Paddy802's Blog

I imagine there were sound reasons for roofing over tanks. For one, it would help prevent a lot of rubbish getting in - including personnel! Secondly, I expect it helped prevent freezing to an extent.

 

That's some structure you've made. I am very impressed.

I see that you have neatly scored representation of the planks and their lengths, however (sorry to be pedantic) there is no access hatch to service the water inlet and valve -- (much larger but similar to the domestic toilet cistern).

Making a cover avoids having to show the internal bracing of the tank panels, and the water inlet, -- Definitely a bonus.

I'm on shaky ground when I suggest that there would be an indication of the water level somewhere on an outside wall. Other RMwebbers will be more knowledgeable on this than me!  We had such indicators on the industrial water towers where I worked ....Many years ago !

I see that you have neatly scored representation of the planks and their lengths, however (sorry to be pedantic) there is no access hatch to service the water inlet and valve -- (much larger but similar to the domestic toilet cistern).

Making a cover avoids having to show the internal bracing of the tank panels, and the water inlet, -- Definitely a bonus.

I'm on shaky ground when I suggest that there would be an indication of the water level somewhere on an outside wall. Other RMwebbers will be more knowledgeable on this than me!  We had such indicators on the industrial water towers where I worked ....Many years ago !

Your right Don it does need an access hatch, which I never put in ( Doh!! ),it shouldn't be to big a problem as the planking is balsa strips stuck to a rectangle of cardboard, which should be fairly easy to cut.  There is a small hole at the front left corner of the cover which is for the water level meter, but as its a small piece that I keep knocking off I haven't refitted it yet, but will do once the whole structure is planted permanently.

I can't believe I didn't put a hatch in though (Double Doh!!)

Cheers Paddy

I forgot to mention an access ladder, which would be fixed to the wall and vertical, not leaning. At the height of your Coal Hole it would have the safety hoops.  Just something else to avoid knocking off.

I've always disliked ladders, but could happily climb the wall mounted steel vertical types with hoops. Advancing years have considerably reduced any inclination to do so !

I too dislike ladders and heights, luckily my job keeps my feet firmly on the ground most of the time.  By hoop's I presume its the handrails to the side which arch over at the summit? Would you have an idea to roughly where about the hatch would be? 

The hoops are sort of rings surrounding the body as one climbs, spaced at about every second step IIRC... a sort of vertical tunnel. they gave me a feeling of security, and the ability to lean back against them without danger of falling. I thought that someone did a kit, can't find a reference at the moment...sorry.

 

I would have thought that the hatch would be close to the water level meter since that would also need servicing occasionally. The logical site for a ladder would be at the (photo) LH end short wall, somewhere adjacent to your water meter device, 

Don't think that there is any hard and fast rule about the hatch size, except that it needs to be big enough to give room for the working bits to be removed and replaced. Your guess is as good as anyone's! But I have never seen a photo of one!  

 

Oh, the industrial water towers that I had any involvement with were far smaller than your prototype, and had hipped and tiled roofs. At the time I was the only "scientist" on the works and got lumbered with monitoring artesian-well water quality, and a host of other "technical" items, and poorly paid for doing so!. (Donkey's years on, and I still moan about that!).

 

EDIT... Brassmasters do ladders and safety cages http://www.brassmasters.co.uk/etched_ladders_and_cages.htm Packs  U  & V

Thanks Don, I'll be ordering one up, I have seen that faller do one but its very chunky and a bit short. The Brass masters one is far superior. I have been up a caged ladder in my past but the feeling I got was its more to bounce and bang off on the fall down, with the traditional open ladder its not the fall that hurts just the landing!!!!