PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log

[sshire]

Now I get it. Building a boiler consists of drilling an infinite number of holes, which are then filled with an infinite number of rivets, which then results in the boilermaker running to the the nearest bar and ordering an infinite number of boilermakers.

I've never riveted before and, after the last two days, I don't think I want to repeat the exercise. Not that it's difficult and the instructions from PM Research are excellent. It's really, really boring and I'm hoping that after I get LOTS of paint on it, my crappy Riveting 101 exercise won't look too bad.

The horizontal boiler kit from PM Research is excellent. Quality castings. Everything you need, including stock to make the tools, is included.



Here are the riveting tools. Simple lathe work. Since they look identical on the bench, I "numbered" them with 1,2 and 3 grooves. The riveting dolly is in the anvil, a piece of 3/4"x 2" x 12" CRS (just about the only thing not included.)



Drilling and riveting pictures will now commence.

The drilling and milling template from the plans is taped around the shell. This saved much layout.



Fitting the tube sheets to a slip fit. Yesterday I didn't even know what a tube sheet was, now I'm fitting them.



Drilling the outlet hole for the steam dome.



Deburring the rivet holes for the tube sheets.



Milling the shell





Drilled and milled



The steam dome. One hole is drilled and riveted to hold position. then a second hole is also drilled and riveted. With the parts now fixed in place, the remainder of the holes are drilled.





More holes for more rivets.





It's like building a ship in a bottle.



Next installment - End sheet riveting if you can stand the suspense.

[tvoght]

Very good photo sequence on a subject I had been wondering about.

--Tim

[mklotz]

I strongly recommend that you get a pair of shooter's earmuffs to wear while riveting.  I didn't use mine when riveting the PMR vertical boiler and my ears rang for days afterward.  I don't know why I was so stupid.  I have tinnitus anyway from unprotected shooting so I really should know better.  It was probably all the excitement of repeating the same motions endlessly.

[Bearcar1]

  It was probably all the excitement of repeating the same motions endlessly.

Do that a lot do you Marv .......


Installing and setting the rivets on the PMR boiler I made was one of the last projects that I worked on with my Dad. It was a moment in time that I will cherish the rest of my life. I used an articulated blind riveter, which is the same as what Stan has there but features another overarm holding the set in place directly over the anvil tool, and is hinged. I would place the rivet in position and hold the shell level and Dad would strike the overarm with his 3lb hammer. Just a light *biff* was all that was required and we would set up for the next rivet. Quit relaxing and he enjoyed it immensely (he was 85yo at that time) as did I. It made me feel like I was a young lad again working next to my Dad in his shop. really. Took a couple of hours as we visited and took breaks once in a while. I did drill the upper hole for the water column bushing into the steam dome before it got attached which I think made thing easier. I especially like the rabbit hole view picture of you peering into the belly of the beast Stan    and am looking forward to seeing more of your progress.


BC1
Jim

[b.lindsey]

Great write up and pictures Stan...already looking forward to the next installment. This thing looks bigger than I had imagined.

Bill

[Don1966]

Look good to me Stan, I will diffently follow this one. I have the vertical boiler waiting for me to make. I should learn from your mistakes, well I hope you don't make any, but just in case. 

Don

[sshire]

I did wear my "I'm standing next to a jet engine so I have to wear these" earmuffs from my Air Force Reserve days. I could swear I read your warning on another post long ago and fortunately remembered.

That overarm riveter sounds like a perfect tool for this. Do you have a pic?

I hadn't pictured it as this large until I actually saw it in the PMR booth at Cabin Fever. Bought it right there. Still deciding on colors. I picked up a Duplicolor manifold paint color chart at the auto supply today.

More tomorrow.

[Bearcar1]

Sure do Stan, for you, anytime. 
Dad made this up for me many, many years ago from some pieces of 3/8" thick plate he had in the scrap pile. Works a treat and one could be made with a longer reach.




BC1
Jim

[sshire]

Jim
Thanks! What a great tool. Looks like it would have made the riveting go way easier.
I'd never seen one. I have some of my great grandfathers planes and chisels. He was a cabinetmaker.
I treasure them (but have used them sparingly.)
Best
Stan

[Jo]

 

Question: Is the boiler purely rivetted together? Or is it chalked?

I have always silversoldered up my boilers and one of the things no one told me was that the copper rivets that you buy have been coated with something to prevent them from discolouring. If you don't clean that off before you use the rivets it makes silversoldering difficult  . I would guess that it would have the same effect with soft solder.

Jo

[Maryak]

Question: Is the boiler purely rivetted together? Or is it chalked?

Jo

What colour would you like or would you prefer it caulked 

[Jasonb]

And if it is caulked you don't want all that markingblue left on the surfaces.

Also worth soldering up teh dome before fitting to the boiler so you can check the penitration of the solder, again if its caulked or S.Soldered

[lakc]

Did you anneal the rivets before using them?

[sshire]

Jo,et al
I've seen a few builds of these elsewhere and no one reported any rivet soldering issues. I'm guessing that PMR has included proper (i.e. solderable) rivets in the box. I'm hoping to finish the riveting today and move on to soldering tomorrow. I'll report.
I annealed a few rivets as a test and didn't notice any difference. They were either annealed oiut of the box or I have no idea what I'm doing (a distinct possibility.)
Great idea about soldering the dome before attachment. Unfortunately, 'tis already firmly riveted in place.
If water is not running off my safety glasses after the hydro test, I'll assume all went well.

More pics tonight of today's boiler adventures.

[Bearcar1]

To address some of your questions Jo, yes, the boiler does get caulked, or soldered for you less than sophisticated chaps. The solder that comes supplied in the kits from PMR is a high end soft solder and not a true hard silver braze product. It is good stuff though no doubt. It is used to merely "plug the holes so to speak as with all of the rivets in place that boiler is plenty strong. It does require a fair amount of heat to get the lump up to sufficient temperature for the solder to flow as it should. The rivets supplied are in fact annealed already but Dad and I heated them up to red anyway and let them cool back down, if there was a coating on them there wasn't when we were ready to use them. I really enjioyed building this kit as it was well documented and everything was included.


BC1
Jim