cutting slots in a Propane burner

[Skip.foley]

I’m about 98% finished building a 1.6” scale Shay. It’s 5’ long 12” wide, weighing in at 450lbs. It needs to make more steam. I can tows 1500lb at 5mph but slows to 2mph on any incline, pressure drops from 100psi to 45psi with the burner at max output. The burner is aspirated and it’s size limits the air intake quantity thus limiting its’s output power. The new burner should produce 8k btus each times 6 for about 48k btus.

I don’t have the skills to cut the 6 .038” slots in the burner tops and need some advice. I’ve look at a .040” endmill at $70 that I’d probably break. I have a 2” diameter .040” slitting saw. The slots are .5” long and about .25” deep so the saw only cuts a shallow incomplete slot.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[lennardhme]

Have a look at Uxcell.com
They sell very cheap small endmills well under $10, so breaking wont be as painful.
You could probably start the slot with a saw & finish with the endmill [ use a high speed ]
Uxcell sell a wide range of goods so put 'emdmill' & the size in their search.
Good luck.

 

[kf2qd]

Smaller diameter slitting saw.

 

[stevehuckss396]

Is there a way you could cut all the way thru and then press the little center button back in. Maybe predrill a hole in the center, slit the slots, and press the button in.

 

[Swifty]

I'm with Steve, cut all the way through, then plug centre. If your paying $70 for a 1mm end mill, your being ripped off.

Paul.

 

[cncjunior]

I have a possible work around for your burner that would give you more btu's. The only thing is that it would mean not using your haystack burners. IMHO, if you were fabricate a header with 3 tubes about 3/4 ID and drill 1/16" holes two wide separated by 1/4" x 1/4" down the length of the three tubes plus the header you would generate more BTU's than what the haystack burners could. I am only suggesting the above dimensions to give the idea of what can be done. At my club ( British Columbia Society of Model Engineers ) we run propane fired steam locos like a northern 4-8-4 down to a mogal 2-6-0 with passengers using the three tube with drill holes burner around a track about a mile long with up to 2.2% grades. The beauty of this is that all you need after fabrication of the header and tubes is a drill press and drill. I am going to the club next weekend so I could get measurements and let you know if you like?

Cheers,

Daniel