Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

As I began restoring this unit, I wished it had been one with an original water reservoir cup on a tripod stand as this makes it easy to keep up with the boiler's water needs.  Solution was to make such a cup/stand to same dimensions as those Jensen used.  Only difference being that Jensen used 1/2 of a 25 size boiler while I opted for a stainless child's cup found on eBay.

Remove the handle and add a drain...Bob's your uncle!  Legs were made of polished aluminum hand bent to proper shape. 

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I found a separate SS creamer lid that fit the cup perfectly...I use it to keep dirt/bugs etc. from falling in the cup when not running...not something found on original Jensen 50's, but practical and detachable.

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During refinishing, I opted to leave the 375 watt blanket heater in place...though NOT connected.  Having installed two 555 watt new immersion heaters into the boiler, I decided that was enough...though a future owner may want the blanket heater operational, so I left it.

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I chose to run all new wiring to the pair of 555 watt immersion heaters.  Original setup was two x 300 watt immersion heaters plus the 375 watt blanket heater for a total of 975 watts.  As restored I have given it a little more.  Two x 555 watt immersion heaters totaling 1110 watts...close enough!

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The following photo shows the new immersion heaters in the newly re-nickeled boiler.  Also visible is a discrete green ground wire, something I always do on a complete restoration...electricity/water and metal just seem safer with a proper ground wire! 

One bit of SPS handiwork is visible in this photo...high temp soldering...something I am NOT good at.

One of the bushings holding one heater rod in place was loose and would have leaked like a sieve. Bruce high temp soldered BOTH heater bushings for good measure, THEN the boiler was re-nickeled, plating over the solder work which disappears once the chimney stub is in place.

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Rear view of engine layout showing the water reservoir and twin plugs for the immersion heaters.  Though I prefer to control voltage and resulting PSI using a Variac, Jensen's original approach to reducing voltage/PSI was to unplug one of the heaters where it plugs into a surface mounted multi outlet fixture.  That is still an option if one doesn't have a Variac.  An easily removed "blanking plug" is visible in the rear of the chimney stub.  If a future owner wants to reconnect the blanket heater, short cord/plug would go here and plug into center of the surface outlet.

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A vintage looking three prong plug completes the electrical work.

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That's it for today, check back tomorrow for PART C...featuring a number of SPS machined parts that saved this restoration.

cheers,
Rog

I used 3/32" thick aluminum sheeting, cut into strips with a hacksaw and bent to shape with a pair of vice grips...polished the finished pieces with SimiChrome to get a stainless "look".  Took a few tries, but probably only scrapped two pieces in the process!  Center cylinder support was part of a grease gun I no longer used...fit the part perfectly.  Love repurposing such bits !!

Rog

Nice build on that water tower Rog! Have you thought about adding a Jensen tube style sight glass to it? I use an Ozsteamdemon water tower and when it’s full, the weight of the water must make it easier to pump because I gain a porthole sight glass of water over a half an hour or so and if I let the tower get less than half full I notice my boiler water level drops, but very slowly. At first glance, I thought your grease gun coupling was a 50 safety valve body.

Nice build on that water tower Rog! Have you thought about adding a Jensen tube style sight glass to it? I use an Ozsteamdemon water tower and when it’s full, the weight of the water must make it easier to pump because I gain a porthole sight glass of water over a half an hour or so and if I let the tower get less than half full I notice my boiler water level drops, but very slowly. At first glance, I thought your grease gun coupling was a 50 safety valve body.

Nick, no need for a sight glass on the water cup, as the pump drains it in just 2-3 minutes, and I have to keep an eye on the water level continuously or it goes dry very quickly.

Now that I look at it, my grease coupling bit at center of the tripod DOES look like part of Jensen 50 safety valve, but trust me, a heck of a lot less costly!

Rog

Thanks for sharing this interesting project...
Love your attention to detail, well done Rog!

Thank You very kindly Roger, for supplying me with this information and link!

Am looking into it and have an offer in already!!!

This could end up being part of a special project .... or not?!?!