Minnie 1" boiler miricale needed

was very carefully lining up tubes in firebox end plate as I tapped it down. Managed to catch the edge of one of the tubes and deformed the outer edge. Was a ....mare to remove end plate again. Cannot see how to get the deformed tube circular again as its in the middle of the others. Need a miricale or have I got to start again on new firebox.

You might try making a steel rod with a taper or bullet shape on the end with a close fit to the (undeformed) tube ID. Anneal the deformed tube end by heating to dull red and allowing to cool slowly, a few times. Then work the steel rod into the tube, maybe squeezing with smooth faced needle nose or round nose pliers as you go. Should not be hard to get the tube round(ish) again, being soft copper.

If Jeff's idea works but the tube is left slightly oversize, try this:

With Jeff's bullet inside, slip a small jubilee clip over the end of the annealed tube and tighten it up.

Neil

I'm not sure I've got this correctly. Usual sequence is to silver solder the tubes into the firebox tubeplate before they are fixed to the smokebox tubeplate, so if OP has got the tube out how is it 'in the middle of all the others'?

A photo would help

Duncan, my mistake, am taking about the smoke box tube plate

Thanks, will give suggestions above a go. Hate to start again after so much effort . Everything's was going so well upto this point.

If all else fails could you open out the hole in the plate and make a bush and solder in place .if not just blank the holes in the plates it's only one tube and only you would know.

Frank

Colin, don't panic. take it slow and steady and you will get there. After your boiler is done you will have lots of little tricks to deal with things like the misshapen tube and many other things that "just happen" when you build machines. Every one you get through adds to your confidence going forward. Key thing is to think before doing and not be in a rush, ever, no matter what you have to do next minute. Better to put the job aside for an evening than to rush and get into a pickle. Been there, done that, got the T shirt, then cut it up for polishing cloths! Good luck sorting the tube out.

After lots of cogitation, decided to proceed as follows:-

Cut back 3 tubes, using dremel cutting disc, to gain acces to the deformed tube. cut that back too. Using a tube expander opened up new tube extensions over length of about 5mm, till they fitted over existing tubes. Silver soldered together. Smoke box tube plate fitted and solder in place.