6" Copper HRT Boiler Build (warning, long build and lots of pictures)

[gus]

With a copper boiler that size i would recommend the large brazing torch for the main heat source
COMBINED with oxy acetyline for local heating and the actual silver soldering.With copper the heat
disapates quicker than you apply it.And you need local red heat for the solder to flow.Plenty of rivits for location
and they must be soldered also.Biggest boiler i have made was 4" with 1/8 wall. Like running a marathon
in the Desert.(O AND YOU WILL NEED A CASE OF THE BEER) Bazmak

Hi Bazmak,

Good advice.I have a 4" Vertical Boiler yet to be silver brazed.Sure hate to see same done half baked. Your advice confirmed my fear of not having enough fire-power on hand.

Now in hobby machinist paradize----HongKong. Found sources for cutting tools and dividing heads.Machineshops here preferred Japanese or Taiwanese tools for reliability over Chinese tools. European made is high on the preferred list.


Gus Teng

 

[Charles Lamont]

With a copper boiler that size I would recommend the large brazing torch for the main heat source
COMBINED with oxy-acetylene for local heating and the actual silver soldering. With copper the heat dissipates quicker than you apply it. And you need local red heat for the solder to flow. Plenty of rivets for location and they must be soldered also. Biggest boiler I have made was 4" with 1/8 wall. Like running a marathon in the Desert. (OH, AND YOU WILL NEED A CASE OF THE BEER) Bazmak

I would suggest you only need enough rivets or other fasteners to hold the pieces in place for making a joint. The strength is in the joint, not the rivets, and the fewer places to ensure penetration the better.
A very useful half-way between propane and oxy-acetylene is oxy-propane. This is the most common heat source I use doing 12" scale model engineering on my days here: (http://www.svr-engineering.co.uk/news/news.html)