Weak link for button fender?

[Tonka]

2 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

Some fender chains are much lighter duty than others, but are you sure the fender was not caught on some little sticky out thing? We've had a couple of experiences in the last week where very small insignificant sticky out things have really caught the front button.

 

...........Dave

put a tyre around the front button to stop it catching

[dmr]

34 minutes ago, Tonka said:

put a tyre around the front button to stop it catching

 

I personally don't like the look of  those "inside out tyre wrappings" and suspect they will reduce but not solve the problem. It will also be a bit more difficult in our case as we use a very slim/flat button otherwise we are too long to fit into some locks 😀.

 

............Dave

[David Mack]

29 minutes ago, dmr said:

I personally don't like the look of  those "inside out tyre wrappings"

Having a full length boat I let the bow fender rub the top gate when going up. I found the bow button very quickly not only got dirty, but the rope started scuffing noticeably. So I fitted an inside out tyre wrap to take the wear and protect the rope. It does have a big drain hole at the bottom, but even so I wonder whether the tyre wrap causes the fender to stay damper, encouraging the rope to rot instead of wear away. You can't win!

[dmr]

7 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Having a full length boat I let the bow fender rub the top gate when going up. I found the bow button very quickly not only got dirty, but the rope started scuffing noticeably. So I fitted an inside out tyre wrap to take the wear and protect the rope. It does have a big drain hole at the bottom, but even so I wonder whether the tyre wrap causes the fender to stay damper, encouraging the rope to rot instead of wear away. You can't win!

 

I'm going to investigate a tyre wrap, I'll put it on my list of things to do 😀.

Due to the Rochdale 9 lock issue we went down the Rochdale and up the Ashton, the Marple flight is horrible for sticky out things, Gillie decided riding up the bottom gates was the best approach...and so got the back fender caught on something. Weak link failed 😀

 

We've had the boat about 14 years now and only on the second front button so riding up the gates has not done too much harm.

 

............Dave

[MtB]

49 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Having a full length boat I let the bow fender rub the top gate when going up. I found the bow button very quickly not only got dirty, but the rope started scuffing noticeably. So I fitted an inside out tyre wrap to take the wear and protect the rope. It does have a big drain hole at the bottom, but even so I wonder whether the tyre wrap causes the fender to stay damper, encouraging the rope to rot instead of wear away. You can't win!

 

I certainly found this. Chris made me a really nice tyre-wrapped bow fender (with drain hole) in 2017, which completely rotted away and fell to bits in less than a couple of years. 

[Tonka]

9 hours ago, MtB said:

 

I certainly found this. Chris made me a really nice tyre-wrapped bow fender (with drain hole) in 2017, which completely rotted away and fell to bits in less than a couple of years. 

I regularly take the tyre off and crecote the rope fender. Probably every 2 to 3 years

[MtB]

15 minutes ago, Tonka said:

I regularly take the tyre off and crecote the rope fender. Probably every 2 to 3 years

 

I think this was exactly my problem. I tried to buy creosote everywhere to do this but gave up in the end as it seems to be banned, and forgot about it. Hence the rapid rotting of the natural rope material. 

 

Where do you get your creosote from? I have several rope fenders on various boats still need doing!

 

In addition, dripping creosote in the canal from one's freshly preserved fenders is probably viewed as a Really Bad Idea.... 

[Rob-M]

4 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I think this was exactly my problem. I tried to buy creosote everywhere to do this but gave up in the end as it seems to be banned, and forgot about it. Hence the rapid rotting of the natural rope material. 

 

Where do you get your creosote from? I have several rope fenders on various boats still need doing!

 

In addition, dripping creosote in the canal from one's freshly preserved fenders is probably viewed as a Really Bad Idea.... 

Tonka is using creocote which is a modern alternative to creosote and not so harmful to the fish.  Available in most DIY sheds. I've used it on my fenders and does seem to preserve them.

[David Mack]

Tonka refers to Crecote, which is sold by DIY stores and the like for colouring fences and sheds brown. I'm not at all sure that it has the same preservative properties as the now-banned creosote (which also colours sheds and fences brown, but preserves them as well).

 

Proper Creosote is still available to trade buyers (google for suppliers) - no doubt your local boiler repair man can find a legitimate use for it in his business!

Edited July 29, 2021 by David Mack

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Tonka is using creocote which is a modern alternative to creosote and not so harmful to the fish.  Available in most DIY sheds. I've used it on my fenders and does seem to preserve them.

 

3 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Tonka refers to Crecote, which is sold by DIY stores and the like for colouring fences and sheds brown. I'm not at all sure that it has the same preservative properties as the now-banned creosote (which also colours sheds and fences brown, but preserves them as well).

 

Ok thanks, I took it to be a typo for creosote, especially as not capitalised! 

 

On goggling, I see it is oil-based not water-based as most fence paint is, so probably does have significant fender-preserving abilities.

 

https://www.bartoline.co.uk/product_items/creocote-oil-based-timber-treatment/

 

 

[bizzard]

Ann Robinson would know about weak links.

[blackrose]

14 hours ago, dmr said:

 

This is reviving an old thread 😀.

The force from any small impact, such as nudging the front button against a lock gate, is big, and will likely snap cable ties. I had no success at all with them. Putting a weak link in the chain appears to be the only way to go. This is done by cutting right through a link, probably at the weld. The link then opens up under a dangerous load. This works.

The link will likely open up progressively under normal boating impacts so will need forcing back into shape every few months. I use a small portable vice to do this. Cutting part way through a link or shackle did not work for me.

 

...............Dave

 

 

What size cable ties were you using? The skinny ones will snap for sure.

 

I bought some 12.7mm wide cable ties from ebay. They are pretty strong and don't snap by simply nudging the button against a lock gate - not even with with the force of my 30 tonne widebeam behind the nudge. 

 

BLACK NYLON CABLE TIES ZIP WRAPS 12.7mm x 290mm -1030mm Length / Very Heavy Duty | eBay

[Mike Tee]

Not having a boat anymore, I don't have to worry about treating fenders - however, if I did, I reckon I'd give this stuff (or similar) a try. Not cheap but it is oil based, and no colour in it

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00L708KNG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00L708KNG&linkCode=as2&tag=nicsweb-21&linkId=488663917cd0296b6a3e9cb204d940b6

 

 

[MtB]

11 minutes ago, Mike Tee said:

Not having a boat anymore, I don't have to worry about treating fenders - however, if I did, I reckon I'd give this stuff (or similar) a try. Not cheap but it is oil based, and no colour in it

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00L708KNG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00L708KNG&linkCode=as2&tag=nicsweb-21&linkId=488663917cd0296b6a3e9cb204d940b6

 

 

 

Actually the bit that concerns me about all these 'clear paint' type of preservatives, is whether they dry to a hard, paint-like or varnish-like film. If they do, rather than being totally flexible, they seem supremely unsuitable for fender preservation. 

 

I've just goggled for trade suppliers of proper creosote and found these people selling both real creosote and oil-based creosote substitute:

https://www.creosotesales.co.uk/

 

 

[Maudesmaster]

15 hours ago, dmr said:

 

This is reviving an old thread 😀.

The force from any small impact, such as nudging the front button against a lock gate, is big, and will likely snap cable ties. I had no success at all with them. Putting a weak link in the chain appears to be the only way to go. This is done by cutting right through a link, probably at the weld. The link then opens up under a dangerous load. This works.

The link will likely open up progressively under normal boating impacts so will need forcing back into shape every few months. I use a small portable vice to do this. Cutting part way through a link or shackle did not work for me.

 

...............Dave

 

Wasn’t going to use ty wraps just saying about a bag I bought from toolstation and the cure for them snapping 

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, Mike Tee said:

Not having a boat anymore, I don't have to worry about treating fenders - however, if I did, I reckon I'd give this stuff (or similar) a try. Not cheap but it is oil based, and no colour in it

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00L708KNG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00L708KNG&linkCode=as2&tag=nicsweb-21&linkId=488663917cd0296b6a3e9cb204d940b6

 

 

It doesn't claim any preservative properties for the timber, just a biocide to stop surface algae. I think treatments of this type are some sort of wax, which will keep moisture from being absorbed into the surface of timber. Don't know how effective that is on rope. 

[cuthound]

An alternative to using creosote to preserve bow fenders behind a tyre wrap is to use polypropylene fenders. 😁

[Alan de Enfield]

7 hours ago, blackrose said:

I bought some 12.7mm wide cable ties from ebay.

 

12.5 / 12.7mm wide = 250lb minimum breaking strain

 

2.5mm wide = 18 lb

3.5mm wide = 30 lb

4.8mm wide = 50lb

7.6mm wide = 120 lb

 

8 hours ago, MtB said:

Where do you get your creosote from?

 

'Proper' farm / agricultural suppliers can supply creosote (the original recipe)

Edited July 29, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[Sea Dog]

12 hours ago, bizzard said:

Ann Robinson would know about weak links.

She wouldn't be able to tell anyone though 'cos her mouth won't move!