Office of Steam Logo_1

Author Topic: This is probably a stupid question  (Read 2247894 times)

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1194
Re: This is probably a stupid question
« Reply #15 on: November 20, 2024, 04:15:07 pm »
  My first steam purchase was a MARX upright engine.
The bottom 2/3 of the boiler was leaking from pinholes.
Damn these steel boilers!  I will say, sealing a holed
boiler from the inside sounds interesting - but a bit
expensive.  I have a Weeden 'force-pump' steel boiler
leaker.  Just good for running on air.

  As to thge nasty MARX boiler...
  I found that a 3-in-1 oil can was the same diameter so
I cut the good top quarter or so of the boiler off, cut
open the oil can, eyeballed everything, and then forced
the top into the oil can till it was the right height and
soldered it together.  Wrapped it with a brass band at the
seam joint.  Worked pretty well.  I did need a new 'thru
the boiler' crank tube as that was very rusted too.

  So the reason I added this reply is that I lagged the boiler
to hide the awful joint and ugly solder job.  Nothing special,
I had a bunch of coffee stirrers so I cut them to size and
used wire to tie them to the boiler.  Singed it a bit during
an early steamup, but I think it looks good.



So, I'm all for lagging and using whatever is at hand.

Good Luck,
Wayne

  • Global Moderator
  • Engineer
  • *****
  • Posts: 5150
  • Wherever you go ......... there you are!
  • Location: Eastern Sierra
Re: This is probably a stupid question
« Reply #16 on: November 20, 2024, 04:30:18 pm »
That work was all very innovative Wayne!

Well done, and the proof is in the running!!!
"Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not wisdom, Wisdom is not truth, Truth is not beauty, Beauty is not love, Love is not music: Music is THE BEST...   
Wisdom is the domain of the Wis (which is extinct). Beauty is a French phonetic corruption of a short cloth neck ornament currently in resurgence..."
F. Zappa ... by way of Mary, the girl from the bus.

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4122
  • Location: Plano, Texas
Re: This is probably a stupid question
« Reply #17 on: November 21, 2024, 08:26:30 am »
Neat thread.

Thanks to all of the contributors.

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1817
  • Location: The Winter Wonderland, Michigan.
Re: This is probably a stupid question
« Reply #18 on: November 21, 2024, 08:27:31 am »
I removed everything from the boiler and scuffed the surface lightly and evenly with 800
grit paper. Wiped it down with denatured alcohol, plugged the holes with corks and sprayed
it VHT Black paint. Once it dried I removed the corks and bake it in the oven at 250 degrees
for an hour. To me it looks good but I can always swap it out for nicer nickel one down the
road.


The directions on VHT,(Very High Temperature), Paint says to heat it to 250, cool it, heat it to
400, cool it, and finally heat it to 600, all in half hour increments.
I only went to 250 for an hour and have not had any problems.
As far as boiler jackets on Wilesco engines, I think they only had them on the D24,28,and32.
If you choose to paint and bake, I would remove the flange, sight glass, and all gaskets first.
Don't just mask it off with tape when painting, then remove the tape and bake with them assembled.
Tommy

"Steam it, like you mean it."

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1817
  • Location: The Winter Wonderland, Michigan.
Re: This is probably a stupid question
« Reply #19 on: November 21, 2024, 08:45:40 am »
WOW, this post, or topic, has been viewed over 70,000 times. That's a lot of boiler
issues.
Curses, I should of bought stock in VHT.
Tommy

"Steam it, like you mean it."

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1194
Re: This is probably a stupid question
« Reply #20 on: November 21, 2024, 10:18:05 am »
  Now the views are up t 120,000.  What gives?  I've
seen this sort of thing before on you tube.  Sounds
like the work of an AI Bot.  Of course, behind every
AI Bot there is a person who coded it and directs it.
We aren't at the 'Demon Seed' movie stage yet!

  Thank God AI Bots cannot vote.  I'm all in with photo-ID
to vote.  Heck, if you want to pick up reserved tickets
at a box office you have to show photo-id.

I'll be running an Empire B30 with breakfast.  Restorative.
Wayne

  • Global Moderator
  • Engineer
  • *****
  • Posts: 5150
  • Wherever you go ......... there you are!
  • Location: Eastern Sierra
Re: This is probably a stupid question
« Reply #21 on: November 21, 2024, 10:28:14 am »
Yep  ........  Bot Bytes without a doubt!!!
"Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not wisdom, Wisdom is not truth, Truth is not beauty, Beauty is not love, Love is not music: Music is THE BEST...   
Wisdom is the domain of the Wis (which is extinct). Beauty is a French phonetic corruption of a short cloth neck ornament currently in resurgence..."
F. Zappa ... by way of Mary, the girl from the bus.

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 457
    • WeedenSteam
Re: This is probably a stupid question
« Reply #22 on: November 21, 2024, 04:33:03 pm »
I may be missing something but I would be a little afraid of wood lagging a boiler with a flame burner under it on a horizontal where the flames can creep up.
Frank C.
http://weedensteam.com
       - engine identification and parts

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 617
  • Location: Plano, Texas
Re: This is probably a stupid question
« Reply #23 on: November 23, 2024, 09:15:28 pm »
cool
The steam engine has done much more for science than science has done for the steam engine.”

― Lord Kelvin

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 90
  • Location: France Profonde
    • Photography and Wood Butchery
Re: This is probably a stupid question
« Reply #24 on: November 24, 2024, 05:33:44 am »
WOW, this post, or topic, has been viewed over 70,000 times. That's a lot of boiler
issues.
Curses, I should of bought stock in VHT.

Now over a million views. Who'd a thunk it?
I had an old college professor who used to say, "The cows may come and the cows may go, but the bull goes on forever."

  • Global Moderator
  • Engineer
  • *****
  • Posts: 5150
  • Wherever you go ......... there you are!
  • Location: Eastern Sierra
Re: This is probably a stupid question
« Reply #25 on: November 24, 2024, 02:28:22 pm »
I may be missing something but I would be a little afraid of wood lagging a boiler with a flame burner under it on a horizontal where the flames can creep up.

No Frank, I don't think you are missing anything here that would make a difference. I agree that wood lagging on a flame fired boiler may not be a very good idea, unless the lagging is some insulative material that is non-flammable, or at least the bottom strips of the lagging are such that the flame can't get directly to the wood strips above it!

Did that make any sense?!?!
"Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not wisdom, Wisdom is not truth, Truth is not beauty, Beauty is not love, Love is not music: Music is THE BEST...   
Wisdom is the domain of the Wis (which is extinct). Beauty is a French phonetic corruption of a short cloth neck ornament currently in resurgence..."
F. Zappa ... by way of Mary, the girl from the bus.