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Where to buy portholes


Darrenroberts

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Do you mean "round windows" or real proper portholes?

 

Round windows are got from the usual boat window suppliers. Portholes are more complicated as they appear to be almost cast to order by just one or two small companies. Midland Chandlers sometimes stock them so if the price is ok and they have enough actually in stock that might be the easiest option.

 

P.R.O Cast are one supplier, not to be confused with PROCast which also does specialist casting

 

Rumour/urban myth is that one of the suppliers was buying up and melting down old bath taps as the best source of good quality brass.

 

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

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6 minutes ago, dmr said:

(snip)

Rumour/urban myth is that one of the suppliers was buying up and melting down old bath taps as the best source of good quality brass.

 

Sounds like an urban myth! Brass doesn't perform too well in the sort of boats that generally have portholes; most good ones are bronze or gunmetal.

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3 hours ago, rusty69 said:

Apply to any council in the land. They have thousands of potholes of varying sizes. 

Didn't the Beatles do a song about that?

 

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

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5 hours ago, dmr said:

Rumour/urban myth is that one of the suppliers was buying up and melting down old bath taps as the best source of good quality brass.

 

 

Urban myth. 

 

Old bath taps are made from exactly the same brass as old basin taps, old bidet taps and old kitchen sink taps i.e. the cheapest and nastiest muck they can lay hands on. 

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10 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Urban myth. 

 

Old bath taps are made from exactly the same brass as old basin taps, old bidet taps and old kitchen sink taps i.e. the cheapest and nastiest muck they can lay hands on. 

but maybe still better than the nasty modern yellow stuff that comes from China???. If I was land based I would think about setting up a little brass making operation. It can't be that difficult to mix a few molten metals together in the correct proportions.

 

Still on the Weaver and was reading a notice board about the now vanished salt industry, saw that one factory had its own brass casting shop.

 

Trying to get some nice brass taps and a brass shower mixer for the bathroom. Its not easy, everybody either chrome plates or gold plates everything. Bare bass is now trendy speciality stuff and its £1,200 for a shower mixer.

 

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

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5 minutes ago, dmr said:

Trying to get some nice brass taps and a brass shower mixer for the bathroom. Its not easy, everybody either chrome plates or gold plates everything. Bare bass is now trendy speciality stuff and its £1,200 for a shower mixer.

 

 

Buy a cheap chrome one and dismantle it, strip off the chrome in a bucket of sulphuric acid. This is how we removed chrome when I worked in the electro-plating company. 

 

Or it might have been hydrochloric. Dr Bob will know!

 

(I was only 15 at the time, but it was a bloody brilliant job. You should have seen my bike!!!)

Edited by Mike the Boilerman
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3 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

 

Buy a cheap chrome one and dismantle it, strip off the chrome in a bucket of sulphuric acid. This is how we removed chrome when I worked in the electro-plating company. 

 

Or it might have been hydrochloric. Dr Bob will know!

 

(I was only 15 at the time, but it was a bloody brilliant job. You should have seen my bike!!!)

I did think about that a while ago to do those waterproof electrical connectors that always come chrome plated. I suspect these days buying a buckets worth of acid will get a visit from Plod. I did do some www research, think I concluded that its too much trouble, especially disposing of the stuff afterwards.  Am keeping a close eye on eBay. A good one there now but its collection only from London. Its interesting that most of the "vintage" Brass shower mixers have ceramic inserts, those Victorians were very advanced.

 

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

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Hi Darren.

 

I bought mine from trinity marine, (they have a website) of course they open inwards and are fixed from inside so then I bought the plain brass surrounds (chromed in my case) from midland chandlers, which were the exact correct size when mounted on the outside.

 

Still of course get the problem that because of the cant of the cabin sides the porthole retains some rainwater that comes in when they are opened.

 

They are cast aluminium with toughened glass and seal excellently.

 

If you're any where up Braunston/ Coventry way give me a call and come and have a look.

 

Cheers. Mick

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  • 1 month later...
On 29/05/2018 at 12:12, SUIGENERIS said:

Hi Darren.

 

I bought mine from trinity marine, (they have a website) of course they open inwards and are fixed from inside so then I bought the plain brass surrounds (chromed in my case) from midland chandlers, which were the exact correct size when mounted on the outside.

 

Still of course get the problem that because of the cant of the cabin sides the porthole retains some rainwater that comes in when they are opened.

 

They are cast aluminium with toughened glass and seal excellently.

 

If you're any where up Braunston/ Coventry way give me a call and come and have a look.

 

Cheers. Mick

Aya Mick I’ve maxed it to Braunston back working on the boat for the summer. Am moored out side the admiral nelson. Am still trying to figure out my porthole issues. Don’t know if your heading down this way on the next few months? Darren 

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