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I need to build a gas box that will be exposed. I have marine ply and initially thought of doing a 'stitch and glue' job but now think it will be less effort to build it with an interior frame of battens epoxied to the ply.

 

What wood should I use for the battens? Can I just get some tannilised wood from Placemakers? The whole lot will be epoxy coated and painted.

 

Where in Auckland can I get suitable flexible gas piping now that BOC has left?

 

Cheers

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Huh? what do you mean BOC has left???

 

If you are going to sheath it with cloth and resin, then keep it simple. Marine ply but none certified is best, because it is cheaper and far more stable than the nasty Pine ply we have in NZ. Just make a simple box and pin the edges together then glass it. You can double tape the joined edges with extra glass to give more strength to the box. No need for internal timber. If you are going to just paint the box, then internal timber is best. Once again, build the simple box then glue the timber into the box for corner strength and support.

Make sure you maintain a 15-20mm gap around between the box and side of batteries. This ensures the batteries can cool when charging.

The topmof the box needs to be able to vent, so as you do not have a build up of gas. The Gas is Hydrogen and is lighter than air, so will rise to the top of the box.

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I must be missing something.. rise to the top? LPG is dangerous aboard a boat because it accumulates in the bilges and fills the boat from bottom up. Therefore the venting overboard from the gas locker should be as low as possible .

 

 

BOC still has branches, I use the one in gt south road between church st and silvia park road.

Burnsco has gas hose.

 

If I was building the box I'd just screw or dowell and glue it ,and fillet it out like a stitch and tape build . Tape it if I thought it needed more strength.

' They' say that tanalised wood isn't ideal for glueing but I have west systemed up the stuff before and I think you'll be all right if you go that route given the redundancy of the battens/screws.

 

Incidentally, I just fitted one of those BEP remote gas sniffer and bottle solenoid things. Easy install and man , is it the ducks nuts, I love it.

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Wheels - left the Westhaven area. :|

 

John B - It is a Gas box and it will need a bit of extra strength and hence the internal 'framing'. If tannalised wood isn't good for epoxy, should I get something else. Teak is too expensive for something like this, so should I look for something like meranti and make sure it is waterproofed.

 

I'm useless with glassing - I seem to move the resin and glass onto my hands and everything around me rather than onto the surface I'm working on. Working with wood is far easier.

 

I have a sniffer inside the boat and will get a solenoid to shut off at the bottle when I move into the new box, and I will have an overboard drain at the bottom.

 

Thanks for heads up on gas hose from Burnsco.

 

Cheers

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Sorry, for some reason I had battery box in my head when I typed the reply.

A Gas locker must be vented in such away so as the gas can drain over the side without running down into the boats internals.

Maranti is a fine ply to use. Lightly treated timber is also just fine. It is only the heavily treated H3 and higher timbers that is difficult to get glues to stick to. Once again, make the box, glue in the timber into corners and nail or screw. Screw is strong and easy. Because the box is not Structural, you could use the non structural glues like Gorrila glue, the one that is the amber liquid in the plastic bottle. Epoxy glue is still far stronger, but I don't think you will need that kind of strength.

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Wheels was talking about a battery box. Everyone else was talking about a gas bottle box. John B is correct, LPG is heavier than air and the box will need an overboard drain from the bottom of the box.

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If you go Hose, you can only have 1.5m in length. Longer runs need to be in copper and flexi hose joins the regs from the bottles to the copper. It is best to keep the flexi hose as short as possible. The copper is supposed to go all the way to the appliance unless it is a gimbled stove which requires another short length of flexi hose.

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I might have some pieces of timber that you could use, most likely kauri.

 

Let me know the sizes you need and I'll have a look through my wood pile if you want

 

Also have an assortment of marine ply off cuts, mostly small bits.

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JohnB - I have just had that thought as well. The box will have to support the weight of 2 or 3 cylinders (although only small ones - 2kg) and laminating is strong and relatively light. I have the ply and it is 9mm. Simple solution, thanks for your input.

 

Wheels - I must admit that having extra joins below decks to leak from gives me the shivers. It will be over 1.5m and I will stay with just hose connected from cylinder directly to the appliance. It will be inspected, especially at the stove end (soapy water), and replaced frequently. You can rest assured gas is one of my biggest fears and my present system is dangerous. Cheers.

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Wheels - I must admit that having extra joins below decks to leak from gives me the shivers.

Mo too. I think it is a stupid rule. But there is an important reason why and a second not so important reason. First not so important is in case of fire, the hose will fail before copper will. But the real important one is Propane migrates through flexible hose. It is not completely gas proof. Now that doesn't mean gas constantly leaks out of the hose and into the bilge. I imagine that you would turn the tank on when you want it and off after you have finished, unlike a big intallation where the tanks are on almost all the time because Hot water and such is on all the time.

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Although pesticides are used to treat lumber, preserving lumber protects natural resources by enabling wood products to last longer. Previous poor practices in industry have left legacies of contaminated ground and water around wood treatment sites in some cases.

 

Treated Pine Timbers

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