The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions > Steam

My 7th boiler.

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hammer:
I am building this boiler for Totnes Castle show in working vessels above. But I will post here as well as steam fans may not have see it. My first attempt was a wedge type, this was successful, But due to lack of running knowledge, running engine on the bench, it ran out of steam. I now know less steam is used under load. Would have been fine in model. However I had built No2, horizontal 3"+6" fire tube. No 3&4, 2"+4" verticals for the grandsons. No 5+6, twin tube horizontals 2.5"+8". Why 2 I built one with 22mm fire tubes couldn't burn all the gas in the tube could light the top of the funnel. Not good in a boat. more later.

hammer:
Sorry post interrupted yesterday.  I made two regulators for the 22mm fire tube but still gas would burn outside the funnel.
Now No7 I was lucky to see a 103 +300mm 16g copper pipe on ebay only £9.99. free P&P. Can't be true but what's a loss of £9.99. What a surprise a BS mark steamline perfect condition.  Just managed to score for the cut in the lathe, by placing over the chuck & pulling the jaws out. Then cut with hack saw, gentle clean up in lathe by moving the wooden plug. Cut the remainder down the middle annealed & flattened. Turned the wooden plug down 2 thickness of the copper as a former. Cut plates on band saw  annealed  again & started to form. Annealed again then in the citric acid for another go top day. The fire tube brazed up pipe fitting as seen. Two fins on out side near to burner to compensate for less cross tubes than normal. Cross tubes silver soldered in after. Any comments good or bad welcome.

rhavrane:
Bonjour Hammer,
I am a collector, not a builder so please forgive in advance these remarks based on my experience.
I am quite surprized by the 180° angle you give to your central fire tube. To my opinion, it will block the torch flow. Even with a little angle at the chemny level, I already have heat flow probems https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ-lbevCsX8
Sometimes, the fire goes back in the torch : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SLqSuZjE94 at 3'50"
I have a tool to check my burners... My nose :-))  and when it stings, I know the combustion is not complete.
To have more water pipes on one of my latest acquisitions, I have asked my manufacturer to lengthen the fire tube to let a maximum of water pipes in the boiler and the  the dart of the torch at 5 cm of the first one : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42a9CLfYG9I

hammer:
Thanks for your comments Rhavrane. After I had brazed the sharp angle I did try the burner before completing the other joints. I must try again now the cross tubes are fixed. Especially in view fo you comments, l will do tomorrow. 

rhavrane:
Bonjour Hammer,
It is my pleasure to share my experiences, and of course, it is just one opinion, and furthemor the one of a collector. I would also strongly suggest you to make your test with a chemney and possibly in an environment representing a hull, the breathing of the burner is very dependent on its environment.
One of my latest bad experience is a fire in my last boat, probably due to a lack of air around the burner and a bad flow of the fire in the torch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_a9K0AzRH0   <:(

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