Author Topic: I have a dumb question about boiler material  (Read 8634 times)

Offline steam guy willy

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Re: I have a dumb question about boiler material
« Reply #15 on: January 24, 2016, 12:25:39 PM »
Not wishing to muddy the waters any further
From another perspective the cost involved buying good quality COPPER tubing for a simple pot boiler is a small sum to pay when you consider the amount of work involved in building the boiler.
I hold my hands up to the fact I have made brass boiler in the past but the material was supplied by Mamod
As already mentioned the regs differer around the world but one thing that does not is the fact that come an accident Im sure the no win no fee legal crowd will be knocking on youre door.
Personally for a first boiler built it to a proven design that meets the regulations of part of the world you live in. They are there for a reason and should not be thought of as a thing to be got round.
Just simply my perspective on things .
Oh and please use bronze not brass for the bushes
Check out the blue book the 3bar litre rule has been changed
Mamod has to meet the TOY regulations as well as CE and has its own insurance to cover any mishap as per the American incident in the 1970s
cheers
Can you tell us more about the "American Incident" of the 1970's please ...Thanks...

Offline Firebird

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Re: I have a dumb question about boiler material
« Reply #16 on: February 04, 2016, 06:01:33 PM »
Hi

I have just had to change the oxygen bottle on my small gas welding kit, they are disposable. Being a curios type I took the brass valve out and saved that then stuck it in the bandsaw and chopped the end off.







The steel must be of a known quality, the welds are obviously perfect and with a test pressure of 165 bar = 2425 psi is it suitable boiler material?

Cheers

Rich

Offline Jasonb

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Re: I have a dumb question about boiler material
« Reply #17 on: February 04, 2016, 06:24:01 PM »
At that thickness there is not much allowance for wasting of the metal

Offline Firebird

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Re: I have a dumb question about boiler material
« Reply #18 on: February 04, 2016, 06:29:41 PM »
So a steel boiler must be made of thicker material compared to copper?

Cheers

Rich

Offline Jasonb

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Re: I have a dumb question about boiler material
« Reply #19 on: February 04, 2016, 06:43:45 PM »
Generally yes. For example my 2" Fowler A7 has a 4.75" dia copper boiler WP of 100psi and that is 10swg or 0.128" but the Superba is designed for a 6" steel boiler, similar WP but the wall is 5swg or 0.212" so quite an increase in thickness for similar size & pressure.

Online Jo

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Re: I have a dumb question about boiler material
« Reply #20 on: February 04, 2016, 06:48:34 PM »
Don't waste your time Rich, get a bit of tube with the right certificates of the right type of steel for welding into a boiler. There is no point in saving a few pounds and creating something that you are not sure if it could cause an explosion  :-[.

There must be plenty of other things it could be made into  :)

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline Jasonb

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Re: I have a dumb question about boiler material
« Reply #21 on: February 04, 2016, 07:05:29 PM »
It would have made a better boiler if someone had not cut the end off :LittleDevil:

Is that a welded seam at about the 5 o'clock position?

Offline Firebird

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Re: I have a dumb question about boiler material
« Reply #22 on: February 04, 2016, 08:00:19 PM »
Hi

Yes its a seam at the 5 o/c position.

I have no plans for a steel boiler, I'm busy with my portable engine copper boiler at the moment and I have a reasonable stock of copper in various diameters for some future boilers. I was just curious  :thinking:

Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: I have a dumb question about boiler material
« Reply #23 on: February 04, 2016, 08:38:58 PM »
Hi

While we are on the subject and purely out of curiosity, this stuff is high pressure steam pipe, around 110mm dia



Cheers

Rich

Offline steam1993

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Re: I have a dumb question about boiler material
« Reply #24 on: August 15, 2016, 06:45:38 PM »
You can weld up a steel boiler as long as you are a certified welder. I live in Minnesota and will be welding up my own boiler, for my 6in engine. As I am exempt from ASME code ,I can do it, but it will still be inspected.


peter

 

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