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Author Topic: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear  (Read 114768 times)

Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #150 on: April 09, 2012, 05:26:51 pm »

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.

Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #151 on: April 09, 2012, 05:46:10 pm »

OK, 2nd coat and looking good.

And finally, the other half has been polishing the brasses again!!!

Jerry.

Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #152 on: April 11, 2012, 07:34:27 pm »

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.

Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #153 on: April 11, 2012, 08:23:13 pm »



Why does it take so long to post a pic??

kiwimodeller

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #154 on: April 12, 2012, 11:48:07 am »

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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Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #155 on: April 12, 2012, 03:05:34 pm »

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.

ooyah/2

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #156 on: April 12, 2012, 03:58:00 pm »

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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Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #157 on: April 12, 2012, 06:16:39 pm »

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

kiwimodeller

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #158 on: April 13, 2012, 12:20:14 pm »

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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Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #159 on: April 13, 2012, 07:54:44 pm »

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.
     

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.




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.


Finally I put the canopy sockets on the tops of the stanchions and tomorrow I will epoxy the canopy on top.



Jerry.

Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #160 on: April 14, 2012, 08:28:08 pm »

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.



 Enjoy,
Jerry.

rmaddock

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #161 on: April 14, 2012, 08:32:35 pm »

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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ooyah/2

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #162 on: April 14, 2012, 09:11:50 pm »

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.



 Enjoy,
Jerry.

Please mister can I have a go ???????
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derekwarner

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #163 on: April 14, 2012, 10:16:18 pm »

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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Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #164 on: April 14, 2012, 10:42:14 pm »

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.

steam up

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #165 on: April 14, 2012, 11:59:43 pm »

All the best for the sea/lake trials :-))

Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #166 on: April 15, 2012, 09:43:11 pm »

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.

Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #167 on: April 15, 2012, 11:32:08 pm »

This is the first clip, I hope.

http://youtu.be/9uwBf7wHqg4

It may be like watching paint dry though.
Jerry.

steamboatmodel

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #168 on: April 16, 2012, 02:09:58 am »

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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Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #169 on: April 16, 2012, 08:15:49 am »

flashtwo

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #170 on: April 16, 2012, 10:24:21 am »

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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Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #171 on: April 16, 2012, 10:57:12 am »

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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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #172 on: April 16, 2012, 11:26:37 am »

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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Jerry C

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #173 on: April 16, 2012, 10:10:26 pm »

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.
     

derekwarner

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Re: Jerry's - Steam Launch - Wear
« Reply #174 on: April 17, 2012, 07:15:12 am »

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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Derek Warner

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Illawarra Live Steamers Co-op
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www.ils.org.au
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