Look at this thing!
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!
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
Perhaps it needs pickling? Followed by a pressure test. The water tubes look awesome, should generate steam very well.
You sure have a lot of good finds Bob
Can't wait to see it cleaned up
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.
There! Pickled. At least enough to do a pressure test; there's still some scale in there, though.
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!)
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
I'd love to come across a paperweight like that one myself Bob! ;c)
Nice find Bob!
Looking forward to hearing the results of the pressure test.
This is a bit premature, but I'm confident.
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.
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
Thanks for the pictures Bob, and I was just looking at those same pumps on eBay the other day...
Pump works very well. I got mine never-used for cheap at a yard sale, and have not regretted it.
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.
Well!
Someone around here has put up for sale a boiler very much like mine:
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
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?
Nice, but yes the price is high at $2500 CAD (just under $2000 USD)
I would value it at $750-1000 USD, maybe a little more if it was from a known maker.
I agree. Some people are either uninformed or greedy.