tidy them up at some point! Uploaded with ImageShack.us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Cheapest weight-for-money comes in second hand electric storage heaters. The ceramic slabs inside them are phenomenally heavy. Storage heaters often sell for peanuts on eBay, mainly due to the weight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalky Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Go to the local builders merchants and see if they've got any broken paving slabs or blue bricks. I took up a pathway at home a few years ago that had been laid in 3' * 2' council quality paving slabs. We put 10 into the back of a friends 101 Forward Control and it's the only load he'd had in the back that had made the springs bend. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Rover_101_Forward_Control Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickspangle Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Just remember when you stick two different metals together in a damp environment you are effectively setting up an anode and a cathode. I seem to remember from an old thread that when lead and steel are used together, the steel (ie your hull) becomes a sacrificial anode...might be worth checking this out if you're thinking of using it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace and Favour Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Just be slightly cautious using any brick or concrete block/paver that is even slightly porous . . . . Blue engineering bricks are arguably the best type of brick to use Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSer Posted February 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 I have the blue engineering bricks in place now, i'm not sure how much heavier granite offcuts or broken paving slabs especially when the bricks are stacked neatly and any odd shaped replacement would end up with plenty of airgaps. I think i need to weigh a brick just to see how much gain i need. I heed the dissimilar metal issue, i have some plastic coating powder somewhere i may dig it out if o find some cheap lead i can cast in blocks.. I did find some old ingots of pewter, they are very heavy, but i only have half a dozen. Cheers for the suggestions Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 I have the blue engineering bricks in place now, i'm not sure how much heavier granite offcuts or broken paving slabs especially when the bricks are stacked neatly and any odd shaped replacement would end up with plenty of airgaps. I think i need to weigh a brick just to see how much gain i need. Do you know how much more ballast you need? A good way is too use containers of water, once you know how much ballast in weight and the area you'll know what you can discount easily due to it not been dense enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSer Posted February 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 I'll have to have a think, its not a huge amount but i just cant correct it with my weight, 17st, i need to fit a washing machine that side and a diesel heater and a rad or two. Trouble is that i've lots of stuff sitting around because of the fitout, the heavily ballasted area next to the engine bearers will need to be reduced to fit the heater so i'll still need a denser mass even if all else is fine at the moment. Now where's those bathroom scales? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace and Favour Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 I'll have to have a think, its not a huge amount but i just cant correct it with my weight, 17st, i need to fit a washing machine that side and a diesel heater and a rad or two. Trouble is that i've lots of stuff sitting around because of the fitout, the heavily ballasted area next to the engine bearers will need to be reduced to fit the heater so i'll still need a denser mass even if all else is fine at the moment. Now where's those bathroom scales? I wouldn't bother using scales as ballast - - - - - they weigh very little Coat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oarfish Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) The well deck of our boat is ballasted with 50cm railway track offcuts, so they can be moved from one side to the other for trim. However I'm pretty sure the price has gone up to £scary in the last few years. Edited February 13, 2012 by oarfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace and Favour Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 I'll have to have a think, its not a huge amount but i just cant correct it with my weight, 17st, i need to fit a washing machine that side and a diesel heater and a rad or two. Trouble is that i've lots of stuff sitting around because of the fitout, the heavily ballasted area next to the engine bearers will need to be reduced to fit the heater so i'll still need a denser mass even if all else is fine at the moment. Now where's those bathroom scales? Gser, I'm sure I saw a post on the forum during the last four weeks with someone offering rail track offcuts (for free?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Scrap steel is about £160 a ton at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jelunga Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Gold bars are quite heavy too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Gold bars are quite heavy too And no reaction issues either! I used compressed concrete slabs. Very heavy! Linky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 And no reaction issues either! I used compressed concrete slabs. Very heavy! Linky Still not up there with steel and nowhere near lead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_fincher Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Now where's those bathroom scales? I wouldn't bother using scales as ballast - - - - - they weigh very little They would still be useful ballast if I were standing on them, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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