Finally finished this! This was no easy feat. For one, getting a fitting for 1/4-40 to 5/16-24 was an absolute nightmare but I made it work. The entire system has ZERO leaks. Tested it already. I will post a video of it in action later tonight or the day after this post in the comments section.
Boiler is a windowed boiler for easy sight of water levels. Gas fired, with insulation below the firebox. From there, PM research pipe runs from the Jensen boiler along the wood plinth to the engine and through the governor. Has two globe valves, one of which opens to the first set of steam line to warm it up and cut in and out for the whistle. Opening the second globe valve admits steam to the engine. At a nice idle speed it holds around 10-12psi depending on flame level.
With a load or accessory I can get it to hold out around 8-10psi. If I turn the throttle all the way up the governor will take control and slow the admission of steam to the engine. It’ll sit around 5-8 psi fully opened.
Boiler lasts around 10-15 minutes on one tank of water.
Engine has been fixed for all leaks and gaskets along with gland packing.
This was not an easy task getting the piping on here. Quite a puzzle. Attaching the last piece was tricky. Once all attached I then drilled into the plinth and mounted the entire assembly.
Let me know your thoughts [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]
You did good - nice work!
Very nice. I love your plumbing, but then I am a P M Research fitting addict . I must have bought a hundred of those things , and right now , I need a 3/16 x 40 elbow , which I don't have !
Very nice. I love your plumbing, but then I am a P M Research fitting addict . I must have bought a hundred of those things , and right now , I need a 3/16 x 40 elbow , which I don't have !
I need 3/16-40 for the exhaust. Their fittings are very expensive. I’ve spent about $300 on fittings and valves alone!
Update…. Decided to mount it to a walnut plinth. Stained & sealed it and let it dry. Unmounted from old and put on new. The dark wood looks much better! [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]
Very nicely upgraded Stuart S-50 and a lovely walnut board.
Arnold
Update:
After a few days playing with it you’ll see in the photo below the CORRECTED version. I originally used a union nut that was not tapered thus had a major steam leak, my fix was a rubber O ring. It lasted 3-4 days before the heat made it dislodge and snap out of the groove, thus springing a leak again. The way it was designed didn’t allow easy repair. Had to disassemble the ENTIRE plumbing to get clearance to unscrew the governor and replace it with a 1/2” PM research nipple tapered thread. Now it has no leaks again, and it’ll stay that way.
Lesson: Make sure it’s correct before assembly otherwise you may have to REDO the entire thing over again. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]
looks cool.