Author Topic: 3 inch boiler build  (Read 53313 times)

Online Kim

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #90 on: September 03, 2018, 10:48:18 PM »
That's my path mapped out from my present vantage point, Peter. It could of course all change. I plan to build an astronomical telescope too (6 inch F15 refractor), but steam engines have jumped the queue and I'm absolutely determined to keep going with them until I see at least one flywheel (and hopefully more than one) spinning on live steam!

Cool!  An refractor scope?  I've built a couple of reflectors (a 4" and a 10", and was attempting to grind my own 8" mirror (never got far on that))  But a refractor - that's another thing completely.  Are you planning to grind your own lenses?

Definitely don't want to change your priorities here though!  I'd stick with steam :)  Just thought that was pretty interesting comment!
Kim

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #91 on: September 03, 2018, 10:50:36 PM »
After that - assuming I haven't thrown down my tools in despair by then -

That won't happen. You have the bug.  ;D
If it helps, just take a look at my bonehead boo-boos.
In my few years in this hobby, I feel I have the record on 'huh?", "wha?", size of 'wall of learning' and  :cussing:. Not to mention "rats rats and rats".
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Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #92 on: September 03, 2018, 11:20:00 PM »
@ Kim - a shared interest! I already have the objective for the refractor. It's an Istar 6 inch F15 achromatic which has been sitting on my shelf for a good while now. I can't wait to get to work on it. Would love one day to build a big Dobsonian too. I need to split into parallel lives to fit it all in.
Bet your ten inch reflector opens up some deep space beauty though...

@ Carl - yep. You are right. The bug has bitten. Regarding mistakes - they are always there, waiting for any random moment of inattention or complacency in which to pounce. And I have noticed that they especially love to take advantage of moments of pride or self-congratulation. Apparently one can learn from them...    ;)

Offline Gas_mantle

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #93 on: September 03, 2018, 11:25:48 PM »
That's a coincidence, I have a 5" refractor on a goto NEQ6 mount but it rarely gets used these days and I have considered selling it.

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #94 on: September 03, 2018, 11:35:03 PM »
Aha!

Birds of a feather once again...

I also have a 5" refractor - a Bresser Messier. It's on a Skywatcher AZ4 mount - nice and easy. Quite a good setup overall. I also have a couple of small scopes with goto (Orion ST-80 and a Skywatcher 90 mm Maksutov), and an 8 inch reflector. The reflector gives good views but  is a pig to lug around and set up, hence:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-S7HB6F9Z8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-S7HB6F9Z8</a>

gary

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #95 on: September 04, 2018, 09:58:51 PM »
Well, back to sealing the smokebox, then.

I went to a local suppliers and found this:



It's carbon gasket material, rated at 500 degrees centigrade. I reckon that will do! The stuff is very expensive but he had an offcut which cost me a fiver. It's plain black on the other side, and surprisingly easy to work. I scribed it with dividers, cut it with scissors, drilled it, and cleaned up the edges as best I could on a small drum sander chucked in the drill press. All very easy. Here's the finished set:



Here are the top gaskets in situ:


And here's the one under the cap, viewed from below:



The gaps appear to be closed and I have no reason at this stage to think it won't do the job.

When I was cutting the bush extensions to height, I forgot to take into account the thickness of the gaskets. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because rather than make new extensions I just skimmed the nuts down to size in the lathe, making them look slimmer and (imho) better.

gary

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #96 on: September 04, 2018, 10:35:07 PM »
Looks good Gary, next time you update your thread could you show a pic of the underside showing the tube arrangement etc.

Thanks  :)

Peter -

as requested, here is the underside of the boiler:



You'll notice that the tubes are spaced not in a square but a rectangular pattern. I did this to make sure that I left enough room for the bushes at the top, but in Stan Bray's original plan the four tubes are arranged in a square. My boiler is a 1.5 scale version of Stan Bray's. Here is the plan for it from his book:



(If Stan happens to be a member of this forum, please let me reassure him that I have no wish to breach copyright and I have no doubt that anyone wishing to build a version of his boiler will want to buy the book, here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Simple-Model-Steam-Engines/dp/1861267738/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8)

Because my boiler is 3 inch diameter, not 2 inch, I had to approximate to the scaled-up dimensions of the tubes etc as best I could from what was available. Peter, I think I sent you these dimensions before, but if you can't find them let me know and I will resend.

BTW I said in an earlier post that Stan Bray 'has little to say (in the book) about the configuration of the cap, valves etc'. From the above picture you will see that in fact he does in fact go into this, but in my opinion he doesn't give particularly clear information on what happens to the smoke from the auxiliary tubes. Not to worry, though...

Hope that's helpful.

gary


Offline Gas_mantle

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #97 on: September 04, 2018, 10:44:30 PM »
Thanks Gary, its coming along nicely  :)

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #98 on: September 04, 2018, 11:02:37 PM »
 :ThumbsUp:

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #99 on: September 08, 2018, 12:19:23 AM »
A slight digression today:

[youtube1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKOnQ9_itmQ&t=3s[/youtube1]

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #100 on: September 08, 2018, 01:36:24 AM »
 :ThumbsUp:

I remember when I got my face mill...with my new mill...it was a joy.

Machines. Just have to love machines.
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
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Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #101 on: September 08, 2018, 10:09:46 AM »
Carl - Yay!!! to all of that.

So looking forward to face milling...  :cartwheel:

Offline Jasonb

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #102 on: September 08, 2018, 01:26:04 PM »
Enjoy your new toy.

I'd be interested on how you get on with that face mill, out of the box the one I got from Bangood was pants, now I have sorted it out it performs quite well as a face cutter but won't give a 90deg angle if working to an edge like it should.

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #103 on: September 08, 2018, 05:50:33 PM »
Thank you Jason - I'll do my best   :)

Not so great on the facemill though. What did you do to sort it out?

I also have another question for you: does that power feed that Axminster sell overhang the back of the table, and if so by how much?

Offline Jasonb

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Re: 3 inch boiler build
« Reply #104 on: September 08, 2018, 08:30:52 PM »
Two main issues with the facemill. Firstly the head was a loose fit on the arbor so was running out of true and secondly the supplied tips and also an extra box of 10 that I ordered at the same time were not that sharp even for carbide. Once the run out was sorted and some decent tips fitted it cut a lot better. All in this thread over on ME

https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=135611&p=1

Will have a measure of the feed tomorrow morning and see where it is likely to come, the same feed unit fits several of the Sieg machines but comes with different adaptors depending on which model mill you have. It fits my X3 with the DRO scale on the back but I don't have an excessively over length scale.

 

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