Stainless Tube and Bending Service

[BlowingOldBoots]

3" Stainless Tube, Thin Walled supplier and tube bending service in the Central Belt. I am looking to build a new anchor chain tube for the fore cabin. I require about 1m of 3" thin walled tube which will have to be bent into a lazy s shape. Anyone know if such a service is available in the central belt?

Do you think it's OK to drop the chain straight into the bin that is formed with the GRP of the hull?

[Silkie]

Do you think it's OK to drop the chain straight into the bin that is formed with the GRP of the hull?

My chain would drop directly onto the inside of the starboard bow which might lead to abrasion problems I suppose with the chain sliding over the grp every time the anchor is raised or lowered although I hadn't thought of the possibility until now. A previous owner has improvised a chain locker liner from a piece of scrap bendy plastic. This is just a rectangular sheet about 1mm thick with a couple of slits cut so that it can fold to fit inside the locker. Perhaps a good, no-cost, better-safe-than-sorry measure?

[mm5aho]

Our chain travels the gap between deck (anchor winch) and chain locker via a plastic pipe. Its a piece of drain pipe, and has lasted over 20 years so far. Its fixed at lower end by a plywood flange on the locker top. The locker is under forpeak bunks, in the V of the bow, with no protection to the fibreglass. I've not noticed any specific erosion of the GRP, but haven't been really looking. Rivals have quite thick hulls, so maybe not representative.

If you really need stainless bent into an S, then here's a couple of starting points: None are really marine specialists, but all should do the job.
South Central: http://www.davidogilvie.com/ or http://www.burnhouse-eng.co.uk/
West Central: http://www.martecengineering.co.uk/ or http://www.jbdtritec.co.uk/ or http://www.millerfabrications.com/
East Central: http://www.wrightandmaclennan.co.uk/
North central: http://www.bluetonltd.com/ or http://www.duplex-engineering.co.uk/

I used the last one (duplex) for a new pulpit. Good job, good price.
Declaration of interest: These are all customers; but that means some knowledge of what they do. Many more names if you want a mores specific area.

[Mavanier]

Geoff
any chance you could impart some idea of what your stainless work cost you? I may, possibly, be looking for a complete set of stanchions, pulpit, and pushpit for a 33ft boat and am a bit scared about the cost.

[mm5aho]

Mavanier
Here's the old pulpit,
[url=http://s248.photobucket.com/user/mm5aho ... 6.jpg.html]
and here's some of what was wrong..
[url=http://s248.photobucket.com/user/mm5aho ... 2.jpg.html]

I think it was about £500, but I can look up the accurate cost tomorrow. It was covered mostly by insurance.
Here's the new one, visible in this shot. (btw, where was I?)
[URL=http://s248.photobucket.com/user/mm5aho ... 6.jpg.html]


Geoff

[BlowingOldBoots]

Easy one, Ailsa Craig!

The plastic pipe sounds like a better idea. Ta!