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Author Topic: Best tool for clean cutting jensen firebox?  (Read 1084 times)

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Best tool for clean cutting jensen firebox?
« on: February 16, 2024, 08:36:05 am »
Wondering if anyone knows the best tool to use to cut about a 1inch by 1inch piece around the firebox door opening, for BIX burner clearance. I don't want to bend the firebox or do damage, I just want to basically remove the boiler and come at the opening from the top and cut away an inch of the metal so the BIX burner can easily fit into the fire box.  I'm not sure what kind of metal this is?   


Any help would be great!    ;D
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Re: Best tool for clean cutting jensen firebox?
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2024, 10:30:45 am »
Have you considered getting the next small Bix burner, instead of cutting the firebox?
"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..."
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Re: Best tool for clean cutting jensen firebox?
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2024, 10:47:00 am »
Have you considered getting the next small Bix burner, instead of cutting the firebox?


It isn't the length of the BIX burner, but the height.   The clearance is too tight on my modern #75.   And I think all BIX burner's are the same height.
The steam engine has done much more for science than science has done for the steam engine.”

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Re: Best tool for clean cutting jensen firebox?
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2024, 11:13:18 am »
Bix makes several different sizes, widths and heights I do believe, but even if they don't have a size that would work for your situation, there are other burners out there, or you could even make your own. I've seen several that look like aluminum blocks or round copper tubes with holes along the top that could easily be made to most any size you'd need. Beyond that you could always make a riser block with a hollow center to raise the firebox far enough to give your Bix burner clearance without permenently altering anything!

THE VERY LAST THING I WOULD EVER DO TO A COLLECTABLE ENGINE, IS MODIFY IT IN ANY PERMENENT WAY!!!
"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.

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Re: Best tool for clean cutting jensen firebox?
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2024, 12:36:22 pm »
Bix makes several different sizes, widths and heights I do believe, but even if they don't have a size that would work for your situation, there are other burners out there, or you could even make your own. I've seen several that look like aluminum blocks or round copper tubes with holes along the top that could easily be made to most any size you'd need. Beyond that you could always make a riser block with a hollow center to raise the firebox far enough to give your Bix burner clearance without permenently altering anything!

THE VERY LAST THING I WOULD EVER DO TO A COLLECTABLE ENGINE, IS MODIFY IT IN ANY PERMENENT WAY!!!

I agree 100%!

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Re: Best tool for clean cutting jensen firebox?
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2024, 01:01:14 pm »
Bix makes several different sizes, widths and heights I do believe, but even if they don't have a size that would work for your situation, there are other burners out there, or you could even make your own. I've seen several that look like aluminum blocks or round copper tubes with holes along the top that could easily be made to most any size you'd need. Beyond that you could always make a riser block with a hollow center to raise the firebox far enough to give your Bix burner clearance without permenently altering anything!

THE VERY LAST THING I WOULD EVER DO TO A COLLECTABLE ENGINE, IS MODIFY IT IN ANY PERMENENT WAY!!!

I agree 100%!
I also agree.
and....

This one is designed for the Jensen 75
https://www.ebay.com/itm/293087304395

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Re: Best tool for clean cutting jensen firebox?
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2024, 02:08:09 pm »
Bix makes several different sizes, widths and heights I do believe, but even if they don't have a size that would work for your situation, there are other burners out there, or you could even make your own. I've seen several that look like aluminum blocks or round copper tubes with holes along the top that could easily be made to most any size you'd need. Beyond that you could always make a riser block with a hollow center to raise the firebox far enough to give your Bix burner clearance without permenently altering anything!

THE VERY LAST THING I WOULD EVER DO TO A COLLECTABLE ENGINE, IS MODIFY IT IN ANY PERMENENT WAY!!!

I agree 100%!
I also agree.
and...

This one is designed for the Jensen 75
https://www.ebay.com/itm/293087304395
Looks like the one I developed over 10 years ago that the Chinese stole and ran with they're own version.( based mostly on mine)
Bruce, St. Paul Indiana, USA
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Re: Best tool for clean cutting jensen firebox?
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2024, 02:38:25 pm »
Bix makes several different sizes, widths and heights I do believe, but even if they don't have a size that would work for your situation, there are other burners out there, or you could even make your own. I've seen several that look like aluminum blocks or round copper tubes with holes along the top that could easily be made to most any size you'd need. Beyond that you could always make a riser block with a hollow center to raise the firebox far enough to give your Bix burner clearance without permenently altering anything!

THE VERY LAST THING I WOULD EVER DO TO A COLLECTABLE ENGINE, IS MODIFY IT IN ANY PERMENENT WAY!!!

I agree 100%!
I also agree.
and...

This one is designed for the Jensen 75
https://www.ebay.com/itm/293087304395
Looks like the one I developed over 10 years ago that the Chinese stole and ran with they're own version.( based mostly on mine)
Yes, Bruce, that is exactly what happened. This one appears to be from Serbia. Seller might have gotten from China. There is another seller calling himself Milan Antik or similar.

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Re: Best tool for clean cutting jensen firebox?
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2024, 02:40:12 pm »
Bix makes several different sizes, widths and heights I do believe, but even if they don't have a size that would work for your situation, there are other burners out there, or you could even make your own. I've seen several that look like aluminum blocks or round copper tubes with holes along the top that could easily be made to most any size you'd need. Beyond that you could always make a riser block with a hollow center to raise the firebox far enough to give your Bix burner clearance without permenently altering anything!

THE VERY LAST THING I WOULD EVER DO TO A COLLECTABLE ENGINE, IS MODIFY IT IN ANY PERMENENT WAY!!!

I will leave it alone and find another burner.  I like gas fired burners. The pellets are sterno is too dirty and stinky and gums it all up. Yuck!
The steam engine has done much more for science than science has done for the steam engine.”

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Re: Best tool for clean cutting jensen firebox?
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2024, 07:55:49 pm »

I will leave it alone and find another burner.  I like gas fired burners. The pellets are sterno is too dirty and stinky and gums it all up. Yuck!

Yes, you are correct that bottled gas is the cleanest burning fuel for firing our engines. Alcohol is nearly as clean so long as you don't let the wick smolder after the alcohol starts running out.

The further info I was planning to add to my prior post in this thread has to do with the banjo burner for this engine. With some slight modifications (totally non-permanent and reversible) to the banjo burner, I have been able to use mine without any serious problems, but as originally made, they can be a PITA at best and an actual hazard at worst! It is quite common to see these old style #75s with scorched bases out in front of the firebox, or even over a significantly wider area as alcohol likes to spread wide and typically has an invisible flame doing it!!!

It is the banjo burner that was the weak link in the design which brought about abandonment of this product line, for as you have already noted, the engine itself is really very good in all aspects, except for the "FIRE" part of the deal. Well, in truth, the #75 does spit and fling a bit of condensate too, but that doesn't really pose a hazard like the burner does.

I can walk you through the modifications I did to my banjo burner that helped tame the wild beast if you wish, but there really is quite a lot to it, so it will have to be addressed in another thread or three if you are interested.
"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.