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Author Topic: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?  (Read 8376 times)

Jerry C

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #50 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?


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frazer heslop

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #51 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
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DBS88

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #52 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.
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ooyah/2

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #53 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.
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KNO3

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #54 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.
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DBS88

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #55 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
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DBS88

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #56 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


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


           
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rhavrane

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #57 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  {:-{ 
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Raphaël
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DBS88

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #58 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


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.
         
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KBIO

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #59 on: July 12, 2021, 07:17:07 am »

Excellent David !
This launch is beautiful and runs very well !  :-))
Regards.

DBS88

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #60 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[/size]
Here is a link to the Lady Sarah cruising on the lake at the weekend [/size][size=78%]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.

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KNO3

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #61 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?
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DBS88

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #62 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.
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KNO3

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #63 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).
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DBS88

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #64 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.
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southsteyne2

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #65 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
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DBS88

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #66 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.
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DBS88

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #67 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

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KNO3

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #68 on: August 13, 2022, 07:10:19 pm »

She runs very well. What is your experience with using lake water, so far?
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Circlip

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #69 on: August 14, 2022, 12:37:49 pm »

Tut Tut, Fenders should be stowed for free running.  O0 :}2


  Regards   Ian.
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rhavrane

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #70 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
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Raphaël
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KNO3

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #71 on: August 14, 2022, 02:11:35 pm »

Thanks. Those small filters seem very useful.
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DBS88

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #72 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.
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KNO3

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #73 on: August 14, 2022, 08:41:37 pm »

I have also noticed that sometimes aluminium parts tend to corrode badly when exposed to water.
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Circlip

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Re: Steam Launch Restoration - Modeen Hull?
« Reply #74 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.
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