Re: First Engine No Plans.

[Tin Falcon]

JIM:
The pieces I have appear to made in USA the pan and griddle are both marked USA in the casting and there is no reference to China on the packaging. The box for the Griddle states "Now seasoned to a treasured black patina with 100% natural vegetable oil before it leaves the foundry in South Pittsburg Tennessee."
Tin

 

[Jack]

I think that is going to be an indicator holder similar to this

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INSRAR2&PMAKA=326-1124&PMPXNO=12387423

Why buy when you can build :roll:

 

[Canyonman]

Tin,

Where the heck do you find a translator on the net for the Latin at the bottom of the posts?

Thanks, Ken

 

[Canyonman]

No affront meant or directed to any of our friends from Canada, the UK and Down Under, and/or anywhere else!

Mr. Moderator,

I would support the Idea of a USA Castings/plans sub-division. If only to keep someone employed here at home. Well, maybe just castings, not plans too. Well....................... I dunno.

What do you think?

Ken

 

[Tin Falcon]

Ken :learning is not so much of an addiction is is the thread that much of life is woven with. I do not think you need to stop downloading just organize better make some new folders and sort the plans out in a way that makes sense to you. I think lots of plans are great. you will get to the point when you have several plans for the same engine from different authors. then you can start picking the design features you like best from each one and combine them for your own design. you will learn there are many ways to make a connecting rod or piston etc.
Tin

 

[Tin Falcon]

Canyonman: I am all for promoting USA . PMR kits are made in USA and are top shelf. I think a separate section for just USA castings/ plans is pretty much unneeded there are only a handful of companies that produce model engine casings in USA there is PMR and the UK has Stuart. Then there are a few pretty much hobbists that try to make a few extra bucks making and selling a few castings etc.
Tin

 

[Tin Falcon]

Well the board has been on line about a month . I know actually 28 days or a lunar month and we have hit the 100 mark for registered users.
Tin

 

[RollaJohn]

Rake60: Here is an article that appeared in the Farm Show magazine this spring (April, I think). http://www.farmshow.com/issues/31/02/310201.asp
Just goes to show, if you can dream it, it can be accomplished.

 

[lugnut]

You can never have too much "Stuff" "Stuff is good" :roll:
Mel

 

[steamboat_bruce]

The boiler is 4" in dia and about 12" long. I plan to have one 1" dia burner tube and about thirteen 3/8" dia flues (two pass firetube boiler). The flue tubes are 0.375" OD X 0.049" wall CDA 706 brass alloy. The boiler shell is 4" OD X 0.140" wall type K copper alloy. The tube sheets are 0.375" thk brass. There will not be any stays in the boiler. I intend to hydro the boiler at 150 psig and run at about 20 psig steam pressure.
It would be easier for me to roll the tube in the tube sheet than braze them in. I have the spec's from the rolling equipment supplier on how much enlargement of the tube (flues) in the tube sheet is needed for the intended internal pressure. I am in the process of ordering the tube roller.
Why do I need to use phosphorus bronze for the boiler fittings? I plan to braze the fittings to the boiler shell with shell reinforcing pads to avoid stress concentrations.

 

[steamboat_bruce]

First, this is a firetube boiler. The shell is a piece of 4" OD X 12" long X 0.140" W type K copper pipe. The brass tube sheets will be brazed on each end of the shell after they are machined for the burner tube & flue tubes. The boiler heads (for the flue gas flow path only) will be bolted to the shell heads. The flue tubes are to be rolled into the tube sheets just like an industrial firetube boiler.
The flue tubes are CDA 706 copper-nickel alloy. This alloy is used primarily for condenser tubes. The alloy does have 1 % max zinc and has 11% max nickel. My Marks mechanical engineering handbook says that the copper nickel alloy tubes are resistant to dezincification. The burner tube is type K copper so that should not be a problem.
I will machine my boiler fittings out of phosphorous bronze as suggested. What alloy is best?
Also, the flue gas path is available for inspection (tubes and tube sheets) on the flue gas side by removing the boiler heads. I guess I could apply a corrosion resistant coating to the tube sheets on the flue gas side if this was a significant concern.
Thanks for the reference for village press. I will followup on that. I would like to accumulate more information on making the combustion controls. Maybe those articles will help.

 

[steamboat_bruce]

John,
I thought about boiler certification some time ago. I contacted the State of Missouri boiler inspector. The boiler does not need it to be certificated if I run privately. It is way below the boiler volume that requires certification. If I decide to run in public, I need a certified hydro, and submission of my boiler plans and specs to the state boiler inspector. He didn't mention anything about xraying braze joints etc. He acted like it was no big deal for a little boiler like I am building plus he knows that I have been around industrial boilers a good share of my career.
Thanks for the info on bushings. I plan to braze the bushings into the boiler shell. The steam outlet will have a reinforcing pad to avoid stress concentrations at the steam outlet.
Maybe you are not used to hydroing pressure vessels. No problem. A hydrostatic test requires that the vessel be completely full of water. So, if there would be a failure, one just gets a water leak for a second. Since water is not compressible, the pressure collapses almost instantly with a joint leak or a failure.
I ordered the magazine article
Bruce

 

[steamboat_bruce]

Hi John,
I plan to use a torch type burner if I can get enough draft. A firetube boiler has to have draft. If I don't get enough natural draft then I will have to install a small blower in the burner like a real boiler or in the flue stack (ID fan). I plan to use a two lb bottle of propane as the fuel source. Probably use the torch off of a small propane torch.
Regarding the hydro test in a bucket of water using compressed air, I am glad I was not around there. The water has to be on the inside of the pressure vessel not the outside. It is a wonder someone didn't get hurt bad. You can't use any compressible fluid such as air for the pressure test. Very dangerous. I will probably start out using city water pressure. Then I will go to a hand operated piston pump that is designed for a hydrostatic test. They have them where I used to work so I can use one there.

 

[Jack]

An oldtimer told me to fill the brass tube with table salt and bend away then wash out the salt with running water. It probally wouldn't be a good idea to put the salt back into the salt shaker on the table though. I'm about at the stage of this project that I need some bent brass tubing, so I'm going to give it a try, I'll let let you all know how it turns out.

 

[lugnut]

Hilmar, we live 8 miles north of Yachats. Rain is good. I like the cool damp weather. We have had 38 inches so far this year. The average is 63 inches a year. :shock:
Mel :lol:

 

[rake60]

Johntom the author of the site that makes these plans available has
joined our forum.
Please welcome him.

 

[tattoomike68]

Johntom the author of the site that makes these plans available has
joined our forum.
Please welcome him.

I am happy to see him here, I like his site.

 

[Johntom]

I would like to thank everybody for the kind comments, I am pleased that people find the site helpful.
I will keep the site updated and will be adding more plans and info soon.
Thanks once again.

John
www.john-tom.com

 

[hitandmissman]

I thought the original was great. But the changed features does add a lot to it. I would be proud if I could just get one to look half as good as either. Great machine work.

 

[raym 11]

Yep, 1144 is a good thing and don't forget flame hardenable to ~ 32 rc
with minimal deformation!


I once tried window sash and only dulled my tools even after getting through the 'skin' (inner skin?).

Tools tried ;
carbide insert, hss cutoff, axe, ect. ect.
I guess I had the wrong vintage :evil: