Topic: XRAD'S 40 inch open steam launch (Read 25905 times)

xrad · « **Reply #25 on:** February 21, 2016, 04:49:05 pm »

I put on a new full gas can and started to get some burner back burning. bored out the vent holes a bit more and opened up the base of the funnel shaft to max (I did not open it all the way to try to conserve heat in the boiler, I guess the original design worked too well). With the gas on very low flow, the burner works great, and heat flow through the boiler is very good. No heat back flow out of the base vent holes, and the boiler heats up even faster now, and I use less gas! Seems to all be just about a near perfect design for time to boil, amount of fire tubes, boiler diameter, burner size, gas usage, amount of usable water volume, and length of steam time without refill ....

correct form and function =

short vid of steaming:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu7EAk0y1EY

Nice day here so I picked out some 5 year dried cherry wood from the log pile and milled up some planks for the launch build..smelled really good.

rhavrane · « **Reply #26 on:** February 21, 2016, 08:12:23 pm »

Very powerful machine

, we know it in France and a friend has two of them HERE in his Clyde Puffer.
You will have fun with it if the boiler is powerful enough t feed it.

xrad · « **Reply #27 on:** February 21, 2016, 10:17:47 pm »

Thanks Rhavrane. This boiler is a super steamer! No problem to run the twin...I was actually thinking of changing to a vertical twin, but smaller than my Milduras/Stuarts...

rhavrane · « **Reply #28 on:** February 22, 2016, 08:25:34 am »

Bonjour,
Smaller boiler means less autonomy. To my opinion, a 8 cm3 machine needs steam, and I imagine you would like more than 20 minutes on the pond before being obliged to pick up the boat and refill it. Besides this, I see a manual water pump, so would you install a coupled one which would answer to my question ?

xrad · « **Reply #29 on:** February 22, 2016, 02:08:05 pm »

not sure where 8cc's comes from? I think we had this conversation before? bore and stroke for PM#8 is .5 x .75 = about .147 ci then minus piston volume and x2 for 2 cylinders = about 4 cc total volume.

Funny part is that with this boiler, more steam will go out of the safety valve than through the engine. I am going to try a smaller burner....

No coupled water pump. I want the challenge of a hand pump and the uncertainty of when to fill the boiler!

Jerry C · « **Reply #30 on:** February 22, 2016, 02:15:20 pm »

And x 2 for double acting.
Jerry.

xrad · « **Reply #31 on:** February 22, 2016, 02:29:29 pm »

yep that's right! thx for correction Jerry.....even at 8cc's , plenty of steam from the boiler for this small engine. Free wheeling it was running at least 20 min on the bench at medium rpms....

rhavrane · « **Reply #32 on:** February 22, 2016, 05:41:27 pm »

Bonjour,
20 minutes is not enough for me, especially if I wish being able to navigate in two 10' maneuverability consécutive tests in a friendship competition with a friend between. I hope you understand my point of view when I talk about boats of more than 15/20 kilos...
In France we almost never use manual pumps to refill ou boilers. I tried and installed one on my open launch Liva 1 but have never been able to use when she is on the water. Earth is too lo fo me and the baby too unstable

[size=78%] [/size]

xrad · « **Reply #33 on:** February 22, 2016, 07:37:37 pm »

rhavrane, you would enjoy one of my other launches, the 50 inch one with setup for electric boiler level sensor and automatic simplex water pump....could stay out for as long as the gas burns....

rhavrane · « **Reply #34 on:** February 22, 2016, 08:34:08 pm »

1,27 m ! She looks actually great, I confirm, I would like it

Which steam machine ? Any video of her interior or during a navigation ?

xrad · « **Reply #35 on:** February 22, 2016, 09:08:32 pm »

She has been on the lake a few times but I never took video. Unfortunately, she has now become a shop dust collector.

Boiler: refurbed and redesigned, engine: Mildura 5001rc. One of the nicest engines. All bronze and stainless, except iron crank. Runs very smoothly at slow speed.

Only have this early video done several years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wWb5GQl-pw

rhavrane · « **Reply #36 on:** February 22, 2016, 09:39:59 pm »

Thank you for this link, I saw a beautiful steam plant.The Mildura can be a very good and smooth steam machine, it is a copy of the D10 ! Hopefully, you had pumps

Its is not common at all In France, I have not seen yet any one during steam meetings.

Leaving boats on shelves is not my philosophy, all my babies navigate, even less than once a year for the ones I can not manage alone, too big, large, heavy, but they navigate

[size=78%] [/size]

xrad · « **Reply #37 on:** February 22, 2016, 10:08:55 pm »

Thanks rhavrane. This particular Mildura was a complete mess when I bought it. Someone had placed incorrect sized screws into many of the holes, parts missing and assembled incorrectly. Needed a new crank and much care. But it was cheap. Now she runs well.

The factory http://www.miniaturesteammodels.com/assembled is still in business and is quick to ship out parts.

Once in a while , the mildura 5001 comes up for sale at a discount new refurb from factory on ebay (~900$)

xrad · « **Reply #38 on:** February 28, 2016, 02:29:53 am »

In order to get the volume I wanted for the 3 in diameter boiler, it's height turned out to be a bit too much to look good in the launch. So...either shorten the boiler, build a new launch, cut a hole in the bottom of the launch , build a new boiler, .......or add a bit of freeboard to the launch. This last idea was the answer and the way I did it was by adding 3/4 inch to the deck height. This will then be covered by 1/16 ply and the 1/16 mahogany planks.

The launch has a more robust appearance now, which is the look I want anyway. I also trimmed out the fiberglass interior of cockpit a bit to gain more room. Pics of paper plan for ply deck cover being traced and partly cut. General layout of boiler and machinery....

Also made a change to a 2 inch round bix burner. Works as well as the bigger burner but does not have to have the gas valve all the way down to lowest setting.

rhavrane · « **Reply #39 on:** February 28, 2016, 09:43:40 am »

Bonjour,
Having several launches with horizontal boilers, I have to confess that a vertical one gives a real touch of reality. It seems to my opinion that you have made a good choice, my issue with vertical is the stability of the launch. Remember what happened HERE to a launch which is too thin for its boiler I think.

And please a little explanation of this sentence (with pictures ?) because, if I understand the words, I do not the technical meaning :
"Also made a change to a 2 inch round bix burner. Works as well as the bigger burner but does not have to have the gas valve all the way down to lowest setting"

xrad · « **Reply #40 on:** February 28, 2016, 10:13:00 pm »

Regarding the burners: 2.5 inch does not allow for enough air flow along sides and up the fire tube(with chimney design as it is), so the heat backs up and the burner gets so hot it 'backburns' on any setting that is much more than having the valve 'craked' open. So I changed to the 2 inch burner which works fine with the gas valve open a bit more. No backburning. Steams just as quickly. Both burners running on #5 jet. Gas usage is minimal with either burner.

Did some deck work, self explanatory pics. 16 inch depth on the saw.

rhavrane · « **Reply #41 on:** February 29, 2016, 08:04:45 am »

Bonjour,

Another question, Will you use a gas attenuator ("Régulateur" in French, regulator is perhapsa fake as it is "détendeur') ?
Il feel, am I wrong ? that it is not a common accessory for lot of steam builders.

xrad · « **Reply #42 on:** March 02, 2016, 12:24:42 am »

No gas regulator, just slow flow setting at gas valve provides plenty of gas for good heat.

Finished the planking in 1/16 mahogany x about 1/4 or so wide. Before staining, wash the deck with a wet rag. don;t soak it, just enough to moisten the planks. Then I mixed the 'caulk.' I wanted an easy way to fill the seems, so here it is ... I tried tightbond brand but it reacted with the flat black model masters acrylic. Then I tried Elmers carpenters glue. Perfect mix. Use about 1/2 - 3/4 oz glue with 1/4 - 1/3 of that in flat black paint, and a few drops of water. mix up real well. then pour on damp deck and squeegee into all grooves. be sure to get into all the spaces! Does not matter how messy you are. The glue does not penetrate into the mahogany very well, but it is thick enough to fill the cracks....

when done, place on some scrap wood so that the deck does not stick to table top or paper.... stay tuned for more...

xrad · « **Reply #43 on:** March 04, 2016, 05:05:51 pm »

About an hour of sanding and then some stain. Natural(color on the paper towel), followed by a bit of red and then brown. If you do not want a heavy stain penetration, and want to keep the wood closer to natural color, use a natural or very light stain first to penetrate the fibers, then follow with darker stain to enhance the grain.

As you can see, the 'caulking' came out just fine. It actually has a very subtle contour irregularity (from drying/water content/shrinkage) which makes it look even better...

rhavrane · « **Reply #44 on:** March 04, 2016, 05:50:14 pm »

Bonjour,
On my mahogany Liva V deck, I have just used a large quantity of linseed oil :
Before:

After :

xrad · « **Reply #45 on:** March 06, 2016, 12:50:21 am »

Looks nice rhavrane. But finish could really jump out with 600-1000 grit paper and a 3-4 coats of tung oil. Gives that wood that deep old style luster.....

I was considering tung vs polyurethane for my final finish....

rhavrane · « **Reply #46 on:** March 06, 2016, 04:12:20 pm »

Bonjour,
I do agree with you Xrad for the polish, but I do not know "tung oil" and G...le trad does not help me

What is it ?

xrad · « **Reply #47 on:** March 06, 2016, 11:20:23 pm »

Ancient Chinese oil.

http://www.artantiquequebec.com/huile-abrasin.htm

You will need at least 4 coats with fine polish in-between.
Minwax 67500 Tung Oil Finish Quart Natural

Minwax 67500 Tung Oil Finish Quart Natural

rhavrane · « **Reply #48 on:** March 07, 2016, 04:13:33 pm »

Thank you

xrad · « **Reply #49 on:** March 12, 2016, 11:47:46 pm »

Your welcome.

Metalwork: Steel (good old 'will definitely rust' steel) rudder , silver soldered to stainless shaft, brass side plates silver soldered to steel rudder heel for added strength and better appearance. Prop from

http://www.harbormodels.com/propulsion.html

Picked up 10 lbs of lead #7 shot for ballast.

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Author Topic: XRAD'S 40 inch open steam launch (Read 25905 times)