My version of SandyC's 3" vertical boiler

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doubletop

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I am making SandyC’s 3” vertical boiler http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item107 (all the other sheets are on the download page. Firebird suggested I post the progress.

For machine tools I have a 1930/40s Lorch lathe with a good selection of attachments and a pillar drill. I have a vertical slide for the lathe that allows me to do some limited milling. I do have a reasonable selection of hand tools. So here goes….

I started with rough cutting the 3” tube to length and finishing the ends on the lathe supported by a wooden former on a bearing in the tailstock. Not my idea it came from Martin Evans book ‘Model Locomotive Boilers’ The former was easily turned on a mandrill using a simple rest and standard wood chisel.

Finishing the barrel ends

Boiler1.jpg


Nicely square

Boiler2.jpg


The former in the tailstock

Boiler3.jpg


Next was the end plates. I had only got through the first few pages of Firebirds “ making a small boiler” when I pitched in and produced my own dies out of aluminum. Later I see Firebird has dispensed with them and now uses a former and beats the annealed copper. As you’ll see that’s what I resorted to in the end.

Turning the male die

Boiler4.jpg


Making it fit the internal diameter of the boiler barrel.

Boiler5.jpg


Using the male to size the female die.

Boiler6.jpg


Turning down the male to be 2x less the thickness of the end plates and using a home made forming tool to finish the internal radii. The form tool was hardened and tempered and ground sharp before using it.

Boiler7.jpg


The finished dies

Boiler8.jpg


On to the three end plates

Copper sheet marked to size dia + bending allowance + flange size.

boiler9-2.jpg


Rough cut to size using jigsaw.

boiler10.jpg


I then tried turning these down to the correct size a number of ways, including the double sided tape method used by Firebird and then realized it didn’t matter. I just used the rough cut disks and annealed them. They'll get finished later.

boiler11.jpg


In the end I also didn’t use the male/ female dies in the manner I had expected. I just used the male die and beat the annealed copper in the time-honored fashion. However I did use the female die as a sizing tool to get the final diameter right. That probably wasn’t necessary though.

boiler12.jpg


Putting the finished plates in the three jaw chuck then finished the flanges to size. So no need to cut the disk with any degree of accuracy nor work out how much bending allowance was required. Just make it ‘enough’.

boiler13.jpg


One end plate in place in the barrel

boiler14.jpg


The three finished end plates

boiler15.jpg


I now miss a whole lot out on making up and drilling the barrel, end plates and flue. I painted all the parts in engineers blue to assist the marking out and used the surface plate, scribing block to mark it all out.

Once marked out and all the openings centre punched I used a combination of the lathe, V blocks and pillar drill to drill the holes to size.

Centre drilling the holes in the flue for the cross pipes

boiler16.jpg


One point to be made here; I saw positioning the plates in the barrel as a potential problem when silver soldering so elected to use rivets to hold them in position. As the design has components at 45degress around the barrel I added 8 rivet holes around the circumference of each plate, so the end result will look nicer. These rivets won’t be riveted but will end up just being silver soldered in.

The turning of the 7 bushes was a relatively simple job although I did realize that the inventories of the steam fitting suppliers are varied so you have to order these components before you start to make the bushes. e.g you make the bush for the water gauge 1/4 x 40TPI and then find you preferred supplier only does ¼ x 32TPI. The same goes for the pressure gauge, safety valve etc. unless you plan to make all those yourself as well.

All the components after pickling

boiler17.jpg


All the sub assemblies loose fitted

boiler18.jpg


The whole thing loose fitted

boiler19.jpg


The end looking from the base

boiler20.jpg


The top

boiler21.jpg


After I've made Firebirds water gauge alignment jig tomorrow is silver soldering the whole thing together. I'll let you know how it goes..........








 
Nice start

Seem to have lost some of the pics is that just my end ?

Look forward to watching your boiler progress.

Stew
 
Pics are sorted now
 
Doubletop,
Sir, I applaud you both with the size and scope of the machine you're using and also the excellent work being done on the boiler. Working at the limits of a machine takes a lot of extra thought and work.
Very nice work,
gbritnell
 
fine bit of boiler making there! :bow:

It sure is nice to have the right torch for the job too isn't it.

Well done!

Dave
 
Great post and an excellent looking boiler.
I enjoyed reading this.
 
Terrific end results on those pieces, especially from the use of a machine on the upper limits of its capacities. Very well done. It'll be a real gem when it is finally soldered up and tested.

BC1
Jim
 
You wouldn't be interested in renting out those dies would you?
 
It looks great, what engine are you going to use?
I found all the download for the 3" Vertical Boiler plus two for burners the vertical and a horizontal, Burner_for_3.5_in_horizontal_boiler.pdf
Does anyone know if the plans for the horizontal are on the web?
Also are any of his engine plans available?
Regards,
Gerald.
 
Plans for horizontal boiler. You would have to make your own holding cradle, but it doesn't need to enclose the whole boiler. Normally it would be wood lagged with a couple of brass straps to hold it down to the cradle.

Almost any twin engine up to 1/2" bore and running at around 25psi would be fine.

Bogs

View attachment ACS Horizontal Boiler.pdf
 
That's one mighty nice piece of boiler work, congrats on your effort so far.
 
Hi Doubletop

So glad you decided to post your progress.

Looking good so far. Its great fun isn't it. :) :) :) :)

I used a punch and die on my 3 inch horizontal boiler because I was using fairly thick copper plate and I wanted to know (for future use on larger boilers) how well I could form the plates using this method. It worked quite well and is a method I will use again. The small vertical boiler used much thinner copper plate which was easier to work so didn't really justify making punches and dies.

Keep up the good work.

Cheers

Rich

 
DT,

That is a very fine piece of model boiler making :bow: :bow: :bow:..........I'm envious ;D

Best Regards
Bob
 
Thanks all for your kind words of encouragement. Its been an interesting journey over the past few months I only really started using the equipment in February this year just so I could see what I could do. My father had given me the contents of his workshop once he was past being able to use it and its only recently that I've set up my own workshop and had the time to try something. So 44 years since 'O' level metalwork failed, here I am

So to answer the questions

"What engine will I be using?"

February had me building the Erik-Jan Stroetinga wobbler. I had it running in a month so then set about making a suitable boiler


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUPQqlBvEVk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUPQqlBvEVk[/ame]

(great double acting engine, and the plans are on the downloads page as WobblerEJS.pdf)

"Can I rent out the dies?" I'm afraid not notwithstanding I'm in New Zealand, I'd be unhappy to let them out of my possession.

"Can I make end plates for resale?" - I'd rather not, I'm new to this and not geared up for production levels of construction. I had problems finding a source of copper sheet, the main supplier is local and could only offer me a full sheet for $900. I know that's a lot of plates. I eventually found an off-cut in Auckland and had it couriered to me. I would also be concerned that my end plates are made for copper tube I found in the scrap dealers, with "NZ 3501" on a sticky label, would fit tube sourced in another country.

Anyway onwards and upwards. Today I made a new flue as the other one was too short. Take a look at the pictures, theres no 'meat' for a solder fillet onto the end plates. I made the flue to drawing forgetting the boiler barrel was 5/16 longer than drawing. Better be safe than sorry as I won't get a second chance at it once its installed and leaking. Next is Firebird's water gauge bush installation jig.

I'll let you know how I go but it could be next weekend before the next installment.
 
Bogstandard said:
Plans for horizontal boiler. You would have to make your own holding cradle, but it doesn't need to enclose the whole boiler. Normally it would be wood lagged with a couple of brass straps to hold it down to the cradle.

Almost any twin engine up to 1/2" bore and running at around 25psi would be fine.

Bogs
Hi Bogs,
That is just the one for the Horizontal Burner. I am looking for the Boiler.
Regards,
Gerald.
 
Hi Doubletop

I first used the alignment jig on my first (3 inch) boiler and it did the trick. Its made of steel by the way so don't leave it in the bushes then put it in the pickle, that makes a mess. However it was tight to unscrew it after silver soldering even using the alignment bar as a tommy bar. Before I used it on my second boiler I tightened the die its holder and ran it down again to cut a slightly deeper (looser) thread. That worked better.

Cheers

Rich
 
Rich

Thanks for the tips. I've made the jig but no pics right now. It had occured to me not to put steel into the pickle so avoided that mistake. I did read somewhere about using a graphite pencil on the threads before assembly. Maybe it was on your post. I just plan to use the first few threads of the jig so it doesn't lock up under heat. I noticed on your horizontal boler that the bushes were right on the lip of the end plate flange so needed the jig to align them. I'm just making sure, in my case the bushes are on the same line on the boiler barrel so are pretty well lined up anyway.

Planned soldering session didn't go ahead today, I may give it a go tommorrow otherwise it will be next weekend.
 

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