# AQUA CRACKER.



## Tony Bird (Jun 16, 2011)

Hi,

Having just finished another Cracker. I fancied making a boat and use a Cracker to power it with out modifying it. Photographs show the results.














VIDEO.







VIDEO. Please turn your screen 90 degrees clockwise.









VIDEO.




Regards Tony.


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## tel (Jun 16, 2011)

;D MAGIC! ;D


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## doubletop (Jun 16, 2011)

That's really neat; Can I suggest it just needs a minor tweak to make it "roll on, roll off". Drives onto the boat straight from the track, and off over the lake. OK the "roll off" bit may be a bit harder.

Pete


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## bezalel2000 (Jun 16, 2011)

Very Nice 



Bez


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## bearcar1 (Jun 16, 2011)

Very ingenious idea and a good looking vessel.

BC1
Jim


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## Herbiev (Jun 16, 2011)

A real cracker. Absolutely superb :bow:


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## shred (Jun 16, 2011)

Very cool. I like it!


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## Tin Falcon (Jun 17, 2011)

Cool project delails an build photos would be nice and a detail of the drive shaft joint.

Nice work
 tin


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## steamer (Jun 17, 2011)

Very Cool!
I always like a good steamboat

 :bow:

Dave


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## Tony Bird (Jun 17, 2011)

Hi Tin,
_*Cool project delails an build photos would be nice and a detail of the drive shaft joint.
Nice work
 tin*_

Alas I didn't take any photographs of making the Cracker used in the hull. However there does seem to be many threads already on making Crackers within the group.
I did take some of the hull constrution and the drive mechanism which follow. The drive system is very crude but as there is no reverse and the locomotive support has to be easily removed from the hull it has prooved to work well.












Video.







Might go a little quicker if a commercially made propeller had been used. The boat's box can be used as its test tank.

Hope this is of help.

Regards Tony.


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## jonesie (Jun 17, 2011)

nice job, and thanks for the video. a cracker might be a good first build for me when i do a steamer. again nice job jonesie


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## cfellows (Jun 17, 2011)

Pretty clever, Tony. Got me thinking about a steam launch again...

Chuck


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## Tony Bird (Jun 17, 2011)

Hi,

This might amuse. The video was taken the same day and at the same place as the other video of Aqua Cracker on a boating pond at Leek in the Netherlands 2 weeks ago. It is of Aqua Cracker with a copy of a Bowman Eagle Circa 1935 which I made a year or so ago. Both boats are being controlled by a single R/C transmitter which is being operated by Nick a friend of mine. They are both rudder only control one being the left stick the other the right. Nick is much better at this than I.





Regards Tony.


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## cfellows (Jun 17, 2011)

How long will the aqua cracker run before it runs out of water (or fuel)?

Chuck


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## Orrin (Jun 18, 2011)

Utterly delightful! Thank you for showing it to us, Tony.

Best regards, 

Orrin


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## Tony Bird (Jun 18, 2011)

Hi,

_*How long will the aqua cracker run before it runs out of water (or fuel)?

Chuck*_

Cracker as designed has a very small boiler with a centre flue. The except for the first two Crackers I have made all the other Crackers made are 20mm longer so the gas tank can be fitted under the footplate so the boilers also are a little longer. Even with this extra length there is only about 50ml of usable water in the boiler. Cracker has no regulator if it did it would need a safety valve also, so the only control is by its gas regulator. As a locomotive on a track the gas would be turned down to regulate its speed, in this mode it will run up to 10 minutes and travel about 600/700 feet before the water is exhausted. The gas out lasts the water by about 2:1. On the water the gas is turned up and I only run it for 5 minutes before coming in and topping up the water in the boiler via a 'Goodall' valve. Every other trip in the gas is topped up as well. I have made a Cracker that uses a 35mm 'T' pipe connector to make a Tee boiler. It is the same length as a standard boiler but will run more than twice as long. I will post a video of it running on my portable layout.

Regards Tony.


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## Tony Bird (Jun 18, 2011)

Hello again,

Video shows 3 different Crackers; a Black standard one, a red Crackershay (twin cylinder) and the wood lagged Crackertee. Hope you enjoy.





Regards Tony.


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## doubletop (Jun 18, 2011)

Tony Bird  said:
			
		

> Hi,
> 
> _*How long will the aqua cracker run before it runs out of water (or fuel)?
> 
> ...



Does this mean they don't have any form of safety valve? or is it a case of the piston being blown off the port faces acting as the safety valve?

Pete


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## shred (Jun 19, 2011)

doubletop  said:
			
		

> Does this mean they don't have any form of safety valve? or is it a case of the piston being blown off the port faces acting as the safety valve?
> 
> Pete


Yes, the original Cracker design relies on the port faces opening up if need be to relieve excess pressure. I put a safety on mine, and even set to a low value, it pretty much never blows.


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## metalmad (Jun 19, 2011)

Hi guys
Where do I get the plans for the Cracker?


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## Tony Bird (Jun 19, 2011)

Hi,

Try.

www.john-tom.com/html/SteamPlans2.html

Regards Tony.


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## steamboatmodel (Jun 20, 2011)

They are also here
http://home.iae.nl/users/summer/16mmngm/Articles_htms/Cracker.htm
It looks great.
Regards,
Gerald.


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## metalmad (Jun 20, 2011)

thanks guys
one of these days I will do one for a change of pace  :bow:
Pete


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