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Front Fender


mark99

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Mark

 

I could ask Joe Hollingshead to make one for you, he's an old boatman and does good stuff. I could bring it down when we meet up on the Thames.

 

Dave

 

 

 

Dave,

 

Sounds like a plan. I'd rather not pay the big chandlers but proper craftsman.

 

Just drop me a pm with cost and I'll sort it out.

 

atb.

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Interesting, I plan to do same. Is it just a cut section of tyre folded inside out? Cut tyre with angle grinder?

I'd be very hesitant about cutting a tyre with an angle grinder, a hack saw would be slower but both arms and your head should still be attached afterwards.

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M,

 

You can get a good front button (fender?) and cut a section of tyre to fit - problem here is that they are steel wire reinforced....

when fitting it' has to be tight, so fit a ratchet strap round the tyre and button and crank it up tight and then fit rope ties to hold the 2 ends together.

 

Before fitting, trim the tyre to fit the stem.

 

Allow room otherwise the wire rope will scratch the blacking'

 

Best to drill a drain hole in the tyre to avoid the button sitting in rain water.

 

For a real 'belts and braces' job soak the button in a preservative for a few days and allow to drain for a week.

 

Have fun, wear good gloves as the reinforcing wires are sharp.

 

I turned one tyre inside out, but it wore down and frayed at the edges. I now fit them with the tread out - be careful if doing it this way as the boat may fail it's BSC due to insufficient tread depth.

 

Hope this helps.

 

M

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Mark

 

Joe will fit a tyre for you, I'll call him tomorrow and see what he's got. You may need shackles and chain to extend the fitted ones to reach the anchor point.

 

I've fitted several tyres to button fenders, an angle grinder gets through the steel cords and a jigsaw follows to cut off the corded bead that fits to the wheel. With that off, they are fairly compliant. It's a good idea, as suggested, to put a hole in the bottom of the tyre covering and also to thread the securing ropes through the fender covering rope, thus holding it firmly in position.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

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Mark

 

Joe will fit a tyre for you, I'll call him tomorrow and see what he's got. You may need shackles and chain to extend the fitted ones to reach the anchor point.

 

I've fitted several tyres to button fenders, an angle grinder gets through the steel cords and a jigsaw follows to cut off the corded bead that fits to the wheel. With that off, they are fairly compliant. It's a good idea, as suggested, to put a hole in the bottom of the tyre covering and also to thread the securing ropes through the fender covering rope, thus holding it firmly in position.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

Cheers, I thought a power tool of some sort would be needed to get though the steel wires.

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The tyre used on our boat came from the used tyre mountain in a local tyre fitting company yard. They gave it to me, it's off a go cart or small sit upon mower. It fitted just nicely over the fender, but would indeed fail the BSS on tread depth.

As above, jigsaw and a knife, plus drill to make a neat hole at the bottom to let the water out. It makes nosing the top gates in gear a much smoother operation.

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I'd be very hesitant about cutting a tyre with an angle grinder, a hack saw would be slower but both arms and your head should still be attached afterwards.

Doubt if a hacksaw would touch the steel wire in a tyre?

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Mark

Joe will fit a tyre for you, I'll call him tomorrow and see what he's got. You may need shackles and chain to extend the fitted ones to reach the anchor point.

I've fitted several tyres to button fenders, an angle grinder gets through the steel cords and a jigsaw follows to cut off the corded bead that fits to the wheel. With that off, they are fairly compliant. It's a good idea, as suggested, to put a hole in the bottom of the tyre covering and also to thread the securing ropes through the fender covering rope, thus holding it firmly in position.

Cheers

Dave

Dave,

 

Would you share with me how much he is charging for the fender+tyre? I need a new front fender as my current one is on its last legs, I think due to me sticking the boat to the gates when single handing. Hopefully the tyre will help prolong the life of the next one. I went into Tradline at Braunston yesterday and got a quote for a new front button, but they wont do the tyre. If it is not too much mkre than the quote from Tradline, I'd be interested in one the same as Joe is doing for Mark if he would do two?

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Been running with an identical button fender for the last 8 years .Fender still looks good under the protective tyre. ,Some of the wire reinforcement has worn through .Without the tyre,I am sure I would have needed a new fender by now. Sorry,I cant tell you who made it as it was on the boat when I bought her.

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I don`t think they are made any more, but if on the tyre mountain you can find a Crossply or textile belted tyre, instead of the current steel braced radial, it will be easier to work & lay a lot nicer on the fender. I would imagine they are very thin on the ground or may be unobtainium IMO if you can find one it makes a neater job.

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What steel wire! AFAIK there's only a bead around the rim which you don't need - cut around that both sides. Then cut across the tread

 

Richard

Last time I tried to cut a tyre, it had steel belting around the tread, making cutting across the tread very difficult (we were making soles for our clogs.) This was some years ago. Are they easier to cut these days?

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I used an angle grinder with a thin cutting disc….be warned that the tyre will eat discs and try to grab the machine….it also puts a lot of loading on the motor so let it cool from time to time by running the grinder off load.

 

I was lucky as i was given a tyre tread with the sidewalls already removed….some of the guys where our unit is do banger racing and they use the sidewalls to double the thickness on the tyre walls on the bangers….it did save a load of work on my part!

 

Its also messy and smokey to cut the rubber….probably best done outside!

 

I used some old inner tube glued on with evostick to cover up the edges where the steel belting might damage the paint.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

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Dave,

I need a new front fender as my current one is on its last legs, I think due to me sticking the boat to the gates when single handing.

Ask Nicknorman if you can have some back from the side of his boat......

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IME it is difficult to find textile braced tyres these days. But it is easy to remove the beads of steel braced tyres with a jigsaw. But don't use a saw blade in the jigsaw. A plain knife blade will cut through the rubber very quickly and cleanly, as there is usually no steel reinforcement immediately between the beading and the side wall. Cutting across the tyre tread shouldn't take too long with a hacksaw. Then turn the tyre inside out and it should coil up nicely. To save cash you can insert old plastic fenders inside the tyre rather than a rope fender.

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