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

Great Informative video's Bruce, thanks for sharing!

Good job Bruce. Interesting to see how you got the dent out of the boiler. Much less effort than soldering out a boiler bottom and pushing the dent out from the inside. I have a similar method. I do this by taking a piece of plastic tubing that is the same diameter as the boiler, cutting it to the appropriate length and then dividing it lengthwise. Then I drill a hole the diameter of the receiving hole in the boiler at the appropriate point. The jig is slipped over the spot with the dent and the screw is tightened until the dent is pulled out. Sometimes, depends on the dent, then need to rework a little on your method.

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Thanks for the comments folks , I tried to remember most of the tricks I learned from you folks over the years , I did chuck the brass rod into my vise  (while screwed into the boiler bush) & used a light prying method with a piece of pine wood , & while under stress I tapped the dented high spots with a small brass hammer. I assumed I would need to un-solder the end cap & have a go at it that way, & I think that way may have worked slightly better...but I'm happy with it as is. interestingly the bush stayed soldered until the very end , I re:liquefied the solder as I'm sure it got cracked somewhere in the manipulating process. what I'm baffled by... in looking at the severity of the dent, how did the whistle or steam line not get crushed ?

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Hi Bruce,

Thanks for the helpful videos! This seems to be a fairly common problem, especially with the smaller, low pressure boilers.

In fact, I have a Jensen D35 that apparently took a hard hit to the flywheel, from the direction of the stack. This bent the crankshaft bracket severely in the opposite direction, and made a nasty crease in the boiler. Less noticeable was bending the shaft (wobbly flywheel) and crankpin. Someone "fixed" it by just bending the bracket back so that the damage is less visible. Something I'll have to reckon with when I get around to that engine. (It has other issues, as well.)

Watching your third video, with the engine running, I note that it seems to be running in the opposite direction that most engines run (connecting rod goes under the crank when piston extends.) Most non-reversing engines seem to be valved to go the opposite direction. I don't know what the convention is, or even if there is one. Curiously, the engine in the video, as it's set up, runs the grinder and saw in the wrong direction, assuming the operator would be standing opposite the drive belts. As I say, curious. 

Nice work!
Paula

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for the helpful videos! This seems to be a fairly common problem, especially with the smaller, low pressure boilers.

In fact, I have a Jensen D35 that apparently took a hard hit to the flywheel, from the direction of the stack. This bent the crankshaft bracket severely in the opposite direction, and made a nasty crease in the boiler. Less noticeable was bending the shaft (wobbly flywheel) and crankpin. Someone "fixed" it by just bending the bracket back so that the damage is less visible. Something I'll have to reckon with when I get around to that engine. (It has other issues, as well.)

Watching your third video, with the engine running, I note that it seems to be running in the opposite direction that most engines run (connecting rod goes under the crank when piston extends.) Most non-reversing engines seem to be valved to go the opposite direction. I don't know what the convention is, or even if there is one. Curiously, the engine in the video, as it's set up, runs the grinder and saw in the wrong direction, assuming the operator would be standing opposite the drive belts. As I say, curious. 

Nice work!
Paula

This Wilesco D101 (like most Wilesco's) has a slip eccentric and was mearly running backwards I suppose , I wasn't paying attention to that detail...lol (good catch) with a flip of the flywheel it can easily be made to change direction.
Re:Jensen #35 I believe I have a spare boiler for that particular engine , its yours for the taking if you want it. (Free)

This Wilesco D101 (like most Wilesco's) has a slip eccentric and was mearly running backwards I suppose , I wasn't paying attention to that detail...lol (good catch) with a flip of the flywheel it can easily be made to change direction.

As Emily Litella would say, "Never mind..."

Re:Jensen #35 I believe I have a spare boiler for that particular engine , its yours for the taking if you want it. (Free)

I think the Model 35 (Why did I say "D35"?) project may have just moved up the list! (Look for a PM)

Thanks,
Paula