Fetching the TyBoo

TyBoo · Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2003 9:34 pm Post subject:

Nope, Gary was there yesterday. Guess he couldn't wait to talk about his boat. I wonder why?

We didn't get to see Capt. Dusty, either. He was there before us and after us, but had other things to tend to while we were there. It was a good excuse, though, so he's off the hook.

The brakes weren't locked up, and I could tell when they did actuate. I think the calipers are just a little stiff and don't let the pads retract easy enough. I not sure the disc brakes can be adjusted, but maybe these are different than what I'm used to. I'll look the thing over and start a topic about it in the Lbrary. Bill is already snapping at me for getting "off topic" on his Da New Da Nag Dascussion (a term which, by the way, was the only thing ever banned from the first CB site) (well, except for a few pornsters).

TyBoo · Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2003 1:14 pm Post subject:

My dad went home, I have the day off, and I got my boat back. Y'all have fun on this here computer deal, and maybe I'll get a minute to check in late tonight.

TyBoo · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 10:00 pm Post subject:

True to form, I get the boat home and they start with the overtime again. Double shifts the last two days and that kind of stuff. It's a good thing they pay me, or I wouldn't even bother going in.

Anyhow, I haven't had a chance to do any tinkering on the TyBoo25 yet, but I did look it over and come up with a couple of things to try. The first step will be to rewire the cabin and accessories. There are inline fuses all over the place, and wires going every which way, so I am going to put a distribution center behind the helm bulkhead, with every circuit fused and originating from a common bus. I also have a windlass to install after I unwrap it Christmas morning (thanks again, dad).

One of the grand schemes I dreamed up has to do with the Wallas. When we were on the water at Cornet Bay, and the heater had been on with the blower lid closed for quite a while, Kay all of a sudden announced that something was burning. The wood panel (newer Wallas 125’s have metal) on the top of the blower lid was getting real hot and starting to char just a bit. The next time I started the stove, I noticed the blower fan that comes on when the lid is closed was laboring a little when running. The blower element was stiff to turn in its bushings, and would stop immediately without coasting when the lid was lifted. I took the stove out and the blower assembly apart last weekend. When I put it all back together, the fan turned freely, but now it is a little noisier than it was. Yeah, yeah, yeah - enough of that.

One option is to send it up to Scan Marine for a tune-up and repair (I don't do intricate stuff real well). Another option is to disconnect the built in blower and replace it with a remotely located blower unit ducted to the original intake. I read somewhere (on C-Dogs, I think) someone warning that if the fan draws too much current, it can fry the circuit board. I figure I can snip the wires to the fan motors, and run the signal to a solid state relay I just happen to have, which in turn will power the remote blower unit. The only reason I am considering this is to support yet another grand scheme. If there was just a little bit more air flow coming out of the closed lid when in heater mode, it could be ducted to vents at the bottom of the front windows.

What I think I'll do is make a small SS chamber under the counter directly in front of the stove with a flip-up cover on it. When the cover is closed on this new chamber and flush with the countertop, the heated air will pass over it so the heater works just like it does now. When the chamber lid is opened, it will serve to scoop up the air exhausting from the Wallas lid and direct it into the duct hose (probably 1 1/2" diameter) and come out the other end. The new deflector, of course, will be far enough away from the Wallas lid opening so there is no flow restriction.

There are lots of different styles and sizes of squirrel-cage and tangential blower units available for sale that are compact, quiet, run on 12v, and move a lot of air. I can even put a rheostat in the circuit to vary the speed and airflow, as long as the minimum is equal to the stock blower output so things don’t get too hot. With the blower itself placed at the lower back of the galley cabinet, it wouldn’t even be heard when running.

Even though I don’t like intricate stuff, I could do this project. I can con one of the guys in the tin shop at work into making the collection chamber with the flip up scoop out of scrap stainless sheet metal. The added duct unit would be small and somewhat attractive, so it shouldn’t look dorky. The duct hose can be completely hidden, and with the air movement through it, it won’t get very hot all. The air coming out the vent at the base of the windows will be warm enough to eventually defrost the glass, and then keep it clear for as long as the lid at the other end of the hose is open. It will also distribute the heat throughout more of the cabin. Yeah, I think it will work.

All I’m doing here is thinking out loud. What do you think? Dumb plan? More effort than it’s worth?

UncleRichie · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 10:13 pm Post subject:

Hi Mike,
Make shure you don't get the pickup for air to close to the burner pickup when they up graded mine with the new stronger fan it was pulling some air out of the combustion chamber and smelled to high heaven. I put a street elbow on the air intake for the burner to get it father away now it works fine. At least I think that was the problem I also put a vent in one of the cabniet doors.
Richard

TyBoo · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 10:35 pm Post subject:

Thanks, Richard. I hadn't even considered that, but it makes sense. Now that you mention it, I have noticed the intake fan being a little noisier than it ought to be. Maybe I will send the thing in for a tune up, afterall.

You say they installed a larger capaity blower for the heater? It won't take too much more air flow for the duct plan, so maybe an upgrade would be the way to go. Me thinks maybe I should give them a call.

On the other hand, the separate blower unit would be neat. And quiet. Since I would have to duct the air to the lid anyway, I could mount the new blower in the closet that is just aft of the galley counter. That way the air would not be drawn from the same compartment as the combustion intake.

Too much thinking for tonight. Maybe I'll just wear a coat.

Otter-BelleHavenMarina · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2003 1:29 am Post subject:

Hey Mike,
If you have any questions about changing a light bulb, taking out the trash, or putting ice in the cooler, let me know - I'm your man!
Tom (currently 8,555 miles from Otter in land-locked Botswana)

Sea Wolf · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2003 5:02 pm Post subject:

Mike- While I'm not very familiar with the Wallas, I have some thoughts to share with you.

I'd get the up-graded fan installed first, since it's simpler and more proven. I certainly wouldn't add the external fan without discussing first with Scan Marine whether there would be any unforseen complications.

The hot air box/resevoir and ducting sound like a good idea. My guess is that you'll have to add a fan unit somewhere in this set up to get a significant amount of air to the windows. A booster fan could be located in the bottom of the box or up near the y-duct for the windows. With this arrangement, you could have the auxillary fan where it will do the most good, and go with the standard up-graded fan in the stove.

The next question would be whether heat losses in the ducting would be so great as to limit the set-up's effectiveness. This would depend on the duct length, it's composition, the ambient temperature in the cabin, etc. The booster fan discussed above would significantly increase the volume of air and the total heat delivered and definitely make the system more efffective in the process.

There are a large number of 12 volt computer power supply fans available to choose from, so getting one with the right volume and amperage draw should be easy.

Have you figured out the duct routing? The type of material choosen will be important, and perhaps a foam insulation layer could be added to conserve heat in transit.

Good luck with the project. Hope these ideas help. Joe.

wailedcentipede · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 9:09 pm Post subject: tyboo Dec 7 pic

a little late responding, really a impressive outfit Thumbs Up

...wc

TyBoo · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 9:21 pm Post subject:

Hi WC!

What's impressive? If you're talking about the boat and truck, we'll see how impressive it is in a hundred years when I can afford to retire.

TyBoo · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 10:02 pm Post subject:

Thanks for your thoughts, Joe. Your points are noted and well taken. I am going to send the stove to be checked over anyway, I decided, because I am a little mistrusting of the combustion fan. That one for sure has to work the way it is designed. I am a little leery also of tampering with the circuit to the blower unit. The one check I made on it showed the voltage at one of the motors (there are two motors on the blower fan) to be 8.2v, and I suspect that the supply voltage might vary as controlled by the circuit board electronics to change the fan speed. (That's why I was planning to use a solid state relay. It will work with a signal input of 3 to 32 vdc.)

So, if the stove gets worked over, the blower fan will be repaired or upgraded while it's there. Then I will probably just use the existing blower to push the air into the planned collector and ducting. I still think that would be a cool (or warm!) feature to have. I could even put a shuttle valve in the duct to direct the air into the v-berth for a quick warm up.

The ducting run will be completely concealed, and it will be short enough that I don't foresee the need to insulate it beyond the capabilities of the hose itself. Any heat that does escape will be inside the cabin, anyhow.

Chances are, I won't add the defrost feature at all. The stove will eventually dry the interior enough to keep the windows clear by itself. I just figured that it would be handy on cold, damp mornings to get me away from the dock and out on the river sooner.

Sometimes I come up with weird ideas, you see.