A WATERTUBE BOILER FOR MY TRIPLE EXPANSION ENGINE

[crueby]

Visual test: check!  Great session!

[Dave Otto]

That looks great! Almost like you have done it before.
Did you solder it all from one side or flip it around for the rear set of tubes?

Dave

[Kim]

That looks like a great job on a challenging solder situation.  Nicely done! 

Kim

[cnr6400]

 

[Laurentic]

Ditto Dave Otto's #31 comment, and same question!  Good job,

Chris

[simplyloco]

Ditto Dave Otto's #31 comment, and same question!  Good job,

Chris

I just dabbed the 2mm stick against the rear tubes through the gap and it flowed just perfectly! No need to turn the job around. Well chuffed.

[Laurentic]

Interesting!  Will file that one away - for maybe one day!

Chris

[simplyloco]

Soldering the other bottom header.

Both completed, and I will drill and solder the barrel tomorrow. Once that is done I will make the fittings to go on the end caps: i.e. sight glass, super heater coil, safety valve etc...



The ceramic material arrived today, but as I have a circular alternative for the time being I'll put that job on the back burner...!

[cnr6400]

 

[crueby]

Great progress!  I don't envy you the task of getting all those tubes started in the boiler shell holes.   

[simplyloco]

Great progress!  I don't envy you the task of getting all those tubes started in the boiler shell holes.   

I'm told that patience is a virtue...

[simplyloco]

Drilling the main tube.

Two rows first piloted, drilled 5.9mm and deeply countersunk to just maintain the diameter and provide a home for the solder . The depth stop is useful here!I needed a mandrel to support the tube as I didn't want any 'slippage' during this precision drilling exercise. I found, by pure luck, a 51mm diameter steel bar which fitted exactly.



With my heart in my mouth, I dropped it in. It fits better than a PCB multi way connector!


Maintaining the cylinder position, it was rotated to the 50 degree included angle marker. The header will drop to the tube shoulders when I remove the mandrel. At this point I quit while I was ahead!

[tghs]

look so very very nice,, keeping a good watch on this thread as I will be starting a round "Ward" watertube boiler very soon!!!

[simplyloco]

Soldering the main tube.

It all started off well enough, but I couldn't find my welders' gloves, and I didn't use a heat shield, so it all very nearly went very wrong...😱
Luckily...
Drilled the other side easily enough.


Hooray! It fits!


Cleaned up ready for fluxing. I had to warm up the tube to remove the mandrel.


Fluxed and ready.


The end result. I'd forgotten how hot these ops could get!


t might look alright, but there was so much heat coming off it that without my gloves on, the solder stick was waving all over the place! I had to clean off a lot of run off solder afterwards, probably about 15 quids worth...!


Alls well that ends well! 


We've even got some penetration!

[crueby]

Aside from the HOT HOT OW OW factor, looks like it went quite well!


Would it be worth making some temporary plugs for the ends to at least fill with water and look for any major leaks, if not add a small amount of pressure with the hand pump, before moving on to the bushings and end caps?