Author Topic: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.  (Read 5629 times)

Offline Gas_mantle

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Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« on: October 05, 2018, 11:26:03 AM »
I've just received my new toy and thought I'd share a couple of photos.  I bought this little fella on ebay, it's a gamble as it is untested but I didn't pay a lot and as a member of a club I'll be able to get it tested.

First impressions are it looks well made but is very small - it's a cute little thing if nothing else  ;)  Not sure how much it holds but at 3" dia x 3" long with 13 fire tubes it won't take much to fill it.

Once I've had a chance to test it and fire it up I'll update with the results  :whoohoo:









Peter.


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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2018, 12:11:49 PM »
Cute little thing.

What are you going to do about a firebox ans smoke box?

Mike
It is the journey that matters, not the destination

Sometimes, it can be a long and winding road

Offline Gas_mantle

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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2018, 12:23:18 PM »
Thanks Mike, once I've been able to test it and (hopefully) confirm it is without leaks I thought I'd fabricate a removable smoke box and chimney, with a bit of thought I think that should be straight forward. To fire it I was looking at the smallest of the Bix ceramic burners, my guess it will only need a low gas setting to boil - I've tried filling it and reckon it holds about 150ml.

Once I've had a chat with my club boiler inspector I should have a better idea what to do  :)

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2018, 07:20:46 PM »
Nice Peter! The fittings alone are probably worth the price if nothing else.

Bill

Offline Roger B

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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2018, 07:47:01 PM »
It looks to have been carefully made, but I am not a boiler/steam expert.
Best regards

Roger

Offline michaelr

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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2018, 07:47:58 PM »
How do the hot gases return through the fire tubes ? there seems to be no dry space for the gases to return, as the water gauge and clacks suggest that the boiler has a wet end, or am I missing something.

Michaelr

Offline Jasonb

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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #6 on: October 05, 2018, 07:52:45 PM »
I would hope there is a third flanged plate part way along the boiler and the bushes extend through the space created and into the wet side of the boiler. Or some have a "transfer chamber" which is basically a box that connects the large flue to the smaller firetubes and is surrounded by water, though a bit fiddly for such a small boiler.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2018, 07:59:53 PM by Jasonb »

Offline Gas_mantle

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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2018, 07:53:20 PM »
Cheers Bill  :)

The water gauge, clack valve, blowdown, and safety valve are probably worth close to what I paid and it's quite an attractive little thing so my thinking was if I can get it tested and use it then it's a bonus.

A friend has offered to hydraulically test it and my club boiler inspector ought to be able to further test it and offer advice before I decide quite what to do with it. I did briefly wonder if it is just a demo model to show how horizontal fire tube boilers are made but looking at the build quality and associated fittings I'm more inclined to think that it is a 'real' boiler.

Have any other members come across a similar design in a small scale? I'm not quite sure why someone would build such a small boiler with as many tubes ?

Offline Gas_mantle

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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #8 on: October 05, 2018, 07:57:29 PM »
Michaelr, it is a wetback and the hot gases should return through the fire tubes to a chimney.

Jason, I'm no boiler expert and you've lost me a tad, can you say a bit more  :headscratch:

Offline michaelr

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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #9 on: October 05, 2018, 08:47:44 PM »
Pictures of my centre flue boiler showing the flue end, and the dry end return hot gas space which has removable end plate.
Michaelr.


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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #10 on: October 05, 2018, 08:59:33 PM »
Thats a neat looking engine and steam plant. Does it drop straight into a steam launch?

Mike
It is the journey that matters, not the destination

Sometimes, it can be a long and winding road

Offline michaelr

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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #11 on: October 05, 2018, 10:16:40 PM »
I made it for a scale model tug boat I was building, but I got side tracked and built a 2" scale traction engine so the steam plant didn't get into a boat.

Michaelr

Offline Gas_mantle

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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #12 on: October 06, 2018, 10:43:20 AM »
Thanks Michaelr, my boiler seems to be different to yours in so much as it has fittings on the back plate - it was advertised as a wetback but if that is the case then the water space at the end is very thin.


Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #13 on: October 07, 2018, 08:13:56 PM »
Hope you get it working Peter.

Other than that I have nothing intelligent to add to the discussion, but I look forward to seeing how it works out.

Offline Gas_mantle

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Re: Just taken a gamble - bought a small boiler on ebay.
« Reply #14 on: October 07, 2018, 08:23:04 PM »
I'm seeing the club boiler inspector on Wednesday and hopefully after that I'll have a better idea what to do with it. Tomorrow I'll make a few blanking plugs in the hope we can hydraulically test it.  :)

If I know its of sound construction I'll be happy to spend a few quid fitting a pressure gauge and chimney etc.

 

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