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

  I just finished a first pass at cleaning it up.
I used a non-abrasive scrub pad glued to a
narrow stick, tested it on some scrap brass
to ensure it doesn't abrade/wear and ran it
across the sealing surfaces.  Seems pretty
clean and smooth - check out the pix, one
with flash and one without.

  As for the gasket surface, I'd like to try it
as I found it - no gasket.  I really do not
want to force the shoe any farther away
from the valve-seat.  So, any suggestions
for a sealer?  Preferably a sealer that can
be dissolved away if I need to open it up
again.  I just want to seal it not glue it.

  One operational question.  What holds the
valve-shoe against the valve-seat?  Nothing?
It seems a bit....illogical.  All I can imagine is
that the steam pressure forces it against the
seat.  Is this so?

Thank You,
Wayne