Member postings for gavin compton

Hi All

what would people recommend for a good paint for a coal fire firebox ??

paint i used last just greys up and flakes off??

thanks

Gavin

i never thought of that !

thanks

Gavin

Hi all

does anyone know where i can buy ready made wood lagging planks for my boiler??

i have not got stuff to cut my own so need to buy ready made.

thanks

gavin

Edited By gavin compton on 29/02/2016 19:19:22

hi all

checked the clack valve it didnt rattle so opened it up dumped it in sonic cleaner put it back togeather now its rattling away. also pump wasnt rattling either so did the same ,so now i got 2 rattles ready to be reinstalled. would it be best to add a shut off inline while it all apart ??

thanks

Gavin

Edited By gavin compton on 26/02/2016 17:04:17

HI thanks for the reply.

the boiler does "prime" it self you can hear the water feed "sucking" when tank almost emety. i be removing the boiler clack valve today to be checking it and the pump too. think i might order some more pipe and a inline 1/4 turn valve as well.

thanks

Gavin

Hi,

thanks for the reply.

the top of the tank is level with the bottom of the boiler. i have a 90C clack valve on the boiler (new valve) with 5/32" pipe to a brand new hand pump (https://maccmodels.co.uk/live-steam-fittings/water-hand-pumps/3-8-ram-5-32-pipe-free-standing-hand-water-pump-front-pipe-fitti.html

to tank via 5/32" pipe again. from pump out put to clack valve is about 3" rise.

so yea im at a lost.

thanks

Gavin

hi all

bit of a werid problem (for me) i have a water tank plumbed to a little hand force water pump then to boiler with a check valve boiler fitting. i tryed steaming the boiler and found it almost impossable to raise pressure.i then noticed the water tank drained without me pumping it !!. so i blanked off the check valve and drained some water off and in 5mins or so i had the safety valve popping.

so my question is should there be a shutoff valve in between boiler and pump ??? or am i doing something wrong ??

thanks

gavin

Hi Jason

its the engine that i been rebuilding

think the problem is i did the slide valve up tight on rod i will give it slack and try again in few days time when i return home.

thanks

thats pic of the valve chest

Hi all

i trying to set up the valve timing (slide plate) with a reverser 2 forward 2 reverse and neutral.

my first and main problem is non stop air from exhaust no matter where slide plate is. i tried pressure up to 100psi.

i can make the piston move oneway only at very high pressures (80+ psi) i run out of air before it can then make piston return (double action piston).

ATM piston is not connected to rest of model so the no binding involved and piston move my hand nice and smooth.

any help in this is very very much welcome.

Gavin

Thanks again for the advice, I drawn the grate in CAD ready to take to local engineering place he thinks depending on the drawings that a 10mm thick SS 316 grate cut as 3mm bars with 5/32 air gap should only cost £20-25 to water jet. So depending on price I either drill and bolt as you said or get one made. I let you know.

Gavin

Thanks for reply.

Few more questions if you will, what's best way to make the grate? I was thinking of just drilling and bolting all together or braising it up other than that maybe getting one water jetted?

Thanks

Gavin

tell me about it. it took more hours than i care to remember to carfully remove it all ,i would like to say i got 100% of it....... but it passed a unforseen drop from bench to floor i bent one of the legs but it all stayed togeather.

note to self stop dropping things! lol

i just waiting for the paint to harden then i can do the (hopefully) last rebuild.

pictures will be uploaded later today

Gavin

3/4 ton ! that's a lot of coal. could I ask why you wouldn't buy grains ? .by looks of things it looking like either would work but it depends on the boiler?.

gavin

thanks all for replys

what size air gap and firebars would you recommend for grains ???

thanks all

gavin

ok thanks

i notice there are all sorts of "sizes" Eg beans,grains etc but so far i not found any info to as what they are in terms of mm,cm etc. i was thinking of making the grate with 5-6mm gap

so say if firedoor is 40mm long 30mm high would beans fit ?

thanks

Gavin

Hi all

i got my self a vertial coal fired boiler ,only missing the grate so i need to make one but my question is coal what size coal can/should be used in a firebox roughly 108mm dia 100mm high (bottom of grate to firetubes) its a 29 tube at 8mm each boiler is 250mm long all copper with phos bronse bushes.

hopfully that enought info to help

thanks

Gavin