Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Steam => Topic started by: DBS88 on November 09, 2020, 01:08:50 pm

Title: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 09, 2020, 01:08:50 pm
I am on a journey to build my own model steam boat and being a recent newcomer to steam and model boats am trying to learn as much as I can so that the new build will be the best I am capable of. On this journey I am learning from several diversions, this, the renovation and restoration of a Windermere Steam Launch is one of those diversions that I hope to share with you. Having learned a lot from this forum, and been inspired by some of the great builds, its time for me to contribute and to pay something back into the knowledge pool. I will, no doubt make so mistakes, and not do things quite right, but this is how we learn, we have to start from somewhere.
The Winderemere Launch I have is called Lady Sarah - an unintended purchase. I went to see a lovely fellow to buy another model boat, it transpired that the gentleman had retired from sailing his steam boats, he was very honest and told me they had not been used for a few years and that they would need some tinkering and adjustment to get them going and so i became the proud owner of not one but three steam boats.
The back story to the Lady Ann is that she had been started by another person who unfortunately could not finish the project, so the fellow I bought it from took it on and finished it. As a result, not much information was able to be passed on as to the make of the hull, the boiler or the engine. So with the help of fellow Mayhemers I hope to add more info and complete the story as well as a restoration that will see Lady Sarah back on the water. Here are couple of photos od Lady sarah as I received her.
The first place I started was to research the boiler with a view to identifying it and getting it pressure tested and steam tested - see photos of boiler
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 09, 2020, 04:03:40 pm
For the boiler, first I removed it from the hull, it had been built in in such a way that it could not be removed easily, so a valuable lesson for the new build, to make sure its easy to remove for maintenance. With the boiler and engine on the bench I started by using some descaling fluid, the type used for cleaning kettles. I then sent photos to a couple of people to see if they could identify the boiler, its 5 inches dia and 5 1/2 inches long, with the chimney in the centre, so a return flue boiler. With the chimney removed, pipes can be seen in the flue for steam drying. One of the people I sent photos to was Jerry from Clevedon Steam, who promptly came back with the suggestion that it may be a Martin Howes Baylis SeeKadett boiler so I contacted Martin Baylis who again was very helpful, he said it was an early Der SeeKadett boiler made exclusively for the SeeKadett ( a stunningly beautiful launch) and it was unusual to see it separated from the kit - so a mystery as to where the rest of the kit is. He also confirmed the boiler would have been tested to 150 psi with a max operating pressure of 60psi and normal running pressure of 45psi and that it was made from a Nickel Silver wrapper, instead of copper to keep the weight down. That was a fantastic help, since it would make the safety testing of the boiler much more straight forward.
I began to prep the boiler for a safety test, so filled it with water to the brim, then used the boiler feed pump to gently put some pressure in, at 20 psi I had a look round for leaks and tightened a couple of fittings that were leaking. One leak was coming from the steam valve(180 globe valve), So stopped to sort out the leak. Emptied the boiler into a measuring jug to find its capacity, a massive 1.2 litres.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: SteamboatPhil on November 09, 2020, 07:47:41 pm
Nice boats there Dave, good luck with you latest challenge
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 09, 2020, 07:48:24 pm
The 180 globe valve (red valve top left hand side) was dripping under pressure, so undid the connection to the lubricator and removed the steam whistle to create space so that the globe valve could rotate and undo. I cleaned the fittings, refitted them using some thread lock to ensure a good seal and refilled the system. I then applied some pressure only to be disappointed that the leak reappeared. I then repeated the process again being especially careful to make sure everything was clean and fitting well, applied the pressure and was again disappointed to find it leaking again. Closer inspection revealed that the leak was not from any of the connections, they were fine, the leak was from the globe valve body itself.
I took it all apart again, quite quickly now with all the practice I had had!!! the leak was coming from the valve where the thread entered the body, as you will see from the photos, the soldered joint between the headed insert and the valve body had failed, it literally came away in my hand.
Anyway that set me off on a search for a replacement 180 globe valve. The threads were confirmed as 1/4 40 and the length of the valve body excluding fittings as 1 inch. Several suppliers offer these valves, I liked the look of the one from EKP so placed an order, it arrived within 48hrs. When I came to fit the new valve another lesson was learned, these valves are directional and not necessarily marked on the outside to show this. Research showed that the steam should enter the valve body from beneath the valve seat and exit via the side port, so took the valve apart to confirm the direction of flow (see photo). I fitted the valve body and refitted the cleaned steam whistle, then refitted the rest of the globe valve. Having checked all the connections I refilled the boiler and reapplied pressure - no leaks, raised the pressure until the safety valve lifted at 60 psi, the pressure held steady in the boiler without further leaks, so I booked the boiler pressure test and steam test with my clubs boiler tester.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 10, 2020, 03:25:35 pm
Next came the burner, to make sure it was giving a good flame, it was removed from the boiler. After a few minutes in a darkened room moving the gas jet back and forth to adjust the gas to air ratio, a decent clean burning flame was achieved. This would be my starting point for when the burner was back in the boiler.


The gas tank had been hand painted gloss black, when I went to refill it, gas sprayed out all over the place, I tried a different filling nozzle and still got the same result. On inspection it looked like paint was in and around the filling valve, so the paint was stripped from the gas tank and the gas filling valve replaced with a new one. Whilst the paint was being removed a serial number on the gas tank was revealed - if you recognise the manufacturer of this tank please do let me know?


Before refitting the burner the inside of the boiler flue was checked - all clean and most importantly dry.


The day of the boiler test was a nervous one for me, despite having checked and prepared the boiler, you just never know how the test will go. Anyway, my nerves were calmed with coffee and cake, while the clubs boiler testers got to work checking the boiler over and then pressure testing it. Now hats off and thank you to club boiler testers everywhere, without your time, enthusiasm and dedication to the role, none of of us could sail our steam boats, thank you. - Happy days the pressure test was passed so next came the steam test, now its a large capacity boiler so took what seemed an eternity to get up to pressure and for the safety valve to lift, thankfully at the right pressure. I was handed the paper work and set ready to be able to sail Steam Boat Lady Sarah on the clubs water, frustratingly that was Wednesday and the lockdown was due to start the next day, Thursday. Any way thats the work on the boiler complete for now.


Next I tried to find out more about the engine and the hull - it would appear that the hull may be a Modeen Hull? do you recognise it or know anything about it?
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: SteamboatPhil on November 10, 2020, 04:13:50 pm
Hi Dave, looking at the design of the boiler and the way the cross tubes are, I would put it at 1960's construction, and in my opinion that is not a gas tank, its a petrol tank for a vaporising blow lamp that has been converted, which would be right for the type and age of boiler. Just an observation 👍
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: rhavrane on November 10, 2020, 04:51:34 pm
Bonjour,
2020 boilers are built on the same pattern  ok2 , one of my last horizontal boilers filmed, see at 6" : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42a9CLfYG9I
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KBIO on November 10, 2020, 06:37:32 pm
Good evening!
DBS88 , I really enjoy your post and your smart approach with your new challenge.
No doubt that you'll end up with great  satisfaction! :-))  .... for the pleasure of all! ;)
Thank you for sharing.

Kind regards.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 10, 2020, 09:13:43 pm
Thinking about the hull and having read another thread on MBM about Modeen Hulls, a fellow Mayhemer, Longbuild, posted pictures of his lovely Winderemere Steam Launch there, so contacted him to find out if he could add to the story. He has only seen one other at an exhibition, and the owner of that boat was also seeking info on Modeen Hulls so info appears to be as rare as hens teeth!! Anyway, here is a photo of the other Modeen Hull Steam launch - Lady Ann.


I also realised that I had not actually put the boat in the bath to check for leeks, so, put that right earlier, and thankfully the interior was bone dry after an hours floatation.


Heres a couple of shots of the hull interior with the engine and boiler removed to see if that helps further with the hull identification.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 11, 2020, 04:23:15 pm
With the boiler maker and capacities known the next step was to confirm the details for the steam engine, who made it and what was its capacity? I emailed photos to a couple of Mayhemers and Ooyah/2 (George) replied very quickly to confirm that the engine is a powerful Blackgates V Twin Double Acting Oscillating Engine with a bore of 9/16 inches and a stroke of 5/8 inches. I was hopeful that it would run ok, visually it looked fine and physically it turned over easily and felt ok, so I chose not to disassemble it for now, but to wait til I could steam the boiler on the bench and run the engine to see how it performed.


So with the steam plant out of the boat, I took the chance to check the prop shaft, I removed the prop, the lock nut and washer and then slid the shaft out from the inside of the boat. All looked to be in good order, bright, shiny and still lubricated. Looking at the prop, (2 inches dia), it has a steep pitch, but there was also plenty of room for a much larger prop. So with such a good boiler capacity and a powerful engine I reached for the PropShop catalogue to see what was available, but first I needed to know what thread was on the prop shaft. I measured the the outside dia - 0.176 inches and then used some thread gauges to find the thread pitch. The closest size was 4.5mm with a 0.8 pitch but that did not appear to be a standard thread so was dismissed. The next option considered was 3/16 by 32 since 32 tpi gauge also fitted. By chance I have a 4 inch m5 thread prop so thought I would try that, whilst a bit loose as you might suspect, the metric pitch was correct and the prop screwed all the way on. Unsure what threads were  commonly used for propshafts I contacted Simon Higgins of PropShop who promptly replied that it was likely to be a 2 BA thread, and he confirmed that he could supply a prop with 2 BA thread so happy days. Next I found a 2 BA Die and tried that, it was indeed a very good fit so 2 BA it is (0.185 inches and 31.4 tpi). Having learned from this forum that steam engines work best turning large props, with low revs to give long run times by preserving steam, I though I would upgrade the prop. The previously mentioned 4 inch prop does fit just, but frankly looks wrong and the 2 inch prop looks too small, so what size blade prop can this engine sensibly turn?
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on November 11, 2020, 09:41:54 pm
As you already said, steam engines like large props. Start with the largest prop you can fit and do a test on the lake. If you can, take several propellers with you at the lake and see which gives you the best performance.
If you are not after speed, but would like a slower boat which is more easily controlled, try with a smaller propeller.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 12, 2020, 02:13:28 pm
I know that my cheddar puffin engine turns a 3 inch steam prop well on my steam tug, so, I am thinking a 4 blade 80mm prop will work well with this boat and be a good compromise for speed and duration?


Have know fired up the boiler to try the engine under steam. It ran very well both forwards and backwards so thats a relief. There are some steam leaks, they seem to be mostly from the steam control forward and reverse valve, so when its all cool will take apart, clean and reassemble.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: ooyah/2 on November 12, 2020, 08:14:03 pm
Dave
Oscillating engines are inclined to have some steam leaks especially from the cylinder faces but your engine as seen running there appears to be very little steam escape and the amount of little steam bulbs on the face of the control valve is very acceptable and I would leave well alone. It will probably seal itself off over time as the steam coming thro" will have steam oil in it and that will help to seal it off.


It's not often that you see an oscillating engine running without any steam leaks at the cylinder faces I am assuming that the lubricator has good quality steam oil in it and not some Auto oil.
Also these engines  like to work on steam pressures  between 30 - 40 p.s.i. and will slow down when under load in the water so I would advise you not to run at 60 p.s.i. which your boiler has been tested too, although it's tested to 60 p.s.i. you don't need to run the engine at that pressure.


George.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 13, 2020, 11:26:17 am
George, thank you for the support and advice. I cleaned the lubricator out and filled it with new steam oil, its a heavy steam oil, smells fabulous. I have been using a lighter steam oil to lubricate the bearings and put a drop where the cylinders meet the frame before running. I will have to play with the gas and steam valves as I learn how this particular set up runs, so that when its running it keeps to 45 psi, either that or I will fit an attenuator valve?
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: rhavrane on November 13, 2020, 01:02:34 pm
Bonjour Dave,
I like using all my steam machines at about 30 PSI, it is quite enough, saves autonomu let steam wet for part of lubrication and my oscillating ones leak a little bit less.

If 95 % of my steam plants have a whistle (that helps to drop the pressure), 95 % of them have also a gas attenuator (also perhaps misnamed gas regulators i.e "régulateur de pression de gaz" in French associated with "détendeur de gaz") because to my opinion they bring comfort and security. Furthermore, I prefer if possible double diaphragms ones, more smooth.

Will tuned, they allow you to let the boat stopped for a while on the pond without any risk and save gas.

I buy most of mines to French manufacturers but would kindly suggest you to have a glance to Microcosm ones :
http://www.microcosm-engine.com/p5-automatic-boiler-pressure-regulator-p-156.html#.X66A1chKjIU

I have several of them, examples : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc8bITIar2U
Exemple of a JMC one : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDF7jQmvvRo

And I do not evoke the RC safety gas valve, also mandatory to my opinion for more security. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCgLBAxieNU
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 13, 2020, 05:16:49 pm
Raphaël thank you for the tips and for sharing the videos, it is appreciated.

Have today used some washing up liquid and warm water to clean the hull inside and out, once the inside was dry I used the last of some satin lacquer to give a more easily wiped clean finish to the paint work, since steam engines inevitably leak oil and water over the interior. The varnished finish on the exterior planking came up well just soap and water so will later enhance with some bees wax polish.


Hopefully will be putting the steam plant back in over the next couple of days, but will run it on the bench a couple more times before doing so.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on November 13, 2020, 07:23:53 pm
The hull looks much better inside now :-)
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: rhavrane on November 13, 2020, 07:26:37 pm
Bonjour Dave,
So clean currently... I would kindly suggest you to add a slice of cork under the steam plant to protect a little bit the hull and its paint [/size]of the heat.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: TheLongBuild on November 14, 2020, 10:24:00 am
Looking at the pictures again, I wonder if they actually made 2 hulls , virtually the same but the bow being slightly different or could be altered when building.


 
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 14, 2020, 06:14:16 pm

Longbuild, thank you for sharing the composite photo, I have been looking at the shape of the hulls, the interior ribbing and the cabin, they look so similar apart from the final detail at the bow. I have yet to find any Modeen plans for this style of boat so still can't say for sure if it is a Modeen Hull other than its so similar to yours and to the other one (Lady Ann) that was exhibited.

Have run the boiler and engine again today, I increased the spring pressure holding the steam valve together and to the springs holding the cylinders to the mainframe by turning the securing nuts a couple of turns. As you can see now no steam leaking from the steam valve. Also virtually none from the cylinder faces after the initial pop pop and lumpy running on start up as the condensed water made its way through the system and the steam warmed things up. After a few moments it settled down to run very smoothly and quietly, so I am very happy. Last job to fix is a steam leak from the oil separator that showed up on todays run, so will wait for it to cool down and explore what needs to be done. Then will give it a final clean, a check over and one last run on the bench before installing it back in the boat.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KBIO on November 14, 2020, 06:27:53 pm
Hello!
It worth to put everything out and go for a total overhaul with good cleaning!
A good lesson , I have to think of!  :-))
[size=78%]Thanks.[/size]
Regards.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 15, 2020, 10:35:34 am
Here is a link to a video of the engine running https://youtu.be/7G6-nOSv9Us (https://youtu.be/7G6-nOSv9Us) under steam
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: rhavrane on November 15, 2020, 11:19:13 am
Bonjour Dave,
Your steam plant runs perfectly, You just have now to measure its autonomy to have safe navigations as I do not see any gas regulator/attenuator or other safety system, just uin case (based on my own expeience which ended to the hospital  ok2 )
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on November 15, 2020, 03:01:28 pm
Here is a link to a video of the engine running https://youtu.be/7G6-nOSv9Us (https://youtu.be/7G6-nOSv9Us) under steam

Hi David, your steam plant works very well. What pressure are you running at? When you ran it full speed the sound suggested to me that the cylinders started lifting from the port face,  but I might be wrong.
These oscillators usually like to run at lower pressures, up to 2 bar. In my experience, if you run at pressures of 3 bar or more, the cylinders start lifting from the port faces and steam is lost. This can be overcome by tightening the springs,  but only at the cost of increased friction.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 16, 2020, 08:01:49 pm
Hi, in the video the boiler was running at about 30psi.


Its time now to look at the electrics so have just quickly put in a receiver to test the servos out with, only to find the battery in the transmitter was flat (joys of lockdown and not using it), so its on charge now.


Whilst waiting to get some juice in the battery thought I would have a quick play with another project that some of you will know I have discussed before - remote monitoring of boiler levels. So have been working with a fellow on monitoring of boilers and between us this is our starting point -  a miniature cctv camera to see if it could be used to live stream the water level in the boiler along with the boiler pressure. So thought I would share with you this rough and ready installation as proof of concept - now needs to go out on the lake - range is quoted in Kilometres so anywhere on the lakes I sail at should not be a problem.  As you can see the picture is pretty good, just need to move the camera to a higher location and a bit more to the left to get a better view of the pressure gauge.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on November 16, 2020, 08:11:31 pm
Please tell more about the camera set up to monitor the engine and boiler. What components do you use?
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 29, 2020, 04:08:38 pm
At the beginning of this topic the chances of mistakes being made was mentioned, well its happened. Earlier we discussed the prop size, well I ordered a nice new 80mm Steam Prop from Prop Shop. Simon Higgins cast and polished it beautifully, then threaded it 2 BA to fit the prop shaft, packaged it well and posted it promptly, so imagine my excitement as I went to fit it.
So entirely my fault and inexperience or just plain stupidly I did not think that the centre hub might be longer or about which hand the prop was. So the outcome is I have a right-handed prop that fouls the rudder, so will remove the rudder and carve a notch in it so the rudder passes easily over the props centre boss, then I will have to deal with the issues arising from the forward now being reverse and reverse being forward? Any way I am here to learn and share experiences so hopefully this will help stop someone else from making a similar error.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: rhavrane on November 29, 2020, 04:35:38 pm
Bonjour Dave,
I have also bought a large number of propellers to Propshop then Protean design and have had the same problem :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vutlswFW4X4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vutlswFW4X4)
But between you and I, why could not we cut the end of the propeller protruding with a metal lathe as on the old Propshop?
PS : Reading Mark's answer, i know now that is is possible, thank you Mark ;)
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: Mark T on November 29, 2020, 04:59:50 pm
Hi Dave - I had the same issue with the prop on my Anteo from Simon.  The centre boss was so long that it fouled on the rudder.  I simply ground the boss down to a flat until the rudder had enough clearance.  Much easier that altering the rudder.  Mark
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: Baldrick on November 29, 2020, 06:53:04 pm



  That's what I did with my Cervia , gave it a snip with the hacksaw






.
(https://www.modelboatmayhemimages.co.uk/images/2020/11/29/20201129_184650_resized.jpg) (https://www.modelboatmayhemimages.co.uk/image/aiJdp)
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on November 29, 2020, 09:58:08 pm
Thank you for sharing your experiences with longer prop bodies and for the advice on how to overcome the problem. I just couldn't bring myself to take a hacksaw to such a nice prop, so tonight I went for grinding some of the rudder away with a dremel type tool. In my case the rudder was very easy to remove and to hold in a vice so heres the result.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on November 30, 2020, 01:50:20 pm
Notching the rudder is what I would have done too, the prop is too nice to cut.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on December 12, 2020, 11:42:00 am
Friday was the first opportunity I have had to take the Lady Sarah out for her first trial run. Now before the run I had changed the gas jet and gas piping, the original jet was a number 12, but it was burning poorly, the fumes from the funnel smelled and could be lit with a lighter, so incomplete combustion and far from ideal. The jet was changed for a number 8 and all seemed ok. Interestingly, I tried a number 5 however, the flame would not settle on the burner, it was as though the gas velocity was too high.
The weather forecast suggested it was the best day of the weekend so I went for it. I left with blue skys, then drove through the gloom and rain to find the rain had stopped at the lake so happy days. A bus with local children was in the carpark, the kids were excited, they wanted to see the boat running. I talked to them briefly about steam and so off they went for a walk while the boiler was lit and steam raised. Then the heavens opened, it rained, not lightly but proper rain. So I was there steam was being made so I went for it. I nervously put Lady Sarah on the water and off she went, the black gates v twin purring away, a gentle hum from the boiler and a glorious plume of steam hanging in the cold damp air. I did a short circle, brough her back in, checked reverse, the boiler pressure was ok about 25 - 30 psi and the water level was high, so off we went a bit further and faster. Now that new prop is a revalation, allowing nice slow engine revs and a great turn of speed the the revs were raised. The boiler is a massive 1.2 Litres so I knew it would provide a decent run time. Next time I brought the boat by to physically check, the boiler pressure was down a bit to about 20 psi and the gas tank covered in frost. I then guided the boat over to where the kids were waiting and did a few laps for them to see the steam and to take photos - they after all will hopefully be the future members of the club. Now I have heard about frosting but never seen it, since the gas tanks on my other boats are in the engine rooms and stay fairly warm. Anyway the reduced gas pressure resulted in less boiler pressure and reduced performance, but still ok. I am pleased to say Lady Sarah ran for 25 minutes before I brought her in, having checked the gas and water levels she could easily have stayed out for a lot longer. Most impressive was the lack of leakage from the balackgates v twin, there was nothing to clean up after running all that time, whoever built the engine obviously did a marvellous job on it. So What did I learn - I need to keep the gas tank warm and I need to experiment more with the gas jets and settings to keep the gas pressure up and also the boiler pressure up just a bit higher at 30 - 35 psi would be ideal for this engine. Here is a link to a video of Lady Sarahs first run https://youtu.be/ejQ9Jpjdl0c (https://youtu.be/ejQ9Jpjdl0c)
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on December 12, 2020, 11:54:41 am
It looks beautiful on the water with that plume of steam.

In your case there is an easy solution to the gas tank freezing. Simply movee it close to the burner, even so that they touch. You can play with the distance or use a piece of copper as a heat transfer bridge.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: derekwarner on December 12, 2020, 11:58:13 am
Well.... we could hear that gentle hum draft from the boiler.......congratulations.......wish we had more than 29 seconds of video


From your posting notes....all went well  :-))  ...and that 1.2l boiler is a good reserve


Looking forward to more video clips


Derek
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: Mark T on December 12, 2020, 12:55:52 pm
How lovely does that boat look on the water - very elegant  :-))
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: davejo90 on December 13, 2020, 11:19:12 am
That looks great DBS  :-))
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KBIO on December 13, 2020, 11:29:32 am
Hello!
"Steaming in the rain!" says the song , no ?! :-)
She is beautiful and behaves well ! :-))

Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on December 13, 2020, 01:35:55 pm
Whilst steaming (singing) in the rain - I also was experimenting. Normally I try to do one thing at a time, so this run was all about getting the boat running as it should, however, I also set up a remote camera inside the cabin, with a transmitter and battery. The aim was to trial remote real time monitoring of the boiler pressure gauge and the water level in the boiler, to see if it works. Great news, proof of concept achieved, both gauges could be seen and the system was fine with the boat off in the distance. Now truthfully, I didn't spend much time looking at the monitor, because I was concentrating on the first run and enjoying the steam plume hanging in the rain. So what did I learn? Yes it works, yes it can be moved from one boat to another, What could be improved? I will rig the reciever monitor up next time so that it is attached to the rc transmitter, that way I will be able to see it easily whilst operating the boats controls.

Here is a link to a short video showing the monitor in use [size=78%]https://youtu.be/ZAwxLlX6Cv0 (https://youtu.be/ZAwxLlX6Cv0)[/size]
Here is a link to a very brief video of Lady Sarah moving a bit faster [size=78%]https://youtu.be/NKJmme2S-1A (https://youtu.be/NKJmme2S-1A)[/size]


The camera, the transmiter (5.8G 48 Channel) and receiver monitor were all bought cheaply to experiment with, no doubt they could all be improved however the transmitter and receiver do have a range measured in kilometres, so not sure of any lakes near me that it would be an issue. Battery life for the monitor receiver is about 2 hours so that seems fine.
Hope you find this little diversion of interest. I have decided that this boat could be a good place to experiment with things and develop them for my long awaited new build.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on December 13, 2020, 07:00:37 pm
What brand & model of equipment are you using for video monitoring?
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on December 13, 2020, 08:52:46 pm
Hi the camera and transmitter are unbranded (not purchased by me, off eBay about £10 each), the receiver monitor (5.8G FPV Monitor 4.3 inch 48CH 480 x 22 LCD Wireless Monitor) £30 new off eBay. The camera needs a hefty battery, a 3 cell limo, which surprised me. The original idea was to use a receiver connected to a mobile phone, a simple and great idea, however, the software companies conspired to make it very difficult, it couldn't be done on my iPhone, nor any of the low end Android phones that I tried (would not accept the drivers needed). So concluded that a stand alone monitor was the safest way to go to ensure it worked. The receiver could have been a small watch type or a lot larger monitor, so went for a smallish monitor with the view of attaching it to the models rc transmitter. As an experiment it works, it all connected easily and worked straight away, will now play with it some more to see how it can be used and developed further. Its all exactly as in the attached photo.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: rhavrane on December 13, 2020, 08:56:38 pm
Bonjour dAve,Your motivation is impressive, navigating in the rain... but this boat deserves it and you have a good autonomy.
About heating the tank, kno3's suggestion is the one I apply as soon as I can.
And just for fun, I almost lost one of my boats https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bEiOUfpRV0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bEiOUfpRV0) because it went in a corner of the large pond and I had not looked in which direction it had disappeared. Hopefully, a pond is easy to explore  :D
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on December 16, 2020, 08:04:35 pm

As previously mentioned here is another mistake or should that be a learning oppourtunity. I don’t believe there is any good served by just sharing the good bits so here goes. Following on from the last outing with the Lady Sarah, I hoped the time it was taking for the boiler to get up to temp and pressure could be improved and also that the pressure would be maintained, so thank you for the advice re frosting of the gas tank.


Before doing anything with the gas tank I revisited the burner and gas jet sizing in a bid to get more heat into the boiler. I refitted the No 10 jet and on the bench it definitely gave more heat so I fitted it back to the boiler. I ran it in the boiler and on start up it was not burning cleanly, you could light the exhaust fumes, so with an open basement door I persisted and found that as the boiler got hotter and the gas tank got colder, the burning settled down so the fumes could no longer be lit and the boiler heated up quickly making good pressure. So i thought that would be ok, that I had a workable solution so I  took the boat out for a run today.


The only differences between running at home and on the bankside were that I topped the boiler up with water to the top of the sight gauge and  refilled the gas tank. It was warmer today and dryer that the last time Lady Sarah ran. The boiler was lit and began with a low howl, it had not done so before, and after 30 mins the boiler was not up to pressure so frustrating. I checked the flame, it was a good colour although not that fierce. I reduced the water level in the boiler and went again, it still took ages before the pressure rose to about 30 psi, by which time the alarm on my transmitter was going crazy saying it had low voltage agghhhhh!!! I had charged it the evening before and it was not left on so I guess the battery has died. The tank did not frost today, it ran for an hour, it just didn’t develop the same heat it did the day before?


I did take the camera back in the hope of getting some better photos of it in operation, sadly the only view today was from the decking on the bankside, hopefully this photo gives you a better view of the sight glass and pressure gauge for live time monitoring of them.


All in all a bit of a disaster this morning, whilst I did not get the Lady Sarah on the water, I did go and drink coffee socially distanced outside the cafe instead, reflecting on the joys of steaming. I will now move the tank close to the burner as suggested and then go back to the No8 jet and see how things go. I have to say, today was still a useful learning experience and it gave other club members, the yachtsmen and electric boats, a laugh as they were already taking the micky about how long it would take for me to brew the tea! Anyway I had the last laugh, at least the boiler was giving off enough heat for me to keep my hands warm!!!!
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on December 16, 2020, 11:30:05 pm
There's a delicate balance with gas burners,  jets,  air holes and boiler flues, as you found out. Besides,  a burner behaves one way when burning outside the boiler and another when  inside the flue. That's why it is better to adjust the burner in the boiler.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KBIO on December 17, 2020, 08:19:00 am
Hello!
Looking at your set up, there is no reason why you shouldn't get 30/40 PSI within 10/15 (max) minutes.
Some time, this is just the jet which is partially plugged by a debris . it looks like if it is fairly burning , but it is not ! That makes a hell of a difference in delivering heat!
Having a warmer gas tank with some pressure inside will improve the gas supply to the burner too.
Don't worry, you'll make it.
Personnel recommendation based on personnel experience :-" Go steam , only when the beer is at good temp !"  {-) {-)


Regards. ok2

Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on June 29, 2021, 08:36:26 pm
Its been sometime now since I updated you and did any work on the Lady Sarah. Having decided to use her as a test bed to try things and learn from them ready to eventually include in my new build, I thought it was time to get on and do a bit more. Having had a problem with the burner last time out, and thinking the current burner looked small compared to the boiler I thought I would try a new burner that had been waiting patiently to be fitted. I set it up on the bench and tried No5, No8 and No10 jets on the bench, found a setting for the primary air for each and selected the No8 as working best. I installed it in the boiler and turned it on, oh my what a noise, the howling was the worst I have ever heard it was so loud. I tried again and moved the gas jet in to reduce the primary air (probably completely the wrong thing to do in terms of complete combustion) but the howling did stop so I ran the boiler for a bit then the gas ran out. Now I know that a full gas tank and a near empty one do affect howling - I assume its to do with pressure and the speed of the gas leaving jet and the amount of primary air entrained into the mix. Any way things were much better with the full gas tank, I moved the gas jet in and out of the holder listening for a good flame and checking the results by trying to light the exhaust - great news no blue flame and the exhaust didnt smell awful. My next task was to install a radio controlled cut off valve for the gas and an attenuator so that I could gain experience from using one. I am experimenting with one of the small servos to operate the gas valve. Now I find a great deal of pleasure in messing about with this but it can also be so frustrating. The pleasure came from bending the pipes and doing some more silver soldering, some joints were better than others, more practice required. The frustration,  whilst the boiler was sat on the bench I noticed a drip of water from the bottom fitting holding the sight glass, tightening it made matters worse - so that's it for today - now need to investigate and fix that problem before I can test the new gas supply arrangements.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: TheLongBuild on June 30, 2021, 12:33:11 am
Are you sailing it or launching it into space  %% %% %%


Reminds me of Steam-Boat-Phils burners.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: SteamboatPhil on June 30, 2021, 10:12:34 pm
Have your eye brows grown back now Larry  {-) {-) {-) {-)
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on July 01, 2021, 05:09:58 pm
With the boiler out of action for a while awaiting parts I have started installation of a boiler feed pump so that I can learn how to set one up and gain experience of taking water direct from the lake rather than from an on board tank. The reason for this is with the new build weight is tight and I am aiming for longer run times so carrying a litre of water (1kg) in a tank that is then used is likely affect the way the boat (potentially top heavy) behaves on the water, so using water from the lake would save 1kg and I would not have the problem of loosing weight low down that was counter acting the top heavy, shallow draft nature of the model.
Thank you to fellow Mayhemers for your support with this project, your advice and help with the burners, pump and other matters is both invaluable and appreciated
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: Geoff on July 01, 2021, 11:15:26 pm
i would be wary of taking water from the lake as its of unkown quality and you could easily draw contaminats intpo the boiler. \an on bioard smaller tank would be better. Very nice model.


In my steam models I position the oil seperator so its touching the gas tank so it keeps it warm and helps maintain pressure. Another way is to use the exhaust steam to warm the gas tank.


Cheers


Geoff
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: Jerry C on July 01, 2021, 11:36:30 pm
My SL Wear takes water from the lake and has done for 10 years. At the end of a season I give the boiler a soak in citric acid then flush with clean. Never seen anything much in the way of contaminants. I have that same feed pump arrangement. How long does a litre of feed water last you?


Jerry C.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: frazer heslop on July 02, 2021, 06:21:49 pm
Use a small petrol filter on the pump intake line. Ive used sintered bronze pneumatic exhaust silencers that screw into a fitting on the side of the hull and not had any probs with either method
cheers
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on July 02, 2021, 07:23:56 pm
Water for boilers is an interesting area for discussion, be it distilled, de ionised, rain water, tap water or lake water, and lets face it lake water varies from location to location. One friend has referred to his lake as 50% water and 50% bird droppings, anothers lake is in the mountains and mine is a nature reserve (ex brick quarry) that was so crystal clear this week I could see the bottom more than 6 feet deep. I am going to install a filter and am going to try a large fuel filter. My choice is influenced by my experience of using small fuel filters for rc models. The photos show the two filters that I have removed from my steam tugs on board water supply, I think the mess inside them is a mixture of electric corrosion from differing metals in the system (aluminium, copper, brass, steel etc) as well as general muck that grow in water over time. So note to self must flush the tanks out. This issue made me decide that if using filters, larger is better.
My criteria for a filter for this project was to be able to see if water was flowing, to see how much debris was in the filter and to be able to easily clean the filter as a result this is the one I am going to experiment with.
Hopefully I will have the parts soon to get the boiler back up and running.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: ooyah/2 on July 02, 2021, 08:32:56 pm
Dave ,
I have used various filters my Flashsteamer and my steam tug CERVIA,
Ob the flashsteamer I used the auto fuel filter which was very useful and it was a throw away after every afternoon session.
On the steam tug I used a fuel filter that the flyers used which is a long 1/.75" long x 1/2" dia and has  sintered bronze cartridge in it and every now and again I removed it and back flushed it out to great effect, the sintered bronze filter works wonders and is easy to dismantle and clean.
The water on my club lake is now stagnant and with the heat no doubt it is full of green Algae . it was like that some years ago and as long as I back flushed it it had no effect on the boiler performance and at it's yearly flush out it is still perfect.


Unfortunately at present I can't post pics but will e-mail them to you.


George.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on July 03, 2021, 01:34:41 pm
There are small filters you can use for the feedwater if you want to draw it from the lake.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on July 07, 2021, 05:37:09 pm
As I mentioned I have been waiting for some parts so that I could get this boiler up and running after a leak. You may remember that this is a Martin Baylis Boiler, I have to praise Martin Baylis for his help and for going the extra mile to help. The fitting at the bottom of the sight glass had given way, so I ask Martin if they were still available, the fitting has a 3/16 thread. He supplied a fitting from his historic stock and now the boiler is good to go again, I really do appreciate both his speed of response and for taking the time to help.


With the boiler filled and pressure tested to check for leaks it was time to set up the gas supply, and the radio control valve. Thanks here to Raphael for the help he offered in a previous post on setting up the attenuator, having followed his steps it now works as it should so happy days. Having run the boiler today I will be making up a brass plate to sit the gas tank on and use the brass plate to transfer some heat from the boiler to gently warm the gas tank since its definitely getting quite cold.


With all that working the next step was to finish off the installation of the boiler feed pump which has gone well, (thanks again for help from a fellow mayhemer) I am getting better at bending the pipes and silver soldering the joints. I have also installed a much larger oil separator tank than was originally installed, so have changed quite a few things, hopefully it will all work together when its back int he boat and provide good run times.


Whilst some of the work is not essential and could easily not have been done, if nothing else its been a good learning exercise for me
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on July 08, 2021, 10:39:49 pm
Have today finished off a checking the steam plant and have  run it on the bench and all seems to be fine, here's a link to a video of it running on the bench with the pump pumping and the attenuator doing its thing. https://youtu.be/or1NGrUyPIg (https://youtu.be/or1NGrUyPIg)


I have now installed it back in the boat and will hopefully be able to test run everything at the lake tomorrow


            (https://youtu.be/or1NGrUyPIg)
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: rhavrane on July 09, 2021, 07:52:07 am
Bonjour David,
hat looks great, well done  :-))
I am always impressed by this type of pump which runs so quickly, mines are difficult to settle, especially my Cheddar horizontal one  {:-{ 
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on July 11, 2021, 07:36:37 pm
Having finished preparations late on Thursday evening I ran the Lady Sarah on the lake on Friday, now the joys of steam, all had been fine on the bench, but on the water a minor steam leak from another fitting appeared - I guess it the heating and cooling cycles. I did also make up a copper plate to transfer some heat from the burner to the gas tank, this can be seen at the end of the video clip below. The pump had been installed and works just fine, I had not got round to drilling a hole in the hull for the water pick up, so for this run the pump was not filling the boiler. The gas valve, the attenuator, the new oil separator all worked fine as did the remote camera relaying the boiler pressure and water levels back to the bank side, although to be honest the lake was so busy with other boats and the watersports activities I didn't really watch the screen. Here is a link to Lady Sarah running on the lake, for me this is only the second time she has been on the lake, so still a lot to learn about her. https://youtu.be/-1XgMerpcaA (https://youtu.be/-1XgMerpcaA)


I hope to have sorted a couple of other teething issues and be back on the water with her next week for some long runs with the pump being used to maintain the boilers water level.
          (https://youtu.be/-1XgMerpcaA)
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KBIO on July 12, 2021, 07:17:07 am
Excellent David !
This launch is beautiful and runs very well !  :-))
Regards.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on July 19, 2021, 04:41:13 pm
Since we last spoke the Lady Sarah has been run on three different lakes, two runs of 40 mins and one of 30 mins, in each case there was plenty of oil left in the displacement oiler, there was a good level of water left in the boiler, the oil separator was not full and so the gas has become the limiting factor on runs. A bit more experimenting with the setting of the by pass valve to maintain the boiler level is all that is required now. The gas attenuator is working as it should and combined with the burner is maintaining 40 psi whilst running. The pump is priming, the filter is filtering the water, the camera is working so until there are more modifications this will probably be the last post about the Lady Sarah. So thank you to each and everyone of you that have helped with this project your time in assisting me has been very much appreciated.
Here are some photos, the first is of the filter that I used, having listened to the experiences of others this seemed good and so far it is., the second shows the filter installed along with the pump, silicone tubing being used to take water from the lake to the pump and from the by pass valve back to the lake, hard tubing used to pump water into the boiler.
Here is a link to video of the camera in operation [size=78%]https://youtu.be/A0W8UeumhRs (https://youtu.be/A0W8UeumhRs)[/size]
Here is a link to the Lady Sarah cruising on the lake at the weekend [/size][size=78%]https://youtu.be/SJYGzPoACOc (https://youtu.be/SJYGzPoACOc)[/size]And here are some more photos just for completeness.
Thank you for accompanying me on this journey, I am now going to concentrate on getting my Torpedo Boat Destroyer, HMS Daring finished and on the water.

Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on July 24, 2021, 06:04:02 pm
Glad to read the pump works well and that the filter provides good service. I think it's a simpler solution than to have onboard water tanks.
Have you checked the boiler if there's any residue or lime scale from the lake water after the runs?
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on July 26, 2021, 12:45:59 pm
I appreciate its early days, but so far no evidence of limescale which is the result that I am hoping for. The safety valve has been removed as has the fitting at the top of the sight glass to check. I live in an area where the tap water is hard, so had previously been using rainwater and or water taken from a dehumidifier, both of which should be soft. The lakes that I am sailing on are rain and river filled and not in a chalk area, so again whilst I have not tested the water, I assume it to be soft. I will keep an eye out for limescale build up, since after all this is now my test bed boat that I am experimenting with so that I can apply the lessons learned to my new build. One important decision for the new build is whether or not to use water from the lake so that I don't have the issues with the weight of an onboard tank and then using water that then affects the ballasting. Lets see what happens over the coming weeks as I continue with the long runs and gain more experience with setting the bypass valve.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on July 27, 2021, 10:37:05 am
Even if you get some lime scale, it is easy to wash out with a weak acid (as used for coffee machines).
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on July 27, 2021, 05:56:09 pm
Thank you for the tip about cleaning out the boiler, perhaps I should do that as part of the annual routine maintenance. I have been experiencing difficulty in seeing the true level of the water in the boiler, the water has been sticking in the sight gauge and or separating into two sections with an air bubble between them so remembering previous conversations on other threads I am now experimenting by inserting a length of thin wire into the sight glass to prevent or relief the bubbles, have run the boiler once since and it seems to have worked. I have to be honest I have doubted it would work, however, I will admit it looks promising - will keep you posted. Have attached a photo, not the best image, but it will let you see the thin wire (fuse wire) in the 3/16 dia sight gauge.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: southsteyne2 on July 28, 2021, 01:04:57 am
I have an onboard tank holds approx 500 ml for 30 min run and for me it gives a break to check everything is ok so not keen on drawing lake water to attain longer run times also the horizontal feed pump can give problems with ball seating better on the vertical if room permits
Cheers
John
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on August 08, 2021, 09:25:04 pm
In amongst all the rain I did manage to get to the lake to run the Lady Sarah again, this time for about 30 mins, have now found a good setting for the bypass valve, the water level in the boiler dropped less than half an inch during this time. The good news is that the wire in the sight glass seems to be working and has improved the reliability of the water level seen in the glass. The water in the glass seems to be less prone to bubble formation now. The photo of the wire in the glass and water level was taken after twenty minutes of running on the lake on one of the regular drive bus to check everything was ok.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on August 10, 2022, 04:33:08 pm
Hi here as an update, the Lady Sarah was running at the weekend. Many of you will know I have been working on other projects so it was nice to fire up the boiler in the Lady Sarah and run her again on the lake. With the modifications discussed earlier in this thread (an engine driven pump) the aim is to gain experience of using water directly from the lake to fill the boiler and achieve extended run times. With that in mind I hope to be running the Lady Sarah more frequently now to gain more information. Here is a link to video of the Lady Sarah chasing a warship! https://youtu.be/uB3sefqzXPY (https://youtu.be/uB3sefqzXPY)

Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on August 13, 2022, 07:10:19 pm
She runs very well. What is your experience with using lake water, so far?
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: Circlip on August 14, 2022, 12:37:49 pm
Tut Tut, Fenders should be stowed for free running.  O0 :}2


  Regards   Ian.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: rhavrane on August 14, 2022, 01:55:51 pm
Bonjour,

Ian, I fully agree with you but don't do it either  :}

Calin, based on my experence, barring exceptions, impurities float or sink, my filters stay clean when my boats draw water from the ponds and lakes where I sail (+/- 8 cm depth)  :-)) 

I use filters prviously shown, example : https://youtu.be/UKRDUUG4dxI (https://youtu.be/UKRDUUG4dxI)
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on August 14, 2022, 02:11:35 pm
Thanks. Those small filters seem very useful.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: DBS88 on August 14, 2022, 05:29:03 pm
Hi reference using the water from the lake, I have not noticed any adverse issues and will continue to monitor the situation. The water is taken from about an inch below the surface of the lake and goes through a sintered bronze filter as used in model airplanes. This type of fuel filter was suggested to me by a fellow Mayhemer (thank you), and so far it is an improvement on the filters I had used in another boat.
The issue I had with the other boats filters was that they blocked, they were installed in a system with onboard water tanks and the water used was distilled water. I believe the issue was because of many different metals in contact with the water, brass, copper, aluminium, steel mesh filter, etc etc. The Filters look identical to the ones Raphael is using.  The problem with them was that the aluminium corroded and it was difficult to undo them. I tried greasing the threads, but it didn't really improve things. The main issue was the mesh became blocked, please see photos, this combined with them corroding meant I looked for alternatives.
The filter I now use has remained easy to undo and the sintered bronze filter pops out and can be rinsed under a tap before being replaced, its working much better.
Re the fenders, thank you, guilty as charged, I shall not repeat that mistake - every day is a school day.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: KNO3 on August 14, 2022, 08:41:37 pm
I have also noticed that sometimes aluminium parts tend to corrode badly when exposed to water.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: Circlip on August 15, 2022, 08:43:35 am
The fender bit was commented VERY tongue in cheek. Years ago while serving as a 'Deck hand' on a mates 32ft  Westerly all hell broke loose and it seemed that Posiden would hit the surface and sink us  as we had left the padding dragging immediately after leaving the dockside. I watch with amusement the synchronized airbag dropping by the deck crew on the 'Below Decks' 'Reality' series.


  Regards  Ian.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: Jerry C on August 15, 2022, 04:37:06 pm
I’ve been taking water from the lake for yonks. No filter just a short wire whisker upstream of the suction to take weed clear.
Title: Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
Post by: CliffW on March 25, 2023, 01:43:21 am
Here in USA distilled water is very cheap at less than $1/gallon...so we always used distilled water in our model steam boilers...boats, stationary steam plants, and garden sized trains....makes impurities and mineral build up a non-issue.