Post by: Hero on June 15, 2019, 08:21:05 pm
Someone gave me this, all plastered with blanket insulation of some kind (should have taken a picture, but didn't; I was too concerned with taking it off). At first I thought it was made of steel, because a magnet stuck to it, but it turned out that the magnet was sticking to the steel mesh that was part of the insulation. Turns out that this is an amazing silver-brazed copper boiler, complete with water cross-tubes in the flue, superheater, and GOK what else.
Here's how it looks just now: bare of insulation, broken sight glass removed, all valves and fittings freed up and moving nicely.
It looks like a very old boiler, as you can see from the wooden valve wheels. Nonetheless, so far it looks very solid. I'll have to make blanking plugs, etc. and give it a pressure test, but at the very least it makes a dandy paperweight!
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Post by: CBWho on June 15, 2019, 08:38:03 pm
Post by: Nick on June 15, 2019, 08:56:49 pm
Post by: Hero on June 15, 2019, 09:12:51 pm
Perhaps it needs pickling? Followed by a pressure test. The water tubes look awesome, should generate steam very well.
Pickling for sure.🍾 De-scaling, too.
Post by: Jim on June 16, 2019, 02:19:45 am
Post by: Hero on June 19, 2019, 09:57:29 am
The scabs on the outside are not pits; they're raised blobs that I think are what's left of the old insulating material. Anyway, I can scrape them off.
First inspection looks good. It holds water at atmospheric pressure, and that's a great start. No leaks from valves, either. The silver solder is smooth and uniform-looking, and I anticipate no problems here.
So, off to make some plugs, find a gauge, and pump it full of water (BTW, the wooden crate this came in had a little feed pump in there, too. Bonus!)
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Post by: Stoker on June 19, 2019, 10:13:31 am
Post by: txlabman on June 20, 2019, 04:32:18 pm
Looking forward to hearing the results of the pressure test.
Post by: Hero on June 28, 2019, 03:58:46 pm
Tested up to 120 PSI or thereabouts, but a nagging small gasket leak kept reducing the pressure. Picture shows pressure at 7 bar, or about 105 PSI. No other signs of trouble, and I'll re-do the test next week when I've made some more gaskets.
I'd like to run the boiler at 80 PSI.
Thought you'd like to see pictures.
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Post by: Nick on June 29, 2019, 08:14:42 am
Post by: Hero on June 29, 2019, 08:18:51 am
Just remember that if you want to use it for the small stuff you have to make your own reducing adapters. I've made several.
Post by: Empire man 202 on July 04, 2019, 08:42:39 pm
Post by: Hero on July 11, 2019, 01:08:43 pm
Someone around here has put up for sale a boiler very much like mine:
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Here's his description:
This copper boiler is 6"OD X 12" long with a 2" Dia stack, has a blow lamp type burner but could be converted to a gas burner, ideal for a good sized model boat.
And now the asking price: $2500.00!
Doesn't this seem a tad high?
Post by: Nick on July 11, 2019, 02:34:40 pm
I would value it at $750-1000 USD, maybe a little more if it was from a known maker.
Post by: Hero on July 11, 2019, 05:24:39 pm
Post by: Hero on July 11, 2019, 05:39:32 pm
I agree. Some people are either uninformed or greedy.
But just you wait till it has its lagging, etc.
Post by: Hero on August 22, 2019, 10:30:52 am
.Starting to look better, too, what with the jatoba wood lagging held on for now with double-sided tape.
Already makes a great paperweight!
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Post by: Stoker on August 22, 2019, 10:36:21 am
Post by: Hero on August 22, 2019, 11:48:57 am
Post by: Hero on September 06, 2019, 12:48:34 pm
Still needs gauge and safety valve (have both), chimney and burner (have to make both), pipe lagging, and various fittings to connect it all to an engine.
I envision it as a stationary steam source for various engines.
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Post by: txlabman on September 06, 2019, 02:52:23 pm
Looking forward to seeing the first steam up.
Post by: Dr.Rev.DelmarMacReady on September 06, 2019, 08:40:06 pm
Post by: Nick on September 06, 2019, 10:11:01 pm
Post by: Hero on September 06, 2019, 11:35:23 pm
Post by: Mi Steam on September 07, 2019, 01:01:55 am
Post by: Stoker on September 12, 2019, 12:03:20 pm
Post by: Hero on September 12, 2019, 12:42:04 pm
Post by: Hero on December 04, 2019, 02:32:47 pm
Ready to connect to a steam engine.
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Post by: txlabman on December 05, 2019, 06:41:56 am
Post by: Hero on December 05, 2019, 07:31:29 am
Post by: Nick on December 05, 2019, 10:17:18 pm
Post by: RedRyder on December 06, 2019, 06:09:29 am
You've done an outstanding job of bringing it back from the brink!
Fully functional and looks great, too!
Gil
Post by: txlabman on March 11, 2020, 01:45:45 pm
Checking to see if you had steamed up the boiler yet.
I was wondering how it performed.
Charlie
Post by: Hero on March 11, 2020, 03:25:04 pm
Soon, though.
Post by: txlabman on March 11, 2020, 04:00:18 pm
Not yet, Charlie. Still have snow on the ground here, with daily temperatures just above freezing.
Soon, though.
Spring has come to Dallas.
It is 80F/26C here today.
Hopefully, you can fire it up when it warms up there.
Post by: Nick on March 11, 2020, 04:16:57 pm
Post by: Woe is me on May 07, 2020, 08:07:48 am
Post by: Hero on May 07, 2020, 08:46:57 am
You must be psychic, or psychotic, or whatever it is.
Still gardening, etc, and have to service the lawn tractors today, but I plan to try for tomorrow.
Post by: Hero on May 08, 2020, 01:23:19 pm
I'll have to wait a bit.
Post by: Nick on May 08, 2020, 09:09:07 pm
Yikes! It's about 40 Fahrenheit out there, and looking similar for the next little while.
I'll have to wait a bit.
Summer came and went here too! Good thing I didn't get carried away in the garden yet.
Post by: Hero on May 24, 2020, 02:55:47 am
I know, I know, the video is awful (read the YouTube video [attachimg=1]description), but at least the boiler works fine.
https://youtu.be/IhetX_ufktI
The burner, on the other hand needs re-thinking, as, aside from being cobbled together just to get the boiler going, it's a bit too small for the job and keeps going out if I insert it into the flue.
In fact, pretty well everything was cobbled together just so I could make the miserable video. I didn't even connect the hand feed pump, as I didn't intend to run it all for very long.
I have yet to work out a permanent mounting and piping arrangement so that I can use the boiler as a steam source for different engines.
It was worth all the work, though, at least to me.
Post by: RedRyder on May 24, 2020, 09:51:28 am
And... as I may have said before, it looks fantastic. Engine looks great, too!
Post by: Hero on May 24, 2020, 10:24:42 am
Nice to see you putting that boiler to work...!!!
That "work" thing is interesting.
As I was running the engine, the farmer who rents my pasture came along, looked at it, and said, "But what are you going to do with it?"
My reply: "I AM doing it!"
The farmer was not impressed....
Post by: Nick on May 24, 2020, 12:41:30 pm
Nice to see you putting that boiler to work...!!!
That "work" thing is interesting.
As I was running the engine, the farmer who rents my pasture came along, looked at it, and said, "But what are you going to do with it?"
My reply: "I AM doing it!"
The farmer was not impressed....
I know how that goes all to well :D
I will say that I am impressed ;)
Post by: Scorpion2nz on May 24, 2020, 01:54:36 pm
Well done
Cheers
Dennis
Post by: Dr.Rev.DelmarMacReady on May 25, 2020, 03:53:32 pm
Post by: Hero on May 25, 2020, 05:40:09 pm
Post by: txlabman on May 28, 2020, 02:09:57 pm
Nice to see the fruits of your labor!
I thought the video was fine. Sure gave me a smile. 🤠
Post by: Hero on May 28, 2020, 05:07:55 pm
A great project Bob.
Nice to see the fruits of your labor!
I thought the video was fine. Sure gave me a smile. 🤠
Hey, Charlie,
Ain't it great? I'll have to hook it up to other stuff.
Post by: txlabman on May 29, 2020, 04:16:33 pm
A great project Bob.
Nice to see the fruits of your labor!
I thought the video was fine. Sure gave me a smile. 🤠
Hey, Charlie,
Ain't it great? I'll have to hook it up to other stuff.
It's a serious boiler. It would be nice to see it powering a big Stuart No. 1.