New Boat!

Hi BotleyBouy
 Have fun and enjoy your new boat,would be very interested to see how you engineer your morse controls,our 22 has similer controls but aren't connected apart from the throttle,there is a thick cable from g/box to the quadrant but not connected,I keep meaning to play with it,but everytime I go to look,I end up cruising

Poachermas wrote:...would be very interested to see how you engineer your Morse controls,.....

So will I! 

Work in progress on the new instrument panel...

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The top layer is a gloss black laminate which is bonded to a piece of 3mm ply with glass fibre mat & resin. 

Then another piece of laminate is bonded to the other side of the ply to create a panel which is completely impervious to water, sunlight, heat or cold. It's also scratch resistant (compared to varnish or polished alloy anyway) and easy to wipe clean.
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Mucky old job though.

Here's the black one drilled and test fitted to the binnacle...
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And here's the silver one for comparison...
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I like the black one myself. Very smart. I don't really understand the morse but I would guess you've removed the black cable control on each lever and use one red for g/box and t'other for engine?

The right-hand Morse lever works the throttle via a modified Teleflex cable. A small rose-joint attaches one end of the cable to the lever...
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and a normal throttle connector (similar to the Freeman one) attaches the other end of the cable to the carb throttle lever....
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...thereby getting rid of that stupid rod across the electrics. It also means that pushing the lever forward opens the throttle and pulling it back closes it. Far more sensible!

Using the other Morse lever to work the gear lever is proving more problematic. There isn't enough throw on the cable to move the lever through the full range. I have a linear actuator on the way. If I can make this work from the Morse lever it will move the gear lever comfortably. On the pro side it will do away with the cumbersome Teleflex cable but on the con side it means it will be more complex and there will be electrics under the deck which will need waterproofing. Will it be the only Freeman with a "flappy-paddle" gearbox? 

If anyone has any better ideas please let me know.

BB,only guessing as l know very little about linear actuators, but presumably you will have some kind of reversing switch operating from the Morse control lever ?

I think the problem may arise in the fine settings of neutral/forward/reverse positions, as neutral in the box is not central to the total throw between forward and reverse

I'm sure a solution is easy enough if you are a old time engineer !

I’m a move the stick with the foot man myself!
When I first took lady Colleen out which has morse I find myself automatically putting my right leg out ....into thin air. I’ve grown up with the stick and it feels wrong without it!!!

F23 flittermouse wrote:I'm sure a solution is easy enough if you are a old time engineer !

I'm thinking momentary switches for F&R operated my the quadrant on the Morse and limit switches to stop the push or pull once the gear is selected. Neutral will be somewhere in the middle   Let's see if it works!

I take it that once you've perfected that, you'll move on towards full self-driving a la Tesla? Keep your mind busy!
BTW I wish ...  https://www.tesla.com/en_GB/roadster

The problem...


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The solution?...
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Almost! It will do for now.
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New battery box nearly finished...
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Most of the internal painting and varnishing done...
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Cable gear change is still work in progress...
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This lash up has far too much friction and slop but it proves the limited travel available from the cable can be increased to the travel needed to cover the throw from F to R.

Oil pressure gauge fitted...
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Obviously it won't be staying there 

"This lash up has far too much friction and slop but it proves the limited travel available from the cable can be increased to the travel needed to cover the throw from F to R."

Looks good BB. ...but if your J type is anything like mine it takes a fair bit of force to make the final engagement on both F and R. The feathering bit takes no effort, but its the final engagement. Using your foot and with the help of the huge moment of force that the old gear stick gave you, it is easy to underestimate the amount of force needed for that final engagement. Of course this is on a good J type that is adjusted correctly.
The Parsons g/box is completely different and takes very little turning force to engage fully.

It is the 'J' type and yes it does take a fair bit of force to engage either gear. As you say, the length and weight of the conventional lever reduces the effort considerably.
Incidentally, the 12V linear actuator works well but there are complications around how to operate it accurately from the Morse and how to limit the travel into reverse. The cable would be a lot easier if I can solve the leverage issues. All good fun and beats working any day!

I'm on the verge of giving up on cable control for the gear change but I want to keep the throttle lever. Does anyone want to swap a single Morse control for my double?

On a more positive note, the floor paint brightens up the cabin nicely...
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And the new battery box is coming on nicely...
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I love the freeman grey bilge paint. It’s great stuff. 
BB go for a traditional foot shift stick. It’s cheap as chips to get a stainless steel one and it’s brilliant to operate.  And it’s what mr freeman designed.

BB,  just a small point but one that could prove a problem depending on your BSS engineer.
On an earlier photo l noticed your HT leads looked as if they were in contact with your petrol supply pipe. As l understand it there needs to be a clearance. If you pull the HT leads through the 'tidy' block you probably will get the required clearance.

Elf and sanity gone potty, l know !!

Thanks for the tip. 
I'm re-routing all the HT leads including the one I think you're referring to ie from the starter to the solenoid. Ill also be modifying the run of the fuel pipe as well to accommodate a decent fuel filter so I'll make sure there's proper separation and fixing as part of those jobs.
Thanks again.

Derek is referring to the spark plug leads touching the metal tube going into the carb. Mine failed I’d that a few years back, despite me having 4mm of rubber wrapped around the tube. I 3D printed a nylon block that the leads clip into

Thanks for the clarification. I haven't helped by referring to my battery leads (which I'm re-routing) as 'HT' leads. I'll add this job to the list.

Going back to your oil gauge - I had the plastic tube come off the back of my gauge last summer. The first I knew of it was engine oil running out of the bottom of the electrics cupboard. Of course it was during a day out with friends which had to be aborted while I limped back to Sheridans for a gallon of oil. The oil pipe was attached just by pushing it onto a barbed connector, and had been perfectly happy for about eight years, but obviously not a robust enough connection for something so important. It took ages to clean up all the oil, and I was lucky to notice it before any damage was done to the engine. I fixed it temporarily by cutting off the end of the plastic tube which had stretched and making it grip better with a small cable tie, but I think I will have to replace the plastic tube with copper and proper compression joints.

The plastic goes hard over time, especially if left "dormant" over winter and looses its hold on the little brass spigot. Thanks for the reminder and I'll put a wire twist on either end of the pipe.

I've just has my nice Smiths gauge repaired by JDO Instruments. I posted it last Monday and got it back on Saturday morning. Good service [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

New battery box...
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..it seems a shame to cover the top with anti-slip strips but the finish wouldn't look good for long in use.

Looks great, make sure its ventillated though.

Oh no! That means drilling holes in my new woodwork. Is the ventilation needed because the batteries get warm or because they might vent gas?

There is a 1" air space between the back of the box and the hull. Would a couple of holes on that side out of sight do?

As long as there is permanent ventillation at high level should be ok i would have thought. Some argue that sealed batteries are ok but a faulty or overcharged battery has been known to give off hygrogen gasses hence the need for ventillation.