Model Boat Mayhem
The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Steam => Topic started by: gregk9 on November 12, 2011, 04:37:38 am
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I was following a guy who was giving a superb description of building a clinker hull. He got as far as the third planks then tragically had a stroke and passed away. He was only young but his woodworking and wordsmith skills were marvelous. He inspired me to build a similar steam model. I have the engine (TVR1ABB), the boiler(3 1/2 Maccsteam) and the plans (S L Wear from float a boat in oz). I have looked until I'm crosseyed but can't for the life of me find that thread again. Can anyone help me please?
NB: The forum had a bit of a meltdown a while ago,
this build is actually by Jerry!
Jerry C (http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=9245)
(http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/avatars2/avatar_9245.png)
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Jerry your post reminded me of the build by Greggy1964 but when I checked it's not a clinker but some great looking planking
the thread can be found here
http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=19422.msg289014#msg289014
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thankyou so much bikemec that's the very one, I was mistaken about the clinker however no matter as setup more or less same. Its the way the guy set it all up and his tips that are so important. with his info added to patternmakers, steamboat phil and bernards we should be ok. the model I finally decided upon is very similar to wide a wake but with an aussie connection. I've been trying to set it up while visiting family in Oz and only got home last night. built the engine out there, it's a little beauty and I nearly cried when I painted it. spoke to mike at maccsteam first thing and boiler should be with me tuesdayish. small prob with a malformed part on engine but it ran sweet as a nut on 5psi air but can't run in till part replaced. I thought the thread had been removed because of his demise and so glad it wasn't. I hate the thought that when I die all the good stuff in my head dies with me and it seems such a waste. so if I should write something profound and useful or leave something behind of use to others leave it in please.
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Hi Jerry,
Greggy did clinker, too...there's a wonderful intro to his model sailing canoe, here (http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=19576.0), and he was building clinker dinghies (based on a foam mould with trial-to-see-cardboard-later-thin-wood strakes on it) that appear in my Racundra thread here (http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=22679.msg224293#msg224293).
The technique he used certainly works and looks the part.
I agree with you regarding the forum's knowledge base: I suggested to Martin that the Master Hand build ought be placed in the Master Builds section, since it was a wealth of info, honest set-backs, and (best of all) solutions, even though the model wasn't (and now never will be) finished.
Best of luck with your build - and please post it up here as and when it gets going!
Best wishes,
Andy
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OK then the story so far. I ordered the engine (TVR1ABB) from Graham industries but was called away to deliver the new tug Farfan from Cheoy Lee shipyard in Hong Kong to The Panama Canal. My wife and I were already booked to fly to Australia to visit eldest daughter and grand kids mid october but it was thought I could fit the job in and get to Balboa before my flight to Oz. Unfortunately a few faults developed and I had to deviate to Okinawa for repairs. This caused me to miss my flight so flew direct from Panama the long way round via Amsterdam and Singapore. So I would have something to do while in Oz wife brought the engine kit with her and so I built the engine in Wodonga.
I won't go too much into the build of the engine but it was easy, the instructions were crystal clear, the parts were beatifully made and only required the briefest of lapping. I didn't use gaskets but used BMW Drei Bond jointing compound which I used on my K100RS water/oil pump bare metal joints. If its good enough for that job then it will be ok for 35 PSI and 135 degrees C on a likkle steam engine. the secret is to use only a tiny amount. I built the engine without any bits in it to paint it first. I used 2 very thin coats of etch primer and 2 coats of rust proofing cream coloured paint. the topcoat never actually felt like it had gone off and still smelt of paint after a week so I baked it in the oven at 140 deg C for 30 mins and its like glass now. I admit I nearly cried when I painted it but in a model I would never be able to keep it looking as good as it looked in shiny brass, stainless steel and polished aluminium.
I then built up the engine. On completion it felt very tight but even, however when rotating it by hand, I noticed one eccentric was kicking at the same part of the revolution. On closer examination I found that one of the two mail sliders in the reversing gear was malformed and slightly wedge shaped. I took a pic and e-mailed graham ind and he sent me 2 new ones foc. with profuse appologies. He sent them to my home so I couldn't run the motor in however it started first time on 20 PSI compressed air and ran on the slow notches at 5 PSI sweet as a nut.
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(http://s12.postimage.org/h74v0law9/australia_2011_040.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/h74v0law9/)
I uploaded 9 pics but none showed up. I resized them, is there a limit? So I'll just show the finished motor.
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While still in Oz I ordered the boiler and gas tank from Maccsteam (3 1/2" horizontal) plus a load of nipples and gubbins and pipe, and some ancilliaries from mainsteam. I gave instructions not to deliver until I returned home.
Initial thoughts were to build a windermere type launch and I planned to visit the steamboat museum for ideas but found out it was shut indefinitely. Many years ago when I was a deck cadet in Blue funnel some engineer cadets helped to restore a boat I thought was on Coniston but I was unable to trace it. I did however find a guy with a launch called Elpenor which was my first ship as a newly qualified 3rd mate. he had something to do with the restoration. anyway I couldn't find a clinker built boat except wide a wake and the african queen. then by accident I discovered Steam Launch Wear near Newcastle in NSW. I faxed an order for the plans to float a boat in melbourne saving postage and duty. she is a canopied launch very similar to the aforementioned pair but I liked the aussie connection so that's what i'm gonna build.
On my return home when jet lag gone I started. The first part is exactly as the Late Greggy1964 did so I,ll keep the words to a minimum cos he described it better than I ever could. up until the first 3 planks are in the story will be thesame as his. After that I'm on me own.
I started by building the box I'll be building on. this is the top, (I've added verticals with slots for a string to better line up the keel and center lines of the frames.)
(http://s7.postimage.org/pym7yua5j/S_L_Wear_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/pym7yua5j/)
this is the underside. made from 15mm melamine stiffened with 2x1 PAR. I scribed the centerline with the pointy bit in the router. The frame stations are penciled in.
next I traced the lines from the plan onto tracing paper folded in half. I transferred these lines onto outdoor 10mm ply and cut out the frames on the scrollsaw, finishing off the edges on the sanding station. A bit tricky as the lines represent the outside of the planks and the frames need to be inside the planks. then I offered each frame up to the plan and transfered the rest of the lines onto the frames. the frames are solid at the moment but tomorrow I will cut out the centers so I will have some where to clamp the planks to. construction will be glued using polyeurethane expanding glue. with the exception of keel bolts there will be no fasteners. nails and roves will be penned in. timbers (ribs) will be fitted for appearance only.
(http://s7.postimage.org/xr8qwg7on/S_L_Wear_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/xr8qwg7on/)
then the postman came.
(http://s11.postimage.org/xsslxvvbz/S_L_Wear_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/xsslxvvbz/)
oh wow!! christmas came early.
Beatifull work from Mike at Maccsteam.
(http://s7.postimage.org/bw5cgzb3b/S_L_Wear_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/bw5cgzb3b/)
plus bits from Mainsteam.
(http://s7.postimage.org/y1u1l0qg7/S_L_Wear20.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/y1u1l0qg7/)
I'm not going to sleep tonight!!
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the picture of the underside of the box is floating around the ether somewhere. hope it don't hit anybody! Try again
(http://s9.postimage.org/6rxtciabf/S_L_Wear_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/6rxtciabf/)
and some more beautiful pics.
(http://s10.postimage.org/a4752qul1/S_L_Wear_007.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/a4752qul1/)
(http://s11.postimage.org/j7y7h7d5r/S_L_Wear_009.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/j7y7h7d5r/)
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Just as an aside to the clinker building guide part of this thread, a guy on the Wooden Boat Forum is making a clinker canoe (full-size) and has done a photo-sequence of how to add a plank to the moulds. It's very informative - and the same process we'd use on a clinker model if we wanted to do it just so. The link is here (http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?139096-17-Lapstrake-Canoe&p=3206930#post3206930).
Best wishes,
Andy
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thanks for that Andy. up to my neck in steam plant at the moment but getting there slowly.
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Since my last post, I have been working on the steam plant. The replacement part for the faulty one on the reversing gear on the engine arrived from the U.S., ( he sent me three), so I was at last able to start running in. I just followed the instructions running on compressed air for three hours. Its a lovely piece of kit.
I accidentally broke the sight glass on the boiler, while putting a bit of wire inside to stop bubbles, so had to wait until new ones arrived from Maccsteam. The boiler is nearly completed so I pressured it up with air and set safety v/v at 35 psi using a good pressure gauge. I found that the tiny one on boiler almost is the same and erring on safe side. I ran engine for a while on air and found regulator from mainsteam worked perfectly with very fine control and no creep when shut off. Just a few more parts to come and all will be done.
As I can't work on steam plant I carried on today with building the hull. I removed the frames from the building board and cut out the centers. then replaced them on the board. Next I transfered the outline of all the keel bits and stem etc. onto stiff card. I will cut them out tomorrow.
(http://s9.postimage.org/7ahrun6vf/S_L_Wear_23.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/7ahrun6vf/)
(http://s9.postimage.org/7r2zh2umj/S_L_Wear_21.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/7r2zh2umj/)
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(http://s7.postimage.org/5f6fcbzk7/S_L_Wear_26.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/5f6fcbzk7/)
coffee table, allow me to introduce you to ............................
..............................Kitty.
(http://s9.postimage.org/4apevjurv/S_L_Wear_27.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/4apevjurv/)
Kitty, this is coffee table and I hope you will get to know each other well in the next few weeks.
I bought this, and a few more, circa 1977 in Takoradi. The others were given as presents. They cost then about £12. This one has been stood in the conservatory for the past ten years and has faded but the colour remains just beneath the surface. Can you see a launch inside?
Now, how to break it to the wife? Personally I think it's a mistake to get too attached to things.
I am sooooo in trouble, she may not speak to me for days. ok2
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As Mr NIKE says "JUST DO IT" ('cos its easier to get forgiveness than permission!)
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This is Mrs Jerry ....................Jerry may not be posting for a while................is hard to do when you have no working fingers anymore. Did he tell you my distant rellys are from Sicilly? Gonna make you an offer you can't refuse!
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Did it.
(http://s7.postimage.org/dp8mdovyv/S_l_Wear31_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/dp8mdovyv/)
:-))
lovely colour underneath.
(http://s9.postimage.org/4vykusre3/S_l_Wear31_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/4vykusre3/)
The last two days I have been cutting and preparing wood to make the keel assembly. First I transferred the lines from the plan to thick card by pricking through with a pin then joining up the dots. Then I cut out the shapes and used these as templates pinned to the wood and drawn round. Here is where I cut the tip off one finger <:( . All my creations are signed in blood. I cut out the pieces on the scroll saw. I covered the plan with clingfilm and after lots of fettling of joints and edges clamped each piece to the plan gluing as I went. I am using polyurethane glue. It's 100% waterproof, squeezes itself everywhere and goes off quickly. I glued up in stages as you've only got 5-10 minutes to play with. During this operation I marked out the line of the propshaft on both sides of the keel. I will clamp a boring jig on these lines when the shaft and prop (2.75"x 4.1") arrive from Prop-Shop. It's been two weeks now. <*< I got the idea for the boring jig from a book I got as a school prize at H.M.S. Worcester called "Care and Maintenance of Small Craft" by John Teale. It's the only thing I've used it for in 47 years!
(http://s8.postimage.org/jz2vmudnl/S_l_Wear31_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/jz2vmudnl/)
(http://s7.postimage.org/vuhfxdn13/S_l_Wear31_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/vuhfxdn13/)
Will clean up tommorrow and then get started on the transom.
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(I accidentally broke the sight glass on the boiler, while putting a bit of wire inside to stop bubbles,)
HI Jerry,
Your quote above on the wire in the sight glass.
Were you trying to clean the glass or is this a trick to stop bubbles, if so can you please explain how it works as I have never heard of this trick.
Regarding the painting of your engine I think it looks great painted, it's so much better than all the polished brass work, best of luck with your build and hope your finger is better.
I look forward to your posts.
George.
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George, thankyou for your kind comments. wrt the wire in the tube, I read about on this forum but don't ask me where. Some one posted it and a few people reported they had tried it and it worked, so I made a note of it. If I may explain; I'm relatively new to modeling but not to making things. Models to me are real things but in miniature. I know a certain amount of the theory of steam and steam engines and have limited experience in the use of steam engines eg steam winches and stripping pumps on VLCCS. but I have no experience in building a steam plant or for that matter a clinker built boat. I have however owned when at the Worcester an Uffa Fox designed Redwing One Design sailing dinghy. It is the same hull as an International 14 but with a 3/4 deck. It was clinker built, so I have a fair idea how they go together. I was fortunate also to watch our 2 shipwrights rebuild (totally) a 27' Montague whaler on the upper deck. I have never forgotten what I watched. So since I joined this forum I have read (studied) everything I can find on steam and building this type of boat. I haven't asked many questions but in the time I have spent on the forum I have developed a feel for who are the best people to listen to if you get my drift. You are one of them. Many of your posts and comments have been avidly assimilated in my grey cells. thankyou. I will tell the story of the build but won't give any minute detail until I find something not already on this forum somewhere. It's the computer I have the most trouble with. I don't do much in the way of forms (?forae?) and find it all a bit of a struggle. Add to that it being my keyboard finger wot was cut {:-{
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Hi Jerry,
It's always good to hear of somebody taking up the challenge of steam modeling as there has to be people behind us old woolly heads to keep the steam hobby going.
I have never heard of the trick of putting a wire down a sight glass and would strongly recommend against it as you have found out how easy it is to break a sight glass fortunately for you the boiler wasn't under pressure.
Besides you don't need to do this as your boiler has a blow down valve at the bottom fitting.
If you get a bubble in the glass all that you have to do is open and close the valve and it will blow out any air. and clear the glass.
As you have bought your boiler from Maccsteam I am sure that the 3.5" boiler comes with a test certificate of a working pressure of 60 psi and the safety valve set to blow at 60 psi.
Now you say that you have reset the valve to 30 psi, in effect you have invalidated your test certificate, that is if Maccsteam set it at 60 psi.
I notice in the pic of your boiler that the safety valve adjusting screw is showing quite a bit of thread, this is because you have adjusted the valve to reduce the pressure to 30 psi.
How many threads are still in the valve body ?
I would strongly suggest that you readjust to 60 psi which would mean that you could reduce the heat from the burner to let 30 psi show on your gauge and save gas, it's all a balancing act and a great learning curve in the use of a small steam plant.
Your steam plant will make a very nice combination and will look good in an open launch , I look forward to reading of your progress.
George.
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hi again George, your comments well received. the wire in the sight glass was a very fine filament of copper wire. I forgot to put it back in when I replaced the glass. Maybe everything happens for a reason. The glass broke cos I dropped it. I found it as soon as I trod on it. Grey floor paint.
wrt the safety valve, the photo was taken I'm almost certain straight out of the box, before I messed with it. I'll have a word with Maccsteam later. Now it's set at 30 psi with three threads showing. My reason for reducing the setting is because the insructions for the engine say; "when operating on steam, the boiler MUST have a safety pressure release valve set at no higher than 35psi and 30psi is preferred. Pressure higher than 35psi may cause mechanical failure in the engine.". Rock and a hard place! I'll see what mike says. If need be i'll wizz it back to him to be put right. Be a nice trip on the bike. c The plans call for a pipe to vent steam blow off above the canopy. I wasn't sure about the wisdom of this so I called Mike and he said its ok as long as pressure doesn't continue to rise when safety lifts. So I opened up the valve to see size of orifice to judge diameter of pipe required. Don,t worry George, I'll blow myself up before I hurt anyone else! At the rate I'm going exsanguination or septicaemia will happen first. Cheers, Jerry.
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Today, first thing, I started by cleaning off the excess adhesive. It says on the bottle, "use sparingly, a little goes a long way". I was very frugal with it cos it ain't cheap and it foammed out of the joints about 1/8". It scraped of easily with a 1/4" chisel. A quick sand and, if I keep the resolution down, you can hardly see the join. Next I marked out the rabbet line, transferred all station lines to the top of the hog and the waterlines and sheerlines to the stem.
Like Greggy, I decided to cut the rabbet each side with the keel assembly in vice or clamped to the workbench and fit keel to frames later. I made a set of templates from the lines plan to guide my chiseling. I started on the stem and nearly finished cutting out a 1/4" wide bit at each waterline when I got a bit too far away from the vice and broke off one side of the block glued to the rear of the stem. so I called it a night. I should know what all these parts are called but they escape me when it comes time to type.
(http://s9.postimage.org/3m1oii37f/S_L_Wear32_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/3m1oii37f/)
(http://s7.postimage.org/f9fqu1vc7/S_L_Wear32_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/f9fqu1vc7/)
(http://s12.postimage.org/41m52ylwp/S_L_Wear32_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/41m52ylwp/)
(http://s7.postimage.org/yreznqhnr/S_L_Wear32_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/yreznqhnr/)
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This looks like it could be very informative. For those who are wondering I think this is the plans Jerry C is working from, http://www.floataboat.com.au/FABPlansCat.pdf
Page 16. S.L. "Wear" 25 Ft Clinker Steam launch from the Sydney area.
I also found a site http://maggiejedda22.blogspot.com/2010/02/steam-boat-sl-wear.html that has photos of a S.L. Wear.
Regards,
Gerald.
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Hi Gerald, yes that's correct those are the plans. I've also seen that blog, very sad, she looks neglected and unloved. There is a pic of her under way on the British steamboat registry type sight.
Anyway I've had a lovely day.The bit I broke off yesterday was repaired overnight so I tarted straight off finishing the rabbet. It's been doing my head in in the planning stage but as soon as I got a bit of bendy strip (formica edging strip to the table which fell off the other day), a small sample of plank and the templates , it all started to come clear. After I had cut a little bit at each station I just removed the bits in between. When I got close to finishing I just ran the 1/4" chisel round and round as a scraper. I could feel the high spots. I had planned to use coloured chalk as a marking/highlighting agent as Greggy did but soon realised that my boat is half the size of his and I got a pretty good feel for this kind of thing and I felt it was carrying things a bit too far. When I come to
fit the garboard planks I will improve on what I've done. The photos show room for improvement but they always do.
once the rabbet was cut and the bow blocks shaped (somebody tell me what it's really called, c'mon!) I moved on to fitting it all to the frame jig. When I set it out the first time I must have had a bad day cos it wasn't good enough. some were higher than others, some weren't even centered or square so I redid the lot. Then a couple of hours removing the notches softly, softly, cachee monkee it all fitted together. The frames will however need a little adjustment to get them to flow into the keel correctly. I'll do that next time when I chamfer off the waste side of the frames.
At last Its starting to look like a boat.
The final parts for the steam plant arrived today so I'll box that off tomorrow. I've also been on the lookout for some ali pipe for the outer funnel . It needs to be 12" long and 1.5" outer dia. I thought of an old cylinder hoover accessory tool pipe and asked on freecycle, but nothing came of it, then today daughter turned up with one. 1.4" but near enough. it's even got a built in flared end. :-))
just read my last post. this spell checker is thicker than me! And It couldn't deal with thicknessing at all.
(http://s11.postimage.org/wkwpin3an/S_L_Wear35_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/wkwpin3an/)
(http://s7.postimage.org/6bqw2c25z/S_L_Wear35_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/6bqw2c25z/)
(http://s11.postimage.org/fx9stvxwv/S_L_Wear35_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/fx9stvxwv/)
(http://s11.postimage.org/d21b0rjan/S_L_Wear35_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/d21b0rjan/)
PS. 1 scalpel, 4 very sharp chisels and NO BLOOD, honest :D
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Hullo Jerry C .....the terms 'stem & stern' may come into play down the track.... O0 the spell checker on Mayhem has been bombarded with them over the years :o
I like many ...[I am sure] look forward to your build....keep up the good work & the photographs & the droll comments ... {-)...we love those
Oh BTW...will you be using timber from a timber merchant >>:-( ...or just continue to demolish door & furniture from home?...... :embarrassed: ..........Derek
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This is looking great so far, Jerry!
...and thank you for admitting the "errors" (= "learning experiences"). I stabbed myself in the tip of my right index finger with a scalpel a week ago while cutting polystyrene blocks for my Racundra.
All my builds cost me blood. I was wondering when it would happen this time. :embarrassed:
Andy
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It turned out that the last bits for the steam plant weren't. I'm still waiting for the whistle. I will post a pic when it's completed. In the meantime I had a word with Mike at Maccsteam about the issues with the safety valve adjustment. He says that the Certificate is for boiler only, not fittings and that it is ok to reduce the pressure. He did however warn me that it may not be quite so reliable at a lower setting but is quite safe. I should own up that, when I stripped it down, I could see scores on the top threads where Mikes center pop locking had scuffed when I opened it. This proves that the adjuster was flush with the valve top when it left Mike and not, as I said, with threads showing. I apologise to Mike for saying otherwise. There are now 3 threads showing and 7 threads inside which is adequate. When I've steamed it a few times I will lock it in the correct position.
Now, look what my nephew Ben "thinks" he's lent me , bless him!
(http://s7.postimage.org/eubrzjddj/S_L_Wear40_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/eubrzjddj/)
I'll lend it back to him in my will! Plus a 3-jaw chuck and some extras which it needed. I'm going to have to teach myself how to use it. In the wrong hands it looks quite dangerous. I will eventually be able to make my own prosthetic limbs :D
For the last two and a half days I have been experimenting with kity, making planks. The wood from the table top is a much darker red than the wood from the base of the table. In fact I strongly suspect that the base from which I made the keel assembly is sapele, not mahogany. There is also an annoying kink in the grain causing a weakness 1/3rd the way from for'd. It is, however, very attractive to look at, if I mirror image the planks. When all is assembled though the strength will return. The planks are 2.5 mm thick and I broke one across this kink when I picked it up by one end. I still used it though cos it's a natural scarf. I did a test on a piece of scrap using a similar break and the poly glue and it will break somewhere else and not on the scarf. I cut the planks on the table saw to 3.5 mm thick, then stuck two planks onto a thick piece of prepared wood with double-sided ticky tape, then run the lot through the thicknesser to 2.5 mm thick. They can then be cold bent onto the formers without steaming.They are, however, very brittle, so I have decided it's better to bend them in stages at the stem. I left the garboard planks clamped overnight and they had taken a set which remained ok when clamps removed. I seem to have made a lot of sawdust!!! <:(
When satisfied with my method I roughed out the garboards and spent a long time refining the rabbet until the fit was perfect and after several dry runs with various cramping arrangements I glued them in place. This part has to be right as the rest of the construction relies on this assembly. Basically it forms a + shaped girder and is so much stronger than the sum of it's parts?? Prior to gluing up I protected the formers with sellotape as this doesn't stick very well to wood and will protect the formers from extruded glue and facilitate easy release from the formers. Famous last words!!
One pic seems to show a bend in the keel but it's an optical delusion same as the bend in the string line, honest.
(http://s7.postimage.org/fbkvlfhx3/S_L_Wear40_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/fbkvlfhx3/)
(http://s7.postimage.org/ig04vyo3b/S_L_Wear40_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/ig04vyo3b/)
(http://s12.postimage.org/sunkdjf8p/S_L_Wear40_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/sunkdjf8p/)
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started on the next two planks. First I made a widget to mark the 3mm overlap on the edges of the garboard planks where they need to be chamfered so the next planks can lie flat on them for gluing.
(http://s11.postimage.org/g2ld8zi1r/S_L_Wear45_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/g2ld8zi1r/)
It is just a couple of snap off blades from a craft knife superglued to a block of scrap with a 3mm guide fence glued on. Then I ran it down the planks thus.
(http://s12.postimage.org/i4cnvr19l/S_L_Wear45_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/i4cnvr19l/)
Next I pinned a batten to the formers at the position of the top of the next planks and ran a mini plane along to complete the chamfer.
(http://s11.postimage.org/o3dg2p34v/S_L_Wear45_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/o3dg2p34v/)
Now, in order for the planks to lie flush at the stem and transom, the ford and aft end of the garboards have to have a little bit cut out of them like this.
(http://s12.postimage.org/yyr1stjxl/S_L_Wear45_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/yyr1stjxl/)
A matching piece is then cut out of the inner edges of the next planks. These joints are referred to as "geralds". I had never heard of the term but while checking Ian's (Llanberis) plans for the hog I spotted it in the description notes. I forgot the name so I just looked up clinker boat building on wikipedia and it agrees. The plans show no geralds at the transom but the transom is cut so the planks keep their lap. Blow that for a load of soldiers, too complicated so I'm geralding both ends and they can't touch me for it! Next, I offered up the plank blank on one side, shuffled it about a bit, until I could mark the top edge of the garboard with a pencil from underneath. I then drew a line 3mm above that to get roughly the shape of the bottom edge of the next plank. I cut it out on the scroll saw. Then I marked the station positions on the plank and transfered the widths of the plank at each station with dividers, joined up the dots again and cut out the top edge. A goodly time spent refining until perfik then penciled around and made the other plank as a mirror image matching the grains. When all a perfect fit I glued on one.
(http://s8.postimage.org/67zqjajch/S_L_Wear45_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/67zqjajch/)
then the other. when glue gone off cleaned off excess and cut out the next three pairs of plank blanks. Phew, 3 days!! This is going to take a while.
(http://s10.postimage.org/e18batjx1/S_L_Wear45_007.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/e18batjx1/)
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I've got 4 planks on each side. Gosh it's a slow process taking so far 5 hours to get each pair on. Only 16 to go. But today I had a rest. The whistle and gas filler adaptor arrived so I fitted the whistle and then beatled off to B&Q and bought a couple of cans of Go System gas, 30/70% propane/butane mix, did a bit of xmas shopping, then dashed home and flashed the boiler up. It took about 6 mins to lift the safety at 35psi. I ran the engine for one tank of gas (1 1/2hours). Regulator, feedpump,and everything all worked great. The workshop smells great. The only problem was the oil catcher/condenser tank drain squirted out water. The exhaust steam valve must be too restricting causing a rise in pressure in the tank which is enough to overcome the head on the drain pipe. I will fit a valve on the drain as well as the exhaust. I must remember not to run the engine with both of them shut or I might pop the tank!!
Here at last some pics. Enjoy.
(http://s18.postimage.org/3lpvh5r5h/S_L_Wear50_007.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/3lpvh5r5h/)
(http://s13.postimage.org/z2kjo226b/S_L_Wear50_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/z2kjo226b/)
(http://s13.postimage.org/7tdrnaqgz/S_L_Wear50_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/7tdrnaqgz/)
(http://s16.postimage.org/6invqvuzl/S_L_Wear50_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/6invqvuzl/)
(http://s15.postimage.org/o0zoe2xef/S_L_Wear50_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/o0zoe2xef/)
A merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all. A last minute request to santa, some gloves. That regulator gets very hot!!!
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Hi Jerry,
Very nice little steam plant, I do much prefer the painted engine and very innovative boiler feed pump, how does it perform against boiler pressure ?
I 'm not sure why people lag the oil separator as it works on the principle of the steam condensing and the oil floating on top of the condensed steam.
It's such a long time since I made one that I can't remember what the internal piping should be, does the exhaust pipe going up the lum (sorry chimney ) go down to the bottom of the tank which theoretically should allow steam only to go up the chimney.
I would think that if you put a shut down valve on the other one and you inadvertently closed both you would stall the engine.
Love the pipe lagging , looks very realistic.
Happy Christmas.
George
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Cheers George.The feed pump is a hand pump with handle removed and fulcrum attached to the ram at one end and a short crank on the servo. I can adjust the pump stroke at the crank. The servo I converted to a motor by removing the limit pin from the gears and ditching the circuit inside. I then soldered new wires onto the motor. The idea is to switch it on when I let the boat go and have the delivery fractionally less than water consumption so I don't hydraulic the engine. Ideally I will have a level sensor and control it automatically but that's for later. Don't want to walk before I run.
The separator is made from two 28mm stop ends soldered to a 28mm straight connector. Engine exhaust goes in at the top and is aimed down. Another pipe with the valve comes out of the top and into the flue. The drain pipe goes from the bottom of the tank to the top and then overside. The theory is that the steam stays as steam ( hence the lagging) and the oil stays as oil and is left behind in the tank. At the end of a run I recover the launch run the engine with the valve shut which then blows the oil and any condensate out of the tank and into a receptacle. If all the steam condensed in the tank it would fill up and eventually would all go up the flue with it's oil which we are trying to stop going into the lake and/or all over the boat. The problem at the moment is that condensate is immediately venting from the drain.
I've got a 3 blade 2.75"x4.1" prop which should slow the motor down and reduce steam consumption. Until I can run it on load I can't really set the pump stroke. The pipe lagging is two layers ad white string. When I'd done it that's what it looked like, two layers of string. So I painted it with runny poly filler, until I got a build up, then shaped it and finally painted it with smooth white masonry paint. I've got 50 gallons in my cupboard to do the house next year. George I'm writing this on my iPhone and it's just told me you've posted but I know if I go and look I'll lose wot I rit. So I'll post anyway and hope we don't cross lines too badly.
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Jerry/George......Sandy Campbell [ACS Engineering] built my bolier & de-oiler & we had a number of discussions re the de-olier design
I wanted to be able to blow down my lubricator condensate [from Winfried Niggle...with the viewable quartz body] into the de-oiler
In the end Sandy recommended a 1/8" OD copper tube inlet for the discharge steam from the engine & a 5/32" OD copper tube inlet for the lubricator fluid
The reasoning for the 1/8" OD copper tube was to maintain the highest possible engine discharge steam temperature until it reached the de-oiler & the tangential inlet would create a turbulance to drop the oil from suspension - Sandy also agreed that lagging would assist in maintaining steam as steam & hence up the chimney which also assisted with gas discharge flow
The 5/32" sizing was for convenience as we were to rely on residual boiler pressure to displace the steam condensate in the lubricator
I also opted for a 1/4" x 32 screwed/plugged de-oiler top tapping to remove waste oily/water .......
Jerry.....could the water have been the initial slug of condensate prior to the engine reaching an operational temperature?........Derek
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Hi George in Oz. that's more or less what I did only instead of sucking my oil/condensate out with a syringe I have a third pipe from the bottom of the tank to the top. If I close the valve to the funnel the exhaust steam blows the content out into a receptacle. My valve is too restrictive so today I shifted it to the drain line and replaced it with a piece of flexible tubing. Now when I want to drain the tank I just open the drain and away it goes. Will try it out soonest. Have a good one down under. Jerry.
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Jerry,
You must have been getting confused what with i.phone, i.pods etal they are just too much for me as well.
I am from Sconnie Botland not OZ. you must have been standing on your head at the time.
One of the problems that arises from the online lubricator that you have is that there is no control over the amount of oil that the engine uses.
The engine is inclined to gulp large quantities of oil which isn't required, why they gulp oil I don't know , but they do.
In all of the engines that I have built I make the lubricator with a needle valve which allows the merest whisper of oil into the engine and saves quite a bit of oil and prevents the discharge after a run. P.M. sent.
George.
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hi again George, just answered your email. Have been busy over the hols but not got much done on the launch. I've only got 6 pairs of planks on which is half way. Can't seem to do more than two planks a day. Did however complete the steam plant. Have run it 4 times now. A tank of gas lasts 1hr 15min. Throttling back the engine to what I guess will be on load revs the pressure rises in the boiler until just before the safety lifts, when I switch on the feed pump. The cold water reduces the boiler pressure and takes me back to where I started. Ideally the safety lifting when on the lake will tell me to switch on the pump. I just got to find out, in practice, how long to run it. I think I'd be happier with a sensor and a switching circuit of some sort. I'll get the hang of it eventually.
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Jerry,
Why don't you make another oil trap but run the boiler feed thro" a coil fitted inside the oil trap to pre/heat the water before going into the boiler.
It will save fuel, if my explanation isn't clear let me know and I will forward a sketch to you.
George
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hi George, I see where your coming from on that one. When I ordered the boiler I asked Mike if he could supply it with an economiser coil in the chimbly. I didn't want a "superheater/drier" as the engine maker said his engine needed wet steam so I thought more better put economiser. Mike said more better keep simple so I didn't bother. IMO heat up flue is waste so why not use it to heat feedwater. As to using the oil trap to heat feed, ok, but if it causes steam to condense then it would need to be much bigger to hold what I pump into the boiler. There is another factor to consider- the exhaust steam goes up the funnel with considerable force. It is possible that this acts as an eductor, drawing extra air through the firetubes. The burner does seem more energetic when the engine is running. Anybody got any thoughts on this? I always understood steam locos used this principle to make the furnace draw better. FYI after a full run, when I drain the oil trap, I estimate it to be nearly full of hot water with a tiny amount of oil on the top. The oil quantity would appear to be similar to the amount of water drained from the oiler, namely about two drops.
I'm not satisfied with my pipework, I can do better. I freehand bent everything and it is sloppy and inconsistent. When the Launch is completed I will do it again and incorporate what I have learned in the process. Then I can experiment with various devices. I need hard data to make a considered decision. My main concern is monitoring/maintaining boiler level. Can anyone tell me what happens if I overfill the boiler?
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Can anyone tell me what happens if I overfill the boiler?
Jerry ,
You will get a very hot shower of boiling water when the safety valve blows as the boiler primes.
George.
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Jerry........a few points from one far more learned than I.... O0.
1. exhausting model engine steam [in model boilers] up the chimney does act a venturi which is good & bad
2. the good is that it does increase the velocity of the combustion gases [in the chimney] & draws extra air for greater combustion :-))
3. the not so good is that a consequence of this is the hot gases spend a reduced time heating the fire tubes >>:-(
4. filling a boiler with an excess of water is not good <*< ....apart from the points offered by George....the potential also exist to pump slugs of steam with high water levels into the engine
5. water is literally un-compressible <:( ...& can damage engines......infact many oscillators on startup when primed with watery steam displace this water by forcing the cylinder plates off the standard & causing external leakage.......you probably will have seen many examples of this in images........
Derek
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So nothing serious then!! When I first start the engine the first bit is water and after a second or so away it goes no probs. Now the whistle is a different story. That covers me in water cos I haven't rigged a lanyard yet.
Anyway had a bit of a setback this AM when I removed the clamps. A broken plank at No 1 station. Had to make a former same shape as correct shape of plank and glue it again and clamped up with former. I'd end for ended the plank cos it looked like the grain was better in that way but no good so I will have to use the outside former every time. Once it's all assembled the strength will return.
Am not looking forward to scraping this lot clean before I put the timbers in.
(http://s16.postimage.org/vntmzuyox/S_L_Wear_55_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/vntmzuyox/)
She is starting to take shape though. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
(http://s17.postimage.org/hsvche4a3/S_L_Wear_55_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/hsvche4a3/)
It was a train.
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14 planks- 71clamps. I see them in my sleep!
(http://s16.postimage.org/va00ujx9t/S_L_Wear60_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/va00ujx9t/)
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Only got the sheerstrakes to go now. If I'm honest I haven't enjoyed planking up. It's a long, tedious and frustrating process. It would be nice to get a development of each plank from a computer but in practice that wouldn't work as it's impossible to get each plank in exactly the right place. Errors build up and have to be compensated as I go along. At first I slavishly forced the planks to the frames which showed up errors in the frame shapes resulting in a slight dip in the flow of the planks. I decided to let the planks tell me what was right and remove or shim as required resulting in a much more flowing shape.There are mistakes on the plans. As previously mentioned the hog was not shown on the transverse cross section. Now I see that the plan shows the sheerstrakes rising to flush with top surface of the deck, however the plan view does not show a join between deck and planks at the breaks in the deck rail. In reality the deck should overlap the sheerstrake and the join should be covered by the rubbing strakes. I have also had trouble with the nature of the mahogany itself. It's a short grain timber and the direction of the grain changes over as little a distance as 6 inches. so it has been difficult to work. I have tried to mirror port and stbd and to keep changing the grain directions at the same time as trying to match wood colour which also seems to change as I progress. I have broken quite a few planks as I went along but they formed natural scarfs so I just superglued them together again backed up with a bit of masking tape which I built into the model and removed when planks set. Planks no 11 and the sheer strake are of such a curvature that my wood stock is not wide enough to make the planks full length so planks no 11 are made in 2 pieces scarfed at station no 5 and the sheer strake will be scarfed at no 6. A close look at the real launch shows the same technique used. The other interesting feature of the boat and where it differs from wide-a-wake and african queen is that the sheer strake starts off the same width as all the others at the stem but steadily increases as it moves aft until at the transom it is 4 times wider than the other planks. It is quite striking and I have not seen this before. Anyway here are some pics.
(http://s7.postimage.org/hef7z4b7b/we060900.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/hef7z4b7b/)
A very small pic of thereal thing. There's a better one on the british steam boat register website.
(http://s13.postimage.org/5ngpkmter/S_L_Wear60_014.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/5ngpkmter/)
(http://s7.postimage.org/gz3y63p9z/S_L_Wear60_013.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/gz3y63p9z/)
(http://s16.postimage.org/xz29hodc1/S_L_Wear60_010.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/xz29hodc1/)
And finally I changed my oiler to a smaller version more in keeping with the size of the plant. It's also adjustable and knobs is like clamps, the more the better. Now I got somewhere to hang me bucket. Now, where can I put the fire extinguisher?? Will have a consult with my local fire preventy orifice.
(http://s15.postimage.org/xyzyst0mv/S_L_Wear60_015.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/xyzyst0mv/)
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Looking good Jem. Have to ask if anyone has built a miniature mandrel bender on the forum. I followed the build of one in engineering in miniature a few years ago. Mustard. What's the canopy to be built of?
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It's a light wooden frame with a thin ply sheet. I intend to cover it with calico and paint it cream as in a yacht deck of the period. I don't think I'll be able to bend mahogany around the front. If not I'll use ash and stain it.
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:-))
Hi Jerry,
I just found your build & am enjoying it immensely. I can sympathize with the planking because no matter what style of planking you are doing it’s the planks that make the fair line & as we all find out, not the frames.
I will be very interested in finding out your solutions to the condenser/piping engineering. I have a TVR1ABB also but to be run from an old Cheddar Horz boiler.
Thanks for posting everything!
Reg
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Muchas gracias Reg. I managed to get one sheerstrake on today. I had to re-mark all the sheerstrake positions and extend the top of the transom to get everything right. Tomorrow should go a bit smoother. Famous last words. On the steam plant side I have decided to remake the separator slightly bigger in volume but will stick with the pipeing arrangement, ie. , 1) exhaust steam in near the top with bend inside tank directing exhaust steam down and round. 2) clean steam out into flue. 3) drain from bottom of tank out through top via discharge valve. Have found that with last bit of steam merely opening the valve empties the tank no problem. I see you from south Texas give my love to the Houston Ship canal , not!!
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Finally got all the planks on. Not much work today but made a start on filling and sanding down getting ready for finishing. Cut the tiller slot in the transom while I gave thought to how I was going to chamfer the stem.I ruled out the router and the dremel as not got the right tools. I finally came to the conclusion that I would have to do it by hand. First job, sharpen chisels. I figured if I attached the brass stemband, I could use the edge as a toolrest/guide and only need to worry about the bit at the plank ends. It worked well and job completed easily.
I have decided to complete as much work as possible below the gunwhales while the hull is still attached to the building board, it being much easier when everything is clamped to the bench. I will construct the rudder, fabricate gudgeons and pintles, attach the brass keelband and seal the hull/grain with several coats of shellac rubbed down with wire wool before removing hull from board. I will varnish when inner work is completed prior to fitting out.
The beauty of using shellac is I can get 10 coats on in a day and can then get a superb finish with only three coats of spinnaker marine varnish. The colour comes out as superb. I did an Enterprise sailing dinghy in this way for my kids and the varnish lasted 3 hard seasons before needing re-coating.
(http://s13.postimage.org/69s6u40qr/S_L_Wear_75_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/69s6u40qr/)
showing the temporary stemband.
(http://s17.postimage.org/jzo21hq7f/S_L_Wear_75_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/jzo21hq7f/)
shows how the sheerstrake differs from wide a wake.
(http://s14.postimage.org/m7pdgcr0t/S_L_Wear_75_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/m7pdgcr0t/)
shows the generous tumblehome at the stern. I think you can see the geralding of the plank ends. Incidentally, the plank ends will be covered with a rubbing band around the perimeter of the transom.
(http://s18.postimage.org/r9dt23ppx/S_L_Wear_75_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/r9dt23ppx/)
and finally an overhead of the completed planking prior to cleaning off.
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Jerry,
You sure are cracking on with the hull, wish I knew what Sheerstrakes, Tumblehomes e.t.c were, but then I'm only an old Clydeside hammer and chisel man with no sense of humour.
Well done so far , look forward to seeing the hull proper way up with the steam plant installed.
George.
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Very nice job Jerry, good to see it in mahogany.
Mick
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I had a really good day today. 1st job mark out, drill and countersink stem and keel band. It's made up of 4 pieces 1/4x 0.032 brass strip.
(http://s13.postimage.org/uoz19209v/S_L_Wear80_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/uoz19209v/)
Next I started on my 1st ever lathe job. I only had an old valve spindle from a scrap valve on a product tanker I sailed on. I've been using it as a drift for nearly 30 years. It's almost certainly a bit more exotic than brass but it worked easily. I should say that I spent 2 hours last night looking on youtube for instructions on how to do it. It's just a dummy outer stern gland. The slightly thicker bit on the boat end will be let into the keel and an oval brass plate with a small hole top and bottom for 2 small lag bolts will be put over it and soldered to the little step. This is just to replicate original and tidies up that area. I shall do similar to the inside on the other end of the shaft. I know it's not much, but it is to my measurements and I've still got both eyes and a full complement of digits. In fact there was no blood spilt at all!! I'm chuffed to bits.
(http://s17.postimage.org/5t624xukr/S_L_Wear80_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/5t624xukr/)
Finished off by fabricating rudder pintles and transom gudgeons from 1/4" brass banding wrapped round a bit of brass pipe, formed on a bit of scrap steel and soldered. The gudgeons are just brass pipe silver soldered to the hollowed out heads of a pair of 6 BA screws. I will clean them up on Monday as I'm taking my PARAT up to the lake tomorrow. It promises to be a beautiful day tomorrow but a bit nippy.
(http://s14.postimage.org/sd9vdsy5p/S_L_Wear80_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/sd9vdsy5p/)
Thankyou for your comment Patternmaker. I think your build was superb. If mine turns out half as good as yours I'll be happy cos it's nearly half as big.
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Very, very nice. And now you're two days post-planking, making the hull wasn't too awful, was it! %%
(Bet you, you'll do it again one day!)
Andy
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Thankyou Andy. It's like heavy weather in the southern ocean. It's good when it stops!!
OK, last 2 days on rudder, fittings and removing hull from frames. Because of the strange grain in this mahogany stock, I decided to laminate everything in the rudder, rather than cut it out in 5 pieces as on the plan. So the blade is made of 8 pieces, the cheeks 2 pieces each and the fore and aft bit on the bottom is 4 pieces also. I drilled 1/16" holes through each set and pushed through some 1/16" veneer pins.
(http://s18.postimage.org/3mirqceo5/S_L_Wear85_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/3mirqceo5/)
(http://s14.postimage.org/lxhux1ezh/S_L_Wear85_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/lxhux1ezh/)
When everything all present and correct I removed the pins, applied the glue, fitted a section together and replaced the pins before clamping up. All this to stop everything sliding about under the clamps. When all gone off, removed clamps and pins. Next I tidied everything up at the sanding station prior to joining up all the pieces into a rudder. So first glued up the 3 pieces for the blade, then fitted the pintles. I drilled 2 no 1/16" holes through pintle bands and blade then pushed 2 pins through top and bottom pintle assemblies. Next I removed 2 channels on the inner faces of each cheek to clear the pintle bands then glued on the cheeks. When all gone off I filled the little holes and then sanded the foil section on the blade, tidied everything up and then drilled the hole for the 4BA threaded rod tiller arm.
(http://s14.postimage.org/spcvdmtct/S_L_Wear85_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/spcvdmtct/)
Finally drilled the 2 holes in the transom for the gudgeons. I filled the oversize holes in the gudgeons with hotmelt glue and when cooled drilled 2mm holes through each to make the bushes for the pintles to rotate in.
(http://s17.postimage.org/d74a69c8r/S_L_Wear85_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/d74a69c8r/)
So thats all the work on the outside of the hull completed so I removed the hull from the formers by unscrewing the after former (#9) from the plastic blocks then reaching up under the hull with a stubby posidrive screw driver and uscrewed the top plastic block from the hog. then with a bit of pressure towards ford and a little wriggling the former came free. Repeated this process up to #1 which comes off the building way with the boat. #1 was the only one difficult to get out of the hull. The hull is quite fragile in this state and needs carfull handling to avoid damage. It is surprisingly light, weighing in at 1lb 14oz, including the excess glue foam inside.
(http://s9.postimage.org/h7jk8xv0b/S_L_Wear85_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/h7jk8xv0b/)
Where the hell do I start clearing this little lot?? Any tricks anyone?
Anyway It was knocking off time but I couldn't resist this.
(http://s16.postimage.org/xx23cgiep/S_L_Wear85_008.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/xx23cgiep/)
It's possible I may have to resite the gas tank as it's maybe getting a bit cramped around the forward fold down table. We'll see.
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Jerry, I think you need a set of dental scrapers. {-)
All kidding aside I do think you will find scraping is the best answer. Possibly make a few the right size from old hacksaw blades.
The sooner you get to it the easier it wil be to remove O0
Reg
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^ +1 to that.
Scrape it. :-))
You mention it's flexible at the moment. Are you going to add timbers (steamed sticks) to hold it all together?
Andy
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Yes Andy, 2 turning blanks of reasonably straight grained Ash arrived yesterday of E-bay. If you zoom on the pic you can just see that I precursor the hog to take the timbers. Next are 3 longitudinal stringers each side, then about 10 floors and finally the deck which extends from ford both sides and aft. There is also a transverse bulkhead with a door on the stbd side just aft of the engine. All that will stiffen her up nicely. I agree scraping is the way to go. A chisel was great on the convex outside but very difficult on concave inner. Not being fixed to the bench doesn't help either. Will sit and look at it for a while and inspiration will come.
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oops, in last post first of read off and precursor read pre cut. Predictive text on i phone.
(http://s17.postimage.org/kk8lkpgzv/S_L_Wear90_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/kk8lkpgzv/)
I got these off freecycle a while back off a retired dentist by the name of Daffyd ap Mengele who said work dried up after being kicked out of the Gestapo dental department for cruelty. He reckoned he was a scapegoat cos they were all at it.
So I got scraping. I found one tool in particular very effective.
(http://s18.postimage.org/cq3elkjth/S_L_Wear90_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/cq3elkjth/)
I call it the sand wedge, and for finishing in the corners, the other end.
(http://s18.postimage.org/5x83mezbp/S_L_Wear90_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/5x83mezbp/)
so after 4 hours I'd got the big stuff off and started coarse sanding and it looks like this now. The top, after sanding and lower, before.
(http://s18.postimage.org/a2nlm2mhh/S_L_Wear90_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/a2nlm2mhh/)
And finally, a better pic showing the beautiful rich colour of the unvarnished wood. It will burst into flame when varnished!!
(http://s15.postimage.org/o4gl4h4qf/S_L_Wear90_007.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/o4gl4h4qf/)
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Now that's satisfying work - the end result will be beautiful!
Andy
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Thanks Andy, really looking forward to getting the varnish on her. Today I finished off sanding inside. Next I cut out and sanded ash stock for the 2.5mm x 4mm timbers. I had a little play and, like the planks, they will bend without steaming. So in preparation for attaching the timbers I secured the shell back on the building board. The table is level,the board is level, the stem and transom are plumb and the gunwhales are level. The gauge in the middle is adjustable and sets the width at each station.
So the plan is:- 1) set the gauge on station 5.
2) fit the timbers in that general area, temporarily pinning center to keel while glue at keel goes off and temp pinning each timber close to sheer line.
3) move gauge to station 6 and repeat process.
4) do stn 4,7,3,8,2 and 9 until all timbers pinned in position. stn 1 has p&s timbers.
5) apply 2 coats of epoxy inside.
6) make up and when epoxy gone off, remove pins and fit 3 pairs longitudinal stringers.
7) make up and fit ash breasthook and p&s quarter knees.
Doing all this with hull clamped to board should make it easy for me and result in a true hull shape. I hope.
I think I've got a bad back like patternmaker. Could it be that modelmaking is hazardous to our health??
(http://s17.postimage.org/fnxnuki1n/S_L_Wear100_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/fnxnuki1n/)
(http://s18.postimage.org/io8zum63p/S_L_Wear100_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/io8zum63p/)
(http://s15.postimage.org/by25w1emf/S_L_Wear100_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/by25w1emf/)
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The hull looks superb. :-))
You might find that raising your table and working standing up (with the table at an ideal height for your stature) improves things a lot. Bear in mind that kitchen work surfaces are regularly set to the average height of women. Too low for me (five feet eleven) for a protracted spell of choppin' and stirrin'.
Andy
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Loud and clear Andy. I am building on a canteen type table. I do sit down whenever possible but I get so involved I forget and my posture goes out the window. It's exactly the same pain I got when leaning into my kids enterprise when I sanded all the old varnish down to the wood. It's not serious and goes away with rest. Trouble is once I start something I keep at it until it's completed. I'm probably my own worst enemy. I'll try to be more careful. Thanks for the interest and encouragement. Jerry.
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Today I started on the timbers. It went as hoped. After completing each station I made up a cross tie to replace the gauge as it was moved to the next station. The remainder I will need to steam the middle part only and will do it with the kettle. Tomorrow though as I'm now too tired to do it justice!!!
(http://s15.postimage.org/uz2vhfxp3/S_L_Wear110_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/uz2vhfxp3/)
(http://s13.postimage.org/pj24mngw3/S_L_Wear110_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/pj24mngw3/)
While doing this job I got to thinking about the decking. Black or white caulking between the planks? The boat is, when you think about it, a lot of mahogany. Then my son-in-law to be suggested alternate ash and mahogany with black caulking. Interesting,any thoughts out there?? The plans call for parallel planks.
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Looking superb Jerry, teak deck with black caulking would look good, gives a subtle contrast to the mahogany.
Regards Mick
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Thanks for that Mick, will bear that in mind. Initial thoughts are 1. teak has high silica content and dulls tools rapidly, 2, problematic when varnishing due natural oils. 3, looks good when scrubbed and bleached by hot tropical sun. 4, my deck scrubbing days are long gone, even in miniature and 5, I ain't got none! No, wait a minute, what's the patio table made of. Could it be teak? Just thinking out loud honeysuckle!! Only joking!
Seriously now, your steamboat absolutely stunning. I always set my sights high but your build is up there with the best and has genuinely earned it's "Bernard bonus". He looks extremely lifelike.
The other day someone posted about "o" rings in Aldi, so I looked on tinterweb and saw they also selling tap & die set and, as I had given mine away when I stopped restoring motorbikes, and knowing I'm going to have to shorten my propshaft I thought I'd get a set. Friday morning I realised I'd forgotten all about it so I dashed into Bangor in the hope there were still some left. I got there and found I'd only forgotten my wallet hadn't I! Dashed back then returned to find plenty left so I grabbed a set and seeing as I'd done two trips I might as well grab the "o" rings as well. Now, usually with me, If I've got a load of something and I need one, I'll have every one but the one I need so, when, last night the wife said, "the kitchen sink is leaking into the cupboard underneath" I had a look and low and behold it needed an "o" ring. Would you believe it, I had one that fitted. So a good day.
Today I wanted to finish off the timbers but knew I was going to have to steam them. I had already planned for this and designed a steambox bearing in mind all I had learned from previous instances. Yes, sewer pipe with screw on end caps fitted with handles so I don't burn myself. Good supports fixed securely to a firm base so the heat doesn't cause it all to droop slowly to the deck before the wood is properly done. Insulation so the heat stays inside and something to catch all the condensate so I don't slip on the workshop floor when dashing from steambox to model with piping hot piece of wood. Does this ring any bells?
Then I thought, "jerry, you've only got 5 pieces to steam so K.I.S.S..
here's what I came up with.
(http://s18.postimage.org/y04t1nret/S_L_Wear110_001_2.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/y04t1nret/)
Easy peasy. A bit of low cloud in the workshop but no actual precipitation. Job's a good'un.
Using same method steamed one sheer clamp and fitted it temporarily with clamps. will leave overnight and let it settle. cos the rugby's on and it's my halfday.
(http://s15.postimage.org/sk0dvvj3b/S_L_Wear110_002_2.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/sk0dvvj3b/)
(http://s14.postimage.org/pbh7auusd/S_L_Wear110_003_2.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/pbh7auusd/)
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Hi Jerry,
I don't use varnish on teak for the reason you said, I use Danish Oil as on Wide A Wake's deck.
Mick
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Mick, funny you should say that. For the last four days we've been putting Danish oil on a new sideboard and have plenty to spare. Does it weather well? I never even thought about it. I've never used it before but it certainly did a lovely job on the sideboard. Seeing you on canvey island reminded me of my dinghy sailing days at HMS Worcester. Every year I came down for the Holehaven regatta on a Thames barge towing our RNSA and Tideway dinghys behind. We ate and slept on her for the duration. Remember too going ashore in an RNSA , tying up to the PLA jetty and scooting into Southend, getting palatic and returning to find dinghy hanging from painter, 15 feet above the water. Happy days. We were learning to be leaders of men! Pathetic.
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Hi Jerry, yes it does weather extremely well its used full size boats with teak timber also exterior oak & mahogany window frames & doors, it takes about 24hrs to dry, I apply 3 coats.
You must have had a few drinks in the Lobster Smack at Holehaven, its still open.
My grandfather was a Thames Barge skipper on Enchantress which was destroyed in a air raid at London docks
in 1940.
Mick
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We didn't drink that close to home, to many people to dob us in. We could lose ourselves in Southend. I can't remember the name of the barge that tied us down but he picked up boats and crews from Erith, Worcester, West Thurrock and Gravesend, so there was a really good bunch of us on board. We used to cook on primus stoves. Would not be permitted now. We also had a very close relationship with Everards. Quite a few cadets would do summer voyages with them and if anything needed doing on the ship their shipwrights were always helpful.
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Today I fitted Ash sheerclamps and stringers. On completion, I marked out, cut on the scrollsaw and fettled on the sanding station, the shaft log(I looked it up OK), quarter knees and breasthook. I used Sapele for these parts. All secured with polyurethane glue. I also added 2 extra pairs of timbers in the bow. All this has really stiffened up the hull.
(http://s8.postimage.org/e2qit7uz5/S_L_Wear120_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/e2qit7uz5/)
(http://s7.postimage.org/4s9wn1epz/S_L_Wear120_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/4s9wn1epz/)
I aim to get some of the 12 floors made tomorrow. Before I fit them I will bore out for the sterntube. Depending on where on the shaft log it comes out will determine the cutaway in the floors for the steam plant tray.
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Jerry,
What a fabulous build, both you and Patternmaker are in the master builder class.
Keep your eye off that new side board for your next build.
Look forward to seeing the launch with the steam plant.
George.
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Thankyou so much George. Patternmaker is I'm sure an inspiration to many. Whenever things don't go as well as I would like and I get dispirited and think OK that will be good enough, I stop and think, "what would Mick think?" Makes it easy to continue and get it right.
Anyway today, as planned, I made a start on the floors. First I used one of these.
(http://s17.postimage.org/oubd450h7/S_L_Wear125_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/oubd450h7/)
I transferred the shape of the hull at each floor position onto stiff card. I cut these out and offered each one to it's position hard against it's adjacent timber. Holding each one in it's correct position I drew the outline of the timber on the card. I then thickness planed a piece of mahogany to the 6mm thickness of the floors. I pinned each card onto the stock and drew around the card allowing 3 mm for the thickness of the timbers. I cut them out at the scrollsaw. With a little fettling on the sander they fit OK.
I levelled the gunwhales with a spirit level, then placed a straight edge perpendicular to the keel across the gunwhales. I used the bottom edge of the straight edge as a "sight" to get the top surface of each floor level. I then put register marks on the floor and keel at each position to guide me when I glue the floors in position.
(http://s10.postimage.org/o51mkx83p/S_L_Wear125_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/o51mkx83p/)
I was in the process off adjusting the heights of the floors when I had to accompany the Memsahib to the tattoo parlor for her 1st ever tattoo. She was very brave and now has a pretty flower and vine pic on her foot. I will probably kip in the spare bedroom cos she'll be moaning all night!!
When I have them all the correct height I will temporarily secure them so I can put the steamplant tray in position and mark them for the cutouts for the plant. The plant needs to be as low as possible for stability and to line up with the propshaft.
(http://s16.postimage.org/rt0tb1eap/S_L_Wear125_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/rt0tb1eap/)
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Great build jem, Cant wait to come and see. Did those bits arrive?
ben
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Time now to bore for the sterntube. I made a jig, so:-
(http://s13.postimage.org/jmfpm3df7/S_L_Wear130_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/jmfpm3df7/)
I drilled a 6mm hole through to inside, so:-
(http://s18.postimage.org/461osfrvp/S_L_Wear130_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/461osfrvp/)
Next I made the outer sterntube fitting and bolted it to the skeg with spare bolts from the TVR1A steam engine. It's purely cosmetic but true to the plans.
(http://s18.postimage.org/vg530ri79/S_L_Wear130_008.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/vg530ri79/)
Then I made a similar fitting for the inboard end of the sterntube. I will add a dummy grease cup. This fitting should be purely cosmetic also, but when drilling for the sterntube I made one of these. It's called, (amongst other things), a horlicks!!!!
(http://s16.postimage.org/rvsjqshjl/S_L_Wear130_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/rvsjqshjl/)
The first 6mm hole came out 1mm low and 1mm to stbd. I never expected it to be perfect. The plan was to follow through with an 8mm drill which would have allowed me to get the tube straight. I didn't plan on the 8mm drill taking a completely new path. A lot of bodgeing later and I managed to get the tube right. Now, the purpose of the Inner fitting is to hide my bad job. Before fitting the tube permanently I will pore resin down around the tube before replacing the inner gland/guide.
(http://s12.postimage.org/ai3di2tfd/S_L_Wear130_009.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/ai3di2tfd/)
I had to shorten the tube by about 2". The bushes were a good tight fit in the ends of the tube, so, to avoid chewing them up I put the tube in the chuck on the lathe and the bush in the drill chuck on the tailstock. I turned the chuck by hand whilst pulling out on the tailstock lever and the bush came out cleanly. I shortened the tube on the lathe and replaced the bush reversing the removal method. I won't shorten the shaft until the engine bearers are in.
(http://s14.postimage.org/wjhfuwfct/S_L_Wear130_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/wjhfuwfct/)
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Hi Jerry, why "a dummy grease fiiting"? Wouldnt it be worthwile making a working one? I use a fishing reel grease which is almost liquid and would probably slowly drip down through an oiler type fitting. I am always cursing having to pull shafts out to lube them when doing annual maintenance. Just a thought, cheers, Ian.
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Hi Ian. Stainless steel shaft running in bronze bushes at 500RPM in fresh water. Do I need grease? I've never bothered before on higher speed shafts with more twist and suffered no ill effects. As long as they let a bit of water in that is.
(http://s11.postimage.org/5z5f8pgu7/S_L_Wear135_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/5z5f8pgu7/)
This was the view from my window this morning. I can even see the new cafe! Stunning. I is lucky boy.
Ok, short day today. After a lot of fiddling with the floors/bearers yesterday and not getting them right, I threw my hand in and left it until this AM. Got them in position and leveled and finally secured. Next I made up and fitted the carlins that the forward cockpit deck will sit on.
(http://s16.postimage.org/chwiqxz35/S_L_Wear135_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/chwiqxz35/)
I will have to make another, larger diameter, oil separator and resite the feed pump as both foul the hull planking. When the separator is raised to clear the planks it is too high. So to keep or increase separator volume I need to go to 1.5" dia.. Also found that in order to align the propshaft with flywheel I needed to move steam plant 1/2" forward. I will need to move feed pump assy. 1/2" aft so it still hidden inside seat. No problems, only opportunities!! CofG still feels OK.
(http://s14.postimage.org/njayhoiq5/S_L_Wear135_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/njayhoiq5/)
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Jerry, words are not sufficient to describe the wonder that you are creating. Fantastic!
As an aside, we went up Sour Howes here in the Lakes this morning. The photo below is looking your way. You can't see it in the picture but it was so exceptionally clear that we could see the hills of Wales on the horizon beyond Blackpool. So, we could probably just about see your new cafe too :o
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5939.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view¤t=DSCF5939.jpg)
Keep up the posts, it's fascinating.
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I have worked on it more or less solidly since middle of November, nearly 500 hrs. Kind words of encouragement always well received and spurs us on to better things. Thankyou. It's about time I returned to the lake district. Many happy hours spent camping at Brotherswater on the bike and later with the children. Maybe I'll bring her up and give her a go on Windermere. I'm going to trade the BMW K 100 in and downsize (and speed) to a new Royal Enfield. Can see myself pottering around the lakes again. What do you think
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A K100? I used to have a K100! :-)) It left home just after the first child arrived. {:-{
Personally, I'd keep the flying brick but I can see the appeal of the "classics". Our neighbor has a number of vintage motorcycles in his garage...all rather nice. And his partner has just been given (!) a free Enfield.
You should revisit the Lakes, yes, but Coniston's much nicer than Windermere.
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K100RS special edition ABS. Too heavy for me and too fast. After Brunstrom biking no fun anymore. Can't really get done on a Bullet!!
Agree about Coniston. Windermere too many grockles.
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Jerry.
Visited Bowness on Windermere last year, it's a positive tip, stinks of Viniger and chips.
Coniston much better, let me know if you ever go up and I will meet you with my K7, always wanted to sail it on Coniston.
If you do go take plenty of coins as you can't break wind without parking charges, don't think that I have ever seen so many parking meters.
The launch with the steam plant sat in looks really good, can only say the same words said to Patternmaker on his build of Wide Awake , Super Duper.!!!!!!!!
If you need a piece of 1.5" copper tube let me know and I will post you a bit, with that dia you could incorporate a boiler water feed heater using the exhaust steam.
Well done .
George.
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George, PM sent.
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Hi,
Very nice work you are doing there, keep it up.
for the decking, think about alternating mahogany and lime, it gives a nice contrast. I have found that 5mm mahogany then 2 mm lime etc looks really nice.
Ian
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(http://s17.postimage.org/j8o0xdjx7/S_L_Wear140_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/j8o0xdjx7/)
Sunrise today over Snowdon. The sun is moving north every day now.
The last few days spent completing the forward cockpit floors and carlins. I had to adjust the port inner carlin to clear the feed pump and de-oiler tank support. The servo drive, feed pump and de-oiler tank all had to be raised 1/2" to stop them fouling the hull planks. All ok now.
Next I made up and fitted the aft cockpit raised floors and carlins. This went a bit quicker than the for'd end.
The steam plant is supported on the floors and, as it is set down into the floors by 3/8", it is also located athwartships by the floor shoulders. Now that I can fit the plant in its correct position wrt the driven end of the propshaft I am able to sort out the means of coupling the engine flywheel to the shaft. The crankshaft is horizontal and the propshaft has a down angle. I have considered using 2 cardan type couplings but don't have the room and it would require the steam plant to be too far for'd. I also need to be able to easily remove the whole steam plant tray for re-fueling, cleaning and lubeing without messing around with fiddly couplings so this is what I have come up with. I call it a double dog drive cos I don't know the correct term. It's one up from the old bent wire on old wind up clockwork boats of my youth. I'm not sure if it's beefy enough but I generally over engineer things so I'm hopefull!!
(http://s7.postimage.org/jmocjhow7/S_L_Wear140_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/jmocjhow7/)
I started out by marking the position of the dogs on the flywheel, then drilled and tapped two holes for M3 screws. The holes go right through but the thread stops just short of the for'd face of the flywheel. Next I put the screws in the lathe and turned the heads and threads away leaving a small slot on the end for a screwdriver. A bit of loctite down the holes and on the threads and screwed them in until the ends were binding on the ends of the threads in the flywheel. These will not come out!!!! If they break I'll drill new holes and go up to M4.
(http://s8.postimage.org/4l95c6sk1/S_L_Wear140_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/4l95c6sk1/)
(http://s7.postimage.org/heerfw75z/S_L_Wear140_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/heerfw75z/)
Now for the propshaft. I made a yoke gizmo out of old brass hinge to take the dogs and transmit the drive to the propshaft. I didn't like looking at all that exposed thread so found a bit of hex with an M4 thread through it to fill in the gap. The yoke also has a thread so the hex and the nylock nut can all be locked together. I will loctite or possibly silver solder at a later date.
And to end, I fitted two brass prongs into the boat that the steam plant slides back onto to lock the aft end of the plant. The forward end drops down behind an extra floor and is held down and locked by a miniature brass bolt I made which is pickling in coke as I type.
(http://s17.postimage.org/4btskyrrv/S_L_Wear140_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/4btskyrrv/)
A kind Mayhemer donated some 1 1/2" copper pipe with which I will make an improved de-oiler.
Jerry.
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Jerry, it appears that you have put the flywheel dogs through holes in the propshaft yoke? If so I have found in the past that it is better to just leave the propshaft crossbar floating between the dog pins, in effect giving half a turn of slack in the drive but also leaving room for a great deal of misalignment between crankshaft and prop shaft. This system also helps make it easy to pull the steam plant out and quick to put it back. I also leave a head on the dogs and slip a piece of teflon or similar hard plastic tubing over them before installing. This quietens any noise from the coupling and saves wear on the dogs. Hope this is of help, regards, Ian.
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Thanks for the tip Ian. I have made a note about it. Yours is my fallback position. I thought of having a larger yoke and putting servo mounting rubbers in the holes, but thought I'd give my way a try first. My method of finding ways to do things is to get many solutions and then test each for good practise and then go for the most elegant solution. This is not my own Idea, I copied it off a local guy, also coincidently called Ian and he has been ok with it. I accept there will be axial wear on the pins but check out the name of the boat!! It's an Aussie built boat (1980ish) named after the owner/builder, though I don't know how it's pronounced. (ware or weir). Does anyone out there know?
kindest regards
Jerry.
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I've been thinking ahead, (just put 1st coat of resin on the inside so at a loose end until the fumes die down), considering ships name lettering. Original launch has, on the transom, about 2" high brass letters. The kind that are held on by 2 countersunk brass screws. viz. S L WEAR, and on each bow in black painted letters the same. I don't think the brass lettering will scale down with the screws and don't fancy self adhesive backed brass letters cos they are usually anodised ali. In addition, the mahogany of the hull when varnished is very dark, I think too dark to have black letters. Now, If she had been built for me, I would have specified transfers, gold with black edges for the transom and gold with white edges for the bows. This model IS for me so that's what I want! Question. Who can make them for me? Help please :kiss:
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Hi Jerry,
I have a very good friend who is a world champion scale R/C aircraft builder, who lives in High Wycombe.
Here is who he uses for all masks & transfers on his aircraft. Give them a ring and describe what you are wanting.
http://www.flightlinegraphics.com/index.htm
Tell them Richard Crapp refered them to you. :-))
Reg
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Reg, transfer info well received and much appreciated thanks.
I don't seem to have achieved much since the last post. I have spent a lot of time just sitting and thinking. More time just sitting!! Also I keep having to go to Aldi/Lidle (Adle) to buy things on special offer. Today was the bench grinder. I gave mine away years ago thinking I'd never need one again.
So, made up and fitted bottom boards.
(http://s18.postimage.org/43gfjjekl/S_L_Wear150_009.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/43gfjjekl/)
They are removable for cleaning under.
Then I made a doubler for the transom. Here's the rub. The full size boat hasn't got one. The side elevation hints at one but I thought maybe a thin veneer of mahogany on a cheaper wood until I noticed the rudder pintles are set into the transom so must be a doubler???
(http://s17.postimage.org/u2jvor98b/S_L_Wear155_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/u2jvor98b/)
The end elevation shows no doubler either but it also shows no geralding which full size boat has.
(http://s10.postimage.org/lhp30nif9/S_L_Wear150_002_Copy.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/lhp30nif9/)
Decided that as I had been forced to extend the transom upwards due to making a radish of it when I built it into the hull, I would fit the doubler which covers my error nicely. I made a card template of the transom as is and transfered the doubler outline onto a frame of mahogany glued up so as to get the grain in the right directions.
(http://s18.postimage.org/ja4ea2h6t/S_L_Wear150_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/ja4ea2h6t/)
Cut it out on the scroll saw and pinned and glued it to the transom.
(http://s7.postimage.org/7z4jhlb93/S_L_Wear150_010.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/7z4jhlb93/)
In between all this I made a few brass fittings on the lathe.viz the jackstaff, foremast and ensign staff sockets.
A kind mayhemmer is making me an engine driven feed pump, so I have ditched the oversize and cumbersome servomotor driven pump. I have returned the burner to the vertical position to make space for the pump to be driven off the forward end of the crankshaft. I had planned to redo all the pipework anyway so no loss.
And finally, I made a start on the deck by making a former to laminate the fore and aft deck beams on.
(http://s7.postimage.org/unybuwi0n/S_L_Wear150_012.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/unybuwi0n/)
I'm laminating rather than steaming, because the sheerline moved a bit when I put the sheerclamps in. I only got one side in on one day and had to leave it overnight and this has resulted in a slight distortion which I think I can pull out/in when I fit the beams.
(http://s15.postimage.org/tl2ie4ns7/S_L_Wear150_013.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/tl2ie4ns7/)
The recent post about the need to lay a ply subdeck has got me worried cos I was going to fit the deck planks without one as on the fullsize boat and have not left a space for it. Anyone successfully done it without a sub-deck? Was horrified to see one used on the Cutty Sark the other day!! I suppose though one must move with the times?
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Jerry,
some of the active R/C racing sailboat builders over here do it without a subdeck. They swear that is the only way to actively use the model (for racing) on the water without the planks lifting due to water eventually getting under the plank. They seal the planks with coats of varnish. Granted it is an activity that creates some stress on the model.
A subdeck makes the planking job easier.
But with your skills you don't need one!
<*< not everyone will agree with me. {-)
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This week a few more non modelling activities interfered with progress on the build. I managed to get the deck supports fabricated and fitted. Very time consuming as had to make 48 ickle joints. Things speeded up a lot after it dawned on me I hadn't made a stand for the boat. Using frames No's 3 and 7 as guides I knocked one up and, with new stand clamped to the bench, things were much easier. I still have a little shaping to do in order that planks will lie evenly supported along their lengths.
(http://s17.postimage.org/wk68x71sb/S_L_Wear160_011.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/wk68x71sb/)
(http://s18.postimage.org/q56clb9p1/S_L_Wear160_012.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/q56clb9p1/)
I have been waiting for some tiny brass lead blocks to arrive from RB Models in Poland. I wanted to arrange for the rudder servo to also turn the wheel all same patternmaker. The steering had to be sorted before I laid the deck planks. Somebody posted a link on MBM recently to RB models and I thought I'd give them a try. I ordered shackles, blocks and bottle screws. They arrived this morning. It is apparent that I ordered shackles too big and blocks too small! The swivel eye on the blocks is too small for the shackle pin and anyway not substantial enough for the job I had in mind. Rather than wait any longer I decided to modify the shackle bows to fit between the block cheeks. I should also take this opportunity to praise RB's product. The blocks come in kit form as shown here.
(http://s14.postimage.org/5pliresvh/S_L_Wear160_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/5pliresvh/)
If I hadn't had a carefull look through the magnifying glass I would have missed the sheave pins entirely. Imagine my surprise when I realised one pin fitted inside the other. A tiny drop of cyano secures them together.
(http://s18.postimage.org/3k28tvzyt/S_L_Wear160_007.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/3k28tvzyt/)
When I went in for my tea there was a message on the answering machine from Asda opticians saying my new glasses are ready. I could really have done with them when assembling the blocks!!!!!
I made four ringbolts using xmas tree decoration hooks and secured the blocks through the sheerclamp on the port side. The shackle pins are moused with a single strand of brass picture hanging wire. The steering "wire" is actually non stretch synthetic left over from my Parat build. I have to have everything on the port side because there is an access door in the stbd side of the transverse bulkhead just aft of the engine. So I filled the stern tube with grease with a syringe
(http://s14.postimage.org/6me5v208d/S_L_Wear160_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/6me5v208d/)
and then fitted the shaft, propeller and coupling and secured everything with loctite. Next I fitted the rudder after trimming the pintles to size then secured a section of 4BA threaded rod through the head of the rudder stock. I made a tiller fitting out of brass tube with an eye plate screwed through a slot in the end of the tube, then epoxied the tube to the rod. A block of sapele screwed and epoxied to the transom supports the aft end of the servo and a smaller block will be epoxied to the underside of the aft deck beam to support the forward end of the servo. It will be a corker of a job if I ever have to replace the servo. Must test it before I fit the deck!!
(http://s15.postimage.org/6y73o6853/S_L_Wear160_008.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/6y73o6853/)
(http://s17.postimage.org/cbalmqll7/S_L_Wear160_010.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/cbalmqll7/)
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I have had a frustrating week, having had my attention diverted a lot by things other than laying the deck. However I finally got it all down this morning. Before I started I expected a pretty simple, straight forward job. Thirty straight planks with 20thou plasticard strips in between. How hard can it be?? Answer, five days worth!!!! I started off by making quite sure that the Samson post was dead central. Next I ran two lines, one each side of the stem and samson post to an imaginary stem on the top of the transom. I checked that the max beam to lines distances on each side were equal and marked the center line on the forward and after beams and stem and transom. I cut 4mm strips of black plasticard and glued bits of these around the samson post and stem at plank level using cyo. Then I planed and thicknessed a load of oak to 9mm thick stock then sawed a 5mm thick plank off the stock and put to one side. I re-planed the cut edge of the stock and then sawed another 5mm plank. I repeated these cuts until I had enough planks. I then thicknessed all the planks to 4mm. So now I have plenty of 9mmx4mm planks and a load of 4mm plasticard strips. I should then have been a simple job to fit the port and starboard center pairs of planks and carry on laying all the planks. Not so!! I realised that the final effect depended on very accurate positioning of the first central pairs of planks so I spent most of the rest of the day cutting the reliefs for the stem and samson post. I also filed flats on the top surface of the beams and chamfered the edges of the planks so there were no gaps and no rocking on the beams. I cyoed a plasticard strip to the edge of one plank fore and aft and glued them in position using polyurethane glue and repeated the operation with the second pair of planks. Before the glue went off I made a final check all in position and ok using 1 meter rule as a straight edge. All A1.
Next morning I removed the clamps and cleaned off the excess glue and prepared the next pairs of planks and cyoed the plastic strips to them and glued the pairs of planks in position outboard of the first pairs. Wait 4 hours and repeat. This means only 2 pairs of planks per day = 15 days!! No way. So I changed to cyo and this moved things along a pace I managed 4 pairs per day until clear to the edge of the afterdeck. Then when holding a plank down on the plastic strip when glueing it to the plank I superglued the finger tips of both hands to the bench. I've lost count of the number of times I've done that before!! However this was the first time I couldn't get them off!!! Warm water, that's what I need. It's in the kettle, left over from last cup of tea. The kettle is over on the other bench but my bench is secured to the floor. Sound proof workshop and wife in bed til 1700 as on night duty. So I ended up free but with finger tips left on bench and very sore fingers. Fingers too sore to do any work over weekend. Wife says they use cyo to suture wounds so I put a load on. Wish she'd told me how much it hurts. It did stop the bleeding though.
When I was nearing the time when I could lay one plank from forward to aft I started to check the f&a alignment and found it more than 1/4" out both sides and it looked as though I was going to have an extra half width plank on one side. How could I be that far out and could I recover the situation? So from this point on I had to make adjustments to each plank by tapering it just enough so as not to be noticeable to get them to line up and to alter the width so that both sides are symmetrical. If I'm honest I didn't quite succeed. However, when the canopy is fitted one can't see both sides at once so not too noticeable except to me!!
Any way this is what she looks like now.
(http://s17.postimage.org/bqpysjl9n/S_L_Wear180_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/bqpysjl9n/)
Nice tight and square edges.
(http://s15.postimage.org/7k8so7d5j/S_L_Wear180_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/7k8so7d5j/)
(http://s15.postimage.org/jtrteuxcn/S_L_Wear180_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/jtrteuxcn/)
Rest of today spent preparing the foot rails and rubbing strakes from 6mmx4mm mahogany strips. I hope to fit them in next couple of days??
Jerry.
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Sorry Jerry, it's just not good enough, all you have done is left the door open for all the rivet counters, to try and find fault.
Get a life man it's beautiful, all that work with a bench glued to your fingers, I ask you, what it would look like with both hands free.
Your skills with wooden boat building is immense, wish I could build to that standard.
George.
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Jerry,
Working with Cyno is like working with fire. When I teach Scouts how to start a fire we tell them that the first thing is to have some way of putting it out, The same with Cyno I buy one bottle of Cyno and two of the release/debonder. Having said that I won't tell the number of times I have stuck my self.
Regards,
Gerald.
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Yesterday I made a start on toe rails and rubbing strakes. Used Kitty to mill 4 x 1 meter lengths of 6mmx4mm and 2 x 15mmx4mm mahogany. I cut the freeing ports in the after toe rails by setting table saw blade height at 3mm and running the 2 lengths of 6x4 taped together over the blade many times. I then clamped these in position flush with the deck edge then ran thin cyo along the join. 5 minutes then remove the clamps and wipe off the excess. Ready almost immediately to plane and sand the outboard edge of the rail until all flush with sheerplank. Next I cut the forward 15x6 forward toe rails to shape and cut the fairleads in each piece. Into the steam plant, (kettle) for 20 mins. When I tried to bend them they broke in way of the fairlead. I made another pair out of the left over stock but left out the fairleads with the idea of doing them when rails secured. After steaming again I tried to bend them. Result, failure again. Experimented with steam iron with a small improvement but still no good. Remembered someone suggesting window cleaner so whizzed the wife's Mr Muscle (with vinegar) window spray. Gave it a go and wow success!! I succeeded in bending a piece around a flower pot of roughly the right radius. I have left it clamped overnight and all today.
(http://s18.postimage.org/4fjzdwfpx/S_L_Wear185_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/4fjzdwfpx/) pair
Now over a month ago I prepared the wood for the cockpit coaming. I placed it across two supports and put two bricks in the middle. In a month the mahogany has bent only 30 degrees. So armed with the window cleaner I put the coaming wood across the laundry basket mouth, put three bricks in a waste paper bucket of the correct radius and placed the bucket on the planks. Gave the wood a good spray of window cleaner every half hour until evening. Opened up the workshop to find the bucket in the bottom of the laundry basket having put a lovely bend in the planks. Today I have been nipping the sides of the basket together with a clamp and am nearly at the correct width.
(http://s18.postimage.org/8rd6gnc0l/S_L_Wear185_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/8rd6gnc0l/)
Today I fitted the rubbing strakes. The brass pins will be covered later with 3mm bass 1/2 round.
(http://s18.postimage.org/vzc238a6t/S_L_Wear185_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/vzc238a6t/)
(http://s18.postimage.org/431rz7c7p/S_L_Wear185_007.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/431rz7c7p/)
(http://s18.postimage.org/efo2la5qt/S_L_Wear185_009.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/efo2la5qt/)
(http://s18.postimage.org/fogjknn2t/S_L_Wear185_010.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/fogjknn2t/)
This morning my new engine driven feed pump arrived. I'm very pleased with it. So I'm going to take a break from the boat and get the steam plant boxed off. I made a start by removing the boiler ,gas tank and engine from the tray. Out 0f a 13 amp plug pin I cut, ground and filed a lever to attach to the reversing selector shaft for a servo to act on. I removed the spring steel reversing rod from the engine. I turned down the brass handle until it was a good fit in the plug pin and soft soldered it together. I had filed a step on the pin to locate the lever on the link connector. I reversed the spring steel rod and replaced it in the engine but with the detent bar swung through 180 degrees so now the rod slides on the smooth side of the detent bar. Fitted a clevis and now I have a simple reversing control.
(http://s11.postimage.org/pbzy2byb3/S_L_Wear185_013.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/pbzy2byb3/)
(http://s11.postimage.org/b842txr3j/S_L_Wear185_017.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/b842txr3j/)
(http://s11.postimage.org/oqaz6838v/S_L_Wear185_018.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/oqaz6838v/)
(http://s11.postimage.org/al564eu7j/S_L_Wear185_019.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/al564eu7j/)
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Today spent tidying the workshop and rearranging things to get going on the steam plant.
I stripped the boiler and gas tank off the tray. Noticed the screws holding the gas tank down were very rusty so cleaned them up and will use a bit of copperslip when replacing. I slid the eccentric onto the forward end of the crankshaft until the boss made light contact with the inner race on the crankshaft ball bearing and nipped up the grubscrew. As expected the strap fouls the base of the tray. Easy enough to scribe around the strap in order to mark for a cutout later. I also marked the up-stand in way of the ram to cut out a space for this. Removed the engine and drilled the four corners of the cut out for the strap and then cut it out with the scroll saw. Next I cut a piece out of the up-stand to clear the ram. Replaced the engine and pump assembly and clamped one side of the pump mount and drilled for one of the bolts. Fitted said bolt and tightened it, removed clamp and drilled for the other bolt. Finally bolted it all up. Offered the tray up to the boat and immediately it became obvious that it would not fit with the pump body vertical. So removed top clamp and made a small cut out in way of a locking screw head then rotated pump through 90deg and clamped it up. Had to remove a few bits of boat under the bottom boards and a small area of the boards themselves and it all went in nicely.
Next I refitted the boiler and found the eccentric strap fouled under the burner so moved the boiler 3/8" forward and secured it. Still plenty of room for the gas tank and I'm replacing all the pipework anyway so no hardship. As a belt and braces precaution my friend also made a plain outrigger bearing to support the end of the crankshaft. My original measurements were incorrect but on the large side so he made the bearing a little higher and so a simple job to draw it along a flat file on the bench until it slid on easily. Clamped it and drilled for the two bolts before securing it. No tight spots so very pleased with the days work. The pump is 3/16" bore and 3/8" stroke so it's looks so much better than my original servo driven system and all together a very elegant solution.
(http://s14.postimage.orgy/h5/S_L_Wear187_003.jog) (http://postimage.org/image/h5qxbpchp/)
(http://s14.postimage.orgy/Mexico41p/S_L_Wear187_001.jog) (http://postimage.org/image/mkznco41p/)
(http://s14.postimage.orgy/Inez106m5/S_L_Wear187_002.jog) (http://postimage.org/image/ingz106m5/)
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Can some body tell me what happened to my pictures? If I click on the red cross I can see them but others apparently can't.
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I can see post 90. Cannot see any on post 91 (if you did any)
Hope this helps
ken
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I can see all three by clicking on the icons on post 91.
Ned
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Guys....here is post 91 >>:-( .....
This is the third attempt @ posting........the same <*< ......
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duplicated ....server issue.................... >>:-(
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Hi Derek
Still can't see any extras to post 91. No Red X's. There's just a gap.
Perhaps Jerry could post again ?
ken
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Hullo Ken.........
following is the first RED X that I viewed from post 91 from Jerry.............Derek
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I had a power cut the other day and so windows got shut down incorrectly. There are now a few things different on my browser which I don't understand yet but will sort when I get a mo. Also changed but before power cut is model boating index, column 2 was a black sheaf of papers but these are now grey???
Anyway I will attempt to put the pics to accompany#91.
(http://s14.postimage.org/3o025zcel/S_L_Wear186_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/3o025zcel/)
(http://s18.postimage.org/bdjev1ewl/S_L_Wear187_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/bdjev1ewl/)
(http://s14.postimage.org/vcrar8ost/S_L_Wear187_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/vcrar8ost/)
(http://s14.postimage.org/fttuu4gi5/S_L_Wear187_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/fttuu4gi5/)
Fingers crossed.
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Did you make the pump or buy it? If bought I'd like to know the source, thanks.
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:-))
ken
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Made an economiser coil to heat my feedwater from the pump with waste flue heat. I began by making a former out of scrap 1/2" copper pipe as in last picture. (can't seem to right click on pic code to cut and post)????
Next I filled a length of 5/32" OD pipe with water, plugged the ends with bluetack and put it in the freezer for an hour. When well frozen put the former in the vice, upright, and then put the end of the frozen pipe down inside the former and quickly wound the coil around the former. No appreciable kinks, simples. Silver soldered the connectors on the cropped ends. Offered the coil up to the flue opening and marked lip for grinding out two semicircles to locate terminals. I refitted the chimney and used the semi circles to guide a 4mm drill through the chimney. Finally I cut two slots down from the holes to slide over coil terminals, locking the coil in position.
(http://s17.postimage.org/3tqdgj5x7/S_L_Wear200_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/3tqdgj5x7/)
(http://s8.postimage.org/f31l7r5bl/S_L_Wear200_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/f31l7r5bl/)
(http://s10.postimage.org/4djpxhlf9/S_L_Wear200_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/4djpxhlf9/)
(http://s18.postimage.org/cvafamr45/S_L_Wear_201_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/cvafamr45/)
I made a start also on the new oil separator tank. From an old brass letterbox donated by a friend from Llyn Padarn I made top and bottom covers. I need to take the 42mm tube to someone local with a lathe to crop it neatly to the correct length.
I'm off to the Ellesmere Port show next weekend and my o/h suggested we take the caravan so will have to get her out from cover and check her over. The caravan that is, the o/h is beyond help! Found a little site nearbyish. There are quite a few going from Llanberis so see you all on Saturday.
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Jerry,
No need to turn the end of your 42 mm tube.
Take a sheet of A4 paper and wind it around the tube making sure that the overlap is tight, run a pencil mark round the edge of the paper which will give you a near true edge.
Set it up on 'V' blocks, if you don't have them open up your vice to let the tube sit in and you can get a hold of it and then cut round the pencil mark with a fine tooth saw, preferably an ECLIPSE JUNIOR hack saw, turning the tube as you go following the pencil line, then clean up with a large flat file.
Of all the boilers that I have made I use this method and have never turned a tube in the lathe.
Your pump and water heater look great and there should be enough space thro' the heater coil not to choke the burner heat.
George,
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George, sorry, I haven't been ignoring you but have been:- getting the caravan ready for Ellesmere Port, rebuilding the steam plant, setting out servos, cleaning "Parat" and "Aziz" and to top it all, the lights in the bathroom all failed last night and it appears I'm going to have to take the ceiling down!
I don't know how others clean their models but I pretend they're the real thing so I sugi them with spray flash and a medium stiff artists paint brush for a striker, then hose 'em down!! I put all batteries on charge and this pm will replace RX in "Parat", test the gear and load up.
So back to the build, three micro servos, the left one operates the regulator the right one operates the reversing gear and the middle one will somehow operate the whistle. I haven't decided how yet as the canopy will need to be removeable. Operating the boat will be a case of:- canopy off, plant out, fuel and hot water in, plant in, connect servo links, connect feed pump suction and bypass overside discharge pipes, flash up, raise steam, warm through, test controls and go???? What did I forget? Defo need preflight checklist for this one!!!
(http://s17.postimage.org/rqmctu6ez/S_L_Wear210_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/rqmctu6ez/)
Also made up a skin fitting for the feedpump suction pipe. It will connect to the pump with silicone hose.
(http://s17.postimage.org/6omdfi12z/S_L_Wear210_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/6omdfi12z/)
Now a walkround the plant, the bypass valve will be replaced by a 90degree valve after Ellesmere Port and the oil separator tank will be replaced by a new larger diameter and lower tank. Until I can get the 90 deg valves at the show I don't actually know the height required for the tank.
I also have to make a new, improved, safety valve blow off pipe to divert excess steam above the canopy. The cap needs to be secured to the safety valve body, possibly with a bayonet fitting. Any suggestions? And finally Do I really have to keep polishing all the copper and brass or is there a good lacquer available?
(http://s18.postimage.org/t5ivlg16t/S_L_Wear210_014.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/t5ivlg16t/)
(http://s9.postimage.org/oahu16c2j/S_L_Wear210_013.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/oahu16c2j/)
(http://s13.postimage.org/cmv4smdoz/S_L_Wear210_012.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/cmv4smdoz/)
(http://s18.postimage.org/y0ckjpzid/S_L_Wear210_011.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/y0ckjpzid/)
(http://s15.postimage.org/y7lyrmpd3/S_L_Wear210_010.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/y7lyrmpd3/)
(http://s10.postimage.org/dvdhxran9/S_L_Wear210_009.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/dvdhxran9/)
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We had a great time at the Ellesmere Port show. A terrific venue, good weather, good food and good people. A special mention for Michael Friend who assisted me in launching and recovering Parat and even towed both boats on a trailer to the car. Very much appreciated Michael, thankyou.
I was unable to get any steam fittings at the show but did manage to sell and get a good price for my much too big feed pump and oiler at the bring and buy. Thanks guys.
So, back to the build. I finished fitting the toe rails on the foredeck and the cockpit coaming. The hull construction is more or less finished with just panelling, four seats, a dropleaf table, a bulkhead a canopy and a steering wheel to make to fit it all out. Then I should have the steam plant completed so lots of rubbing down and varnishing to complete.
(http://s16.postimage.org/3tft2z9s1/S_L_Wear215_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/3tft2z9s1/)
(http://s17.postimage.org/zeu0v32vf/S_L_Wear215_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/zeu0v32vf/)
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Today I set about making the cockpit bulkhead. First I set up and supported a piece of card in the plane of the planned bulkhead. I made a pointer out of a bit of scrap. The pointer has one straight edge and a small notch cut in it. To use, put the pointy end on any position on the inside of the hull, with the pointer flat on the card, then draw a line from the edge of the card using the straight edge. When the pencil point drops into the notch it makes a mark on the line. Call this point 1. repeat, working around the inside of the hull until you have touched about every 1/2" of the perimeter of the bulkhead numbering consecutively until you have enough points marked on the card. So:-
(http://s14.postimage.org/w48f3glzh/S_L_Wear220_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/w48f3glzh/)
Now I removed the card and taped it to a larger piece of card. Using the pointer, find point 1 and position the notch over it and the straight edge along the line from point 1 to the edge of the smaller card. Now make a mark on the large card directly under the pointy end. Repeat for all the marks.
(http://s12.postimage.org/u3mdl7ard/S_L_Wear220_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/u3mdl7ard/)
Join up the dots and you end up with an outline of the bulkhead on the large card. So:-
(http://s15.postimage.org/rw6qs3ihj/S_L_Wear220_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/rw6qs3ihj/)
Next I cut out the the bulkhead template, offered it up inside the hull and made a few adjustments until I was satisfied with the fit.
Then I pinned the template to a building board and with strips of ash I made up a framework on the card onto which I cyo'd alternate planks of oak and mahogany 2.5mm thick. Trimmed to shape at the sanding station. Finally I removed the card and fitted planks to the other side of the frame. The brass strip that can be seen near the bottom left is to simulate a brass threshold to the door that isn't. I will add dummy hinges and a false lifting cap rail to secure the door after varnishing.
The final pic is an attempt to demonstrate to the memsahib why a boat that currently, sans steam plant, weighing in at a mere 4lb 14oz, needs a whole coffee table that you can get ruptured lifting to make it out of!!!
(http://s15.postimage.org/nab334dw7/S_L_Wear220_009.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/nab334dw7/)
The workshop deck was clean before starting today and the pile is what I swept up after completion and that doesn't count what's still stuck in kity!
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Sorry, missed one.
(http://s15.postimage.org/oje4g3ot3/S_L_Wear225_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/oje4g3ot3/)
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Yesterday I completed and fitted the cockpit bulkhead. I made a dummy door with dummy hinges and made a lifting section in the capping above the door. It's all fake cos I reckon the figures I will fit in the model won't bother opening it anyway.
(http://s14.postimage.org/p3ji7y1rh/S_L_Wear225_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/p3ji7y1rh/)
(http://s15.postimage.org/93hk2oebb/S_L_Wear225_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/93hk2oebb/)
Today I made a new oil separator. A goodly bit of polishing to go, then I will clad it with mahogany strips and brass straps. It has a larger capacity and looks more in balance than the original one.
(http://s7.postimage.org/8d1br6st3/S_L_Wear225_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/8d1br6st3/)
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Nice work Jerry, but does the separator need to be so big ?
George.
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I really don't know George. I do know that the one I built first would fill up in less than an hour. I have been known to over engineer in the past though. I won't really know if it's too big but I'm sure it's not too small. I chose the height so that the exhaust elbow lined up with the hole in the flue. My biggest concerns are weight and trim. By calculation I am close to max displacement. The only thing I have to move to change trim is the receiver battery pack. If she ends up trimmed by the head I will have to move the gas tank aft. My gut feeling is that she is pretty close. I have often thought that many of the open launches I have seen seem to be well past their marks.
I cut the pipe the way you told me and it worked great. When turning brass in a lathe, is it ok to use a parting off tool to reduce the diameter of a part between two wider parts because the gap is too small to get my normal tools in? I'm wary off using any tool for what it wasn't designed to do. I want to turn some deck cleats.
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Jerry....your build is progressing in a beautiful manner...your copper tubing is straight.....horizontal &/or vertical........ :-)).
A well respected former mayhem member [Sandy Campell from ACS Engineering] suggested to me that a de-oiler capacity of 20% of the boiler fluid volume is adaquate.....after all we are only capturing the oily water condensate that is not carried off as clean steam......
I do not see the facility to manually evacuate or drain your de-oiler..............is it by a forced blow down only?........Derek
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Thanks Derek. I was never satisfied with the first attempt so I got a set of external spring bending tools. I found that , like the internal springs of my amateur plumbing days, they make a great bend with no distortion but then they won't come off. I've tried oil,tallow and wax but always end up with copper macrame. In fact I'm a black belt 4th dan now. What's the secret?
Reference draining I just open the valve with the engine running and it blows the condensate overside to a receptacle. I found no need to squeeze the pipe to the flue, there is sufficient pressure in the separator to blow it up the drain pipe. Why do they call averything blow down, is it not PC to say blow up?
regards
jerry
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Back again Derek. I have been doing some sums. I have not seen anything regarding size of the separator so have sucked it and seen. The 20% figure is interesting. My 1st one was 2.6cm I / D x 11.2cm height = 69 cc The new one is 4cm diameter so 203% bigger= a fraction over 20% of the 675 cc boiler capacity. If it looks right it will fly!
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I really don't know George. I do know that the one I built first would fill up in less than an hour. I have been known to over engineer in the past though. I won't really know if it's too big but I'm sure it's not too small. I chose the height so that the exhaust elbow lined up with the hole in the flue. My biggest concerns are weight and trim. By calculation I am close to max displacement. The only thing I have to move to change trim is the receiver battery pack. If she ends up trimmed by the head I will have to move the gas tank aft. My gut feeling is that she is pretty close. I have often thought that many of the open launches I have seen seem to be well past their marks.
I cut the pipe the way you told me and it worked great. When turning brass in a lathe, is it ok to use a parting off tool to reduce the diameter of a part between two wider parts because the gap is too small to get my normal tools in? I'm wary off using any tool for what it wasn't designed to do. I want to turn some deck cleats.
Jerry ,
I take it that you want to machine a smaller dia on an existing dia, i.e. if say you had a piece of 1/4" dia brass bar and you wanted to machine a smaller dia but leave the 1/4" dia on both sides.
No problem just make sure that the parting tool has a flat face parallel to the bar that you wish to cut and take small cuts and then move the saddle back and forward to get a smooth finish, don't have the bar too far out of the chuck as the bar will vibrate and the tool will dig, if you don't understand what I am saying P.M. me and I will make a sketch.
George.
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Thanks George, got it in one. I'll put a pic up soon as I make them. Once again, thankyou.
Jerry.
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Today Oi ave mostly been searching the local haberdashery for suitable material to make cushion covers out of. I found a very tight green gingham which suits the scale of the boat and is kind of summery and evocative of picnics and champagne ( allegedly). Also got a couple of meters of fine scalloped lace for a pelmet on the canopy. Neither material was used on the original launch but I don't think green leatherette will do it justice.
On my return I milled up some 6mmx4mm sapele for the oil separator cladding, cut a load to length and chamfered the edges with the block plane and stuck em on with a dab of cyo in the middle to hold em. Then I rounded off the outside with a file and some sandpaper before finally pulling them in and securing with brass straps and two 12BA nuts, bolts and washers. Will varnish the separator when I do the rest of the boat.
Made up new exhaust steam and drain pipes and plumbed the tank in. Made a cover and pipe to fit on the boiler safety valve and fitted it to the after end of the chimney.
All that remains to do on the steam plant is to lag the hot pipes and turn and fit a skin fitting for the feed water overboard bypass pipe.
(http://s15.postimage.org/qla3rph93/S_L_Wear225_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/qla3rph93/)
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George, PM sent.
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Today I made a start on the helmsmans cockpit. Made up, assembled and fitted the aft seat/locker and two underdeck side shelves. If my guesstimate is correct the receiver battery pack will need to be as far aft as possible and to stbd. I put the receiver switch in the back rest and the chargeing lead is accessed by lifting the seat.The holes are to ease removal when required. Each part is secured by the next part, Chinese puzzle fashion, there are only 2 screws used and they locate the seat riser. There will be two cushions on the aft seat. The helmsman has his own chair a bit like a Windsor chair. I haven't been able to find one in 1/8th scale so will have to make it myself. The same with the wheel, it's 70mm diameter. I will make a vertical box to mount the wheel on and it will cover the propshaft coupling at the same time. A 1" dia compass binnacle fits on top of the box and bulkhead capping. An enjoyable, productive days work.
(http://s17.postimage.org/8b6merge3/S_L_Wear230_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/8b6merge3/)
(http://s15.postimage.org/i1tuai27b/S_L_Wear230_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/i1tuai27b/)
(http://s10.postimage.org/4mimm1q9h/S_L_Wear230_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/4mimm1q9h/)
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Jerry your workmanship is first class & your woodwork is as good or better than any I have seen on the forum,I am following your thread every step of the way. Thank you for being so kind to share with us lesser mortals. Mick B.
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Crikey Jerry. You're on your boat's comfy chairs and I'm still struggling towards mine. :}
Beautiful work as ever.
Andy
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Andy and Mick B., thankyou for your kind comments. Sorry I couldn't answer them but it seems there has been "trouble at 'mill". I'm finally back on but all my previous posts seem to be by Gregk9. He's an impostor!! Also, most of us seem to be newbies again. I suppose it'll come out right in the end????
Since "the crash" I have been in a state of shock. Giving up mayhem was harder than giving up smoking!!
I have carried on with building and fitting the launch's furniture. After the aft cockpit seat/storage I moved forward and made the engineers seat/storage and the raised panel sides before moving right forward to make the forward seats/storage and vertical panelling. The port seat is almost complete and then I will copy it for the stbd side. Then just the steering wheel assy. and dropleaf table to do before moving on to the canopy. I made a horlicks of cutting out relief holes for the servo rods so rather than remake the whole panel, I made a whatnot shelf to hide the mistake.
(http://s18.postimage.org/b8waa1rtx/S_L_Wear240_008.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/b8waa1rtx/)
(http://s13.postimage.org/5p9j4d5gz/S_L_Wear240_007.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/5p9j4d5gz/)
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Hello Jerry!
Are you certain that you're not the imposter? I've never heard of you before! {-)
I know what you mean about giving up Mayhem......it was scary just how much I missed it's being here. If it ever went again, I might have to take up smoking to fill the time. %)
The boats looking good! :-))
Cheers,
Robert.
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Hi robert. No I'm the author of this thread. It's been going since early November 2011. The title is a little misleading as I started with a question trying to find a post I'd previously read about building a clinker hull. When I found it I was asked to continue with my build on this thread. It really needs to be in "Steam" and re-titled "Steam Launch Wear". I think more people will read it then. I'll wait until Martin recovers then ask him to move it and change the title. Thanks for the interest. Jerry.
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Hi Martin, when your ready if you would move it to Steam and call it "Steam Launch Wear", I would be very grateful. Thanks for getting it all sorted. Your a star.
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Is he not Spartacus?
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Today I finished off the forward seats/storage and all the paneling. Just the table and steering box to go.
(http://s7.postimage.org/jbwrlq5af/S_L_Wear245_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/jbwrlq5af/)
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One dropleaf table.
(http://s18.postimage.org/t7sbten2d/S_L_Wear250_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/t7sbten2d/)
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I did the table this morning. This afternoon started making a ship's wheel. The plans call for a 70mm diameter wheel which I can't find anywhere so no option than to make it myself. I know how they go together so I made a rough drawing to get an idea what size stock I needed to cut.
From the drawing I got the size and shape of a segment. I used this to make 12 No. rough, oversize segments.
By bisecting the 60 degree angle on a set square and drawing a normal line on the sanding station guide platform I made a jig to sand the ends of the segments to the correct angles. I don't often use a hand saw for accurate cuts, I prefer to use the sanding station and sand away little bit little bit and softly softly catchee monkee.
(http://s17.postimage.org/p3awyiibf/S_L_Wear255_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/p3awyiibf/)
(http://s16.postimage.org/7rs0takhd/S_L_Wear255_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/7rs0takhd/)
I cyo'd a copy of the plan onto some scrap 3mm ply,
(http://s13.postimage.org/bj3w4hatv/S_L_Wear255_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/bj3w4hatv/)
then cyo'd the 4mm thick segments onto the plan. I then cyo'd the 1.5 mm thick segments to another copy of the plan.
(http://s14.postimage.org/86hqz9esd/S_L_Wear255_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/86hqz9esd/)
When all gone off, I drilled the wheel center through both rings with a 1mm drill. Using the drill bit as a guide, I cyo'd the two rings together, wood to wood but with the joints rotated 30 degrees.
(http://s18.postimage.org/7mcs39lqd/S_L_Wear255_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/7mcs39lqd/)
When dry I drilled a 1mm hole in a piece of scrap and again, using the bit as a guide, I pinned the wheel section to the scrap. Next I offered the wheel up to the sanding disc until cutting at the required radius then clamped the scrap and slowly rotated the wheel segments until a perfect circle.
(http://s16.postimage.org/fqs8tzr5d/S_L_Wear255_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/fqs8tzr5d/)
(http://s15.postimage.org/yxjolrspz/S_L_Wear255_007.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/yxjolrspz/)
I secured the resulting ring in the 4 jaw chuck on the lathe, centered it using the pointy center bit as a guide to the 1mm center hole.
(http://s9.postimage.org/tjfm7eyfv/S_L_Wear255_010.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/tjfm7eyfv/)
Using the metal working tools and a fairly fast RPM I turned the inner section of the ring to size and made a small relief cut on the inner and outer edges of the 1.5 mm ring segments.
(http://s15.postimage.org/s77sq2uxz/S_L_Wear255_011.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/s77sq2uxz/)
Removed the piece from the lathe, reversed the chuck jaws, and replaced the piece in the chuck and turned away the 3mm ply from the center rear leaving a thin ring as temporary support.
(http://s14.postimage.org/3y0gd6bdp/S_L_Wear255_012.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/3y0gd6bdp/)
That's as far as I got today.
(http://s15.postimage.org/9ny3q60pz/S_L_Wear255_013.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/9ny3q60pz/)
Plan to turn the spokes from 4MM stock tomorrow. Will turn the boss out of brass, cut away the 4mm ring in way of the spokes and cyo it all together. I have some miniature wood turning tools but no tool rest so intend clamping a piece of suitable steel in the tool holder as a toolrest. I will dig out all my New Yankee Workshop tapes and brush up on wood turning with Uncle Norm!!! This will be another "first" for me. Aside from the lathe and sanding station, these are the only tools I used. At this scale I can't be accurate or tidy enough by hand so always try and get a machine to get things as tiddly as possible.
(http://s17.postimage.org/jiq5z52kb/S_L_Wear255_009.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/jiq5z52kb/)
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Today I finished the wheel. I turned the brass boss and a pulley. Cut out the slots in the ring and cyo'd all together. I need to source a brass 4BA domed nut to tidy up the center of the boss.
(http://s18.postimage.org/wj6vhme6t/S_L_Wear260_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/wj6vhme6t/)
I'm really pleased with it. This is what modelling is all about. I learned a lot today. So much more satisfying than buying one.
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:-))
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Ta for the thumbs up. Made the housing for the wheel and pulley. Again it's removable for repairs. Will connect up to the bottle screws after varnishing. Not much done today as weather too nice so got the pushbike out for the second time this year and did 14 miles on the cycle path next to the Welsh Highland Railway.
Jerry.
(http://s18.postimage.org/9gz88c7dx/S_L_Wear265_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/9gz88c7dx/)
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I made the canopy woodwork out of balsa wood as weight is an issue. The edges of the planks are chamfered as the original is tongue and groove. I made it up on the plan but forgot to lay down clingfilm first, so I now have a canopy shaped hole in the plan sheet no. 4. I'll have to guess where the stanchions go. After I've ironed my hand of course. :embarrassed:
(http://s15.postimage.org/gfy15amif/S_L_Wear270_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/gfy15amif/)
To replicate the canvas sheathing on the upper surface I covered it with calico PVA'd on with a diluted PVA wash.
(http://s13.postimage.org/iuqd93joj/S_L_Wear270_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/iuqd93joj/)
While the PVA was going off I made some stanchion sockets from brass sheet and 4mm brass tube.
(http://s17.postimage.org/4xzauvczv/S_L_Wear270_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/4xzauvczv/)
The stanchions are 3.5mm dia which fit perfectly in the sockets. I ground square the end of the jaws of a pair of mole grips and used these and a small toffee hammer to make right angles in the sheet.
(http://s15.postimage.org/3snbpwdx3/S_L_Wear270_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/3snbpwdx3/)
I cleaned everything up, applied flux to the joints, held all in a jig made from paviors and soldered them all together.
(http://s17.postimage.org/wruapswp7/S_L_Wear270_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/wruapswp7/)
Will glue mahogany sheet to both faces before shaping them at the sander. The wood can be adjusted before gluing them to the deck and coaming such that the stanchions are vertical at LWL.
(http://s13.postimage.org/nyvvlwfvn/S_L_Wear270_008.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/nyvvlwfvn/)
Some of the stanchions will be used as conductors for current for, nav lights, searchlight and cabin lights, so no need for 3 pairs of connectors.
Jerry.
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After the trouble I had bending the mahogany for the cockpit coaming I decided to use iron on veneer strips of the type used to cover exposed MDF in kitchen furniture etc. So off to B&Q, "may I have some mahogany edging strip please?". "Oh, so sorry, we have no dark wood cabinets so only maple got. We can do special order, but more better go Stermat". So I went to Stermat. "We no have but we sell it in the Gaerwen store on Anglesey." So over the bridge to Gaerwen. They only got Maple or Black Oak. "OK then I'll take the Maple and stain it." "It's not real veneer you know, it's just thick, sticky backed plastic, I don't think it'll take stain". "I'll take it anyway and use stained varnish".
I got it home and tried Colron stain on it and it worked great. After ironing it on I trimmed it roughly with a knife then used my little Rolson mini plane on it and took it down to the calico. That little plane has been a godsend. At first I thought it would turn out to be a useless toy but not so. All it needed was a scary sharp blade on it and it sings when it cuts!!
I put two coats of acrylic primer on the canopy top and bottom today and in between when drying completed most of the electrics.
(http://s7.postimage.org/xkz6tmllj/S_L_Wear275_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/xkz6tmllj/)
I had been looking at the battery to receiver switch and figured the charging lead could feed another switch and I could gang three up together and feed Rx, Nav lights and search light off the Rx battery pack. A separate switch off a 9V alkaline battery could feed the under canopy dolls house type lights (3). I separated and joined up all the negative (black) wires and connected them to a single black wire soldered to the aft stbd stanchion deck socket. three positive (red) wires each go to a separate stanchion deck socket. On the canopy the red wires to Nav, search and canopy lights are all soldered to their own canopy socket. The black wires all join on to one black wire which is soldered to the stbd aft canopy socket. So no fussy plugs and sockets. The canopy has to come off anyway to remove the steam plant for gassing up. So the stanchions are the plugs. Only problem turned out to be that it didn't work!!!! I wrongly assumed the battery feed to the switch and the charging lead were always common, when in fact they are only common when the switch is in the off position. So I soldered all the red wires before the switch together and it now works.
(http://s18.postimage.org/spl6qbulx/S_L_Wear275_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/spl6qbulx/)
Next I primed the Robbe navigation light bodies then shoved two Q-tips up the insides to mask off the insides to leave them white and sprayed them with Plasticote 139S brass aerosol paint. The primer was cellulose and am not sure what plasticote is but it smells like cellulose and surprise surprise it did an excellent job and looks just like real brass. I like using cellulose cos it makes me feel funny.
While all that was going off I knocked up some boards and chocks for the sidelights. I just cyoed four bits of wood together using a 90 deg jig then ground them down at the sanding station.
(http://s14.postimage.org/6ok61v5ot/S_L_Wear275_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/6ok61v5ot/)
It takes longer to describe than to make one.
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I got loads done today. First job, scrape moss and lichen from 20 sq meters of paviors. 1 hour cos I'm aching from doing same yesterday. I should have gone out on the pushbike, then she wouldn't have collared me!
Back in the workshop I planed and thicknessed some Sapele for the canopy handrails. Marked out where wood needs removing, then nibbled it away with the table saw with blade height set at 3.5mm. Took about 15minutes.
(http://s16.postimage.org/pimicc9f5/S_L_Wear180_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/pimicc9f5/)
Tidied up with the file. 15mins.
(http://s9.postimage.org/cy3y89syj/S_L_Wear180_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/cy3y89syj/)
Then a little sanding to round off the edges.
(http://s11.postimage.org/3sxdwdvz3/S_L_Wear180_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/3sxdwdvz3/)
It'll be easier to varnish these before attaching them to the canopy.
Got two coats of red and green on the sidelight boards. I know that post 1972 they should be black and this boat is modeled on a 1982 boat but the original don't use black and I like pretty colours, so there.
Turned jackstaff, mast and ensign staff out of pine with mahogany trucks. Finally made a prototype deck cleat but radished the hole for the pin and chewed it up in the vice when "adjusting it". Will knock off four tomorrow after cleaning more paviors.
(http://s17.postimage.org/gd4i7mabf/S_L_Wear180_007.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/gd4i7mabf/)
I can't believe it's not brass!!
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More work today on cleaning the driveway and drainage channels. While doing this monotonous job I got to thinking about under canopy light fittings. I have found nothing suitable on tinterweb and have come to the conclusion that there isn't much out there for 1/8 scale. 1/12 and your laughing, so you've got to make your own.............. so:-
Take one Tesco probiotic yoghurt drink container,
(http://s14.postimage.org/lg02r0cdp/S_L_Wear280_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/lg02r0cdp/)
cut off the neck of the bottle and sand flat,
(http://s18.postimage.org/p4fnw99sl/S_L_Wear280_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/p4fnw99sl/)
mask off and put a couple of coats of primer on the neck below the threads. While this is drying cut four plinths out of scrap mahogany with a 1 1/4" hole saw. Tidy the edges with sand paper. When primer dry put a couple of coats of brass plasticote paint on the primer.
(http://s13.postimage.org/ut7jxqi77/S_L_Wear280_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/ut7jxqi77/)
Cyo the neck to the plinth, add a dolls house lamp, screw the top back on and Bobs your uncle, one lamp fitting. Happy with prototype, drink three more bottles and repeat.
(http://s7.postimage.org/eel45an3r/S_L_Wear280_007.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/eel45an3r/)
Jerry.
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Great stuff Jerry. I've been watching your build for a long time and loved all of it. You seem a bit short of responses recently so I just thought I would let you know we`re still out here and enjoying your progress. I trust the garden spring cleaning is done cos I can't wait for the finished product!
Greg
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Hi Greg. Thank God, I was beginning to think I'd missed out on Armageddon. Or maybe it was the site meltdown or even moving the thread to Steam. I'm really glad to know there are still peeps out there!!
Only ten sq meters of driveway to go, I ache all over. I have been continuing with the work though. The canopy is constructed, primed with PVA and covered with calico to simulate canvas over planks. The edging has been ironed on and trimmed. Ive got three coats of primer and two of cream satin topcoat but I'm not happy with it. The planks are meant to show through but, some show through more than others and it looks uneven. I didn't want a smooth ply substrate but I may have to make it again. Will decide when all completed.
I've finished all the flag and ensign staffs and cut, trimmed and fitted the flags. The Aussie red ensign cos she's an Oz boat, the Welsh flag cos she's sailing on Welsh waters and the Alfie Holt flag cos it was my first company out of HMS Worcester.
So into Bangor to tax my bike then a bit of drive scraping then I start varnishing. It's been a long haul to get here, nigh on 5 months full time, 6 days a week. Varnishing is my favourite part, not cos I like varnishing but just to see all the colours come out of the wood. It's a bit like cleaving a diamond, you hope to god that after all that work it shines.
Here's a mockup with the canopy on and the final items before the varnish.
Unfortunately post image keeps telling me they are "invalid files" for some reason. Will post this and try again in a new post.
Jerry.
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Yes where all hear sometimes you don't want to disturb your flow, keep up the Fantastic work
Peter
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Thanks Peter. I've let everything settle down and tried to repost my pics, even taken new ones but post image says invalid file. Anyone any ideas?
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Try an old pic............. that works. Try new pic............
(http://s17.postimage.org/bem50sotn/S_L_Wear_295.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/bem50sotn/)
(http://s15.postimage.org/i6frv86cn/S_L_Wear290.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/i6frv86cn/)
Yippee!!! So, what was that all about then?
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Truely beautiful.
Couldn't work out the 9v battery on the canopy till I realised there's a shelf there. :embarrassed:
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I've just finished the first coat of sanding sealer on the inside and all the furniture and panelling and it's brought out the colour. Oh Wow.
Jerry.
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:-)) Looking great Jerry. Can't wait to see it varnished!
Reg
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Thanks Reg. I have been busy rubbing down the first coat of sanding sealer with wire wool. I got one more coat on this arvo and while waiting for it to dry I did a bit more on the canopy stanchion sockets. I had previously glued up two strips of mahogany at right angles lengthwise and then cyo'd the rough brass sockets into the included angle. So today I cut each assembly out of the strips and shaped them at the sanding station. just need a go with the needle files to complete them. The purpose for the wood is because the deck/coaming angle varies all the way round the deck and all stanchions need to be vertical when boat upright at load trim. By setting the angles on the sanding station I can adjust the wood so that each stanchion stands correct. I have used thinwall pipe so that a 3.5mm stanchion fits snugly into a 4mm socket.
Tried to upload pics to postimage and it's playing silly sods again, so I'll post this then put the pics up later.
Jerry.
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(http://s17.postimage.org/tlmwoj1a3/S_L_Wear305_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/tlmwoj1a3/)
I wasn't going to post any pics of the varnishing but I couldn't hold back. This is after the second coat of sanding sealer!!
(http://s18.postimage.org/pcom5lbg5/S_L_Wear305_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/pcom5lbg5/)
Jerry.
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Beautiful colour.
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The best of it is my wife said it looks better as a boat than it ever did as a coffee table. Result.
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I must agree with Kno3.......here Jerry C........beautiful planked hull tones & colours.....[plural] :-))
Oh....& sorry if have used the original Kno3 lower case typing.............. :D .....Derek
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I like your canopy stanchion sockets, another idea to file away for later.
Thanks,
Gerald.
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It's taking two days before I can take wire wool to the varnish, even with the temperature in the workshop at 20 deg. This is the second coat. It's looking like three or maybe four coats will do it. The two coats of shellac really make a huge difference. At 10:1 dilution the varnish would still be soaking in after three coats without sealing the wood beforehand.
Yet again postimage will not accept my pictures until I write another post. It's getting annoying now!!
Jerry.
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OK, 2nd coat and looking good.
(http://s15.postimage.org/vs6is3ut3/S_L_Wear320_011.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/vs6is3ut3/)
And finally, the other half has been polishing the brasses again!!!
(http://s14.postimage.org/rtpumryst/S_L_Wear320_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/rtpumryst/)
Jerry.
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I can't find a decent binnacle so got a wand compass and a bit of scrap brass from the local blacksmith and turned one up on the Taig. The cover is the end of a Havana cigar tube parted off in the lathe.
Still can't put a pic up until next post!!
Jerry.
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(http://s17.postimage.org/tgzbk17ij/S_L_Wear325.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/tgzbk17ij/)
Why does it take so long to post a pic??
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Hi Jerry, great series of postings and I was amused to see that you live in what must be the only place in the world that still has a "local blacksmith". Keep up the good work. Regards, Ian.
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Thanks Ian. It's a bit more than a blacksmith actually. "Brunswick Ironworks" on the Caernarfon to Waunfawr road, out past the Roman fort at Segontium. Last time I was there they were making a "new" iron railway bridge, rivets and all for the Welsh Highland Railway. I get most of my Tiny BA nuts & bolts off them. I just thought it a bit cheeky going into an ironworks asking for a bit of brass!!
Jerry.
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Hi Jerry, great series of postings and I was amused to see that you live in what must be the only place in the world that still has a "local blacksmith". Keep up the good work. Regards, Ian.
Ian,
There are still many Blacksmiths in the U.K. but most of them are not what you are thinking about, shoeing horses e.t.c.
They are mainly Fabricators who make all sorts of things from Iron gates to steel structures.
In the country towns they still repair farm machinery and do fabrications, Farriers do the horse shoeing.
George
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Have a look here, they are a long established local company (who probably also made the gates to my lodgehouse!! I know that they did restore them)http://www.brunswickironworks.co.uk/centenary.html
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Some lovely ironwork on their website. We do have similar companies but not many still call themselves Blacksmiths. I work for an engineering company that repairs everything from huge underground mining machinery to the locals lawn mower chassis. Still have difficulty sourcing tidy little brass bolts and nuts though. Cheers, Ian.
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Very glad to see I can post a pic first time. OK, over the last week to ten days while waiting for varnish to dry I have:- lagged the new steam pipes, polished and clear lacquered all pipes and brasswork on the steam plant and made a set of cushions. The varnishing is completed and I have installed the deck cleats, flag, jack and ensign staff sockets.
(http://s7.postimage.org/5a5sj33if/S_L_Wear340_006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/5a5sj33if/)
The canopy is constructed and the paint and varnish finished, interior lighting is installed with just the wiring to nav and search lights to tidy up. Using the stanchions to carry current fell at the first hurdle as I was unable to satisfactorily solder wires to the sockets without the previous solder coming adrift so plan "b" is to run the supplies through male and female servo plugs and the common returns through one small plug and socket so a simple connection prior to sailing.
(http://s13.postimage.org/tvz0lnn9f/S_L_Wear340_003.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/tvz0lnn9f/)
(http://s7.postimage.org/5upezim4n/S_L_Wear340_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/5upezim4n/)
The next big job was to secure the canopy deck sockets to the deck and coaming. I secured the hull in the cradle, upright and at design trim. Then I marked out the position of each socket with small pieces of masking tape. I put a stanchion in a socket and set the socket in its position and sighting over a set square I adjusted the assembly until stanchion was vertical in a fore and aft direction. I repeatedly sanded away the bottom piece of wood at the sanding station until it stood happily in a vertical position. Then I did the same again in the athwartships direction. A soon as the stanchion would stand perfectly vertical I held it in place and wicked cyo into the joints. Perfik. Then it was just a case of repeating for the other eight stanchions. When all stanchions in position I used a gauge to mark the tops of the stanchions to get them all the same height.
On the lathe I turned a set of wooden canopy sockets with a 4mm hole. At the sanding station I sanded a flat on each socket to secure the socket to the inner edge of the canopy. I made up nine brass socket inserts from 3.5 mm I/D tube and cyoed these inside the sockets. (http://s15.postimage.org/f2s66a2mf/S_L_Wear340_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/f2s66a2mf/)
(http://s17.postimage.org/uqng0pvob/S_L_Wear340_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/uqng0pvob/)
Finally I put the canopy sockets on the tops of the stanchions and tomorrow I will epoxy the canopy on top.
(http://s17.postimage.org/uyfoayw0r/S_L_Wear340_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/uyfoayw0r/)
Jerry.
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FINISHED!!!!! Tank test OK, Draft = Tropical Fresh Water. Trimmed as designed with a small port List. I am more than pleased.
Need to tidy up the wires to the canopy.
Up to Llanberis tomorrow 1000hrs for sea trials. Where are the matches? I've given up smoking and ditched all the paraphernalia.
(http://s12.postimage.org/w162mgph5/007.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/w162mgph5/)
(http://s14.postimage.org/wxhkudtfh/004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/wxhkudtfh/)
Enjoy,
Jerry.
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Absolutely superb Jerry. I hope you're very proud and I hope the sailing goes well tomorrow.
I wish you blue skies and calm waters.
I also wish I could be there to see it!
Robert.
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FINISHED!!!!! Tank test OK, Draft = Tropical Fresh Water. Trimmed as designed with a small port List. I am more than pleased.
Need to tidy up the wires to the canopy.
Up to Llanberis tomorrow 1000hrs for sea trials. Where are the matches? I've given up smoking and ditched all the paraphernalia.
(http://s12.postimage.org/w162mgph5/007.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/w162mgph5/)
(http://s14.postimage.org/wxhkudtfh/004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/wxhkudtfh/)
Enjoy,
Jerry.
Please mister can I have a go ???????
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Absolutely superb Jerry O0 ...if you place the Captain on the STDB quarter should balance it out beautifully :-)) ........
Please post some images of her sea trials............Derek
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There's a video on YouTube of a small steam launch on a Scottish loch, sailing single handed, heeled over to port, not a breath of wind or a ripple on the surface. She comes out of the mist and passes silently finally disappearing into the trees on the loch side. It is autumn and it was truly devastatingly beautiful. One of the many pleasures I discovered while researching this build. Over cyberspace I have met many genuine beautiful generous people and I would never have achieved my aim without MBM which is nothing without its members. They know who they are and I thank you one and all.
Jerry.
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All the best for the sea/lake trials :-))
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Thanks all. I'd like to say everything went well at the lake but it didn't. Day opened fine and clear, no cloud on Snowdon, cold and at Bethel not a breath. Loaded up and headed upto Llanberis. Flashed the boiler up and made steam. Very slow and got a leak at the whistle joint. As boiler pressure rose so did the wind. The level of the lake was 1/2" below the top of my Derriboots but not daunted. Put the launch in the waves and held her captive while a friend worked the throttle etc. Plenty thrust and feed pump proved self priming and pumping but before I could do any level checks the pressure dropped right off even at dead slow. So shut off and had lunch. After lunch I disconnected the whistle pipe at the manifold and blanked it off. Raised steam again and big improvement but as soon as I ran the engine the pressure rapidly fell again at low revs. Something clearly wrong and hypothermia setting in so packed up and went home.
Watched the Grand Prix then set up the steam plant on the bench and rigged up a feed supply and bypass water trap. Filled gas tank and boiler. Removed the burner jet and found it choked with a waxy substance already mentioned previously on the forum by another member. i removed the bulk of it then wiggled a fine brass wire in the orifice until I could see through it then replaced it. Flashed up and raised steam until safety lifted then ran engine at expected revs until gas exhausted. During run I measured how much feedwater required and at the end I measured how much condensate in the separator.
RESULTS:
Time to raise steam and lift safety (50psi)............11mins.
Engine run time..................................................53mins.
Total time for tank of gas....................................64mins
Level maintained exactly with bypass shut.
Feed water used................................................642cc.
Condensate drained...........................................190cc.
Pessure maintained throughout...........................25psi
Perfik!!!!
No pics this time I'm afraid but did do 3 video clips of the bench test which are uploading to youtube as I type, so will put the links on here later as it's very slow.
Livin' an' learnin'
Jerry.
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This is the first clip, I hope.
http://youtu.be/9uwBf7wHqg4 (http://youtu.be/9uwBf7wHqg4)
It may be like watching paint dry though.
Jerry.
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If that was watching paint dry, the painting must be by an Old Master. I enjoyed it very much.
Regards,
Gerald.
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2nd clip.
http://youtu.be/gRzICeHNKuI (http://youtu.be/gRzICeHNKuI)
3rd clip
http://youtu.be/507UNWL0e9E (http://youtu.be/507UNWL0e9E)
jerry.
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Hi Jerry,
It was on my Flash Boiler thread that I mentioned the "waxy" substance, but, on investigation, found no evidence inside of an empty gas cylinder. I finally put my blockage problem down to the soft lead gas valve seat being deformed by the valve plug.
The other possible cause is copper oxide like you get on the outside of a pipe when annealing, which must also occur on the inside during the process. Before installation, I now give the pipes a good tap and a puff of air to clear out any deposits.
Good to see you taking actual measurements - it is very helpful for other experimentalists when designing their own steam plant.
Ian
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Thanks Ian, this stuff was waxy, maybe left over from the extruding or drawing process or however they make em. As regards doing measurements, for me it's the only way I can be certain. And if it helps somebody down dis lonesome road den my livin' will not be in vain lol. That's what mayhems all about!
Jerry.
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Jerry,
I am glad to hear that the pump is working in the horizontal position.
Don't forget that you will get different results on the water as the engine will be under load and you may have to bleed the water with the by pass valve.
But your bench results are very encouraging and will be better on the water.
I am surprised at the amount of condensate that you are getting, it must be some thing to do with the engine or as the engine isn't under load the steam is rushing thro' without working, reading other reports on this engine it seams to be the norm, I don't know anything about the engine other than it sure looks good.
Well done for your first steam project.
George.
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Thankyou George. At the lake we have some sheltered lagoons which, if too windy in a fortnight, I'll give her a run. On the condensate, I thought 190cc was pretty good and looked more cos of the wide container. There was a lot more dripping off the workshop cieling and windows I can tell you. I was so engrossed I forgot to open the doors and windows. I didn't twig until my specs steamed up. Hey ho!! The pump is as you can see on the videos absolutely spot on. Looks nicely in proportion and because of the positive suction head primes in seconds and because of its small bore puts virtually no load on the engine. When opening the bypass I could detect no change in revs. The economiser coil works well, the clack valve being very hot to the touch when before using the big servo driven pump it was cold and the pressure dropped almost immediately after the pump started to run.
Off in the caravan to Wirral Country park this Friday and Saturday and hoping to meet up with a chap we met at the Ellesmere Port Show. Taking the push bikes with us. Not sure about the launch cos a lot of clubs don't allow steam, (their loss). and anyway I haven't sorted out any insurance and as I'm not a club person probably wont bother.(That should stir a few peeps up, what?)
I promise to get some pics/vids up of her sailing but until I get used to it, all I need an assistant and someone else to take a video. The other problem I have is that contrary to the pictures of the build, which helped by showing all the faults, pics now don't seem to do the model justice. It needs a pro to do it and that costs.
Jerry.
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Hullo Jerry C......not sure if I have missed a posting....but are you going to used pond water for makup water?.....or have a FWD mounted make up water tank?
Considering such a evenly balanced boiler demand for water to the equally well balanced pump supply....is there any real need to ensure that the boiler is near topped up when steaming? ....would certainly use marginally less gas......but then a nominal 60 minutes is a good steaming time slot O0 ......Derek
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Hi Derek, I have decided to run with BernhardBB on the feed water. He's got so many beautiful boats and he uses pond water. I'm a builder not a sailer(sic) and don't expect to sail her a lot. The boiler is easy enough to keep clean and the lake is very clean. The other consideration was weight. The steam plant is twice the size of the full scale launch and the result is a very small overload. Not noticeable unless you know. On the point about high level, I agree but treat the extra as belt and braces in case of feed failure. That bit extra may just save the boiler. When your faced with a passage across the Pacific in a small tug, calculations may tell you that you have sufficient drinking water but you still carry loads of bottled, just in case. I carry extra fuel on deck too!!!
Jerry.
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This was the launch on the loch. Captivating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33l9wuSdTh8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33l9wuSdTh8)
Jerry.
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From this................................
(http://s18.postimage.org/jokism54l/S_L_Wear_26.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/jokism54l/)
To this....................................
(http://s15.postimage.org/aqyvsj9nb/S_L_Wear_27.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/aqyvsj9nb/)
Add some jiggerypokery and...................................
(http://s16.postimage.org/skc0aqov5/S_L_Wear_360_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/skc0aqov5/)
The other halves new coffee table as promised ok2!!!!!!
Jerry.
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Jerry,
I know you are clever with wood, but how did you carve the Hefalumps from a coffee table ???
George.
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I'd saw it was a definite improvement Jerry. Full Marks.
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:-)) Great job, Jerry!
Now that you have run the engine some, fully installed in the boat, with prop, do you think the flywheel is necessary?
(I know it is with your coupling arrangemant)
Thanks,
Reg
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Thanks Reg. wrt the flywheel, honest answer, I don't know. However the man that makes the engine uses a lightweight spoked flywheel for a desk role and suggests the big flywheel for marine use. I don't know enough to have a view. An I/c engine produces no torque at zero RPM and needs a flywheel to store energy and smooth the pulses between firing strokes whereas a reciprocating steam engine gives maximum torque at zero revs so it maybe doesn't need a flywheel. Derek decoy in Oz what do you think? Says he passing the buck!!
Rgds Jerry.
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Hullo Jerry - this has always been a vexing question >>:-(
If we watch video of some beautifully built steam engine models running at low speed....we literally see the semi stop start phenomena on the output shaft being the result of the change in direction of the piston/s at TDC & BDT
You are certainly correct that......... "whereas a reciprocating steam engine gives maximum torque at zero revs so it maybe doesn't need a flywheel"
Interestingly SAITO include a flywheel with their twin & triple verticals, but not their horizontal twin....& certainly other manufactures use a flywheel in the twin cylinder engines
I believe it's all related to the gyroscopic effect of the larger diameter thinner disk rotating than the same mass rotating as a simple shaft
I for one would stick with the manufacturers design recommendations... but I am sure other experienced builders [George ooyah/2] would have an opinion :-))..........Derek
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The reason most marine applications do not need a flywheel is that they have enough inertia from the mass of the propshaft and propeller- added together they make for a comparable weight of the average fywheel- also, moving through the water the propeller cancels out any tendancy for the engine to slow at TDC/BDC as the weight of the boat itself when underway acts as the constant and the propeller at TDC/BDC, instead of turning in the water, is turned by the water momentarily, until the power stroke begines once more.
For a truly balanced marine engine it is very difficult to beat a V-twin as they have a power stroke acting on the crank at all times as they are single crank, along with the above mentioned effect V-twins make for a very smooth engine.
Greg
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Hi all,
In my experience twin cylinder double acting engines should be able to run without a flywheel if they are well made and adjusted.
All twins I have, upwards of 2 cubic centimeters capacity can run well without a flywheel. Here's an example of an oscillating twin for a paddlewheeler, running on very little air pressure from a foot pump, and as you can see it runs slow reliably without a flywheel:
http://youtu.be/TqUhyPwO-9Y (sorry I couldn't figure out how to embed the video, perhaps a moderator can do that for me)
A flywheel certainly helps, expecially when running at slow rpm's and with very small engines. It's also helpful if the engine isn't built or adjusted perfectly (if the ports aren't precisely located, admission and exhaust events not timed well, or the valves not seated properly).
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At last, sea trials, really bad weather but once we lit the burner in the car and raised steam it all went well.
http://youtu.be/HIwbgFfw--I (http://youtu.be/HIwbgFfw--I)
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Looks good, has a nice turn of speed.
Regards,
Gerald.
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At last, sea trials, really bad weather but once we lit the burner in the car and raised steam it all went well.
http://youtu.be/HIwbgFfw--I (http://youtu.be/HIwbgFfw--I)
Jerry ,
How did the boiler feed pump perform ?
George.
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Perfick George, I never doubted it. Was only using 1/3 throttle as well. Dead chuffed.
Rgds, Jerry.
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Hullo Jerry - this has always been a vexing question >>:-(
If we watch video of some beautifully built steam engine models running at low speed....we literally see the semi stop start phenomena on the output shaft being the result of the change in direction of the piston/s at TDC & BDT
You are certainly correct that......... "whereas a reciprocating steam engine gives maximum torque at zero revs so it maybe doesn't need a flywheel"
Interestingly SAITO include a flywheel with their twin & triple verticals, but not their horizontal twin....& certainly other manufactures use a flywheel in the twin cylinder engines
I believe it's all related to the gyroscopic effect of the larger diameter thinner disk rotating than the same mass rotating as a simple shaft
I for one would stick with the manufacturers design recommendations... but I am sure other experienced builders [George ooyah/2] would have an opinion :-))..........Derek
Hi Derek.
I have no experience of ever running without a flywheel, but with a twin cylinder double acting engine I would presume that it would run, but I can only comment on what I know works or doesn't.
For model (toy ) work have look at a Stuart Turner Cat and without fail every Marine engine , twin or single has a flywheel, we can't compare it to full size which I would guess that 95% run without a flywheel.
To find out take the flywheel of and run the boat in the water, if the engine runs well leave it off, if not replace it to the status quo.
George.
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Perfick George, I never doubted it. Was only using 1/3 throttle as well. Dead chuffed.
Rgds, Jerry.
Jerry,
Pleased to hear that, I had a little doubt about the horizontal position but all's well that ends well.
Pity it was such a horrid day, never mind there will be good days, looks great on the water, well done .
George.
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Regarding the flywheel question. I found more info here.
http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=31036.0
Please see post #24 & 35
Thanks for all the answers, Jerry.....Bob's your uncle! {-) :-))
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After the successful if stormy 1st run I thought I'd show a few of the details.
Starting off with the owners wife called Slack Alice by all those acquainted with her. She reckons she's got couth but the observant amongst you will see she's still drinking out of the bottle.
(http://s18.postimage.org/o05l57405/S_L_Wear400_001.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/o05l57405/)
Next we have the temporary skipper Honest John (the robber). He's ok once you get him out of the boozer. He's staying until I can find someone taller who doesn't have to stand on a box to see where he's going.
(http://s17.postimage.org/m40fb3vx7/S_L_Wear400_007.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/m40fb3vx7/)
Had to fit some emergency kit cos of the regs.
The emergency Redwise bottle opener/lifebelt, (sinks like a stone).
(http://s17.postimage.org/gqatv1kyj/S_L_Wear400_005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/gqatv1kyj/)
Needed a few tools to hit various parts with to keep everything in top order.
(http://s15.postimage.org/dvsiq84xz/S_L_Wear400_002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/dvsiq84xz/)
I got all these and more from a dolls house kit place in Abergele, good quality and fine detail. set up the bottle in the ice then drizzled some thinned PVA glue all over the ice to lock it all together. It looks ok even at 1/12th scale.
A few more views.
(http://s16.postimage.org/487k0960h/S_L_Wear400_011.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/487k0960h/)
(http://s17.postimage.org/fyqzy6r8b/S_L_Wear400_004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/fyqzy6r8b/)
(http://s11.postimage.org/gqtw7c1cv/S_L_Wear400_016.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/gqtw7c1cv/)
Thankyou all for the complements here and on facebook.
Jerry.
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I see young John's regard for owd Slack Alice there is of such magnitude he plies her with booze, waits for her to capsize and land in the drink and then blames her untimely end on the fact that she had such a penchant for 'shipshapeliness' that he hadn't realised he could never in a million years climb up on the canopy, remove the house mast, recover the life ring, put the housemast back, climb back down, do a figure of eight, come head to wind and recover the Mrs. in less tme it takes for a young lady of dear Alice's variety to succomb to Davy Jone's Locker...!
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At last, some decent weather. Llyn Padarn, Llanberis in all it's glory. As previously reported the gas feedline to the burner has been cleaned out thoroughly resulting in major improved performance. The boiler can now more than keep up with the demand for steam with the safety giving the odd pop now and again om medium rpm. At full rpm the boat is overpowered and squats.
The sight glass is useless, the boat needing to be tipped aft to get a clear reading, so I have put a piece of copper wire from a piece of aerial coax core inside the glass. It now works perfectly. The whistle packed up and back at the workshop I found the valve full of the same crud found in the gas jet. I cleaned the whistle system the same as the gas system and in addition I made an adapter to connect the whistle to my air line so that I could retune it. It's deafening now. I lubed the valve with a little copperslip. I made another adapter so that I can now force prime the feedpump with a syringe from outboard and also refill the boiler the sameway without burning my fingers on the safety valve and uptake.
The video clip is courtesy of the other half. The horrible noise at the beginning is caused by having the reversing gear in the wrong position.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hwziJk-XkA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hwziJk-XkA)
Enjoy, Jerry.
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Two more vids.
http://youtu.be/J1m4neNJA9A (http://youtu.be/J1m4neNJA9A)
http://youtu.be/bAt-f5DnynY (http://youtu.be/bAt-f5DnynY)
Jerry.
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At last, some decent weather. Llyn Padarn, Llanberis in all it's glory. As previously reported the gas feedline to the burner has been cleaned out thoroughly resulting in major improved performance. The boiler can now more than keep up with the demand for steam with the safety giving the odd pop now and again om medium rpm. At full rpm the boat is overpowered and squats.
The sight glass is useless, the boat needing to be tipped aft to get a clear reading, so I have put a piece of copper wire from a piece of aerial coax core inside the glass. It now works perfectly. The whistle packed up and back at the workshop I found the valve full of the same crud found in the gas jet. I cleaned the whistle system the same as the gas system and in addition I made an adapter to connect the whistle to my air line so that I could retune it. It's deafening now. I lubed the valve with a little copperslip. I made another adapter so that I can now force prime the feedpump with a syringe from outboard and also refill the boiler the sameway without burning my fingers on the safety valve and uptake.
The video clip is courtesy of the other half. The horrible noise at the beginning is caused by having the reversing gear in the wrong position.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hwziJk-XkA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hwziJk-XkA)
Enjoy, Jerry.
Nice one Jerry,
It's good to see a project from the coffee table to sailing under steam, nice turn of power but don't get too enthusiastic if there is a bit of a chop about what with the canopy it might cause a bit of a panic.
Well done, nice to see such clean water.
George.
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That is Fantastic Jerry,
It looked like you had a fair breeze blowing a couple of times and had no problems maneuvering a great build. That looks like a very nice place to run at.
Regards,
Gerald.
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Yes...absolutely brilliant Jerry........O0
She [the vessel] appears to have a good reserve of speed..........I must also agree with the othe members that the location appears beautiful........
Derek
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Thanks guys. Llyn Padarn is very photogenic being right in the middle of Snowdonia.
The boat itself is very stable and if you take a look at the very first run you'll see she takes
a really massive gust at the beginning which also put the wind up Ben, the cameraman.
The big worry would be if the wind whipped up a large "sea" as she has no permanent buoyancy
built in and one decent goffer and she'd go straight down. I wish someone made a small CO2
emergency buoyancy device like an automatic life jacket inflator cos reportedly Padarn is full of
model boats.
Steamboat model, a link for you showing a ship I was in arriving in Montreal in the 70's. Calchas
was later a total loss. I took the pic of her on fire but was not actually her 2nd Mate, I was on another bluey.
http://www.rhiw.com/y_mor/blue_funnel_home/a_boats/calchas/calchas.htm (http://www.rhiw.com/y_mor/blue_funnel_home/a_boats/calchas/calchas.htm)
This is the best site ever for people interested in Blue Funnel Line and the Llyn Peninsula. Check it out.
Do they still have those massive black squirrels in the College area of Toronto?
While I was in Montreal I took part in A Seamens Olympics. I was a shot putter!!
Jerry
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"Do they still have those massive black squirrels in the College area of Toronto?"
Not only in the College area, but all over. We also have some Gray ones that are almost as big. They are commonly referred to as fluffy tailed rats, next to the racoon's they are the home owners biggest bane. Regulations forbid poisoning them and you are only allowed to live trap them and then they have to be released within 24 hours and within 30meters of where they are caught. They just cost one of my nabors $2000 in roof repairs.
Regards,
Gerald.
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Hi Jerry, can you tell me what size prop ypu are running and what make is it? I have a metcalf solent launch with the same boiler and steam engine as yours, it steams OK, but lacks endurance.
http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3755.0
Andy
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Hi Andy, prop is 2.75" dia x 4.1" pitch, 3 blade, made by Propshop. Cost about £25. He'll make anything you want, I believe he can go to 6" pitch. He takes a while but worth waiting for. My boat is 37.5" long, the engine also drives a feed pump and the boat is way over powered at full steam ahead. A tank of gas lasts just over the hour though to be honest I haven't timed it since I cleared the crud out of the gas line, it may now be under the hour. Without the feed pump I get 20 minutes to the bottom of the sight glass.
Jerry.
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Thanks for the reply
Andy
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Not a happy bunny! Just spent 30mins writing a post, hit spell checker, ping, all gone!!
Had a good run at the lake. Got a 42 minute continuous run with feed pump coping ok with consumption. So decided to do the trip "to the wall and back" with "Odin" riding shotgun. No problems with the exception that the steam regulator seemed a bit hit and miss. On return home I stripped it cleaned and lubed it with a dab of Copperslip ans replaced it. Will see if better next trip. It seemed to be perfectly ok, I should add.
I have a little video footage showing draining oiler and deoiler after a bench test done earlier. http://youtu.be/3dYY9H87XMY (http://youtu.be/3dYY9H87XMY)
I will post a video taken with a keyfob camera which shows what really happens to the regulator, sight glass and pressure gauge during a run. I warn you it's very boring unless you're really interested!!
Jerry.
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Hullo Jerry....very interesting video :-))
My lay understanding is ......
1. The volume of water dispelled from from the lubricator into the bucket approximates the amount of steam oil that was carried over in the steam to drive the engine
2. That steam oil went to two places.........fine droplets that lubricated the moving components and secondly that near immeasurable oily slick on top of the condensate
In your spoken comments you note the fluid volume from the de-oiler as low.......I thought it appeared high % wise..... :o ....looking forward to the next Video of SLWear...............
Derek
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Thanks Derek. Although that video of the draining off of the oiler and de-oiler appears to be a follow on to previous bench tests, actually it's like all movies, a bit of a cheat. In reality it was done after the first run in the lagoons. At the end of the run the weather became so bad we baled out and headed for home. When Ben was thawed out I remembered we hadn't drained them so we filmed it. Ambient temperature during the run was 2 degrees and storm force winds so de-oiler was acting as a condenser. It may also be bigger than necessary and so takes a bit of warming up. Recent runs in comparatively warmer weather only provide 50cc of condensate. During bench tests over winter at 5 degrees from a 65 minute run I got 190cc condensate from 642cc water used. I'm happy with things as they are now. I just need a little more confidence in the water supply. As long as I can bring the boat close enough to observe the level with the motor stopped then I'm happy. Will eventually rig an in boiler sensor switching an alarm of some sort, then I can do "the river trip".
One thing you may be able to advise on is the question of exhaust steam passing through pipes of same diameter as inlet. It doesn't seem right to me.
Jerry.
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Jerry.......the French model steam builders seem to often us larger diameter exhaust line tubing which is a sensible thing to do, however most if not all commercially manufactured condensor - de-oiler tanks have 1/8" or 5/32" OD heavy wall tube inlets which also create an increased presure drop
Even at our relatively low exhaust line pressures [3PSI?] we also end up with a pressure drop due to tube bore size & length of line etc
Certainly one of the contributors to your condensate volume would be the low ambient temperatures......you could consider lagging the de-olier body
Derek
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Sorry Jerry....I penned my previous note this morning [on a monitored work PC @ lunch time] that could not display the video clips or any other images.....[big brother was watching :police:]
Clearly the de-oiler on SL Wear is lagged together with the return line to the de-oiler %) when I review images this evening.......
I still suggest that ~~~~ 30% of the boiler feed water to be returned as condensate is a high %
Derek
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Cheers Derek. It's more a theoretical point, not important. My setup does everything I wanted in spades with bags in reserve. It may be interesting in later life to play around with the slide valve and ports on this motor to get more use out of the steam we make but for this project I'm very happy. I did a test run on the bench the other evening and on a warmish evening on a full tank of gas with clean jet and pipe got 55 minutes endurance. More than I will ever need, no chance of melting the boiler. The safety only lifts if I stop her for a bit and at just above tickover the boat speed is right. Any more and it's a waste. So I wouldsay that Maccsteam Madea good product, give good advice and that this boiler and this engine are a good match. My launch is just a fraction too small for this package which I'm pretty sure will drive a much larger hull.
Jerry.
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I had a really successful and enjoyable day at Llanberis today. After a small flare up lighting the burner, traced to another blocked jet, which I had pricked the night before, steam was raised in 7 minutes. Used one tank of gas just pottering around the slip for 35 minutes with water consumption at zero. Bypass valve shut throughout.
Next run was (for those familiar with the lake), nearly up to the wall and back. Final run to the river mouth, where we surprised some campers,up the river to the sluice gates and back to the slip. HMS Daring and Clyde Puffer as escort.
I keep forgetting to note the time I flash up but estimate final run at 35 minutes with gas to spare and water consumption again zero. I love my feed pump!! It never stopped raining until I got home but with waders and thin bike jacket no problem. Not many grockles but two very knowledgeable ones. One a MBM man from Mississippi who was very complementary but was dragged away reluctantly by the peeps he was staying with. Some peeps just don't understand!
Next trip will be a flotilla on the Llangollen Canal over Chirk aquaduct after the bank holiday. This will be good. I did feel a little bit exposed today on the river trip. Feeling a bit smug now though.
Jerry.
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Had another really good day on Saturday. I and two of the guys from Llanberis went off in a camper van to The Poachers Pocket in Chirk alongside of the Llangollen Canal with S. L. Wear, H. M. S. Daring and a pilot boat. Set up on the bank with gas, fire extinguisher and tools in a backpack. The first ignition of the burner resulted in another flare up like the last time so pricked the jet again. It appeared to be clear but did it anyway. Lit burner again but still flaring. Then realised why. As I was not using a stand as I usualy do, the tank was tipped towards the discharge side, thus delivering liquid fuel to the burner. Doh!! What I didn't notice was the flare had set fire to the courtesy ensign. Burned away completely. It left some really authentic soot marks on the funnel though which I will laquer over soonest. When ready we all set off in the direction of the Chirk Aquaduct. Progress was slow due to having to stop and talk to enthusiastic walkers and boaters. Many photos and videos taken. One very exited guy in the steep to back garden of his house put the wind up me, I thought he was going to trip up and hurtle into the cut. You know who you are! We followed a narrowboat over the aquaduct and got severely pushed about by the the current set up by the boat. We messed around in the pond between the aquaduct and the tunnel while a few narrowboats were preparing to transit the tunnel. Was given to understand that the tunnel tow path was in bad condition so didn't go through as we had no torches. Returned to the pub for lunch of scampi and chips and a gargle. Boats back in the canal and we set off in the other direction to wards Lion Quays. While passing a moored canal boat It blocked the signal to the launch and it shot across the other side and grounded on a stone. Had to shut off and get a good head of steam to back her clear. The only other incident was scaring the living daylights out of an inquisitive Labrador with the whistle! Made Lion Quays and returned to the pub, packed up and returned home.
I consumed 350grams of gas, about 6 fills of my tank(forgot to actually count how many). Feed water level maintained throughout(I haven't had to put any water in the boiler for over three weeks. It seems to stay at the same level no matter how I use the boat). Burning time per tankfull= 35minutes. Due to the apparent dirty water in the canal, on my return home I drained the boiler, flushed it out and gave it a go with kettle cleaner. It only fizzed for a minute and on re-flushing looks very clean inside.
The weather was kind to us and we all had a very enjoyable day. We plan to go again on a nice sunny day in the winter. I'm sorry but I only got one poor quality photo on the I phone not worth showing. Be interesting to see if any of the many videos taken by passers by make it to Youtube.
Jerry.
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Forgot to say minimum distance covered 7.25 miles.
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Hi there, just been reading through your thread, I have had a similar problem with my gas supply, been changing jets hand over fist, so if i leave the gas pipe in a 5% solution of sulfuric acid for a few hours, that should cure it once and for all I hope. Hope you don't mind, I have pinched your idea for the reverser, I have been beggering about with a Bowden cable without much success, your 13 amp plug pin control lever looks much easier. My sister lives in Carmel, which is quite close to Caernarfon and I will be visiting her within the next couple of months, is there a nice lake to sail on while I am there, if so, I will bring my Victoria so I can escape when boredom sets in.
Cheers,
Nick :-)) :-)) :-))
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Good morning Jerry, I do like the boiler feed pump you have fitted to your engine, Does it do the job ok? and more to the point, where did you get it, is it a commercial item or did you make it? Looks like just the thing I need.
Regards,
Nick. :-)) :-)) :-))
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Nick, you just caught me, I'm taking the caravan to the Cotswolds to take the wife to Hidcote Manor to see the gardens. Re the feed pump, it was made especially for me by a friend in Scotland but he asked me to keep shtum as he doesn't want to work commercially. It's a pity, I think, cos its just perfect for the TVR1A. The pump I made first, (hand pump driven by servo was too big both in capacity and overal size. When it pumped it put too much water into the boiler and overwhelmed the burner and the pressure crashed, hence the economiser coil in the flue. This one puts a steady, smal quantity which very nearly matches the water used. As you can read on my thread although I keep doing a "fly by " every ten minutes to look at the sight glass as it goes by the level only fluctuates up and down by about 1/4". I have only used the bypass valve to fill the boiler through. If the launch was half as big again I could carry a load more gas and run for a lot longer. However the weight of the transmitter and backpack suggest I've got it all about right.
Jerry.
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I've enjoyed the 1st season with "Wear" but have laid her up for her winter refit. Jobs planned are:- Strip her down and give her a jolly good clean which I began today, reduce the size of the seperator by half and make up new steam pipes etc., repair steering lines to wheel and improve the system, replace steel funnel with aluminium, improve whistle lanyard arrangement, make a skin fitting for seperator overboard discharge, service boiler clack v/v, re-seat engine on plate with silicon sealer to make oil baths for big ends and eccentrics, make boat hook, mop, plank and stowing brackets for canopy top. All followed by touch up of cream paint and flatting down and re varnishing hull.
Jerry.
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Jerry,
You had better get those white appliances cleaned before Mrs C clocks them or she will give you a refit.
George.
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Well halving the size of the seperator went easier than I expected. I removed the brass straps and the wood lagging came off more or less intact then using a piece of paper as a guide I sawed the tube in half. Next I applied heat to the base until the tube fell out. I cleaned the top bit and the base, added flux and fixed a ring of solder inside the tube close to the end then put the top onto the bottom, heated both until the solder melted and the ring of solder ran all the way round. Then I melted the solder around the top fittings in order to change their positions to somewhere more suitable for the new arrangement. Wii box the insulation off tomorrow.
Jerry.
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Jerry,
You had better get those white appliances cleaned before Mrs C clocks them or she will give you a refit.
George.
. George, I have long since given up.. I have a special dispensation just to allow me to have the washer and dryer in 'his' workshop. Doesn't stop The Lord and Master slipping various bits of mucky metal in MY dishwasher when I'm not looking!!
Mrs C ........... She who must be obeyed!
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Jerry,
When I was 14 years old my father gave me some advice, he said the two most important words to a happy and long marriage are "Yes Dear" so far after 25 years they have worked. She is allowing me to have 1/3 of the basement and part of the garage for my shop/Hobby equipment in our new house and all I have to give up is one workbench for her use.
Regards,
Gerald.
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why does she need a workbench ?
ps the "Yes Dear " does work tho :-))
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why does she need a workbench ?
ps the "Yes Dear " does work tho :-))
She does Jewelry as a hobby,
Regards,
Gerald.
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ahh cool she has a hobby tho :-))
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I built the workshop. Swmbo only dug the foundations and laid the concrete. Hence the washer and drier. The sink unit is 50/50. Fair I think.
Jerry.
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So SWMBO's part of the workshop is that which lies below ground, whilst yours is the part above ground? Sounds good to me.... :-)) :-)) :-))
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So SWMBO's part of the workshop is that which lies below ground, whilst yours is the part above ground? Sounds good to me.... :-)) :-)) :-))
. Yup the underground bit is mine... All mine mwahhahahaha. It's where the bodies of the disobedient model makers are buried. Mrs C. SWMBO
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Topic name changed.
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Thank you Martin.........10,303 [log on's] to this thread is big number :-)) ...you should be proud of such stats on your WEB site
This also demonstrates the continued interest in the thread ....& all provided by our Mayhem WEB site........
Again thanks to Jerry C for creating this build & thread .........Derek O0
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Thank you Martin from me also. I think that makes it all a lot clearer. To the chap that sent me some (to me) strange PMs, I apologise for my possibly short replies but I was unaware that Mermod's and my avatars had been changed and had no idea what you were talking about. It was only when I inadvertantly pressed "show new replies to your posts" that it all came to light. I do hope that the confusion has not had any detrimental effect on your future business venture and I wish you well in that. To Derek thank you for that comment, I am chuffed! I am also glad that my thread has been of interest and I hope of use to so many peeps but after all that is what I intended. Before I started I studied all I could possibly find on the subject on Mayhem and I should also thank Patternmaker, Ooyah2, Derek Warner down under Steamboat Phil, POMike, BernhardBB and many others for their help and encouragment throughout the build and subsequent sailings during Wears first year on the lake at Llanberis.
Jerry.
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While all that stuff was going on I have continued with the refit. So far have removed and stipped down the boiler to its cladding. I gave it all a good wash and scrub, dried it and found the varnish in good order but stained in way of and below the flue by rusty water coming down from inside the outer funnel. This was made from a steel hoover hose extender and I never did anything about painting inside as it was only a stopgap until I sourced an aluminium one. This proved harder than I thought so am considering plastic bathroom waste pipe which is pretty close in size and, if I can find a piece with no writing on it, self coloured. So I cut back the remaining shine on the boiler cladding with fine wire wool, which also removes varnish from the brass banding giving a good keyed shine to it, and gave whole cladding a new coat of yacht varnish. Looks better than when new. I have only to paint end plates and flue stub with cream radiator paint and boiler will be boxed off. While varnish was drying I cleaned and polished all pipework and brass fittings with wire wool and painted valve bodies, wheel inners, elbows and sight glass and blowdown valve fittings with humbrol gloss maroony type gloss. I blew through the holes in the ceramic burner and noticed quite a few holes seni blocked so using the correct size drill bit in hand cleared all the holes and burner works well again. Next job is to remove engine and clean and repaint the plant bedplate which with all the mods since new is looking worse for Wear (get it?) Also intend to bed engine and pump/crankshaft outrigger bearing housing on thin film of silicone. This is to turn the holes in engine bedplate into little oil sumps to splash lubricate big ends and eccentrics. Anybody got any thoughts on that? Can't see it will do any harm. Will finally have to nake up new pipework foth the new, reduced capacity (and weight) oil seperator. Here goes with a pic, fingers crossed.
Jerry.
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Like your new Avatar Jerry? :-)
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Martin, re the new avatar, I'm not sure. What is it? It took me ages to work out how to get the Blue Ensign on. Have completely forgotten how to do it.
Jerry.
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Ah!:embarrassed: .... it should be the flag or Caernarfonshire!
Was this what you had before?
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I understand now Martin. As I understand it Caernarfonshire doesn't exist as its now called Gwynedd. I'd prefer the Blue Ensign please.
Jerry.
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Ta da!
...... Gwynedd flag?!
(http://bp3.blogger.com/_FsvsWCNTv0o/RZ5hcRuWyJI/AAAAAAAAAAk/ojq8SQfMMTM/s320/Glyn+flag+moel+y+gaer+2.jpg)
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Na. Too much like Royal Standard. Would keep thinking Her Maj here for tea. Shmbo would never stop cleaning.
Jerry.
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Steam plant refurbished and oil separator reduced in size. I've just got one exhaust steam pipe to lag and a new outer funnel to make and she's ready for Coniston Regatta 2013. Some Pics.
Jerry.
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And some more cos site was acting up pics wise again.
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I finished the refit on the steam plant and gave it a run on the bench just to make sure everything was ok. Problem! The burner was going goodoh until the engine ran when it went out. Every time I started the engine the burner went out. What had changed? The only thing was the exhaust pipe from separator to funnel. I had put a bend in it to direct steam UP the flue. Before it had gone in at In at 90 deg. I thought it would improve the draught through the boiler. It did but too much. By starting the motor slowly and observing the flame I could see it lift off the ceramic and disappear through the boiler. I cropped the pipe inside the flue so now at 90 deg and burner works fine again. So now only a few things to do inside the boat and on canopy and she'll be ready for CONISTON REGATTA.
Jerry.
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Sometimes I have bad ideas. Making an outer funnel out of plastic drainpipe was one of them. Half the weight of the tin version, no need to paint and only 5 minutes to make. Result, after 1 hour steam test, a lumpy banana! So back to metal, this time aluminium but at 12 gauge, only saved 35 grams. The brass cap I turned on the lathe and is an interference fit (mallet) in the casing. Finished off with 2 light coats Halfords #8 etch primer, 2 light coats cellulose white primer as undercoat and 2 coats aerosol white gloss radiator paint. When touch dry I cooked it off in the oven at 120 deg for 30 mins. Had no compatibility issues. The pics show brass spring clips hanging on inner flue. These grip and center the outer.
Jerry.
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Jerry,
Please excuse my quiet laughter, I did mean to warn you on your suggestion on using plastic pipe for the funnel but completely forgot, not only does it bend on heating, once bent always bent.
Never mind the new painted one looks great.
George.
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I wouldn't mind George but it doesn't even get too hot to hold!
Jerry.
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Ok, I haven't been on here for yonks but as "thems that is keen gets fell in previous" I decided to give the steam plant a go and put the receiver back in and re program the Tx in preparation for Coniston Regatta. I didn't foresee any problems because I gave it a run just prior to layup. Steam raised to 60psi in 7 minutes, safety lifted ok, pressure maintained at 66 psi. So far so good, started the engine ok for a few minutes but then started running rough and finally stopped and couldn't be restarted. Something had definately occurred but what. Dug out the instructions and checked the timing. All seems in order, nothing loose or bent. Turns over very smoothly by hand without steam. In desperation emoved the front steam chest cover and found the problem straight away. On these engines the slide driver is, for want of a better expression, glued to the slide spindle. This adhesive had failed and the driver was just floating on the spindle and not moving the slide. So one cylinder was fighting the other. Mad panic as Coniston only 10 days away. Email to graham industries asking for new part. Removed the spindle, cleaned it, removed traces of adhesive from both pieces then silver soldered the driver onto the spindle 15mm from the far end. I got the position info from the intact rear spindle. Put it back together and it goes good on air. Will steam her tomorrow. Phew!!
Jerry.
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So glad that you described your problem my friends engine has just done the same thing. >>:-( >>:-( .
Thought that this was a hydro lock but on investigation turned out to be the valve rod.
Will be giving it a go over the next few days to sort out the problem.
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I ran the plant on steam and found a small leak at the o ring where the spindle exits the valve chest on the top. I had no idea where to get such a tiny o ring from so decided to make a pair of blind covers instead of the open o ring retainer plate. I'd always wanted to do this anyway so an hour on the lathe and I made them. I used the original retainer as a guide to get the position of the screw holes in the cover flanges. Fitted the covers and raised steam again. Engine runs great on steam but found the leak wasn't from the o ring but was from the top edge of the cover plate which appeared to have bowed. Removed plate and checked if it was flat. It was slightly bowed so flattened it with little hammer on drill stand work plate, fitted original paper gasket with a smidgen of BMW Drei bond and replaced cover. When sealant has gone off I'll give it another go. Originally I built the engine without gaskets and just used Drei bond. When I replaced the cover I tried it metal to metal which wasn't a very bright thing to do. Has anyone else had the valve driver adhesive fail? At first sight the driver looks to be of a different material to the brass spindle, possibly gunmetal?
I think it should be ok now.
Jerry.
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Ok peeps here's a good surprise. Got home this evening and in the mailbox an envelope with three brand new spindles from Graham Industries in USA. That's less than 4 days. Great service again for my little TVR1ABB.
Jerry.
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Well we had a brilliant time at Coniston Regatta with fine weather though sometimes wind too strong to sail "Wear". Plenty of action with full scale steam launches ie., one with superheater leak, one with cylinder cover leak and one 1908 petrol engine with cack under a valve destroying compression. All probs resolved with corporate ingenuity. Best was an auxiliary sailing boat going astern leaving the jetty found his inflatable dinghy approaching at great knots and diving down to the propellor. Skipper donned waders and six hefty volunteers standing on the foredeck to lift the prop while skipper hacks awed through the resultant macramé. I steamed "Wear" in the evening calm but couldn't get any sense out of the sight glass. Subsequent investigation revealed glass too high in fittings and blocking the top vent. Fixed it and on the next evening had a good sail but feed pump kept picking up bits from the lake. It's nowhere near as clean as Llyn Padarn. Will fit a filter for next year. The Swallows And Amazons theme was great with a replica of the campsite on wildcat island and the film Swallows and Amazons Forever shown in the living room of the real Holly Howe. Never seen so many quiet, rapt children glued to the screen. It was programmed to be shown out doors but the farmer over reved the generator and fried the projector and sound system. "Gondola" stood in for Captain Flint's houseboat including a very loud cannon and lots of smoke. The wife filmed me running goose winged down the actual field run down by Roger in the film. I over did it and nearly had a stroke!
A good effort Greg (aka Gondolier88) well done and thankyou. Hope it builds for next year. All the steamers I spoke too enjoyed themselves. Pics and vids to follow.
Jerry.
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Thanks for the write-up Jerry, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it, despite testing winds for almost the duration.
Now we just need more modellers next year......!
Thanks again for bringing Wear, and a privilege to have seen her in the flesh- anyone going near Llyn Padarn must PM Jerry to see if he's there with Wear, must surely be in the top 20 model steam launches built in the last 10 years.
Greg
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I've just found out that the Memsahib didn't take one picture of "Wear"! No video either. She's a treasure. She just needs burying. Here's what she did get:-
http://youtu.be/MwjATkuoKvE (http://youtu.be/MwjATkuoKvE)
And some S&A pics. I've just noticed that we can now post pics of 200KB size, after I'd resized everything down to <161KB
Jerry.
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A few more clips
http://youtu.be/LkzsXJu7xnU (http://youtu.be/LkzsXJu7xnU)
http://youtu.be/brfU4aIyhcQ (http://youtu.be/brfU4aIyhcQ)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D2-9DZpTkw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D2-9DZpTkw)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anjt9AlV5A4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anjt9AlV5A4)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34UZGXNnRww (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34UZGXNnRww)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3DmodQaC6Y (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3DmodQaC6Y)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwjATkuoKvE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwjATkuoKvE)
Jerry.
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Looks like fun, than you for sharing. :-))
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The last few steams have found feed pump not keeping up with water consumption but test of pump found now problems so must be using more steam than before. Because the burner had gone out quite a few times, since changing the de-oiler tank and plumbing, I decided to temporarily remove the exhaust steam pipe from the inner funnel to see if any improvement. On running the engine I noticed comparatively large amounts of condensate squirting from exhaust after the de-oiler. Before, this was being put into the inner funnel. Now, burner is ok but also heats the water much faster and maintains pressure better. On stalling the engine by grabbing the flywheel I found steam leaking past one or both of the slide valves and emitting from the exhaust (I can see it now). When I repaired the rear slide valve spindle, the slide was, if I'm honest, probably too tight a fit on the spindle. I removed the old spindle and replaced it with one of the new ones and cured the leak. The whistle was originally put high on the funnel for scale reasons. It always had to clear a lot of condensate before sounding and sprayed water everywhere so I've moved it to the top of the steam manifold where it now works instantly and sounds much clearer. It now drives the dogs mental! In its place on the funnel I have put the new steam exhaust pipe as a temporary rig using some larger bore brass pipe and a bit of flexible tube. This may become permanent.
Jerry.
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Thanks for the commentary on your issues Jerry - very informative. Do you plan to keep your exhaust external to the chimney? It sounds like it has a big effect on the ease of raising steam. As I am just about to plumb in my condenser I need to decide where to route the exhaust, and keep changing my mind between internal and external.
I am also wondering about the condensate coming out of the exhaust. Is this to be expected, as some steam will condense in the last length of pipe before reaching the outside world, or do you think it's a symptom of something not quite right elsewhere? The fact that you mention it suggests it hadn't been happening before.
(Sorry there were no videos of Wear at Coniston, but I enjoyed the other clips.)
Greg
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Hi Greg, you've probably noticed that I have two funnels. The first is the copper one that comes with the boiler from new and the second is a larger diameter longer aluminium one for scale and weight purposes. On the first build with the oversized de-oiler I ran the steam straight through both funnels with no curve or upsweep. I had no actual problems with that arrangement but always had the idea that there was more to come from the burner. With the half sized de-oiler I initially ran the steam as before but with the end bent upwards in the inner funnel to make the fire draw better as in steam loco practice. It worked but too well and the flame left the burner and went up the flue and flamed out. I returned to the original straight in route but had more flame outs. If you remember my first video on YouTube the wind was atrocious and it was just above freezing but the launch performed perfectly. It is possible that positioning of the steam outlet inside the funnel is critical and that first time was pure luck. I don't know. On the lake yesterday I had a flameout so I quickly removed the pipe from the funnels and jury rigged a soft pipe to the roof stanchion and everything went well or even better. I couldn't do a long test though cos for the first time in 4 1/2 years three peeps were on same frequency so I backed off and let them get on with it. It was when I flashed up and ran the engine that I saw the water shooting out of the pipe which got me thinking. I always try to alter one thing at a time to keep things simple. Also I had a couple of kids who were asking hundreds of questions without waiting for an answer and that mixes my head up! Anyway to answer your question I intend to carry on with the external pipe and if things work out ok next Sunday at the lake I'll keep it but do a better job and lag it to the top. I don't think the condensate coming out of the pipe is a Symtom of a problem and it must have been happening before but as it was inside the flue I couldn't see it. Even now I get condensation inside the top of the external flue but that is just the product of combustion. Remember for every kilo of fuel you burn you make a kilo of water. I would expect your layout will have some different performance because you take heat from the de oiler to heat your feedwater where intake my heat from the base of the inner flue and keep my de oiler hot so my condensate is in the long brass final pipe.
I was really teed off about the lack of video but to be fair was not on the water for long and wife doesn't know how to use my big camera on video and she was too far away to use the iPhone.
Jerry.
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All these problems or opportunities as I prefer to call them are what makes steam so fascinating. I started off knowing a bit and read every post on steam and steam r&d to broaden my knowledge then picked and chose what I needed. Not all decisions proved to be wise but that's the fun. I love a puzzle and quite often wake up in the morning with a solution. I then look for a more elegant solution. My first de oiler was a case in point. I've also had problems with weight hence no on board feedwater tank. I could have done with one on Coniston. The Ali outer funnel is lighter than the original steel one but draws heat from the gas exhaust more causing the condensation at the top. This drips onto the wood boiler lagging which results in streaks on the varnish. It bothered me at first but since looking over the real ones at the regatta I now regard it as "ageing". The heat leaking from the vents in the burner has put colours on the little dolls house bucket that lives there that I could never have done with paint. If I could get a decent bronzy on Slack Alice's toyboy helmsman I'd be really happy. He's prosthesis pink at the moment! Hoho. If anybody has any ideas on something to indicate from a distance that the the flame has gone out I'm all ears.
Jerry.
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For those Calgary members. My brother on the billboard. Don't worry, he's gone to Houston now!
Jerry.
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Hi Jerry, I was wondering, where did you get Slack Alice from, I am in need of figures for African Queen, a Humphrey Bogart and a Catherine Hepburn, or close enough, the ones I have seen so far don't seem to fit the bill, mainly they are too 'modern' looking. AQ is 1/10th scale, and dolls house kit is 1/12th I think, do you think the difference would be noticeable?
I am hoping to get cracking with a vengeance and get her finished.
Wear is looking good, I gave mine a bit of a service, and I suspect the o rings need replacing, The cylinder end cover with the gland seems to be pressed in, and have been thinking on the best way to remove them. Heat? Locktite de bonding stuff, twisting and pulling? any suggestions welcome. The manufacturer wants 45 quid to replace them, which I think is a tad expensive.
Nick....
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Nick, I don't think 1/12 scale figures will be a problem. They could be just short people. I noticed on dolls house websites that figures come in varying heights.
Your question about o rings has me puzzled. Did you build the engine or did you buy ready assembled? Why do you think o rings need replacing? Do you have a parts list? If so let me know which parts you are referring to. I can think of no parts pressed in. "The cylinder cover with the gland appeared to be pressed in"? There are two cylinder covers and these are on top of the cylinders and have no gland. The cylinders go on top of the cylinder mount which has two glands. Each gland has an o ring held in by a seal retainer in turn held down with two screws.These glands seal the piston rod. If nothing leaking, leave well alone. How many hours has it run? What does the manufacturer do for £45. It's a long way to go to get a repair you can do yourself (if it really needs doing). If you didn't build engine yourself, do you have the special tools?
Jerry.
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Hi Jerry, the engine is an SVS twin oscillator, the cylinders are bored to a blind end, it that is the tern, so there is no cylinder head the bottom end has the piston rod coming out through the cover thro a boss with no stuffing nut to adjust, no flange and screws to adjust as on TVR valve chest glands. There are no screws or bolts holding the cover on, only a thin line where the join is. The engine is quite a lot looser than when it was new, and seems to be using more steam than usual, A lot of water gushes out if the glands when the engine is first started, and when it is warmed up, it is passing steam.Heres a photo from manufacturers website of the engine in question. The quote was to replace o rings in both cylinders.
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Sooo sorry Nick, I thought you were using a tvr. I know absolutely nothing about your engine, sorry.
Jerry.
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I will post a picture of the engine in question tomorrow, the boat is in the car at the moment. I should have mentioned that it was an SVS engine, I have a TVR as well.Over the last year the little SVS has given Stirling service with, at a guess 80 hours total running time, as I go to the lake 3 times a week weather permitting....
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When are you coming to Carmel?
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Ah, now theres a thing, I have been meaning to go for a while now, but with one thing or another, don't seem to get round to it, within the next month or so hopefully. I will let you know and bring the boat if it is on one of your sailing days.
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You've got my number, give me a call and if I'm still here we'll go to the lake.
Jerry.
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Since making the new external steam exhaust and repositioning the whistle I read an old post concerning ceramic burner problems. The problem on the post was about melting a Stewart square ceramic burner due to lighting the flame upstream of the ceramic element. There was talk of elements glowing similar to domestic gas fires. Looking at my burner I couldn't see why the ceramic element would ever glow as cold gas is passing through it and the flame moves away from the face of the element. Looking through the secondary air slots one can only see the cones of light blue flame exiting the holes in the element and a bit of the dark blue flame further away. It is not possible to see the top of the flame but I would expect it to be blue with no yellow flame. I reduced the flow of gas to the minimum require to keep flame alight and then I could see the ceramic start to glow very bright orange. In this situation there was not enough heat to maintain pressure. Turn up to max noise and pressure rose rapidly. Also mentioned in the post was that Mr Maccsteam said that the gas jet should be fitted into the jet holder using a small amount of ptfe tape. If not gas could leak past the threads and not burn properly resulting in heat losses. Not having any tape handy I used a tiny amount of BMW Dribond. On lighting my boiler from cold (15°C) 60psi was reached in under 6 minutes with sight glass half full. Big improvement. Going back to my external exhaust, the bore of the pipe is now the same as the TVR engine manifold I/D. The engine now runs much faster on similar throttle openings. Less back pressure downstream of pistons. Today at the lake a very successful day, engine running much more free, whistle functioning instantly from 15psi to 60 and crystal clear with nil spray. Feedpump working well again. Weather was ok but with a few big gusts. One gust caused a flame out but when lifted boat ashore no smell of gas and found gas tank empty after 30 minute run. So it would appear that gas consumption has increased. Only reason I can think for this is that frequent pricking of jet in past has marginally widened the jet orifice. This could also explain all the increased performance. Altogether too many variables. My head hurts. Will sleep on it.
Jerry.
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During a conversation I had with Mr Maccsteam, he advised against pricking the jet as it will increase the size of the jet in no time at all, instead, he advocates sucking, from the threaded side to clear any possible blockages. I carry a couple of spares, as they are not expensive, so I can have a quick fix at the lakeside. Also, according to Mr Macc most gas canisters do contain tiny bits of muck in the gas that can cause blockages.
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Tried sucking it but felt an attack of the bends coming on.
Jerry.
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I went purple, hence the spare jets.....
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A lovely day at Llyn Padarn. Very hot with baking sun. Raised steam in less than 5 minutes. (Caught me napping). Boat ran Perfick. With larger bore in exhaust can use less steam and burner keeping up well. First run lasted 35 mins which is enough. When I came to refuel however, I couldn't get any gas in the tank as tank warmer than refill so left the refill in the sun and draped wet tissue paper over the gas tank for 10 mins and was able to refuel. Second and subsequent runs 35 mins. Feed pump matched consumption exactly. A good day!
Jerry.
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Hi Jerry, I too had burner problems today, First off, I fitted a new jet, and used a little ptfe around the therad, so far so good, I dipped the tank in the lake for 5 mins to cool it down, and filled it, Then the trouble started,,,, it worked for a few minutes, then went out and would not relight. Not enough gas in the tank sez I, thinking all was too hot for filling, so cooled the tank again and squeezed more gas in, Nothing, most strange, took burner out and tried to light it out of the boat, and was rewarded with a sooty yellow flame, then, nowt. I took the new jet out and had a look at it, blocked! So, I fitted another jet, again with ptfe, and the same thing happened, a feeble attempt, followed by, nowt. I checked the jet again, it was blocked, so, after roundly cursing the gas canister company for not filtering the gas properly, in go's jet no 3, the last one of my new jets, and yes, you've guessed it, exactly the same thing happened, a feeble attempt at burning, then, nowt. To cut a long story short, I returned to the original jet, gave it a good clean, using the suction method, and was about to fit it when I noticed a weird sludgy substance in the burner tube, upon closer investigation, it looked suspiciously like ptfe tape gone wrong, so I cleaned it all away and fitted the jet without ptfe tape, and hey presto, all was well. All that consumed nearly 2 hours of my sailing time, and all in blistering sunshine, but all's well that ends well, and I had a couple of nice 1/2 hour runs in the sunshine. After talking to a plumber chum of mine it turns out that not all ptfe is suitable for gas applications, the gas disolving the tape and blocking the jets with gunge. I will have to now go and find the correct sort of ptfe tape, or use low strength locktite. So beware folks, don't use just any old ptfe tape. >>:-( >>:-( >>:-( as it could all end in <:( <:( <:(
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One of the huge advantages of this forum is learning from the experience of others :-)
Thanks Nick for that little tale. So sorry you lost that precious time having fun but be happy in the knowledge that you have saved others from the same fate! :-)) :-))
Greg
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Nick, all understood. There is a foofoo paste that gas peeps use but unlike our jets theirs stay cool being generally thermally insulated from the flame by distance. As you will have discovered our jets get hot!!! I swear by BMW Drei- bond. It's expensive at £16 a tube but a little goes an awful long way. It is good for ALL our joints and threads. It is used on BMW K100RS oil/water pump. This is a composite unit so foofoo is oil and hot water(110°c) proof. Put on too little rather than too much.
Glad you managed a sail in the end. Also strongly advise you increase theI/D of your exhaust system to at least the same size as the tvr exhaust manifold. The effect is very noticeable.
All the best,
Jerry.
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Hi Jerry, can't really increase the size of the exhaust on the SVS engine, it comes with the inlet and exhaust pipe stubs ready made from 1/8th stainless steel pipe directly threaded into the engine, to increase the bore of the pipe I would have to enlarge the holes in the engine. The Exhaust on my TVR is currently 5/32, bit I am looking into increasing the size to 3/16. The TVR is not yet installed in the AQ, hoping to put a spurt on the build before summers out.....
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Yes you can. Pressure drop directly proportional to length of exhaust pipe and also friction and velocity, indirectly proportional to cross sectional area of pipe. The restriction at the engine is not a problem as steam will expand after exiting this stub. Let it expand a bit which will reduce velocity but don't let it cool. Can't do any harm to try.
Jerry.
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If I rememmber correct the proper PTFE sealing tape for gas is a yellow colour. I have been useing some gas pipe compound that I was given years back. Most people when they apply the tape use too much and cover too much of the threads,the first two engaging threads should be bare.
Regards,
Gerald.
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I did try and keep the first couple of threads clear of tape, but sods law, coupled with my dodgy hands and banana like fingers dictated otherwise.....
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Yes sometimes however hard you try the tape will magically move, I started doing pneumatics back in the 60s and have been doing them off and on ever since and I still occasionally get tape blockages
Regards,
Gerald.
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Yes guys....then there is the unspoken rule in the direction of winding the PTFE tape..... :((
For a right hand thread [as most fluid connections are {-) ] the tape should be wound anticlockwise when looking onto the fittings thread end
This then places the tape layer in tension/shear as the fitting is engaged & the tape is forced into the valley or root of the thread forms creating an effective seal ....... O0 ...winding the tape clockwise results in the tape being gouged out or the thread form when engaged >>:-(
In OZ...the Australian Gaslight Co....will only allow licenced plumbers who use the nominated yellow [gas] PTFE tape to install gas appliances
However there is a misconception here in what actual properties [if any] is there between white PTFE & yellow dyed PTFE tape apart from the yellow being of higher density <*< ...... .....
Here is an image from the WIKIPI people & yes the tape is depicted as being wound clockwise ....or back to front %% .......Derek
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Teflon_tape_wound_around_threaded_pipe.jpg/220px-Teflon_tape_wound_around_threaded_pipe.jpg)
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Hi Guys,
Why do you have to wrap P.T.F.E tape or any other sealant round the thread of the jets ?
Do you have leaks that cause the jet in the jet block to go on fire ?
My mates and I have been running steam boats for the past 20 years , making our own jet blocks and buying the jets as we don't have any Micro drills to bore them and have never used any sealant what so ever.
We used the original metric threaded jets ( 4.5 x 5 ) and then the new type which are 1 BA and never had any trouble using them dry.
Who told you that you need to seal the jets in the jet block ?
When you buy a burner from Maccsteam does Mike recommend that you use a sealant if you have to re-new the jet ?
Give it a try fitting them dry and tighten them up but not so tight that you strip the threads.
George.
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Good Morning George, I only used Tape on the joint because earlier in this thread I think it was Jerry had said that Mike at Maccsteam had recommended it, I had no problems with leaks, I just thought it sounded like a good idea, I have had no problems in the past. Needless to say, I wont be using it again and will go back to fitting them dry...........
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Took the launch to Colwyn Bay Model Boat Club's regatta, Our first show type trip. Steamboat Phil couldn't attend due to last minute work commitments. Pity, was looking forward to a chat cos when I saw him last (at Llanberis) I was "thinking of" building a steam project. Anyway everyone happy and helpful and soon the time for the boat parade was imminent so flashed up the boiler and was ready bang on time when catastrophy, engine no run!! Pressure on both sides of the pistons. Couldn't do anything at the lakeside but on the way home it came to me that the other valve spindle collar had come adrift on the shaft(glued, remember). Whizzed the valve chest off and bingo, good guess. Replaced spindle with one of my 2 spares and she's running again sweet as a nut. Possibly a weak point on these engines. Have kept the old ones and will solder them so no bother really. Also noticed excessive play on one of the reversing sliders so renewed that at same time. It was possibly fortunate that I could not steam as the water in the lake was full of something which looked like it would block my feed pump valves. We still had a good time and there were some very beautiful models on show as well as on the water. Will look forward to next year as it's dead handy for me. Thanks to the club and the organisers for a very nice day.
Jerry and Dave.
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Had another valve spindle failure Sunday before last so today removed them and soldered the valve drivers onto the spindles. Whilst setting the valve timing on rebuild I notice that if the reversing lever was move too far past the bottom notch the valves could hit the valve chests and this could have caused all my failures. I have always thought that Mr Grahame knew what he was doing when he made these engines. If after soldering my spindles the above happens to me again something else will have to give. To make certain it doesn't I have put a physical stop on the bottom of the detent bar so the lever cannot be moved too far. It's made from a 13 amp plug pin. A test run shows it running smoother than ever both ahead and astern.
Jerry.
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As Master Mariner now having to overcome engineering
problems albeit on a smaller scale, do you have more
affinity (if that's the right word) with the Chief Engineers
you sailed with?.
Ned
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Ned, I've never been an oil and water man. Dad was an engineer who only wanted to go to sea but his dad wouldn't let him cos there was a war in the offing. I was interested in engines and he was a brilliant teacher. I could put an engine together when I was six. Ran a small engineering firm for a while in the 80s. On some of my recent delivery jobs knowing how the engine room works has come in handy.
Jerry.
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Friday, up at 0darkhundred, take wife to Penmaenmawr to get coach to Manchester for Craft Exibition. Then back home, put launch, backpack and flask in car for short trip to Daves, transfer to his camper van and off to the canal at Chirk. We make "The Poachers" our base. Raised steam and, in company with Daves tug, head off against the current towards the Chirk Aquaduct. Weather as forecast, overcast and warm. Engine after repairs ran better than ever and launch ploughed on at about 3 mph. A lot of leaves floating on surface keep getting caught on the stem but don't cause a problem. Gas running low after 35mins so hauled her out for a fill. No delays on refilling as air temp such that gas tank is not warm and refill takes the usual 90 secs. Re-lit the burner and after a couple of minutes returned to the water and resumed passage. Quite busy narrowboatwise and plenty of peeps on the towpath. Got to the Aquaduct and waited a little while for an oncoming boat then ran straight across and into the pound before the tunnel. Two boats coming through so took the opportunity to top up fuel and drain the de-oiler. Tunnel empty so donned head torches and entered canal. Got about 20 yards in and both torches packed in so discretion v valour etc. turned short round and headed back. I don't seem to have much luck with LEDs! As proceeding with wind and current made good time and got back to "The Poachers" on one tankful. After scampi and chips and a cappuccino returned to the water heading the other way towards "Lion Quays". The steam pressure started to drop off towards 20 psi and I thought the jet was blocked so pulled her out, cleared the jet(it looked OK to me) and resumed passage. Still no good. The last fill was the end of a bottle so, refilled with a new bottle and flame back to normal again. Made "Lion Quays", did a few turns around the basin and set off back to the pub. Things went downhill from there. Dave fouled his prop on a bramble, fortunately on the towpath side but towpath quite high above the water with a steep slope. Dave cleared his prop and I decided that as it had started to rain quite heavily, we wouldn't bother refuelling "Wear" but put a line on Dave's tug and he would tow me back to the pub. Easier said than done. Got a passer by to hang on to my legs and me hanging upside down trying to attach the line to the tow hook. Couldn't get the bar to stay down so tied it round the capstan. Scrabbled my way back on to the towpath and with spots before my eyes, set off home. Got back without further incident, packed up and after a cup of tea returned home. We used 4 tanks of gas and steamed a little over 7 miles, had at least a million photos taken, made many passes for videos to be taken and made many people's day special. That's the real power of steam.
I couldn't move next morning I was so stiff but a 10 mile bike ride accompanying shmbo got me started again. A thoroughly enjoyable day.
Jerry.
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PHOTOSSSSSSSSSSSSS {-)
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Steam Up,
Sorry mate, I can't drive the boat and take photos or i'll end up in the brambles. Dave's a technophobe. I keep asking the peeps who take videos to put them on YouTube but nobody ever does.
Jerry.
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I'm not gonna be y' friend anymore if you don't let me come and play! 4 miles! <*<
I promise to take lots of photos and videos and ill even bring me canoe as a rescue boat and camera platform.
Glad you had a good day.
Ben
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I did think of you on the way down. It was all at short notice. Will let you know next time. It'll be on a cold frosty day when all the leaves have fallen. It's lovely then and not as much boat traffic.
Jerry.
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I'll get me dry suit dusted off in anticipation :} . Best bring some secateurs for the brambles too!
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It was a beautiful day at Llanberis today with little wind so took "Wear" up for a steam. Flashed up and raised steam, put her in the water and ran her to prove feed pump as always. No workie! Pumped water into boiler through bypass and clack valve with big syringe. Still no workie. Used syringe to put water in through pump suction, found blocked solid, not a drop. I removed the pump and took off the banjo bolt only to find no viton ball in its proper place inside the pump. Very strange. Eventually found the ball forced through the seat and deep in the banjo bolt. How this happened I can't think. I managed to prise it out with my smallest watchmaker's screwdriver, miraculously without leaving a mark on it. Boxed it all back off again and all functioned Perfick, as usual.
Jerry.
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Due to the nasty side affects of Viton I have always avoided it like the plague.
Regards,
Gerald.
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It was a beautiful day at Llanberis today with little wind so took "Wear" up for a steam. Flashed up and raised steam, put her in the water and ran her to prove feed pump as always. No workie! Pumped water into boiler through bypass and clack valve with big syringe. Still no workie. Used syringe to put water in through pump suction, found blocked solid, not a drop. I removed the pump and took off the banjo bolt only to find no viton ball in its proper place inside the pump. Very strange. Eventually found the ball forced through the seat and deep in the banjo bolt. How this happened I can't think. I managed to prise it out with my smallest watchmaker's screwdriver, miraculously without leaving a mark on it. Boxed it all back off again and all functioned Perfick, as usual.
Jerry.
Hi Jerry.
You have possibly left the circuit closed the last time that you use it and as the boiler cooled the vacuum pulled the NITRILE ball ( not Viton ) into the banjo bolt, leave your bypass valve open after usage.
If it happens again let me know and I can make you another banjo bolt with a smaller hole.
George.
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Hi Jerry, An anti vac valve maybe the way to go .If you are like me I also forget to leave the bypass open.
best wishes
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Hi all. Believe vacuum in boiler lifts clack ball, opens pump discharge and suction valves, allowing air into boiler. If I leave the boat in the water when she cools down the boiler fills up. This problem required a lot of pressure to force the ball towards the sea side. Sorry George, I meant nitrile. What are the side effects of viton cos somebody mentioned problems with it at the lake and I'd never heard of it?
Jerry.
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here is a link to a Material Safety Sheet on Viton O Rings;
https://www.edwardsvacuum.com/uploadedFiles/Resource/MSDS/P120-04-015D%20O-Rings-Viton.pdf (https://www.edwardsvacuum.com/uploadedFiles/Resource/MSDS/P120-04-015D%20O-Rings-Viton.pdf)
In short at high temperatures or fires it can produce Hydrofluoric acid.
Regards,
Gerald.
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Jerry
Viton elastomer should only be used in applications where the ambient or actual temperature exceeds say 95 degrees C
Viton being a softer material [than N-BR] has a lower abrasion resistance & naturally is less capable of sustaining the typical sharper edges of a valve seat in dynamic applications
It is true that Viton if exposed to naked flame or ~~~300 degrees C + causes the production of hydrofluoric acid [HF] within or on the burnt elastomer
HF, eats human skin...... ..... cases have been documented where such physical exposure & contact with human skin results in the need for amputation of an arm at the next joint away
We simply treat any hydraulic cylinder [fitted with Viton elastomer seals] from Blast Furnace or BOS applications with the due respect the burnt elastomer seal & O-rings it deserves .....Derek
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Hi all. Believe vacuum in boiler lifts clack ball, opens pump discharge and suction valves, allowing air into boiler. If I leave the boat in the water when she cools down the boiler fills up. This problem required a lot of pressure to force the ball towards the sea side. Sorry George, I meant nitrile. What are the side effects of viton cos somebody mentioned problems with it at the lake and I'd never heard of it?
Jerry.
Hi Jerry,
As the banjo is on the suction side of your pump there should be no pressure when the boiler cools down creating the vacuum and all of the other valves should lift and as you have experienced the boiler will prime if left in the water to cool.
I can't think of any reason why the ball should be stuck down into the banjo unless the hole is too big, send it back to me and I will make you a new one with a smaller hole.
I wonder why Viton being so dangerous did Chedder, Mamod ,Wilesco and other model boiler makers fit them to their safety valves ?
George.
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Thanks for that George. If it happens again I'll do that. It's a puzzle. On the viton subject the only place I've come across it is on the tips of the needle valves in the float chambers on Amal carburettors. Nothing's dropped off me so I'm lucky. I never knew about it though. I thought the acid came from electronic components that were damaged. Thanks all.
Goodnight.
Jerry.
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An update on the working life of "Wear". The last two trips to the lake she started having fuel issues. Short runs and poor flame. It turned out that the gas tank "Ronson" valve was venting well before the tank was full. The flame suggested a partially blocked jet which I was unable to clear. So an email to Mike at Maccsteam produced a new valve core and a new jet. I also bought the larger jet for experimental purposes. The hole is noticeably larger. Fitted smaller jet and the new core, fuelled up ok, flashed up and the roar is back. Will try it out on the lake tomorrow.
Ive been away for three weeks riding to the South of France on my Royal Enfield Bullet. Took in the Normandy beaches on the way back. She never missed a beat over nearly 2000 miles and returned 87.5 mpg. Surprisingly comfortable too. Much better than expected. On return to the UK went up to Wharfdale for a week in the caravan. Gorgeous area!
Back to the grindstone working on the two "Bogstandard" engines on Monday.
Jerry.
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Three 40 minute runs today. Heats up quicker and more heat available.
Jerry.
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I have just taken out a new house contents insurance policy to include cover for "Wear". I've put a nominal value down for £5000 to cover bits and hardware etc. I know from reading about sales on here that they never return their value as we see it and how could one replace her but the insurance company want me to get her valued within 30 days.
I would appreciate any suggestions as to how, where or who could give me an authoritative valuation for replacement. The rep had no idea.
Jerry.
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An auction house? After all - https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/15246/lot/584/ (https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/15246/lot/584/) and http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-fine-radio-controlled-gas-powered-4097967-details.aspx?intObjectID=4097967 (http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-fine-radio-controlled-gas-powered-4097967-details.aspx?intObjectID=4097967). Not sure if they will give a figure without a sale in prospect, but worth a try.
Alternatively if you have a record or recollection of the hours you spent on the build, you could offer an estimate of the cost of a replacement if commissioned from a professional model maker/engineer. A skilled professional might reasonably charge £40-50 an hour so you could get an estimate of the cost of their time. Add raw material costs and that seems to me to be a reasonable sum for insurance purposes. But what do I know? :embarrassed:
Good luck Jerry, and let's hope this is an academic exercise and Wear has many years of happy steaming ahead of her.
Greg
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So, what happens now? Well, we are both retired now and so things have changed a lot.
We have bought a 57' narrowboat called Angelica. She was 2 years old when we got her and I have spent the last two years getting used to her and seeing that she is equipped for continuous cruising. We've kept her in a marina in Cheshire. We've worked hard getting our house ready for letting and downsizing to live on the boat. We now have a tenant and are living with our daughter in Canberra in sunny Oz until May 2017 when we return to the UK and the boat and start our cruise on the Leeds Liverpool canal system.
Steam Launch Wear is safely stowed aboard together with her support system and I hope to sail here in many places on the cut in our summer cruise.
I've brought my boiler, burner, engine and feed pump to Oz with a view to building a boat around the plant down here. I've made an introductory visit to the Tuggeranong Men's Shed here and after a few more visits hope to join the society.
If any Mayhemers are interested we run a blog on Facebook called "The Carts Down Under" and another called "Angelicas Adventures".
I'm copying this to "Jerry's Steam Launch Wear" thread as well. And will keep following Mayhem.
Jerry, (living the dream).
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Hi Jerry great to see you and family have made the trip best of luck and maybe can have a yarn *************
cheers
John
It is not advisable to put your telephone number on an open Forum. Please use the forums' mail system. :-)
ken