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

Here is another example, my early Weeden No.17 Reversible with the early lead sight glass fittings.  These are problematic and the 3mm tube gave me fits and the water hardly flowed once I got it to stop leaking.  

Also, the glass tube floats between the elbows and do not slip into them, like on later brass fittings.  So it is rather important to get the glass tube perfectly fit between the elbows.  So I cut the glass slightly oversized and use my glass files to make a perfect custom fit.

When I pulled the 3mm glass tube out, one of the silicone seals were mangled beyond reusability.  Here is before (3mm) and after (3.5mm).  Who says size doesn't matter ;-) 

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