Hi Sjoormen,
"Gondolier boats length is 1118 mm at beam is 265mm, displacement is unknown for now.
About budget , well what ever it takes ( but sometimes built is slowly). I´ ve been looking these plants and they are quite expensive, so I´ ve been thinking maybe it would be best to make heater and boiler at home and to buy engine itself. I have some skills and some equipment, but about steam itself I know very little, so maybe with some help,.. How much power this kind of boat requires anyway?"
In reply- That boat sounds plenty big enough, and by the pics I would say you have enough displacement.
A slowly built steam plant will always be the best- and a well planned one will always work better, and a well working one will always give you more pleasure in return.
First of all you will need a few things to build a boiler- a professional blowtorch or ideally an Oxy-Acetylene set- and know how to use them- you will need a proven design or know how to calculate material stresses to design your own. You will need to posses annealing skills, tapping and threading equipment, and know how to form copper.
Alternatively you can buy boiler kits- so you'll only need soldering equipment.
A burner can also be bought commercially for relatively little cost.
Any engine with a cylinder size of 11mm (3/8") square or bigger will be perfectly suitable- though to give 'scale' appearance and power a twin cylinder engine of 22mm (3/4") square. The bigger the engine you have, the bigger the boiler as it will use more steam.
A typical budget could range from approx' £400 for everything to £2500!!! Depending on what you buy, where you buy it, what you have to do to it once you have got it and of course the quality of the item.
I recommend these links;
www.forest-classics.co.uk- burners gas tanks,, bits and bobs, including a fantastic auto boiler pressure gas regulator- want one of those!
www.stuartmodels.com- you have probably heard of these people- very old and famous company- beautiful engines, many more than suitable for your tug- recommend the D10.
www.maccsteam.com- good quality and quite affordable boilers, gas tanks, burners and fittings.
www.engineersemporium.co.uk- second hand and brand new steam equipment- stock always changing.
www.stationroadsteam.com- as above but generally more comprehensive.
www.steamfittings.co.uk- clue is in the title- steam fittings galore- everything to finish a plant off.
www.blackgates.co.uk- steam fittings, tools, engine plans, materials and boiler kits.
www.mainsteam.co.uk - fantastic collection of model marine steam equipment.
www.ajreeves.com - everything you could ever wish for and more- their international steam fittings range is pretty good.
www.monohansteammodels.com - fantastic engines- probably the best looking in the hobby- and some good, although rather american looking, steam fittings.
www.miniaturesteammodels.com - still make the wonderful original cheddar ’puffin’ engine- the ’clyde’ osscillator in their range- wonderful engine and really controllable.
See diagram I put together for you- general arrangement of steam plant in a model.
Please keep asking questions- don't be put off by the budget, there is more than one way to skin a cat- search ebay, model engineering magazines, and of course this forum.
Have a search through the steam sections of this forum- there are some very interesting and well built steam plants.
We'll have a model engineer of you yet!
Greg