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[muleears]

Well my fine group of gentlemen, the time has come to resurrect this old thread.  You have all been most helpful in the past (with a special nod to pettyofficernick  ).  It is about 15* F here (-9 to you folks across the pond) and it is time to get back to building!  As has been the case throughout this thread I have a question.  I have been contemplating how to assemble the awning over the aft of the PFC Genereux and I don't know how to connect three brass rods 90* from one another, in other words, how do I connect the rear upright to the rear corner of the awning?  Does someone make a brass fitting?  If so, I cannot find it! Do I need to fab my own? Or am I attacking this entirely wrong?  I know Krick makes an accessory package for the Victoria but it seems to be horribly overpriced and I'd rather do it myself anyway.  Any help is greatly appreciated!  I very much look forward to getting back in the swing of building and again appreciate all the help I have received in the past.

[pettyofficernick]

Hi Cal, if you don't want to buy the fittings kit, the easiest way is to use thin brass tube for the rear uprights, (see plan for dimensions) topped with a ball grabrail stanction http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/rb-grabrail-stanchions.html  (follow link for examples) you will need 4, 2 for rear uprights, 2 for front, which are affixed to the cabin roof, use a small piece of tube and a washer as a flange to make a socket to sit uprights in. Make the top frame from brass wire as per Victoria plan. Alternatively you could use the method I used on African Queen and solder up corner pieces similar to what you would find on a frame tent. There are pictures of this on my African Queen thread.....

[muleears]

Thanks Nick.  I got the gas jet all cleaned up and am fitting a copper tube so I can connect it to the gas tank.  That brings up another question.  The gas tank is full of air. The first time I fill it it will have a significant amount of air present.  How should I deal with this? Or will it just have reduced capacity the first few times its used?  Or doesn't it matter?

[derekwarner]

Cal...the gas in your disposable gas bottle is actually in its [compressed] liquid phase, so when you fill the gas tank via the Goodall valve part of the hissing you will hear is the gas [fluid] displacing the air

The positioning of the Goodall valve also ensures you cannot overfill the tank and you always have an air space above the liquid to enable the fluid to boil off as gas............ Derek

[muleears]

Thanks Derek,  This is a new tank and I was concerned that I had to evacuate it somehow.  I plan to use butane as my primary fuel.  Anything special I need to know about that?

[muleears]

I filled (I think) the tank with butane, hooked everything up and this is what I got.  Does this look right?  It's at a pretty low setting.

[derekwarner]

Cal......the yellow/red in the flame suggests incomplete combustion....ideally you need bluish/purple flame at the pointy end

The boiler is a Macsteam???...did it come with instructions?....

We can see the 4 air inlet holes and these appear not to be restricted.....you probably can adjust the position of the gas jet..... relative to these holes to gain a greater venturi type draw to allow more air/oxygen

The image below is of your boiler in 2012....you can see the jet holder adjustment/locking screw

When you do achieve the optimum flame, engrave a small mark where the jet engages into the jet holder....this is for later reference so you don't have to repeat the exercise down the track....... Derek

[muleears]

Thank you Derek, that makes good sense.  I'll fiddle and see what I can come up with.

[muleears]

Derek, I have taken yours and Nick's advice and moved the jet about as far from the flame as I can, it definitely has more of a "blowtorch" appearance than it did with it all the way in.  It is difficult to see in the pic but the bottom of the flame, near the ceramic portion of the burner, is blue.  I will continue to fidget and see if I can make the flame all blue.  I'm using straight butane, if that makes a difference.

[ooyah/2]

Cal...the gas in your disposable gas bottle is actually in its [compressed] liquid phase, so when you fill the gas tank via the Goodall valve part of the hissing you will hear is the gas [fluid] displacing the air

The positioning of the Goodall valve also ensures you cannot overfill the tank and you always have an air space above the liquid to enable the fluid to boil off as gas............ Derek

Derek,
Goodall valves are never used in gas tanks only in boilers to feed them with water while still under steam.
If a Goodall valve was used there is a very great chance that the rubber tube fitted to the valve would crack or go hard when the temp drops below freezing in the tank when in use and allow gas to pass out to atmosphere and cause a fire..

The correct fitting for Gas tanks is the Ronson type which is fitted to manufactured tanks and clearly shown on Cal's fuel tank.

Cal   it's O.K. to use straight Butane, I use it all the time and have had no adverse effects, just keep adjusting the jet holder to get the best flame and as Derek says mark the final position on the holder.
George

[muleears]

Thank you George.  I fired the boiler for the first time this morning!  It took about 10 minutes to reach 40 psi, starting with 70*F (room temp) water.  I kind of expected the safety valve to let go at 60 psi but it went at 45.  Boy was that a surprise!  Glad I wasn't standing over it!  Thanks again to all for the help, I think I can tweak the flame a little more and maybe get the heating time down another minute or so.  And here comes my stupid question of the day... how do you light the burner when its in the boiler?  I thought just put a flame at the end of the chimney and poof off you go.  But for me it was poof out it went.  I guess the trick is to let the gas run a second or so to fill the chimney before introducing the flame?  If there is a better/easier/safer way please let me know!

[derekwarner]

Opps.....yes Ronson valve......my gas tank has a Ronson valve installed ...thanks for the correction George......I don't even have a Goodall valve, but an inline check valve for boiler feed ....... Derek

[ooyah/2]

Thank you George.  I fired the boiler for the first time this morning!  It took about 10 minutes to reach 40 psi, starting with 70*F (room temp) water.  I kind of expected the safety valve to let go at 60 psi but it went at 45.  Boy was that a surprise!  Glad I wasn't standing over it!  Thanks again to all for the help, I think I can tweak the flame a little more and maybe get the heating time down another minute or so.  And here comes my stupid question of the day... how do you light the burner when its in the boiler?  I thought just put a flame at the end of the chimney and poof off you go.  But for me it was poof out it went.  I guess the trick is to let the gas run a second or so to fill the chimney before introducing the flame?  If there is a better/easier/safer way please let me know!

Cal,

You will have to experiment with the gas pressure, I think what's happening is that to get the best burn you have moved the jet holder away from the burner and you are giving too much gas and air which is blowing the flame out.
You will have to compromise by starting with the gas valve just open before applying the light to the funnel, keep nudging the jet nearer to the burner and you will find the spot that lights when you apply the light at the funnel.

George

[muleears]

Thank you George, I shall give that a shot next time I fire her up. 


I finally got it lit this morning but it took 6 or 7 tries.  Each time it just poofed and blew itself out.  Until finally the burner caught and I turned it up.