Even if when they start they appear to be going wrong. Yesterday Mikuni Man was back to do various jobs for me and we decided to start with the hearth. So discussions were had about that and then we needed flue size in order to determine the size of the hole in the ceiling (we already had hole in boat with stubby lid on)
MM did a quick mock in wood (old frame having another use) of the shape we needed and off we set to Harworth Heating.
More discussion.
Which amounted to the fact that with the tight shape I needed I couldn't have the double skinned flue.
Decision made we said okay we will have x amount of 5" flue pipe and MM would weld it up.
We dont have any in stock.
We'll take a chimney at least whilst we are here.
We don't have any in stock in that size
We will have the guard.
Okay we have one of those (and Terry very sweetly threw in the fittings and loads of different screws depending on how we might decide to attach it to the flue)
Oh yes we need the 'asbestos type' board for the hearth.
We don't have any in stock.
....
Ah but we might, yes we do have two sheets of this much thicker and therefore much better board.
We'll take it.
At least I managed to buy something to make up for the wasted hours and trip.
I left MM working on other things while I tried to locate some flue. Maybe Machine Mart would have something suitable. Off I went armed with my wooden mock up.
Machine Mart laughed (kindly) at me and suggested three other places which might be able to help. I couldn't find the first one which was on the way to the second and there they were tucked in a back street in Mansfield a place whose whole 'raison d'etre' was flues.
What size would I like?
What colour would I like?
Matt or shiny?
For once I went Matt. No shiny shiny here.
Today I bought some black paint to do the boards and they can be fitted into the hearth and the hearth fixed to the floor. So in the end very pleased with what was accomplished.
Especially as while MM and I had been driving all over the place. Bryan had been putting the pigeon box surrounds in place. And very smart they look too.
I am looking forward to them being totally finished with the trims and the black iron bolts. They will be perfik.
My night shift (alias the electrician) requested that the battery box/cable under/cable from calorifier to it's spur be in place as he prefers to get the 240volt stuff done first.
So this morning I had to rush down and tell Bryan that whatever he had planned to do today had to be postponed in order to get that done for John. Which he has managed so the night shift should be back again tonight.
This evening when I got to the boat it was warm !
Mikuni Man had lived up to his name and got the central heating working. I gather only one joint exploded apart - the rest were just drips. It had run for an hour then overheated because it wasn't circulating due to air locks we imagine. When I got to the boat it was pitch black and using a torch I could see Mikuni Man sitting on my bows gently steaming from the front locker.
Liz met me at the boat to fetch her equipment and to collect the last cheque payment. We have decided to do the signwriting once the boat is on the water. She showed me a sketch of my idea which was exactly what I wanted so I have high hopes of the finished article. I also showed her bits where she had to patch up her paint due to things like breathers not being installed when I asked for them (ie before she had finished).
I am still waiting for Mel to finish some things. One of them being the front rubber. This will no doubt involve some patching in the paintwork under the water line so will need doing before it goes on the water which means Liz will have to make a special return trip.
The other being the tiller - he still hasn't done my special tiller so that hasn't been painted either.
And the hinge for my headlight ...
I could go on but that would only ruin what has been a good day.
