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Author Topic: It Works!!  (Read 2560 times)

MichaelK

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It Works!!
« on: June 19, 2011, 06:52:22 AM »
Hi, I,ve just (sucessfully) had my TVR1A engine running on steam.  :} :}
There were a few hickups in getting to this stage, but thanks to members of this forum and members at my local boat club, I have most of them ironed out.
 I'm using a Minature Steam 3 1/2" boiler, at 2 bar pressure.
All I have to do now is finish the boat that it all fits into.  {:-{
Mick
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derekwarner_decoy

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #1 on: June 19, 2011, 07:02:31 AM »
Congratulations Mick........I hope my VITON o-rings helped   :D ............Derek
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kiwimodeller

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #2 on: June 19, 2011, 11:55:32 AM »
Looking good, dont forget the photos as the boat progresses. Is that a throttle valve you are operating with your right hand and if so where did you get it? Can you tell us about the problems you ran in to, might just save someone else from having to go through the same things. Thanks, Ian.
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MichaelK

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #3 on: June 20, 2011, 12:10:52 AM »
Thanks Derek, they did, and I've found a local supplier for all little bits and pieces. (except 5/32" brass tube fittings!)

Ian, The steam regulator came from DRG Tools in the UK. I believe I bought the last one they had in stock, don't know the status now. It appears to have good progressive control over the steam, so the engine can be run at speeds from extremely slow to flat out.
The latest problem I cured was way too much condensation in the system, some times to the stage that on startup, the engine was just about completly hydraulik locked.Cured it by putting a u-bend of tubing down into the back end of the fire box and out again.(A bit like super heating).
This can be seen in the photo.
Hope this helps someone
Mick
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kiwimodeller

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #4 on: June 20, 2011, 10:43:26 AM »
Thanks for that Mick, I will do a search for DRG. You can get 5/32 fittings from Geoff at Model Components in Brisbane http://www.modelcomponents.com.au. Cheers, Ian.
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MichaelK

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2011, 05:55:01 AM »
Still a long way to go, but sometimes you have to put it together just to keep the inspiration  going.
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kiwimodeller

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #6 on: June 26, 2011, 09:11:38 AM »
Nice lines to the hull, is it your design, plans or a kit? If you are anything like me you will end up spending as much time contemplating it as you do working on it! Keep up the good work. Cheers, Ian.
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gondolier88

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #7 on: June 26, 2011, 09:47:18 PM »
Looks very like a British/German Admiralty Cutter, it's looking really good.

Greg
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Don't get heated...get steamed up!

MichaelK

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2011, 02:45:33 AM »
Thanks Guys,
The lines are from a "damphinasse", downloadable from the web.
The plans are not quite right, {:-{ as it seems the original, which someone has scanned, has a 3 or 4 mm section missing near the bow. So I redrew them as best I could, Its a good way to learn how to loft the frames off a normal boat plan. O0
The rest is fairley standard plank on frame construction.
Off to the toy shop now to but some paint for the Captains bald head and grey beard. {-)
Mick
 
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MichaelK

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #9 on: November 13, 2011, 01:37:56 AM »
At Last, I've put the boat in the bath for final ballasting etc, and fired up the plant.  ok2
There seems to be plenty of back wash from the prop, and the rudder sends the stern from one side of the bath to the other. :-))
Now it is next weekend to front the "Steam Policeman" :police: at the club for final approval to the boat can have insurance etc.
The photos are taken just after the bath test.
Mick
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derekwarner_decoy

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #10 on: November 13, 2011, 01:49:40 AM »
Congratulations Mick.....we can see the Lady S's wet bum in the boat7 snip......... {-) ....keep us posted with more images on her first official voyage  %) ...Derek
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Bernhard

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #11 on: November 13, 2011, 09:12:42 AM »
Hi....Nice Launch you have made, :-)),,,And  now to the lake and enjoy....

Regards
Bernhard
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charles fitton

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #12 on: November 14, 2011, 04:50:53 PM »
Nay chance of a link to the plans?

thanks.
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BarryM

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #13 on: November 14, 2011, 07:13:25 PM »
Quote from: kiwimodeller on June 20, 2011, 10:43:26 AM
Thanks for that Mick, I will do a search for DRG. You can get 5/32 fittings from Geoff at Model Components in Brisbane http://www.modelcomponents.com.au. Cheers, Ian.

Are you sure its DRG and not RDG?   www.rdgtools.co.uk

Barry M
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richald

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #14 on: November 14, 2011, 07:32:57 PM »


Try

http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/Models_and_Steam_Fittings.html

about 3/4 the way down the page for the regulator I think....


Richard
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MichaelK

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #15 on: November 15, 2011, 06:36:08 AM »
Thanks Derek, Hopefully my darling wife can drive the camera and get lots of photos. ok2

Bernhard, Thank you, and I am sure this little boat will give me lots of pleasure, as I improve it little piece by little piece! O0

Barry, it is RDG tool, (Woops another typo!) {:-{

Charles try http://www.john-tom.com/MyPlans/Steam%20Engines/ModelSteam%20BoatPlans/DampfPinasse/SteamBoatPinasse.pdf
There is lots of interesting stuff on the john-tom website. :-)

Mick

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MichaelK

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #16 on: November 20, 2011, 05:05:21 AM »
The Maiden Voyage! :-))
At full steam ahead she looks a bit bow-down, {:-{ at more realistic (and economical) speeds she looks very convincing. ;)
She works, therefore I'm a Happy Chappy! O0 O0 O0
Mick

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Bernhard

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #17 on: November 20, 2011, 07:44:12 AM »
OH,, yes.. :-))...thats it

Regards
Bernhard
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KBIO

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #18 on: November 20, 2011, 07:56:44 AM »
 :-)Good morning!
Lovely Mickael! She looks real on the water and as you say; no need to go full steam ahead as you displace a lot of water for a big volume of steam. {:-{
A few ropes and stuff on the deck will make perfect. :-))
congratulations. ok2
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derekwarner_decoy

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #19 on: November 20, 2011, 08:19:13 AM »
Hullo Mick.....  %)......

The vessel sits a level trim at low speed or when still   :-))

So any bow wave produced is relative to the dynamics of the hull and not necessarily related to the power out of the engine  :o

She looks great on our OZ waters @ our temperatures with the steam discharge .......

 >>:-( I am still plodding on with my steam package ........today I sprayed the engine base plate with RED primer ........Derek
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nick_75au

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #20 on: November 20, 2011, 09:24:43 AM »
Is that down at Narrabeen lake, I was a member there around 2001-2002, very nice build :-)

Nick
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MichaelK

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #21 on: November 21, 2011, 06:21:21 AM »
Thank you Bernhard, Praise indeed!

KBIO, Ropes, bollards, fairleads, maybe a life-ring hanging somewhere, etc, is all part of the plan. Plan "A" is to get her to this stage.

Derek, At realistic speed she looks lovely on the water, no neen to waste steam trying to set a speed record!. But the wave pattern down the side does look pretty. Your plant looks very impressive, are you still putting it into the Murrary Rv Steamer?

Nick, it is at the same venue. It's a sweet little protected spot there isn't it.

Mick :}
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Muleears

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #22 on: November 21, 2011, 05:10:28 PM »
Beautiful boat!  What did you use to mount the engine?
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MichaelK

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #23 on: November 22, 2011, 08:28:26 AM »
Hi Muleears,
The whole plant (gas tank, boiler, engine, servos, etc) is fixed to a piece of (very old) pine, with cut-outs for the boats ribs, which I can then remove in one piece for cleaning etc. :} The pine is held in place by gravity and sweat! O0
Normally the process is to align everything (propshaft etc)  :-)),but I did it backwards!  {:-{therefore I've had to pack up the motor so it alignes with the propshaft. I also re-drilled the 4 holes in the engine bottom plate to accept 4mm SS bolts and nuts.  That's the backward process! {:-{
I've also taken out the "superheating coil" from the set-up, it made no difference to the overall performance.
Hope this helps
Mick
« Last Edit: November 22, 2011, 08:31:17 AM by MichaelK »
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kiwimodeller

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #24 on: November 22, 2011, 09:24:56 AM »
Hi Mick congratulations on both the succesful debut and an informative lot of postings. Two questions occur to me looking at your steam plant. The first is how does the rotary throttle valve perform? Do you get a smooth progressive control? The second question relates to the first. I note you are not running the optional flywheel, will the engine still run slowly without a flywheel? Thanks, Ian
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MichaelK

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #25 on: November 22, 2011, 10:39:16 AM »
Ian,
Two good qestions,
I'm not too sure about the valve, on the bench it was brilliant, however after runniing it in the proper enviroment , maybe it is installed upsidedown?? The valve does'nt seem to shut off completly at full steam pressure (2.5bar, when the saftey valve blows off) Does any one have experiece with the DRG valve? I think that it only might work properly with the pressure going 1 way, so the pressure from the steam  seals the valve seat properly.
 Without the flywheel,      I think the prop, working in the water, acts as the flywheel. After the first run, a flywheel seems not to be neccessary. Maybe in the future, when I've got more experience and on-water time,  ?????
Thanks for your interest
Mick

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Ted Welding

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #26 on: November 22, 2011, 10:59:26 AM »
Mick,

I don't have any experience of the DRG valve, but from the look of it I assume it has an internal disc that rotates to progressively expose holes in the underlying seating plate, and allow steam to pass.  The disc in these valves are generally not fixed directly to the operating shaft, but are held in contact with the seating plate by means of a spring. Incoming steam normally comes in on the rotating disc side of the set-up and keeps the disc firmly pressed against the seating plate.  If the steam comes in the other way, it will still work, but will tend to lift the disc off the seating plate, and allow steam to escape round the disc, particularly when closed down.  From the photo you posted, I wonder whether the valve is working in this fashion, as I would have expected to see the steam coming in on the same side as the disc operating mechanism. If so it's just neccessary to reverse the valve so steam is coming through the valve in the other direction.

As I say, I don't have direct experience of this valve, so please feel free to shoot me down, blow raspberries, etc!

Regards

Ted
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Circlip

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #27 on: November 22, 2011, 02:08:08 PM »
Wish people wouldn't keep calling steam drying coils superheaters. Even the toy trains fitted with loops in the fire tubes don't superheat the steam, they are however successful at drying it. You might not think it's effective cos the performance doesn't increase (or decrease) but dry steam is better than wet.  O0 :-))

  Regards  Ian.
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ooyah/2

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #28 on: November 22, 2011, 07:59:30 PM »
Quote from: Circlip on November 22, 2011, 02:08:08 PM
Wish people wouldn't keep calling steam drying coils superheaters. Even the toy trains fitted with loops in the fire tubes don't superheat the steam, they are however successful at drying it. You might not think it's effective cos the performance doesn't increase (or decrease) but dry steam is better than wet.  O0 :-))

  Regards  Ian.

Ian ,
You won't get people to stop calling them super heaters when commercial boiler makers still wrongly call them "Superheaters "

George.
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MichaelK

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #29 on: November 23, 2011, 06:27:16 AM »
 OK, I took out the steam drying thingo,  O0 did'nt make any difference to the amount of water I was wasting at start-up! <*<
Mick
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MichaelK

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #30 on: November 23, 2011, 06:32:39 AM »
Ted,
Your comment is what my gut feeling is.  O0
It is also a case of controlling (by servo) the regulator. There is'nt a lot of space in the engine room, {:-{ as it is I have to lean the whole plant over on it's side to install and remove. However, these little things are sent to try us I suppose. >>:-(
I will reverse the reg, and let you know of the results.
Mick
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Circlip

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #31 on: November 23, 2011, 07:38:22 AM »
Your waste water at start up will always happen Mick, unless you attack everything outside the boiler with a blow torch, it's condensation and despite any lagging will be present untill the system "gets up to temperature" so in our sizes, is lagging really neccessary? Saves burning ones self on hot metal.

  Yes George, why cloud a good sales pitch with the truth? Some will always be impressed with the virtues of snake oil.

   Regards   Ian.
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MichaelK

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #32 on: November 23, 2011, 08:11:13 AM »
Thanks Ian,
At this stage, I'm letting the startup water go into a Heinz BakedBean can :embarrassed: (off site), then swaping the plastic pipe from the exhaust to run through the condenser.
It seems to work! :}
Early stages in this Lady's life! O0
Mick
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Circlip

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #33 on: November 23, 2011, 09:37:15 AM »
All other things aside, the boat and plant look superb, wasn't trying to put a "dampener" on the post.

  (Coat on and typing from halfway down the yard)

  Regards  Ian.
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ooyah/2

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Re: It Works!!
« Reply #34 on: November 23, 2011, 01:39:46 PM »
Ian,
I would have thought that you had inside loo's by now , rather having to put your coat on to get to the bottom of the yard.
Mind you I have seen loo's with phones but never plugs for lap tops.

George.
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