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

What beauty doesn't have some mystery!

So, you get a stink from the boiler and the water is yucky
when steaming up - which took an abnormally long time.  Any
steam leaks?     

The boiler is cool looking for a one-off?  Have you fired
it up in the past with no problems?  What are you using to
fire it?  And, you said the water had a froth - is it possible
steam oil is getting mixed in at some point?   

As to the metallic smell.  Would you describe it as an iron or
coppery smell.  That is strange, but if the boiler has a leaky
seam.....

Good Luck,
Wayne

No froth, but the steam condensing had some cloudiness to it with an odor. Only
The steam had an odor.  When I removed the water from the boiler it was clear with some particulates, or floating matter.

Using a BIX round burner.  The smell was coppery and earthy.