Tyre round prop, advice please

[MtB]

If ever I get a tyre on the blade I think I'm going to just get a tow straight to the nearest yard with a slipway!

 

On the other hand it can't be that tight a fit to have popped over the blade in the first place so it 'could' perhaps come off just as easily if manipulated right...

 

MtB

[c c]

Sorry if this sounds too simple to be a help, but having a non-weedhatch boat, I found that moving as much weight as possible from back of the boat to the front does bring the prop a couple of inches nearer the surface and when you're trying to keep your face out the water, every inch counts.

[Captain Zim]

Canalchef - that sounds an eminently sensible idea, thanks.

 

MtB - i am seriously thinking just getting a tow to the yard I'm heading for anyway and waiting it out until August. It's only 7 weeks till my booking and I don't use the engine for power or heat. But then I think...it must be doable...

 

Anyway, off to the shops to get tooled up. A wetsuit would be handy but I don't suppose I'll find one of those locally. It's the time spent in the water that is most of the problem.

 

Full report to follow.

[RLWP]

have you discounted cutting around the sidewalls with a stanley knife?

 

I have modified tyres into fenders this way

 

Richard

[DeanS]

stanley knife or sharp kitchen knife will cut the "sides" in about 20mins. The hard bit is "across" the tyre. You'll have to knip it 3mm at a time till you're all the way across. Trying to cut more than that will be difficult. Patience is what you'll need....and a good sense of touch. Horrible job. Hope you come right soon

[Captain Zim]

have you discounted cutting around the sidewalls with a stanley knife?

 

I have modified tyres into fenders this way

 

Richard

Nothing is discounted! I've just picked up every possible tool I may need and best of all, a wetsuit from a top chap at Triathalon Zone in st Albans (apologies if free plugs are against rules but he really sorted me out).

 

Feel much better knowing I can stay in the water longer. My last foray in march this year led to mild hypothermia so this has been my main worry.

 

Will probably wait for better weather tomorrow though!

[ditchcrawler]

I would take a stanley knife to the sidewalls and cut around to separate the bead from the tread. You'll then have two disks with holes and a cylinder. There's a good chance you can wriggle those of the prop blade by blade

 

Richard

From what I remember tyres cut very easily like that, we use to cut off one sidewall to make big flower pots http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jrrqmz9j00 or if you want it fancy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8yV8x-rMNM

[bizzard]

My cousin Peter used to make Sandals out of portions of tyre treads. You could select a tyre tread of your choice for them to be made depending on what kind of terrain you were likely to be walking about on, ie dual purpose ''town and country, Avon TM for rougher ground, Cinturato, Avon Turbo-speed for jogging in ect ect.

He would get the punter that was to be shod to stand still upon a sheet of brown paper and drew around their tootsies a half inch or so bigger all round than their true foot size and go of and make em by cutting the chosen tyre tread with a jig-saw, boring holes through for the fastening cross straps with various sizes of red hot metal rods. The finished products were immensely tough and strong in fact ''made to see you out, he would say''

He normally made his own homemade tyre sandals of course but preferred them made from the lighter in weight and more supple side walls of tyres instead, You could always track Peter easily in the snow or mud as you only had to follow the impressions of Dunlop C41 written backwards, ''14C polnuD''.on the ground.

He was also kept quite busy mending foot punctures was. This was usually done with a smear of Araldite or a good hard searing with a red hot soldering iron.

Restoring worn down treads on tyre tread made sandals also kept him busy. He used the hand held electric tread cutter chaser to retread them ''Horse shoeing fashion'' ie,he would stand back to back with the customer who'd lift a foot behind them and he trap it between his knees firmly to do the job and the customer would then toddle off with a good fresh grip which renewed they're confidence no end.

Edited June 22, 2013 by bizzard

[RLWP]

stanley knife or sharp kitchen knife will cut the "sides" in about 20mins. The hard bit is "across" the tyre. You'll have to knip it 3mm at a time till you're all the way across. Trying to cut more than that will be difficult. Patience is what you'll need....and a good sense of touch. Horrible job. Hope you come right soon

 

I wouldn't bother cutting the tread. Once it is in three pieces, it should be possible to wriggle it off over one blade at a time

 

Richard

[GUMPY]

last time something like this happened to me, we deliberately put the boat over the cill in Stoke Bruene top lock. Removed the rear fenders tied the boat back to the top gate rails, had ropes from either side of the bow to bollards and then emptied the lock until I could just get onto the cill. Took 2 minutes then to get the steel banding from the tent off with bolt cutters.

However dont try this as this was done before all the H&S that we have to live with now.

I will say this in my defence it was December and at first light, I also had two expert helpers dont think BW ever knew

[Bee]

Tyre lever may damage blade tips, hacksaw will work if you can keep the cut `open`, decent tin snips well worth a try or even a fine tooth wood saw, in the end you will try everything in the toolbox, removing prop is last resort and you risk losing the key in the gloom.

Good luck

[Yellowback]

Just get yourself a scrap tyre, then cut it up using the options posters have given you (start with the stanley knife round the bead), whichever is the easiest out of the water will be the easiest when you get wet!!

 

 

[RLWP]

 

Just get yourself a scrap tyre, then cut it up using the options posters have given you (start with the stanley knife round the bead), whichever is the easiest out of the water will be the easiest when you get wet!!

 

 

 

 

Clever!

 

Richard

[granddad]

Get to a tree. fit a chain block. lift the boat on a rope strop. Use an angle grinder when the tyre appears. fit a weed hatch asap

ken

[bizzard]

Get to a tree. fit a chain block. lift the boat on a rope strop. Use an angle grinder when the tyre appears. fit a weed hatch asap

ken

An India rubber tree might allow you to repair the tyre after you've hacked it to bits if you can find one.

[Captain Zim]

 

Just get yourself a scrap tyre, then cut it up using the options posters have given you (start with the stanley knife round the bead), whichever is the easiest out of the water will be the easiest when you get wet!!

 

 

 

Yes! So simple it's genius. Thanks. Have just done this. Sharp kitchen knife goes straight through the sidewall so this is good news as its got a longer blade than a Stanley. Bolt croppers very good although this particular tyre is off a van I think and a bit thicker than standard. Snips not so good but I'll have another go and may work better on smaller tyre.

[DeanS]

Get a tow to the summit of the Rochdale.

Tie up for the night.

Wake up in the morning, and the boat will be on a 100% dry pound floor. (I think the water drains out downhill all night)

Cut tyre.

Refill pound.

Simples.

[nb Innisfree]

Seeing as hacksaw teeth can get caught when cutting the multistrand cable I wonder if a tile saw would be better?

[DeanS]

Seeing as hacksaw teeth can get caught when cutting the multistrand cable I wonder if a tile saw would be better?

 

definately not a wood saw...I tried once when making fenders....saw was blunt in minutes. A tile saw perhaps better luck:)

[RLWP]

I really would try to take the bead off without cutting it. It went on that way

 

Richard

[Peter Reed]

An India rubber tree might allow you to repair the tyre after you've hacked it to bits if you can find one.

Do they have narrowboats in India?

[luctor et emergo]

'M with Richard on this one. The tyre went on, relatively easy (presumably nothing forced it with any tools), so should come of 'in reverse'. A bit like recovering a vehicle in a ditch. Pull it out the way it went in. If it fits one way...

[Captain Zim]

Success!

 

Firstly, wetsuits are awesome. Got in and immediately knew I wouldn't have any problem for ages. Well worth the money. I wore a track suit and knee protectors as well to protect the neoprene. No, it is not a good look.

 

Stabbed the sidewall with thick knife (left over from chef days) close to tread and then cut down to bead. This on the side of the tyre nearest the hull. Then bolt cropper through the bead from inside this cut as this was the only angle to reach it from. Next, cut across the top of the tyre using tin snips to about half way. Lastly, stab the other sidewall (furthest from hull) and cut down to bead and back across the middle with snips again.

 

After this I had more than enough play to get the tyre over the blades.

 

Cue massive relief.

 

So thank you again to all who posted with ideas and alternatives to taking the prop off. The moral support alone made the job much less daunting. As with all things boat related, having done the job only once I now consider myself the worlds leading expert in tyre/prop related issues...

 

Oh, it took one hour from start to finish

Edited June 23, 2013 by Captain Zim

[luctor et emergo]

You're in good company..

 

 

 

 

 

[RLWP]

How was the water?

 

Richard