Author Topic: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log  (Read 71251 times)

Offline lakc

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #15 on: August 24, 2013, 03:13:02 PM »
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.)
I am using rivets that I bought a few years ago, and suspect they have age-hardened. I torched them until they had a nice glow and it made life much easier forming them.
Jeff

Offline NickG

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #16 on: August 24, 2013, 04:05:55 PM »
Got to say, these Pmr kits seem impressive. Only criticism from what i've seen on the engines is the type of fasteners supplied! How are you supporting the inside of the rivets stan? I am finding this interesting - will be nice to see an engine running on live steam for a change!

Offline sshire

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #17 on: August 24, 2013, 05:03:06 PM »
Thanks for that translation, Jim.
I was wondering how latex caulk would help matters. However, Jo and latex might be akin to peaches and cream.
Best,
Stan

Online Jo

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #18 on: August 24, 2013, 05:44:32 PM »
Latex  :hellno:
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline Roger B

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #19 on: August 24, 2013, 08:50:23 PM »
Is a riveted boiler intrinsically safer than a brazed or welded one?

Rivet holes tend to act as crack stoppers and it is much easier to control the quality of a rivet than a weld. Lots of little leaks are probably better than one large split  ::)
Best regards

Roger

Offline sshire

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #20 on: August 24, 2013, 11:21:38 PM »
Another day, another rivet

I had decided to drill the hole in the dome after riveting to insure that I had it aligned with the hole previously drilled in the shell for the water level sight glass. There is also a hole 180 degrees from this one on the dome for the pressure gauge. I found the center of the hole in the shell and then carried that across to the dome.



To insure that things were square when drilling, I used the milled out portion against a square.



Clamped, supported, center drilled and then drilled.



Thinking that it might be a good idea to fit the tubes prior to my next bout of riveting, I mounted the 3 jaw, took very light cuts, moved to a file and then wet/dry paper until I had a nice fit. Repeat for both ends of five tubes.





Test fit. All seems well.



To set the plates at the depth indicated on the drawings, I cut a piece of tubing from the plumbing parts box and kept fiddling with the length until I arrived at the correct depth. The tubing also provided a flat surface so that the sheet was level for marking.



As before, drill a hole, rivet to hold position, repeat at 180 degrees. Then all holes can be drilled.



Centered the Y axis to insure that the holes were drilled straight, then unlock vise, locate hole, drill, repeat for 20 holes.



And one end done. One to go tomorrow.



Hanging it up for the evening.



Best
Stan
Best,
Stan

Offline Bearcar1

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #21 on: August 24, 2013, 11:47:43 PM »
Latex  :hellno:


OK, how about some spandex stirrup pants .......... no? .......  gees, you're no fun.  :slap:


Stan, you are progressing at a good rate and so far things are looking good. What do you think about the kit so far, in ease of construction terms? BTW, for anyone interested, PMR will sell individual pieces as I had a flash-in-the-pan idea about a one-off garden locomotive build and wanted to save some time by using that flared steam dome piece and the folks at PMR were very accommodating. Of course I still have the piece sitting in the cabinet unused.  :shrug:


BC1
Jim

Offline sshire

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #22 on: August 25, 2013, 02:39:18 AM »
Nick
The rivets are supported on a Dolly. It's a piece of 3/8" drill rod with a round recess that closely matches the rivet head shape. The dolly is held in a blind hole in the anvil which gets clamped in the vise.
The drill rod is hardened and then tempered per the PMR instructions.

Jim
The kit is excellent. Beautiful castings and very well written instructions and notes. The riveting tools are easy to make and, if you follow the instructions and think about each step before doing it, everything works well. They do assume that you've built some things before and understand how to do basic machining. That said, it's well worth the money to have all of the parts in ine box to build a well designed and tested boiler. It is not a small boiler and I expect that it will run any of my engines. I did get their feed pump kit and will also build a displacement oiler and waste oil recovery tank from ideas I've seen here and on other forums. I also have ( still in the box) a Bix burner for this size boiler, so more builds coming to get the complete steam system on line.
Best,
Stan

Offline NickG

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #23 on: August 25, 2013, 10:48:38 AM »
Great stuff, thanks Stan. Roger yes you would think it is intrinsically safer. Some boilers have  threaded stays with nuts on them which must help but most i've seen don't have the flanges riveted, they are just soldered. Are the tubes
Soldered in with the same solder stan? Some steel boilers just have the tubes expanded with dollies to seal them but doubt that'd be appropriate here.

Offline sshire

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #24 on: August 25, 2013, 02:23:32 PM »
According to the plans, I'll make the tube flaring tool, flare the tube ends and then solder them with the included solder. Since there is only one spool of solder, everything is done with it.
Best,
Stan

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #25 on: August 25, 2013, 04:47:51 PM »
Wow...you are really coming along Stan...most enjoyable to watch too!!!

Bill

Offline sshire

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #26 on: August 25, 2013, 05:57:15 PM »
Make more popcorn, Bill. I'm on the last 17 rivets.  :hammerbash: Then soldering.
Unless anyone has another suggestion, I'm going to stop the boiiler there and proceed with the build of the feed pump kit to do the hydro testing.
Like this, but smaller
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAGk_7604Hg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAGk_7604Hg</a>
« Last Edit: August 25, 2013, 09:36:03 PM by sshire »
Best,
Stan

Offline ths

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #27 on: August 25, 2013, 09:14:04 PM »
But not much smaller.

Offline sshire

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #28 on: August 25, 2013, 09:43:28 PM »
I'm feeling like the guy who got the short straw and is working the feed pump.  I realized that fitting the tubes at the ends-only didn't work. Of course not. The tubes have to slide all the way through both end plates. So back to the lathe for that.  I did make the flaring tool. More pix tonight. Looks like I'll get the tubes in and flared tomorrow and (if all goes well) soldering. Then on to the feed pump build which will be a separate build log. I need the pump for hydro testing.
Best,
Stan

Offline sshire

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Re: PMR Horizontal Boiler - A Riveting Build Log
« Reply #29 on: August 26, 2013, 03:02:26 AM »
More banging

On to the end plates.
The drawings give the dimension for the recess of the end plates. After juggling a plate and the depth mike, I decided to mill a proper spacer to get the correct depth for prick punching the plate.
A square 6061 bar that will rest on the previously riveted plate.





Now, with the plate resting squarely on the spacer, marking it was not a problem.



Then center drill and ⅛" drill for the first hole.



Deburring



With the spacer bar in place, rivet is placed in the hole and the opposite hole is marked





Then remove the rivets and spacer bar and replace the rivets.



Then I can check the depth of the plate and mark and drill for rivet #3.



Now, Riveting 101.

Disclaimer: I had never done a rivet (other than a pop rivet) until a few days ago. The following is what I know from the PMR instructions and setting 70+ rivets. I'm quite sure that there may be a better, more efficient way to do this and comments are encouraged.

Important: If you don't have one of these hearing protectors and you are going to rivet; get a pair. Not expensive and will keep your ears from ringing and from a (hopefully temporary) high frequency hearing loss. Also, I don't need to say this here but, banging on the end of steel rods over and over and over could cause a metal fragment to chip off. Safety glasses please.



This is the anvil and rivet dolly. The preformed head of the rivet rests here while you mercilessly beat  the other end. Clamped in a bench vise and then a c-clamp to clamp down the other end to prevent tipping.





First is Tool #1. The hole is deeper than the rivet length. Its function is to bang the sheets together and tighten everything against the rivet head in the dolly.



Tool #2 is the "swaging" tool. The hole is about ½ the length of the rivet stem. Banging on this causes the exposed portion of the rivet to belly out, locking it in position and filling the hole.



Then forming the head with a small ball pein hammer.





Final step is Tool #3 which smoothes and shapes the rivet head.





Riveting completed.



Next is making the flaring tool for the 5 tubes.There are two of these on a threaded rod. The end with the 45 degree chamfer flares the tube and the other end presses the flare down flat onto the end sheet.

The kit came with a short piece of hex bar which is to be cut in half and each machined to make the tools. Short pieces and the bandsaw don't do well. I've mounted a small drill press vise on a ½" plate to put in the bandsaw vise but that was not quite making it. I've now found another use for 5C collets.





Some turning, drilling and tapping and we have a tool. Another followed.





Hopefully, tomorrow will see the tubes flared, the boiler cleaned up and, if all goes well, soldering.

Best
Stan
Best,
Stan

 

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