Broad Ambition - TLC Time Again

[BroadAmbition]

Correct on both counts, especially the being lighter one

Griff

[ExSurveyor]

Take it to work and do it there.

[BroadAmbition]

If only -  in the space I was working in today / tomorrow?  It's at the Holiday Inn Express here in Donny.  I could see the hotel staff being well chuffed with sawdust all over the room not to mention the noise for the adjoining guests

Anyroadup Tomorrow should reap rewards as long as it is dry during my opportunity window

Griff

 

[Seagypsy]

13 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

If only -  in the space I was working in today / tomorrow?  It's at the Holiday Inn Express here in Donny.  I could see the hotel staff being well chuffed with sawdust all over the room not to mention the noise for the adjoining guests

Anyroadup Tomorrow should reap rewards as long as it is dry during my opportunity window

Griff

 

It's raining here so it probably is in Donny too

[BroadAmbition]

The new Planar system has arrived.  initial inspection has revealed everything in order and appears to be good quality.  At this stage well pleased.  The proof of the pudding will be in the 'Heating' of course and how straight forward it turns out to fit the system.  Can't be any more difficult than the first fit of the Mikuni

Griff

 

[petersjoy]

I'm following this with interest, as you know i too have a Mikuni as old as yours, it's only let me down once when the glow plug required changing. If mine packs in again i may fit one of these. after 12 years i'm about to go to the boat next week to finally extend the heating into the Heads, it's always been cold in there if the door isn't left open.

[BroadAmbition]

Finally, I managed to get a few hours in Tuesday afternoon before having to dash back out to grout a floor.  First job was to drill an access hole in the front cover so the nav light cable would protrude out of the front and not underneath where it would get trapped when in the upright cruising position

Griff

 

[BroadAmbition]

Then it was onto the trusty workmate for the final sanding down of the entire lot.  320g paper - Cos that's what I found first.  Out with the DA and detail sander.  However of course not all areas could be accessed even with the detail sander.  Nowt for it but Mk1 digits to be brought to the fore and finished off by hand.  Now glass smooth.  There are 13 different pieces of wood that make up the mast.

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Today - Got home early and quick smart before MrsG got in - After a thorough hoovering off, hung mast in our conservatory then first treatment of 5 Star cuprinol applied with it's own unique aroma

We are on our way

Griff

[ZimbiIV]

Griff/Robin,

Just had the Planar fitted to Zimbi it runs ok seems to take a while to start but gives of plenty of heat and runs quietly and can hardly hear it outside of the boat.

The only problem I have is I do not have the correct operating instructions, well I do but they are in Russian!

So when I get home I will have to download and print them of.

Mark, the fitter said he did not need to alter the exhaust connection.

So here's to increased fuel usage not having had a working heater for a couple of years.

Now wishing I had got the modem now. The ability on a cold morning to phone the heater, now appeals..

paul

 

[BroadAmbition]

As a result of your last post, I have just checked the plastic envelope provided with our order.  The instructions for both fitting and operation are in English, which is a close second to Tyke speak but it'll do

We opted for the programmable timer but did not go for the mobile phone capability.  Pointless really as the only time we would have used that facility is for the initial boarding prior to weekend or a week afloat.

Snag there is that 'Someone' would have had to be a primary boarding party and gone ahead to turn on all the electrical systems for the heater to receive a signal and get set too.  Whilst there the primary boarding party might just as well manually turn the heating on . . . . . . . . .

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Second and final application of 5 Star Cuprinol applied this evening.  By the time that has cured thoroughly it'll be Sunday.

Therefore Sunday is the target for first coat of varnish to be applied - When I get back from clay shooting of course

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Missed my target for first coat of varnish on the Sunday afternoon,  pratting about with the boiler here at home amongst other things.

This evening however, before tea I gave the mast a rub down with 0000 wire wool as the cuprinol had raised the grain slightly, hoovered it off, wipe down with white spirit then the first application of Ravilakk thinned down with turps.  Onwards and upwards, same again tomorrow early evening

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Tuesdays intended second coat application didn't happen due to work commitments / other stuff.  However last night I did manage a full de-nib, whit spirit wipe down followed by second application.  I see this morning it has dried nicely so will get the third coat on today.

Of course as expected, MrsG has started making noises about having the mast hung up in our conservatory, things like

"Just how long is that thing going to be in here for"

My reply:-

"Not nearly as long as your new mantelpiece thing was sat on the lounge floor my dear"

That'll hold her for a few more days I hope

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

We now have the third application on.  The mast is now starting to show itself as to what it will look like on completion.  I was around our hovel yesterday, it was a nice day so managed the full process outside for a nice change.  Today the two front cover dressing pieces will be fastened on and the remaining three coats applied with them in place

Griff

 

[grendel]

looking good

 

[BroadAmbition]

Coat No 4 applied, 1 x more Ravilakk then final coat - Brava to go

Griff

[KatieR]

On 21/03/2019 at 06:45, BroadAmbition said:

Tuesdays intended second coat application didn't happen due to work commitments / other stuff.  However last night I did manage a full de-nib, whit spirit wipe down followed by second application.  I see this morning it has dried nicely so will get the third coat on today.

Of course as expected, MrsG has started making noises about having the mast hung up in our conservatory, things like

"Just how long is that thing going to be in here for"

My reply:-

"Not nearly as long as your new mantelpiece thing was sat on the lounge floor my dear"

That'll hold her for a few more days I hope

Griff

I don't know what's most appropriate here - "brave" or "death wish"......

[BroadAmbition]

Well, how else was as supposed to respond?

I want to get it finished as soon as I can, it's getting in the way.  Once I have finished the varnishing I can fit the hardware for the flags then it's off to Bro' for light / plug fitting.

It's the de-nibbing that is the real pain, it takes an age and is proper awkward, applying the varnish is however somewhat of a joy.

Hopefully after completion of my work day today (Yes, having to put in a shift on a Sunday, no day off this week for me) I will get the last Ravilakk coat applied

Griff

[KaptinKev]

On ‎14‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 22:19, BroadAmbition said:

Then it was onto the trusty workmate for the final sanding down of the entire lot.  320g paper - Cos that's what I found first.  Out with the DA and detail sander.  However of course not all areas could be accessed even with the detail sander.  Nowt for it but Mk1 digits to be brought to the fore and finished off by hand.  Now glass smooth.  There are 13 different pieces of wood that make up the mast.

Griff

I seriously need to ask this question as this has been bugging me. How does one acquire purple towels?????

1) I have worked at the local Indian takeaway.

2) My missus still hasn't worked out why it's not a good idea to mix colours in the washing machine.

3) I still haven't worked out why it's not a good idea to mix colours in the washing machine. 

[BroadAmbition]

I seriously need to ask this question as this has been bugging me. How does one acquire purple towels????? 

And you're asking me??

 

Finished a bit earlier today so was able to go through the process once again and apply coat five.

Just one more to go now. Apply the Brava varnish - full strength

Griff

 

[BroadAmbition]

 

Back to the new dab unit recently installed that is in need of a suitable aerial.

We trialled a few dab aerials, non of them with much success.  Robin finished up ordering a vehicle type dab / Fm aerial combined.  It can receive the digital signal along with the FM signal in the same unit.  Now vehicles manage quite nicely with this unit at speeds up to 70mph (Maybe a tad faster on a circuit of course) covering a large area in a short space of time so it should manage quite nicely onboard at an average of 5mph.  This aerial has two cables running from it and one to it into a small PCB in the base. The pair coming from the aerial are the dab and Fm signal carriers, the third one is a power cable to the pcb

There is a silver 'Washer' that has small sharp teeth on it designed to cut through the paintwork therefore making an earth connection to complete the powered up circuit to the pcb with vehicles being 12v earth return through the bodywork etc etc.

Snag - can't manage that on a timber boat can we?  Also the threaded fitting is nowhere near long enough to go through the fwd coach house roof to be able to tighten down on the brass nut

Griff

 

[grendel]

in the CB radio days this was a common problem that had to be resolved when running a cb antenna on a fibreglass bodied vehicle, the common practice was to either put a steel plate under the body panel to act as the ground plane, or create one with a smaller plate and lateral wires, which the earth connection of the coax was attached to, this should resolve the reception issues.

failing that just run an earth wire down to the main earth from that bolt, this in itself will act as a ground plane for the antenna

[grendel]

the other option is to make up a metal bracket for the base of the antenna, and make sure the bracket is earthed to the boat earth, you could probably mount a metal plate on the top of the new mast for the antenna, nipped between the mast and the nav light on top, extended just past the wooden top knob with the antenna mounted on the plate (once again earth the plate)

[BroadAmbition]

 

The aerial isn't going on top of the mast.  We did briefly consider this but are trying to keep the mast clean and minimalistic. Plus it would add to the airdraft height.   The previous aerial went on the frame of the first Solar panel on the aft coach house roof.  The current ones are the bendy flat mounted type.  So we have elected to put it on the fwd coach house roof, behind the Powells pennant mast so it will not impede vision.

A mate who has an impressive workshop and restores classic motorbikes was given the task of coming up with a solution which he has done impressively.

The coach house roof including the hardwood dressing pad for the Spotlight is about 25mm thick so the fitting needs to be longer than that with a facility to earth it back to the dab.  The silver toothed washer was removed and discarded.  The brass nut then had a sleeve braised to the bottom of it, the sleeve was then threaded on the outside.  A steel tube was then threaded on the inside that matched the brass sleeve.  A round plate was then braised to the bottom of the steel tube with a brass nut braised to the bottom of that.  Following this?  The round plate has an earth connection on it.  So during fitting I can simply cut down the steel tube with a hacksaw to the correct length and / or fit a pad underneath the coach house roof.

The really awkward bit will be running the cables back to the dab above the deck head lining as we need to go behind the deck head in the shower compartment - That'll be a right royal pain will that.  Still tis just another item to attend to during the forthcoming AMP

Griff