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[ooyah/2]

Just to let you see that it's not only Flashsteam that is my passion this Puffer was the first steam driven boat that I have built.
It is from M.A.P. drawing of Skylight redrawn from 1/4"--ft to 3/8"-- ft giving a 33" long model.
The steam plant is Cheddar which was purchased before I had any machinery hence the bits and pieces soft soldered.
Eventually when I purchased a lathe I upgraded the cylinders to 7/16" bore with silicone "O" rings which improved the performance.
Main shaft is driven via a toothed belt and the boiler is fed by the Cheddar oscillating feed pump with a by pass valve to discharge over board when the boiler is full. Pond water is used through a car fuel filter, when it gets dirty it is thrown away.

After I had every thing working so well it became boring so it was sold to finance another project.

George.

[ooyah/2]

Missed this pic just to let you see that it does sail.

[Corposant]

George,

Excellent model. Very cunning steering mechanism!

"it became boring" - I cannot believe you said that!! The recipient is a very lucky guy (or guyess).

Mike

[tigertiger]

***topics merged***

[ooyah/2]

Hi Mike,
Sorry if I have offended you but I do get bored with a model once it stops breaking down, besides I was given an offer that I couldn't refuse.
I have one steam model left  ( STEAM TUG CERVIA ) at 3/8" -ft which is about 30 years old and started out being electric powered but when I retired I machined a set of Stuart 10V castings and made it slip eccentric to stop and start if in the middle of the pond and fitted it with a Scotch marine return flue boiler that I made.
It is not 100% working ,l some times it stalls out on the water so this winter I will fit a D10 engine with reversing gear.
I get more pleasure from making Engines and Boilers than making model boats.
Here is a pic of a D10 that I made last winter so it will be one like this.

The steering gear for the Puffer was made as the full size boat except that the chains don't go up to the wheel house, small brass chain running in 5/32 copper pipe, it works very well and doesn't have the servo arm showing on the stern.
George.

[Corposant]

George,

I am not in the least offended! I know what you mean - problem solving is more than half the fun of model making.

Thanks for the extra pictures. Superb workmanship. I would love to make a steam engine but my lack of engineering skills means it will stay as a dream!

Like you, I decided to make the steering gear for my puffer (1:32 Northlight) match the full size version but it has involved passing the chain over eight sheaves! - very fiddly. Yours is simplicity itself! (In my defence, I am planning to drive the steering wheel in the wheelhouse.)

Mike

[flashtwo]

Hi George,

I see that you have not used the silly reversing gear quadrant linkage that Stuarts suggest, full of threaded unions which are a pain to make and align. I've not actually used the marine flywheel on my D10 setup, relying on the 5 inch prop to give the engine turning momentum.

I've just come back from exhibiting at the Guildford Model Engineering Society steam rally (very hot day). There is a good comparison of using D10 engines, me with the flash (monotube) boiler and a chap (Chris) with a 82lb displacement tug with the D10 and his personally designed and constructed conventional boiler (both immaculate in their execution).

Sadly, we both had teething problems. My boat dropped its shear pin (at least it didn't shear!) from the engine to prop shaft coupling, probably due to the violent changes in engine rotation whilst navigating in the small demonstration pool, and Chris lost the servo to steam reg valve coupling due to the grub screw coming loose.

Still, we are both there tomorrow and, hopefully, will give a good demo of both types of operation.

As you say, it would be boring without these "challenges".


Ian.

[flashtwo]

Hi George,

I've just had another look at the photos and see that you've fitted drain valves on the cylinder which are not the usual ones supplied by Stuarts - what are they?

I did fit a drain valve block of my own design with servo operation. It worked ok, but I finally removed the drain valves and servo altogether and blanked the drain ports. For start-up, I just toggle the reversing gear to release any water in the system; that works ok also.

Ian.

[ooyah/2]

Hi Ian,
With a 5" prop you don't need a flywheel but one thing that I have found with the Fly wheel that is fitted to my steam tug ( 10V) the grub screw on to the main shaft isn't enough and I have drilled through the shaft and tapped a 6 ba cap screw through the fly wheel and the shaft, my "CERVIA' prop is a 4-blade 3.75" dia which I made.

The cylinder drains are just small screw down needle valves that I make , I don't like the Stuart cock valves as they leak steam, but you are correct if you turn the engine over by hand using the prop when the steam comes through it blows the condensate past the slide valve.
They are not necessary they just look good. I make as much as possible from stock including all my valves and lubricators and the Stuart drag links are woeful, hence I make them from brass.
Have a good day tomorrow you will be glad that your meeting is down south, it's pouring with rain here.
George.

[ooyah/2]

Hi Mike,
Firstly I notice that I have quoted my Puffer as being built to 3/8" scale, well I have it wrong it was built to 1/2" scale other wise I wouldn't have been able to squeeze in the steam plant and all the other bits and pieces.
I too wanted to take the steering gear up into the wheel house but then I wouldn't have been able to remove the wheel house to access the steam plant.
George.

I am not in the least offended! I know what you mean - problem solving is more than half the fun of model making.

Thanks for the extra pictures. Superb workmanship. I would love to make a steam engine but my lack of engineering skills means it will stay as a dream!

Like you, I decided to make the steering gear for my puffer (1:32 Northlight) match the full size version but it has involved passing the chain over eight sheaves! - very fiddly. Yours is simplicity itself! (In my defence, I am planning to drive the steering wheel in the wheelhouse.)

Mike

[Corposant]

George,

It did occur to me that 33" was a bit long for 1:32! It makes no difference, you have done a brilliant job.

"wouldn't have been able to remove the wheel house to access the steam plant." - a challenge too far - but you wouldn't have been bored!

Mike

[steamboatmodel]

I was shown a model tug year back that had the deck house wheel moving with the rudder. He had magnets on the servo arms that matched ones in the deck house. He could remove the deck house with no problem.
Regards,
Gerald.

[Corposant]

There you go George - you could have done it!

Mike

[ooyah/2]

Hi Mike,
It wasn't a priority to have the wheel moving, besides it was difficult enough getting the steam plant in.
George.

[Corposant]

Sorry George - I couldn't resist that comment!

I've seen several steam powered puffers but none has impressed me more than yours. Any chance of some pictures of the Cervia?

Mike

[ooyah/2]

Hi Mike ,
That's O.K. there is something wrong if we can't have a bit of friendly banter. I will post some pics of CERVIA within the next few days and how I made the 10V self starting and reversible..
George.

[kno3]

How did I miss this topic? A very nice puffer you've built there. Again, I have questions:

What is your experience regarding the use of lake water to feed the boiler? Any problems, scale build-up etc.?

[ooyah/2]

kno3,

In the West of Scotland we have very soft water so there is no problem using pond water, however as there are about 30 resident swans and they disturb the water so it can be a bit gritty, the pond is fed via pump that keeps the water topped up from the River Clyde and in summer time algae can be feed into the pond.
To compensate I use a car fuel filter which has paper filters enclosed in a clear plastic container and link them up to the suction side of the pump with silicone fuel tube that the fly boys use,they are very cheap and effective and last about 20 sailings before discarding and fitting a new one.
Never had any problems with scale build up.

George.