Author Topic: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler  (Read 19795 times)

Offline Chipmaster

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Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« on: October 24, 2015, 07:49:55 PM »
In 2011 my friend Rob and I decided to build ourselves a coal fired boiler each. We chose the Reeves 6" vertical boiler which they list as drawing RV62 and they also sell the cast iron top for the boiler. We bought and studied the plans very carefully to work out exactly what materials were needed. The shopping list for C106 drawn copper tube was then sent to a few non ferrous stockholders. Surprisingly, only one could supply 6 inch outer diameter 10 gauge copper tube at that time. We ordered all the tube from that supplier and it cost £470.10 as you can see in an extract from the invoice below. The costs continued to mount as we bought silver solder, flux, gun metal, propane gas, burners and some boiler fittings. I think it probably cost about £450 for each boiler by the time we finished. Neither of us had built a boiler before, we set out with our machine tools and standard Bullfinch propane burners - and thoroughly enjoyed the whole process.
I bought four 12mm steel blank discs from a local profile cutter which were machined to make the associated formers required for the tube plates. The ends of the six inch outer shell and five inch firebox copper tubes were trued up on my lathe using  plywood discs and 12mm allthread which resembled bobbins. With care and paraffin to lubricate machining copper the arrangement worked very well.
Andy
« Last Edit: November 01, 2015, 05:28:58 PM by Chipmaster »

Offline Jasonb

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #1 on: October 24, 2015, 08:10:30 PM »
Thanks for posting this Andy, I'm sure I will enjoy following along.

J

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #2 on: October 24, 2015, 08:20:13 PM »
That's quite a nice looking boiler Andy. So is that your finished one in the first picture and if so will you be posting more pictures of the boiler in progress?

Bill

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #3 on: October 24, 2015, 08:21:01 PM »
The formers for the firebox and upper tube plates were marked out and the diameters carefully checked (with pieces cut off the copper sheet to be used for the tube plates) to ensure the flanged tube plates would fit inside the firebox and outer shell. The flanges of the tube plates were then formed by beating the copper discs over the formers. The appropriate fit for the flanged tube plates inside the firebox and outer shell was achieved by a combination of machining on the lathe and careful filing. The necessary gap for the capillary action of silver solder was difficult to achieve - our tube plates were circular but the copper tubes weren't circular throughout. After satisfactory fits had been obtained the marked out formers were drilled and used again as guides to spot the 49 fire tube holes and central flue in each tube plate. Ninety eight 3/8" diameter tubes were cut to length and the ends thoroughly cleaned for soldering.
Andy
« Last Edit: October 24, 2015, 08:38:52 PM by Chipmaster »

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #4 on: October 24, 2015, 08:35:57 PM »
Hi Bill, that is the finished boiler in the picture, well practically finished - some cosmetic work is outstanding in particular cleading and I'd like to fit an injector.
All the 'build pictures' have been re-sized for MEM and I'll continue adding to the account as soon as possible.
Andy

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #5 on: October 24, 2015, 09:03:55 PM »
I forgot to say that the plans for the boiler were shown to the club's boiler inspectors for their approval at the outset. It was also necessary to have the invoice for the copper used and the suppliers certification that all the copper was spec C106.

It was difficult to form the 1.5/8" diameter holes for the fire hole tube through the walls of the firebox and outer shell. There was also a risk of distorting the copper tubes if we weren't careful. Each hole and it's sides had to be perpendicular to the axis of the tubes to ensure a sound silver solder joint. I could get the 5" diameter fire box on a rotary table mounted on my milling machine and mill a perfect hole. Unfortunately that wasn't an option for the much longer shell because the throat of the miller wasn't deep enough so Rob chain drilled and filed the holes in the outer shells to shape and the results were perfect.
The first soldering job was to solder the fire hole tube into the fire box.

Andy
« Last Edit: October 25, 2015, 03:58:35 AM by Chipmaster »

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2015, 04:33:38 AM »
We kept checking that the fire box would fit inside the outer shell, it was going to be a very close fit with scope to get the innards jammed inside the shell prior to closing up the boiler. The end of the projecting fire hole tube had to be curved to match the outer shell so that it could pass inside the shell but remain long enough to be slightly proud of the outer shell.
Silver solder with the highest melting point was used at the outset, lower melting point solder used for subsequent steps.

We were ready to solder the forty nine 3/8" copper fire tubes and 1.1/8" diameter central flue in to the fire box tube plate. The photograph below shows the set up - upside down with the firebox tube plate held in position by an adapted drill stand and the upper tube plate underneath to keep the tubes upright and parallel.

Everything was kept clean, lengths of silver solder were wound round a 3/8 bar then snipped to form individual rings which were placed around the end of each tube. Our highest melting point solder was again used and we used both of our propane burners simultaneously to do the heating.
Andy
« Last Edit: October 25, 2015, 07:11:25 AM by Chipmaster »

Offline 10KPete

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #7 on: October 25, 2015, 05:20:05 AM »
Beautiful work!  :praise2:

I just love nice copper work.

Pete
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Retired, finally!
SB 10K lathe, Benchmaster mill. And stuff.

Online fumopuc

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #8 on: October 25, 2015, 05:55:30 AM »
Hi Andy, I am following along. I have never made a boiler so far, so I will take the opportunity to learn. Your boiler work looks very professional and these boilers seems to be masterpieces.
Kind Regards
Achim

Online Jo

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #9 on: October 25, 2015, 07:27:42 AM »
Pleased to hear you had a friend to help Andy. I was making a boiler for my 5" simplex and it is too much on one's own to be able to maintain a stable heat :ShakeHead:

A question: why did you choose coal fired? I am planning on propane firing my Locomotion as it avoids all the shovelling, getting filthy and is less likely to cause stray fires when used. (The locomotion boiler is also lined up as my boiler for running stationary engines  ;))

Jo
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Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #10 on: October 25, 2015, 07:46:34 AM »
Thanks for the compliments.
The risk of ruining all that expensive copper made us very cautious. It was a relief to see the parts all clean when they came out of the citric acid pickling bath (large plastic bucket) so the joints could be inspected.

The next stage was to solder the firebox and its tube plate together. We realised that as the mass of copper to be heated with our large propane burners was increasing there was a risk that joints made with higher melting point silver solder could suffer as we blasted the assembly with our Bullfinch 1260, 19.6kw burners. We took great care to ensure everything was supported. The tube plate was loosely riveted to the firebox with three 1/16" copper rivets through the flange. A fire brick was fashioned to fit inside the firebox to support and prevent any of the 49 fire tubes dropping if their solder re-melted. A further precaution was to apply flux to all the previously soldered joints prior to reheating.

This stage went fairly well for both boilers despite having to reheat them when a couple of the fire tubes moved and our confidence was increasing.

This is hot work, definitely best done out of doors - we were perspiring profusely.
Andy
« Last Edit: October 25, 2015, 11:33:38 AM by Chipmaster »

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #11 on: October 25, 2015, 08:05:35 AM »
Good morning Jo.
Spot on Jo there's no way you could do this on your own with our 'blunderbuss style' propane burners and there are occasions when the operation certainly needs two pairs of hands.

You ask why we chose coal fired.... well we like the smell of a coal fired boiler, that's the full experience and for a stationary steam plant it gives you something to do. I like setting the fire and the excitement / fun of steam raising and using the blower. I don't get too filthy - gas is clinical and civilised. Will that suffice, have I blown my green credentials?

I have the option of gas firing, I could make up a suitable burner. A member of our club uses gas to fire his traction engines and it's clearly convenient, very effective and hygienic.


Andy
« Last Edit: October 25, 2015, 11:13:29 AM by Chipmaster »

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #12 on: October 25, 2015, 09:05:54 AM »
The next step was to solder the forty nine fire tubes, central flue and wet header in to the upper tube plate. Three lengths of allthread were used to hold the tube plate in position and our shaped firebrick was inside the firebox to support all the tubes and prevent them from dropping. Rings of silver solder were placed round the end of each tube, flux applied fairly generously and we soldered them up without any problems.

When the fire box and top plate were clean we checked that they could be fitted inside and removed from the outer shell. This required great care and patience as all the copper was soft and we could see it would be even more difficult when the bushes and bosses had been soldered into the outer shell.
Andy
« Last Edit: October 25, 2015, 11:14:33 AM by Chipmaster »

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #13 on: October 25, 2015, 09:48:33 AM »
I machined the bronze bushes for the boilers. The blind bushes were for mounting the fire box door. Meanwhile Rob made the flanges that would attach the doorframe to the boiler and used them to determine the position of the blind bushes that would be drilled and tapped after they were soldered in. We used the highest melting point silver solder again for the fixing the bushes.

Andy
« Last Edit: October 26, 2015, 07:45:33 AM by Chipmaster »

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2015, 11:12:34 AM »
As all the bushes were now soldered in to the outer shell it had become very difficult to get the innards in and out of the boiler shell, we had to file little bits off the inner ends of some bushes, it was similar to making a key fit a lock. There were several occasions when we couldn't get the innards to move at all and had to squeeze the outer shell to achieve the necessary clearance.

With the innards in position the foundation rings were next. Rob formed these from 10mm square copper bar. It was quite a painstaking task getting the foundation rings to fit because neither the five inch diameter firebox tube or the six inch were  truly circular. We fitted brass rods/handles to the foundation ring to make it easier to lift it in rotate it and remove it. Getting a satisfactory capillary gap for the silver solder on both sides of the foundation ring took a lot of careful filing and the occasional tap.

Before closing up the boiler I took mine along to a club meeting so that the boiler inspectors could examine our work. Everything was in order so I was given the go-ahead for the final soldering session.

Andy
« Last Edit: October 25, 2015, 01:39:22 PM by Chipmaster »

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #15 on: October 25, 2015, 02:45:02 PM »
We were ready to close up the boiler and decided to solder the upper tube plate, the foundation ring and the fire hole into the outer shell in a single session using silver solder with a lower melting point. I threaded the ends of a couple of steel bars which would act as handles when screwed into the appropriate bushes so we could turn the red hot boiler over.

Because of the risk of previously soldered joints coming undone during reheating, wire was wrapped around all the bushes to stop them falling out and four small steel U shaped retaining pieces were made to be screwed to the fire door blind bushes so that they couldn't fall off inside the boiler.

The whole assembly was scrupulously cleaned flux painted in and around all of the joints both new and old and set up on Robs soldering table. I haven't weighed the boiler but heating that much copper was clearly going to be a challenge.

I have no pictures or videos of us doing any of the soldering unfortunately. Anyway it was quite a task getting the boiler up to a temperature sufficient for the silver solder to flash around the joints but we managed it with heating capacity to spare. We started with the boiler the right way up to solder the upper tube plate then turned it over to do the foundation ring and fire hole. At that stage of the project we were using a second 29kg bottle of propane and we looked and felt like we'd spent hours in a sauna.

Andy

Online Jo

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #16 on: October 25, 2015, 04:37:26 PM »
 8) Looks like you got a nice flow there Andy

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline Don1966

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #17 on: October 25, 2015, 05:08:01 PM »
I really enjoyed the progress of making the boiler Andy and thanks for sharing them. Looks like a labor of love. There is quiet a bit of setups and soldering being done here. I.......like..............  :praise2:


 :popcorn:

Don

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #18 on: October 25, 2015, 07:58:23 PM »
Glad to hear that Don.
Thanks
Andy

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #19 on: October 25, 2015, 08:23:48 PM »
Cleaning the boiler both inside and out required several immersions in citric acid and a blast with a high pressure hose to get to the stage where streams of black copper oxide flakes ceased to come out of the boiler!

You can see the result of the cleaning in the pictures below where I had the boiler set up for a hydraulic test at home. The boiler is designed for a working pressure of 80 pounds per square inch.

I made the necessary plugs to seal the boiler, fitted a check valve, a cheap pressure gauge, filled the boiler with water and pumped more water in using a Stuart Turner boiler feed pump. I increased the pressure in increments of about 10psi holding the pressure for a few minutes and watched for leaks and kept checking the sides of the boiler shell for distortion. There were no issues and the boiler held twice its working pressure (160 psi) for twenty minutes which is the normal requirement for the hydraulic test.

The boiler inspectors did the formal hydraulic test after the Black Country Live Steamers club meeting in May 2012. The boiler passed and I was very pleased.

Andy
« Last Edit: October 27, 2015, 12:13:54 PM by Chipmaster »

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #20 on: October 25, 2015, 08:35:08 PM »
Meanwhile Rob made up the firebox doors.

Using two inch square steel tube for the door frame I machined the required curvature by bolting the tube to my faceplate at the required distance or radius from the centre and proceeded with a boring bar.

Rob made all the rest of the door parts then soldered and riveted them together, the result was excellent.

Andy

Online Dave Otto

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #21 on: October 25, 2015, 10:13:48 PM »
Very nice!

I have been enjoying this project.

Dave

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #22 on: October 26, 2015, 08:29:58 AM »
The manifold which would carry two safety valves and a pressure gauge was a casting according to the plans. As the casting was not available we fabricated the manifold using bronze bar, effective but perhaps not aesthetically pleasing as the casting would have been.

Andy

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #23 on: October 26, 2015, 10:05:32 AM »
Machining the cast iron top for the boiler was a straightforward operation. However, the diameter of the iron casting was only just enough to cover the six inch diameter outer shell of the boiler. I had hoped that the casting would be large enough to cover the top ends of wooden cleading when the time came.
The 1.1/2" diameter steel chimney is attached with a flange and six 6ba bolts.

Andy

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #24 on: October 26, 2015, 06:02:38 PM »
The fire bars were fabricated using stainless steel strip 12mm x 3mm thick with four 10mm diameter legs.

Andy



Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #25 on: October 27, 2015, 07:56:37 AM »
Metal Spinning.
The boiler plans show a brass rim or bezel just below the cast iron top of the boiler. I thought that would be a neat finishing  touch to cover the ends of cleading particularly if the ends of the wood strips were uneven. Or the brass bezel would go well with brass cladding.

I had no practical experience of metal spinning, I read about it in LH Spareys book 'The Amateurs Lathe' Chapter 15 and looked at various websites with videos showing how it's done. As the bezel would be a one off I didn't want to spend much time or money making it so my initial approach was to look for a suitable brass bezel for a clock. There were plenty of horology suppliers offering brass bezels but I couldn't find exactly the right bezel for my boiler - both size and shape in on go.

I approached a couple of professional metal spinners but they need the appropriate former. To me it seemed that if I made a former then I may as well have a go at spinning as well....

The former was made from a Iroko worktop offcut 40mm thick using a router fitted with a trammel bar and finished off on my lathe, the pressure pad was a piece of chipboard. I made up a spinning rest to be mounted on the tool post then profiled and polished the ends of a couple of steel bars and wooden dowelling for my spinning tools.

I bought small selection of  brass sheet with varying thicknesses from John Keatley Metals in Birmingham, they also supply material to spinners and recommended what I should use.

The pictures tell the rest of the story except for the spinning tool that I found to be the most effective - the ball race on the end of my ELU Router profile copying attachment. Spinning wrecked the attachment which I'd had for over 30 years without using it so it didn't matter.
Andy

« Last Edit: October 28, 2015, 09:03:02 PM by Chipmaster »

Offline Steamer5

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #26 on: October 27, 2015, 08:37:09 AM »
Hi Andy,
 That came out nice! Nice to see the ones that didn't make it too. The boiler looks like it's going to give you years of fun!

Cheers Kerrin
Get excited and make something!

Online Roger B

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #27 on: October 27, 2015, 08:42:20 AM »
Nicely done  :praise2:  :praise2:
Best regards

Roger

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #28 on: October 27, 2015, 12:06:21 PM »
To get the boiler ready for its steam test I calculated the size of the safety valves required and bought the plans for '5/32" bore mild pop safety valves' from Pollymodels. Making the safety valves was straightforward. The rest of the required fittings were commercially made. The water gauge was supplied by Dave Noble http://www.davenoble.co.uk/ and the pressure gauge from Miniature Pressure Gauge Ltd http://www.miniaturepressuregauge.com/.
I bought two stainless steel superheater spears but haven't fitted them yet. The engines I have run with this boiler so far ran well enough without superheated steam.
I haven't got pictures of the connection to the wet header or the blower at the moment, I'll add those later.
Two hand pumps were set up to fill the boiler and all was ready for firing it up. Safety valves were set by filling the boiler with water and pumping it up as if for a hydraulic test. The boiler was fired several times before the official steam test to ensure everything was satisfactory and on 11th May 2013 the boiler passed the test.

I don't have many decent pictures of the boiler in action I hope the few I have added below will suffice and I'll upload some video(s) of it to You Tube.
Andy

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #29 on: October 28, 2015, 07:36:13 AM »
Here's a link to a short YouTube video of the boiler driving a twin cylinder marine engine.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8i8IXzii2Q" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8i8IXzii2Q</a>

Andy

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #30 on: May 10, 2017, 12:02:54 PM »
I wanted an alternative to coal firing my boiler for occasions when the smoke and smell of burning coal would cause problems.
Having recently seen a video on YouTube of someone building a vertical boiler fired with 'Marty Burners' - I decided to have a go.


Here is a video of my burners
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q04jbyZ7Dio" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q04jbyZ7Dio</a>

And here's a link to the YouTube videos that inspired me,
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1u2c3Au7po" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1u2c3Au7po</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drp_F_tbNC4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drp_F_tbNC4</a>

and the plans
http://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Marty_Burners

Andy

Offline iceno9

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #31 on: May 31, 2017, 02:10:18 AM »
Hi Andy - Would you mind e-mailing me a copy of the plans for this boiler? It looks to be exactly what i need and looks an excellent design....I have sent you a PM.

I would be interested to here where you bought your copper from too...i cannot find a single supplier over here in Canada, but i will be in the UK in August and could pick some up then i guess.

Thanks
Matt

Offline Jayville

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #32 on: May 31, 2017, 05:03:53 AM »
Matt..look up rcdon steam...interesting boiler there...cheers clem...Tasmania

Offline Jasonb

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #33 on: May 31, 2017, 07:58:42 AM »
Matt, I replied to you on ME forum but for anyone wanting teh plans they are available from Reeves at a reasonable cost

http://www.ajreeves.com/5821.html

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Coal Fired Vertical Boiler
« Reply #34 on: May 31, 2017, 09:29:40 PM »
Hello Matt, I haven't received a personal message from you so I'll try sending one to you. I can't send you copies of the plans, they are on a few sheets that are far too large for any scanners I've seen. I think I gave details of the origin of the plans from Reeves at the start of my article about building the boiler. Obtaining the six inch copper tube was difficult, we phoned all over England trying to track some down so place your order in advance of your visit to the UK.

For me virtually all the copper was supplied in one lot and certified as C106 by,
Edwards Metals,
37 Birch Road East,
Wyrley Rd,
Witton,
Birmingham,
B6 7DA,
http://www.edwardsmetals.co.uk/contact.php

An alternative supplier in Birmingham is,
John Keatley
33-35 Shadwell Street,
Birmingham
B4 6HD,
http://www.johnkeatleymetals.com/contact-us/
Keatleys have six inch 10 guage copper tube listed in their 'products list'.

Regards Andy

 

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