Scotch Marine Boiler

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Looking Good Matey. Back when I had a real job as a welding inspector for a boiler company we did a bunch of tube rolling. The crews that were good at it were a breed of their own. Space inside the drums was small, air quality poor, and noise relentless. As Dave said getting them out for replacement was the big pain. We had cutters,but, it never failed that some " cowboy" thought he could do it with a torch. Nick the drum and that meant more red tape than the law would allow. At 23 years old and real trim and a real small entrance hatch, guess whoooooom always got QC honors. Best I can remember we used lard. Hey, they were all in the South.

Yo Redneck,
Eric

[Maryak]

Hi Eric,

Thanks for stopping by and your support. 

Yes, at 23 I was built like a match with the wood scraped off and my speciality was getting into all those places those of larger proportions were unable to get into.

It's not the tube that failed which is the problem it's the other 5 or more that have to be removed before you get to it  We never used any form of power tool or gas axe it was all done by hand. You get reasonably well aquainted with a hammer and chisel working in the inside of the drum to collapse the tube(s) without marking the tube plate, (water tube boiler). We had an old boiler to practice on during our training. The real thing is a little different, everything is hot and wet bags are the order of the day to stop your rump turning into rump steak. 10mins per man and then out for some cold water and Barley. 20 mins rest and back in again, 3 in the team. Sods law dictates that when a tube fails it's always in the middle of the ocean, the weather is bad and the skipper needs that boiler yesterday. 

Best Regards
Bob

[Captain Jerry]

You boiler guys are reminding me of the 1933 film "Tugboat Annie".  Wallace Beery played a sloppy drunk who operated a steam tugboat with his wife,Annie.  The only scene that I can remember ( I only saw it as a kid watching TV in the early 1950's) was watching drunken Wallace Beery crawl into the boiler during an emergency at sea.  I may be wrong but I seem to remember that he crawled to the far end of the boiler to cap off a single tube.  I think there was a cap at each end bolted with a through rod. 

Is such a repair possible, or was that literary exaggeration?

Jerry

[steamer]

NOPE

Real!....There were different ways of plugging a tube, but the way you described was one of them.   To do this was not pleasant!...The fires would be drawn, and the Engineer in charge would put on a "boiler suite" which amounted to many layers of a canvas.  He would be laid down on a plank with the tools required, and pushed into the firebox while steam was still up.  What ever repair would be attempted for about 1 minute, and the Engineer would be removed.....rinse and repeat....   Sometimes you could drive a wood plug down the length of the bad tube from the smoke box side and the steam would make the wood swell and seal off the tube...if it was a tube sheet though.....

Not a wives tail...but a very dangerous...and unheralded act of bravery to save a ship in a storm ...where as you know all too well Captn.....power is life!

For some accounts of these types of epic repairs, find a copy of "Steam at Sea"....and the "United States Steam Navy"...

Dave

[Maryak]

Yep,

That's the way it's done on a firetube boiler. You always plug the smokebox end 1st because the steam has somewhere to go and you don't. The other end is a right royal battle to work against the ever increasing pressure as you tighten up and the escaping steam is always where your hands face and other precious parts are positioned.

Not an old wives tale, sometimes alas a young widows tale.

Best Regards
Bob

[Maryak]

Well, its been a while since I posted but progress is being made.





I am now half way fitting the tubes. The slow progress was due mostly to developing a successful method of not only rolling the tubes into the plate but of actually getting the tubes through both plates. Not to mention the 3 tubes I buggered before the learning process was complete. Of course if I had a spare $400 I would buy a tube roller but it's a tad difficult to justify the expense.

Believe it or not the photo was taken with my mobile. This particular Nokia 6233 is my 5th................1 in the river, 1 in Yelta's bilge and 2 in the washing machine. It was given to me by a Russian friend of Galina's after I translated and wrote his CV in English English. I am amazed at the quality just point and press and no enhancements with Photo Impact.

Best Regards
Bob

[Bearcar1]

Those are indeed some beautiful welds Bob. My Father was a welder all of his life and I know he would be thrilled at the sight of your work, well executed indeed.    As a young lad of about 7 or eight years of age, I  assisted my grandfather with the task of re-tubing this huge boiler on a New Huber traction engine. It was in the middle of August out in the middle of an empty lot. I would have to crawl into the firebox and use a metal rod to capture and guide the new tubes into place and then I remember having to use the curling chisel and a heavy hammer to turn over the ends before rolling. I don't remember exactly how many tubes were in that thing but it took almost a week to finish the job. Sweated my privates off but it was with/for Grandpa and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I still see that engine at one of the regional shows and it always brings back the good memories.


BC1
Jim

[Don1966]

Bob she sure is shaping up bud, that is a good size boiler you have.


Don

[Maryak]

Thanks for the Support Jim and Don 

Those are indeed some beautiful welds Bob.
BC1
Jim

Yes they are............I didn't do them.

This is my effort



When I took it to the shipyard for NDT of my welds, the boss looked at me, went Xeyed, burst out laughing and when he'd picked himself up of the floor very gently said, " Bob"....(giggle giggle), "How about we weld it for you." Note the absence of a question mark. It's nice to have friends like that.

Best Regards
Bob

[steamer]

It's not going to be long now Bob!....I remember getting my boiler back from the welder...it starts to get exciting now!

Dave

[Maryak]

My Goodness Me, how time flies when your retired. Its' been 2 months, (8 weeks or 24 shop hours), since I last posted 

Well I have not been exactly idle although there have been 1 or 2 distractions like getting real world air compressors running, driving "Yelta" round the harbour, and repairing a container loading ramp.

The good news is all the tubes are in and all the orifices plugged.

The not so good news is I could start a vegetable shop with the number of leeks on the tubes.    The stays are OK but the  tubes are another matter.

Anyway, I now making mandrel 3 which is going to be +0.002" on mandrel 2 which was +0.001 over mandrel 1. 

It's a fine line between a good fit and a split tube.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Best Regards
Bob

[steamer]

Sorry to hear that bud....but they have to seal and you have to try something.

Thinking of you.


Dave

[tel]

Just keep tapping away with a tapered drift - they will seal eventually

[Maryak]

Thanks tel,

My so called mandrel is pretty much that. It has a 0.020" taper over 3" and the next 5/8" are parallel at what was 0.425" then 0.426" and I'm now aiming for 0.428"

I have found that with this non roller "el cheapo" home method you really need 2 mandrels one for each end otherwise there is a definite tendency for the tube to float axially.

Having absorbed your advise, It's not too late for me to shallow off the taper and just let it cut out at whatever on a 9/16" dia. bar.  What do you reckon? 0.010" over 3" seems about right to me.

Best Regards
Bob

[zeeprogrammer]

Glad to see you're still 'tapping' at this project. 
Sorry to hear about the leeks but you'll get them cooked up right.

BTW Move part of your shop into Yelta and you can pursue two hobbies at the same time.
So long as you can keep one eye on each.