Member postings for fizzy

Hard to believe but purposely tapered bores have been around a long time (although I dont know why they are tapered). Do you remember your granny having a chip pan with rock hard chip fat stuck to it - well thats pretty much what gets into your rings and no amount of anything down the bore will free them. The oil rings are always worse affected. I used to renovate old stationary engines in my spare time and have come across this often. Soaking the piston in penetrating oil helps free them enough to remove them so you can dig out the remaining gunk. Good luck.

For heavens sake never ever add water to sulphuric acid. If its a strong acid it will literally blow up in your face.

You need a good workshop if youve got a TVR

If you are indeed refering to a 504 boiler then not a chance. As a spirit fired boiler it is relatively low output. If you were to add two of my brass burners you might stand a chance but even then it wouldnt run for long. At 3.5" diameter by 9" boiler barrel theres a lot of water with not a lot of heating surface area. And as for my twin flue 5" boiler - same response, simply not big enough. With a 2" bore x 2" stroke you are looking at a very powerful (1/2 hp) motor which needs a lot of steam. Minimum 6" vertical coal fired would be my starting point. As stated above, it all depends on what you want it to do.

thanks all

Help sought. I have a tank in my workshop - nothing to do with the domestic water supply - with a standard type immersion heater fitted. I want to be able to finely adjust the temperature of the water and wondered if simply plugging it into a 4kw 240v variable speed control unit would work, the type that are advertised for controlling fand and dimmer switches? The heater has an adjustable thermostat but its not designed for constant adjustment.

Just try getting your hands on sulphuric acid - near impossible. I got 12 litres of 96% delivered today but had to jump through hoops to get it. Problem is that pretty much all other acids are still unrestricted and many will cause just as much damage if used as a weapon.

I built two different size gas tanks and a burner for a customer in America to his plans for his minnie, had no feedback so cant tell you how it turned out.

I have a portable ac unit in my workshop but it simply cannot cope with this heat, hence not much done after 11am

Her aerial was destroyed on take off - if you study the film carefully you can see it happen. Just the start of a cascade effect?

Not convinced he has a great grasp on the dro set up! All too clean and tidy for me, I like clutter and chaos!

Might it be cast steel and not iron, it welds OK?

The english language is forever changing - some might say evolving but you cant stop it ( I see no point in putting the apostrophy in cant for example). Of note was a printed sign in Halfords in the camping section advertising "Sleeping bags and pillars", truely cringe worthy.

Here is a picture of one of my six inch vertical boilers installed in a tricycle - being entered into a race in France later this year.

sorry, should have signed off... Nigel at www.pendlesteamboilers.com

Chris, Neil - we undertake repairs and restorations. It needs a new cross head bearing too.

Welcome aboard Dan

Having flown nitro helis and quads for many years I recon steam is far more addictive - you can smell it!

Most of the bandsaw makers on ebay will make whatever size you want - just need to ask them

When something is going to take years to complete dont let a small difference in cost be the deciding factor. Machine capacity, boot/trailer capacity and ease of moving it around once completed are key for me. The main noticable cost difference will be the boiler (unless you make your own) but with waiting times of up to two years you can still spread the cost easily. I found 3.5" to be too fiddley for my spades. Ive got a full set of 5" speedy castings somewhere in the workshop but thats another story...

The piston sounds just right, I suspect there is a machining error in your ring fit. If you put the ring in the bore without piston and you have a few thou gap then its not the rings - it will be the slot in the piston which the ring sits in not being deep enough - done it myself.