Experimental Flash Steam and others

[william_b_noble]

not also that I have read several accident reports, some with death and very serious injuries when the sanding dust from aluminum and iron are mixed in a pile and some sparks ignite the mixture, which is basically thermite. I'd agree that mixing metals from sanding/grinding is best avoided, or at least clean up the pile from time to time.

 

[Steamchick]

Hi Byron. You mention TIG welding aluminimum. Have you TIG welded copper?
K2

 

[william_b_noble]

why would you want to TIG weld copper? silver solder is very strong and faster and invisible when done right (well "nearly invisible"). you can also weld copper by putting a current directly through it and bonding it that way.

 

[Steamchick]

Hi William. For "boiler work". There is a limit (according to USA ASME Regulations) of 100psi for "silver soldered copper boilers".
But in the UK there are some boiler makers who make Copper boilers that are TIG welded. I think they go to 120psi NWP (TBC?). - Beyond that the permissible stress for copper (due to the elevated temperature yield stress "drop-off") makes it "uneconomic".
But for Superheaters in Copper, thick walled tubing can permit higher temperatures due to the extra copper cross-section compensating for the yield stress drop-off... I think? Or am I just in need of Stainless Steel TIG welded superheaters?
Of course, if I didn't care about the Factors of Safety in the current Regulations, I could "cheat"... but those risks are not in my book of rules.
I worked in an industry that used Copper and Aluminium (for electrical reasons), so I saw copper fabrications, and we MIG welded aluminium onto aluminium plates that had been "explosion bonded" onto copper plates that were a part of the fabrications. I have also heard of full-sized loco boilers in copper being repaired by welding where they have had cracks... Maybe that used Oxy-acetylene? I really don't know?
There seems to be little literature about this, just an odd U-tube demo that doesn't explain TIG current versus material thickness, etc.
TIG just seems a neater and "stronger" process - to me at least. Am I in "cloud-cuckoo land"?
Cheers!
K2

 

[Bentwings]

not also that I have read several accident reports, some with death and very serious injuries when the sanding dust from aluminum and iron are mixed in a pile and some sparks ignite the mixture, which is basically thermite. I'd agree that mixing metals from sanding/grinding is best avoided, or at least clean up the pile from time to time.

We are pretty careful about cleaning up grinding. Years ago some magnesium got sanded on a belt sander then one of of the guys sanded some steel. The machine caughtfirebrilliantly . Huge mess after fire extinguishers were usd. Melted some ofvthe heavy parts. Ironically it was almost brand new so it entered the dumpster un glamorously . I saw one other magnesium fire as an apprentice in the tool shop. Same deal magnesium and hot steel . Melted a hole in the chip pan on a big lathe There nearly was a disaster in the shop if it had spread. Lots of flammable oils and piles of magnesium aircraft parts. Glad I close to the exit.

 

[Richard Hed]

I'm looking to buy a VFD for 2 HP 3ph motor. I have found two inexpensive ones:

https://www.ato.com/3hp-vfd
https://www.driveswarehouse.com/ode-3-220105-1f42
Am wondering if anyone has any experience with either of these and if they recommend one? What about other brands? Has anyone a preference or recommned?

 

[Sprocket]

I've been using a 2hp version of this, 110V single phase to 220V three phase and have liked it
VFD, 3hp, 230V, Single Phase Input, IP20, Medium D. on my Bridgeport.
Easy to set up, does more than I need it to do. Somewhere between your two in price.
Actually got a second one to run the table drive.
Doug

 

[Richard Hed]

I've been using a 2hp version of this, 110V single phase to 220V three phase and have liked it
VFD, 3hp, 230V, Single Phase Input, IP20, Medium D. on my Bridgeport.
Easy to set up, does more than I need it to do. Somewhere between your two in price.
Actually got a second one to run the table drive.View attachment 139584
Doug

Thanx for that. Of the two I found, one had a warrantee and the other didn't say. The more expensive one, I thimkpfks , is the one that didn't say. It may be a fine VFD, but if it is fine, then why isn't there a warrantee? I suppose they both are made in China and hyou never know what you are going to get from there. Jus t from what I read on that site, I thimpfks I am already leaning that way.

 

[xpylonracer]

Doug

Do you run the mill as shown in the picture, no covers on the terminals ?

 

[Bentwings]

I'm looking to buy a VFD for 2 HP 3ph motor. I have found two inexpensive ones:

https://www.ato.com/3hp-vfd
https://www.driveswarehouse.com/ode-3-220105-1f42
The closest I could say is our Grizzl late has one about 1 hp and it works great

Am wondering if anyone has any experience with either of these and if they recommend one? What about other brands? Has anyone a preference or recommned?

 

[Sprocket]

xpylonracer;
Yes. That picture is a bit deceptive. I just went to look because I didn't remember them looking that exposed, and they are fairly deeply recessed in the front
of the box. Wires would feed from underneath.
Doug

 

[Bentwings]

Hi Byron. You mention TIG welding aluminimum. Have you TIG welded copper?
K2

yes it TIG welds very nicely but it gets very hot very quickly this make bread control much more difficult i simple put the weldment in a bucket of water copper annuals like this donut gets pretty soft . It happened to be a model exhaust system the vibration seemed to sort of work harden it but it more or less self annuals as it cools. It never broke. Actually it’s easier to divine braze rather than weld again it gets hot very quickly I used a water spray bottle residual heat dries it quickly I didn’t have any heat or bar stock for mounts so I just split some tubing and flattened it in the vice . A little scotch brute cleaned it up forecwelding and brazing . At one point the shop I worked in had a big copper cooling plate get some fittings broken off they were drilled out then then sent out for welding it was nearly 2” thick and about 12 ” x 24” so really heavy the welding was very good so retreading holes was relatively easy . It was probably oven pre heated

 

[MrBubble]

I'm looking to buy a VFD for 2 HP 3ph motor. I have found two inexpensive ones:

https://www.ato.com/3hp-vfd
https://www.driveswarehouse.com/ode-3-220105-1f42
Am wondering if anyone has any experience with either of these and if they recommend one? What about other brands? Has anyone a preference or recommned?

I am using this inexpensive VFD rated for 5HP 220v on a 3HP motor, works well and the manual is not great but OK.
The auto tuning is a nice feature.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075M8R77M

 

[Zeb]

ehem, back on topic...
@Richard Hed,
If you type in "experimental flash steam" into one of the new AI image generators, you get some interesting results! Exactly the hyer level science found amongst such exemplarye compaigny.

A few others...

 

[Richard Hed]

ehem, back on topic...
@Richard Hed,
If you type in "experimental flash steam" into one of the new AI image generators, you get some interesting results! Exactly the hyer level science found amongst such exemplarye compaigny.

View attachment 139866
View attachment 139867
A few others...
View attachment 139868
View attachment 139869

Are these actual objects or are they AI generated. THey ARE indeed interesting.

 

[Zeb]

The AI will take what you type, and from a massive pool of images from google or whatnot, will try to generate what you type.
This one came out pretty funny: "Moses Lake in the great soviet of washington, red dawn, chimney smoke, dark, cinematic, wide angle perspective"

Back to engines, I think some out of the box ideas could be had. Making a functioning steam engine out of an aurtistic work might produce something interesting.

 

[Richard Hed]

The AI will take what you type, and from a massive pool of images from google or whatnot, will try to generate what you type.
This one came out pretty funny: "Moses Lake in the great soviet of washington, red dawn, chimney smoke, dark, cinematic, wide angle perspective"

Back to engines, I think some out of the box ideas could be had. Making a functioning steam engine out of an aurtistic work might produce something interesting.

View attachment 139903

View attachment 139905

View attachment 139906

I just finished a book called Hitler and Stalin. These AI constructions certainly look like a possible landscape of Stalinist Russia. Only difference is that is it would not be dawn but rather mid-day in mid summer!

 

[Zeb]

I had to tricksies the AI a bit to think the dawn was red.
I be halfway reading The Harvest of Sorrow by Robert Conquest....regarding Stalin's terror famine.

 

[Richard Hed]

I have gotten this huanyang VFD 1Ph to 3PH 220V. The manual is not made for ONE VFD--it's made for all the types they make. Thus they complicate the possibility of easily understanding how to wire the damned thing. Actually, I thimpfk it is quite simple (until you try to read their ****** pamphlet). Hook the two 220V wires to the two correct hookups. the third (ground) apparently does not need to be attached. Then hook up the three 3PH wires to the appropriate terminals. Apparently no need for the ground? So, my big problem is the grounds--Anyone know what is supposed to be attached?

Also, is there a way to check the frequency? I use 60 hz in USA. Does it have to be set someway? and if so, how does one go about that?

 

[Sprocket]

Can't help with the grounding, but on my VFD, the Hz are controlled by a dial to vary speed, with 60Hz being max.
Doug