Model Boat Mayhem
The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Steam => Topic started by: 3838Derrick on December 12, 2016, 11:52:39 am
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Has anyone used this company? I've emailed them several times but had no response!
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OK. I've tracked them down on ebay & like the look of their vertical twin marine engine. At around £300 for the kit, it looks reasonable to me & as I like assembling things, it'll give me something to get on with.
I've been looking at boilers and I'm amazed at the horrendous prices! Is it practical for a beginner to have a go at making one myself?
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Yes it is possible I have built 6. You will need Model Boilers & Boilermaking by K.N.Harris, for all the imformation. A very good blow torch, may be two. The problem is getting a certificate. I think all model engineering clubs are only interested in Trains. Or as they would have it railway engine boilers. I did find an inspector who was interested, unfortunately he moved away. So find a club with an inspector and speak to them before you start. This is in UK others may differ.
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Derrick, Seeing your location this may interest you. My sailing trawler Albatross LT546.
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Many thanks Hammer.
Lovely model.
I've ordered the book.
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OK. I've tracked them down on ebay & like the look of their vertical twin marine engine. At around £300 for the kit, it looks reasonable to me & as I like assembling things, it'll give me something to get on with.
I've been looking at boilers and I'm amazed at the horrendous prices! Is it practical for a beginner to have a go at making one myself?
Derrick,
Have a look at the TVR engine from Graham Industries. ( http://grahamind.com/store/page1.html (http://grahamind.com/store/page1.html) ) although they are a U.S. company many modellers on this forum have purchased these TVR engines.
You can go direct or maybe somebody on the forum who has one could post where they purchased it.
It's a much better looking engine and is a full reversible one and it's a slide valve engine.
Looking at the Chiltern engine they say that it's a slide valve engine when it isn't, its a piston valve engine.
My personal opinion is that it's a very ugly engine with an 8 - column support when 4- columns would have been sufficient .
The TVR engine in kit form is about half the price and much nicer looking with plenty of power and many good reports on this forum on it's performance.
George.
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Thanks George,
The Graham Ind. engines do certainly look good. Would it be of any advantage to buy the ball bearing version?
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Thanks George,
The Graham Ind. engines do certainly look good. Would it be of any advantage to buy the ball bearing version?
Yes, longer life.
George.
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Well,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I've bitten the bullet and ordered the TVR1ABB engine. <*< No doubt, when I start the build, I'll be bombarding all you experts with questions.
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Bonjour,
I have never seen any Chiltern steam machine in France. Their twin are B14xS18 mm = 11 cm3, when a TVR is "only" a 8 cm3.
A usual, the question is "Which boat for such powerful steam machines" ?
Of course, the theory allows calculations, but I prefer experience. Based on my collection, for a 8 cm3, I would use a boiler which would provide a minimum of 750 ml useful water to hope more than 20/25 minutes of autonomy (or plan an additional water pump)==> appropriate size tank too.
For a 11 cm3, no feed back, I have no one...Yet...My 10V has two possibe boilers but not yet tested.
The equation 1 cm3 = 1 kilos is wrong (*), lack of parameters, I have many ratio 3,5 / 4 boats which are already too fast for their scale.
(*= For the boiler, 1 cm3 = 10cm3 of heat surface seems quite more correct and appropriate than just a very powerful gas torch.
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Well,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I've bitten the bullet and ordered the TVR1ABB engine. <*< No doubt, when I start the build, I'll be bombarding all you experts with questions.
Derrick,
Glad to hear that you have gone for the TVR bb engine, I don't have one but have done repairs to quite a few and for the money in my opinion there is none to beat it.
Regarding building a boiler your self , as you are comparatively new I don't know what your capabilities are but you would need to have M.E. taps and dies, a good strong burner , silver solder and of course the boiler shell and other bits of copper tube.
We have a member on this forum at one time built boilers and engines ,he has some drawings on the forum that are downloadable but I know not where they are, so I will make some enquiries as to where they are and send you the link.
Building a Model boiler isn't rocket science but you need to be very precise in how you build it and again there are many members on here capable of helping you thro' a build. just ask.
George.
P.S. If you scroll down the Steam section you will find some good reading in "Jerry's Steam Launch Weir "
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These are a copy of Sandy's drawings by Julius Dewaal
http://www.vapeuretmodelesavapeur.com/telechargements4/chaudi-re-verticale-d75mm-sandy-campbell.pdf (http://www.vapeuretmodelesavapeur.com/telechargements4/chaudi-re-verticale-d75mm-sandy-campbell.pdf)
http://www.vapeuretmodelesavapeur.com/telechargements4/chaudi-re-horizontale-d90mm-sandy-campbell.pdf
If blackgates cannot supply the tube you need try M-Machine they sell by the inch
Good luck
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Thankyou. These are brilliant drawings! :-))
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Fantastic drawings , make me want to build my own boiler next time round . Perhaps first polish up my coppersmithing and silver soldering skills that I have not used for 50 years.
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From all the research I have done it seems in America we are allowed to build model boilers without testing at all, at least here in Tennessee. I imagine that comes from that Land of the Free stuff where you are allowed to do all sorts of stuff that can kill you as your rights allow. Also having good insurance helps I think.
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Well Americans are allowed to run around with guns shooting each other so I would imagine that the risks associated with building model boilers don't score very high on that sort of scale.
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Thankyou. These are brilliant drawings!
Derrick,
I have sent you a P.M. please check your message Inbox.
George.
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From all the research I have done it seems in America we are allowed to build model boilers without testing at all, at least here in Tennessee. I imagine that comes from that Land of the Free stuff where you are allowed to do all sorts of stuff that can kill you as your rights allow. Also having good insurance helps I think.
I would still check with your state authority, as there are some states which do have regulations. The regulations in Ontario are quite reasonable, but some municipalities have there own regulations which are not.
Regards,
Gerald.
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Happy New Year to everyone.
Derrick,
I have sent you a direct email with some information attached... I hope it is of some use.
Best Regards.
Sandy. :-))
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Hi Sandy.
My TVR1ABB engine has 4mm inlet & exhaust pipes. Can't seem to find any copper pipes of that dia. How would I go about using 3/16 pipework and would it be ok to use bushes on the boiler with 3/16 threads? One other thing......What's a Blowdown Valve?
Derrick
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Another question.
Having built my TVR the instruction book says to run it in for at least 30 minutes ON AIR!! How do I go about that??
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Bonjour Derrick,
Where would your blowdown valve be mounted? I know one, it is the valve installed at the bottom of the glass water level on the boiler to remove the bubbles.
And I always rode my machines on steam, with the same oil in the lubricator and on all the mobile parts, checking the screws after the first heat/cooling phases. If you would run you TVR on air, do not forget oil in and out ok2
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Bonjour Derrick,
Where would your blowdown valve be mounted? I know one, it is the valve installed at the bottom of the glass water level on the boiler to remove the bubbles.
And I always rode my machines on steam, with the same oil in the lubricator and on all the mobile parts, checking the screws after the first heat/cooling phases. If you would run you TVR on air, do not forget oil in and out ok2
I ordered some bits and pieces from a supplier (Kennions) including a glass water level gauge and this blowdown valve came with it. Now I know what it's for :-))
Many thanks
Derrick