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[red_noir]

Well I finally took some pics ! its a brand new maccsteam 3.5 inch horizontal boiler with 2 inch gas tank. I also got the steam dome adapter.

I'm waiting on my Gram TVR1A to arrive as well as some other bits and pieces  !! I'm really exited about this project being my first real attempt at  steam ! I'll continue to give updates as parts make there way to me !

Red

[Bernhard]

Gratulation with your new boiler and hobby,,looks great...,,,,,,,i know you will get real many good hours with it...thats fore sure...and not easy to get out of your mind again,,,,,,,,,,

Regards Bernhard

[mogogear]

Nice- I have owned some Maccsteam boilers in the past--they are great!! We look forward to your projects updates

It looks as if brass pipe was the way to go..nice bending job!!- I just ordered some handle benders also -I only bought the 1/8 so far - after Derek's input I may need to get the 3/32 also

[red_noir]

dubro makes 1/8 and 5/32 benders ! Brass bends much better than copper at 90 degrees. plus its a stronger material.

Thanks for the comments , I'm waiting on a gas regulator some steam pipe flanges a lubricator and some other little things as well as a tvr1a. I'll continue to update my progress here.
I'm really liking the plain brass and copper look so far I'm thinking I'm gonna keep it this way !

[andywright]

I have that same boiler in my steam launch powering a Graham TVR1A, . Question, did you get the turret from Maccsteam?
andy

[red_noir]

yep got it from maccsteam ! Mike Abbott is a great guy to deal with ! I went to check the mail a few min ago and notice I received my Gram Tvr1a !!

[red_noir]

Ok took a break from my other work for two hours and started on the TVR1A, I'm really impressed with this engine so far ! all the pieces fit together really well !

[derekwarner]

Red....great looking & great quality components with the Macsteam setup........... ....as you read more into the subject you will find that it is imperative for you to remove the gas tank from the hull prior to refilling .......

The next part following on from this is you must consider the gas tube run from the tank to the boiler burner must be of sufficient long throw sets/spacing  to physically remove the gas tank without stressing the gas tube bends ......the real point for me is that I remove the gas tank from the fixed tube work

Having fallen into this [unknown to me] trap  ....... I had a number of  knurled "thumb & forefinger" nuts manufactured to allow the quick disconnection of the gas tank from the boiler burner line ...the special fitting cones also included nitrile soft sealing o-rings as opposed to the angular brass faced steam sealing sealing cones

You have mentioned that a gas regulator on order.......irrespective of the nationality of origin.........have a look at the data sheet & I am sure it will depict the same soft sealing....which is I suspect is a part of the EU gas regulations for LP applications......PER./ZXJX something ....keep us posted .......Derek

[Bernhard]

hi.........Did you get the Hex bolt to it...??.....look a lot better than normal screws

Regards Bernhard

[kno3]

Nice to see another one built. How's the performance of the Maccsteam boiler? I've never seen one for real.

[Bunkerbarge]

....as you read more into the subject you will find that it is imperative for you to remove the gas tank from the hull prior to refilling .......

Unless you incorporate an arrangement whereby you fill the tank through fitted pipework and vent outside the hull as I do.

[derekwarner]

Dave...I stand corrected  ....please look at ....Mayhem....Build Masterclasses...Ben Ain Build by Bunkerbarge..... extract as below...clearly an alternate to removal of the gas tank for filling.......Derek


"The other significant modification was the filling arrangement for the on board gas tank.  I have always had a particular dislike for the ‘Ronson’ type filling valves, be they fitted to a cigarette lighter or a model gas tank.  When you think about it all you are doing is inverting the purchased gas canister to allow liquid to flow then using the fitting on the canister you are opening the Ronson valve to allow the liquid to flow into the on board tank.  The problem is if liquid is to flow into the tank then the displaced gas must be allowed to escape somehow.  Because this does not happen the liquid is constantly spitting and blowing out as gas is trying to escape through the open valve at the same time as the liquid is flowing in.  I have already modified the filling arrangement for the tank by filling through a clear hose into another valve and it quickly became obvious that the liquid would not flow very easily as the displaced gas could not escape.

To resolve this the Ronson valve was removed, at which point I noticed with surprise that the valve was not fitted with a dip tube, and the boss was drilled and tapped to accept a 5/16th x 32 tpi standard 90 degree globe valve to which a dip tube had been fitted.  The idea of this valve is three fold, firstly it allows gas to escape at a controlled rate while liquid is flowing into the tank, secondly when liquid is seen spitting out of the valve you then know that the tank is full of liquid and finally the dip tube guarantees a liquid level and hence a gas space in the tank, thereby ensuring that the tank is never completely full of liquid and hence liable to being hydraulically locked.

I tried out the new valve with my camping gas canister, filling through the valve that had been used in the past with the new valve very slightly cracked open.  I was surprised at just how much more quickly the liquid was seen to flow through the clear hose so obviously allowing the liquid to displace the gas worked well.  After a few minutes liquid was seen spitting from the valve so at that point I knew that liquid was at the level of the dip tube so I stopped filling.  Simple, effective, considerably safer and a lot quicker than using the Ronson valve so I was very pleased with the modification.  The valve will be plumbed into an overboard pipe to ensure that a build up of gas inside the hull does not occur, making the arrangement considerably safer than the original".

[Underpressure]

With all due respect to Bunkerbarge, I would be VERY careful about discharging gas, especially if you are close to people smoking or other steam boat users.

Convention has it that most steam boaters either run using disposable commercial gas canisters, or they remove the gas tank for filling. Removing the tank ensures that no gas is left at the bottom of the boat, just waiting to make it's presence felt the second you light up. I have seen this happen twice, both times with open launches, and both times frightening the owners and bystanders. I have also seen the charred evidence of several other similar incidents. Removing the gas tank also ensures that you can choose a safe spot to fill, reducing any possibility of accidental ignition of the overflow gas, by smokers or running steam boats.

Clevedon Steam sell a little kit, with a thumb wheel and O ring that fit on the copper feed pipe from the gas tank and which is designed to make the task of removing and replacing the tank just a little easier.

Everyone is very aware of the dangers of pressure vessels when messing with steam models. I consider errant propane / butane gas to be a much more likely cause of an accident than a boiler or gas tank exploding.

Neil

[HS93 (RIP)]

I was reminded only recently how dangerous it is , I was filling my small gas lighter the type you use to light the gas and your boilers with I use it for heat shrink, it only takes a few seconds to fill, but for some reason I did it over the bench, I normally stand in the middle of my work room to do it , but i did walk to the other end of my room and put the ronson tube back in the metal cabnet, before returning to the bench to continue , I lit the lighter and went to shrink a wire when the bench lit up and removed all the hair on my hands etc and a singed smell everywhere, it had been a few min from filling and the bench is flat so I hate to think how much can be in the bottom of a boat if you where to fill it there as it would probably stay there for some time being heaver than air.
I will never fill a tank in a boat, ill stick to the tried and tested way.

peter

[Circlip]

Hmm, there should be a pr*t warning etched into the gas wands Peter. Loath to admitt it but a few weeks ago I decided to refill ours and used the liquid fill technique, fill canister down onto the receiver. You stop when you have a discharge of gas. Which I did. What I didn't take into account was that the Hob unit (Was in the kitchen) was lit and despite dropping the can, wand and trying to beat my "Flaming" hands out, there was enough free gas to have gone up my loose fitting sleeves.

   Soooooo, I'll take your singed hands and add arms, chest, beard and one eyebrow, wife though the resultant picture was QUITE hilarious.

  Was THREE feet away from the hob with my back to it and NEVER anticipated a flash over from that distance.

   BE WARNED..

  Regards  Ian.

  As an edit Red Noir, at EVERY stage of the build of your new engine, make sure that the bits rotate and move smoothly to each other. It's no good f you find a tight spot and decide "I'll fix it later". Trying to chase binds is a looooooooooong process.

[red_noir]

well I should be back at it again tonight, with the tvr1a. The top end is almost complete and now I'm concentrating on mating the two half's  together ! updates to be posted soon !

As for the concern about the fuel tank, to sum it all up the major concern is that " Butane is flamable take caution when refilling and do it in a well ventilated area away from and open sources of ignition !!"

check and check !!!

cheers

[Bunkerbarge]

With all due respect to Bunkerbarge, I would be VERY careful about discharging gas, especially if you are close to people smoking or other steam boat users.

Convention has it that most steam boaters either run using disposable commercial gas canisters, or they remove the gas tank for filling. Removing the tank ensures that no gas is left at the bottom of the boat, just waiting to make it's presence felt the second you light up. I have seen this happen twice, both times with open launches, and both times frightening the owners and bystanders. I have also seen the charred evidence of several other similar incidents. Removing the gas tank also ensures that you can choose a safe spot to fill, reducing any possibility of accidental ignition of the overflow gas, by smokers or running steam boats.

Clevedon Steam sell a little kit, with a thumb wheel and O ring that fit on the copper feed pipe from the gas tank and which is designed to make the task of removing and replacing the tank just a little easier.

Everyone is very aware of the dangers of pressure vessels when messing with steam models. I consider errant propane / butane gas to be a much more likely cause of an accident than a boiler or gas tank exploding.

Neil

I actually discharge considerably less gas than you do when trying to fill with the ronson type of filling valve.  No matter what method you choose it is obviously of the utmost importance to apply common sense and an appreciation of all the safety aspects of the procedure.

[andywright]

Nice to see another one built. How's the performance of the Maccsteam boiler? I've never seen one for real.

My Maccsteam boiler is great, I get good run times in the house, but when I went to our local lake it was only just above freezing, it takes considerably longer to build up steam, roll on the summer. I will make a pad of insulating material to cover the exposed end of the boiler (opposite end to the burner) just to conserve a bit more heat. The advantage of cold weather is that if you keep you refill cylinder warm, in the car, or up your jacket, the gas tank takes a bit more gas. But overall I am pleased with my boiler, it will not keep up with a sustained full speed run, but how often do you do that any way, the pleasure is running the engine at a speed slow enough that you can see it all working. 3.5 inch boiler Graham TVR1A engine.
I did ask Mike Abbot at Maccsteam if he thought that a super heater would work, but he doesn't think it is worth the trouble on this size of boiler, because the size of the superheater coil would be too small.
Andy

[kno3]

Thanks! I did build 2 superheaters on small boilers and they both worked well. I maybe a coil out of tube and put it down the chimney, cutting 2 appropriate slots at the bottom of the chimney. It's not hard to do and I think it helps the engine runs smoother because of less condensation.

Do you know how many Galloway (water) tubes the 3,5 Maccsteam boiler has?

[tobyker]

Graham says don't superheat with the TVR1 - soggy steam aids lubrication, he says in the instruction booklet. However there is a slight difference between heavy superheating and just drying the steam out a bit, which probably won't hurt. Only hand turning my engine so far as I'm waiting for the hex head bolt kit before fitting steam chest and cylinder covers. My only reservation with the engine is that the cylinders have to be screwed tight to the base before the crosshead guides are fitted, so you can't fit them both loosely and tighten them gradually while turning things over. The only place wear is showing up (dirty oil) is in the crosshead guides!

[kno3]

I know Graham says not to superheat. But my superheaters aren't very large, so they don't raise the steam temperature too much. Steam drier is a good description. After some experiments I have settled on using a u-shaped superheater, going down and up the flue in the boiler. I have tried one with a coil coils and it heated the steam to the point of metling the solder on my old Wilesco

Bedsides I use always lubricators, so I don't worry about water lubrication.

[andywright]

Thanks! I did build 2 superheaters on small boilers and they both worked well. I maybe a coil out of tube and put it down the chimney, cutting 2 appropriate slots at the bottom of the chimney. It's not hard to do and I think it helps the engine runs smoother because of less condensation.

Do you know how many Galloway (water) tubes the 3,5 Maccsteam boiler has?

6 according to the website.

[Circlip]

Unless your using a flash steam installation forget the word "Superheat" and substitute Steam drier. You don't get anywhere near "Super" untill the pipes are glowing red on "Our" scales.

  Regards  Ian.

[red_noir]

UPDATE !!

Ok the engine is done and almost broken in on air !! runs like a clock ! I just got the displacement lubricator today and finished soldering up a brass mount for her !! here are some photos guys !

[HS93 (RIP)]

Out of interest what is that on top of the funnel for ?


Peter