I want to bend something...

[Noel Johnson]

Hi, Your local technical college should be able to help you out. Failing that look in the good old yellow pages for "sheet metal fabricators" who should also be able to put you in touch with a laser cutter. That's how I made up my Single cylinder adaptor for the wing.

Hope this helps,

Noel

[Mdemon]

Ah, sense at last!  Thanks Noel/Lou...

Can't you upload BMP files here?  I wanted to show off my ground-breaking design...

[Noel Johnson]

Well we are both engineers...

You can upload a BMP file. When you use add reply you can attach a image from your hard drive. You may have more success with a Jpeg though as the overall file size will be smaller.

Hope this helps,

Noel

[Mdemon]

Stupid bitmap!  Won't upload, whatever I do!  Can't be bothered now.  

DougP has just sent me a great link which shows what another bloke has done - almost exactly what I was thinking of doing...

(Hopefully THIS will work!)

Link to e-bay valve guard

[Digger]

Is it me, or has this guy got a slob knob on an inverted twinset? Strange, what people get up to these days. I thought the idea was that you could reach all of the valves with them upside-down.

He's got the guard attatched to the cylinder necks, and there is no give in that system whatsoever. You're going to have to get it exactly bang on. Which, as I've noticed with most of my DIY kit, is not common. I think the idea of putting the guard from the bands is a good one, and you coud just extend it to do what this guy has.

Another thing struck me while I was labouring away clearing a garden the other day. Wouldn't a dumpy gas, and I mean Calor gas cylinder, make a really good housing for a DPV? But how do they get the motor on the inside to the prop on the outside, keeping a seal on a spinning shaft? I think I'm going to have trouble here. Anyone know much about them? Anyone got some old parts?

[Mdemon]

Yup, slob knob.  Can't think why either.  

Does it need to have give?  The posh ones have collars round the necks too.  I'd rather the unit was rigid - the slight flex at the bend in the metal should help any jarring problems (are they a problem)?

DPV - glad to hear your still thinking about them.  Should we start a new thread?

I think, if you have a large tin opener and a welding kit, an old gas cylinder might be worth playing with.  Maybe!  The problem with waterproofing the drive shaft is solved with sealing rings - I forget the real name of them - and even the posh DPVs have them.  I remember reading that Minn Kota trolling motors are rated waterproof to 10 metres of so.  To fit them into gavins, they have to replace the seals with tougher ones, which also allow it to slip should the prop get fouled (dredging my memory here).

There is a UK distributer for Minn Kota in the UK - the rude b*ggers haven't replied to my e-mail yet though.  Maybe you'll have better luck? Motors@johnsonoutdoors.com