Vertical boiler

Well - having 4 steam engines built and one kit on order it is time to make a boiler. The machines all run on compressed air, but using steam is different.

I built 2 boilers in the past, both were marine type boilers with a flame tube and some cross tubes to increase the heating surface. Where are they now? Well, they went into the dump together with 2 more steam engines somewhere in the north of Italy when I decided to move. Sometimes we do stupid things, and I am not the exception.

So what to build? I would like to have a vertical test boiler, probably I will go for one of Reeves kits. So yes, I am in an early stage and have not finally decided (which is also a money question...)

To fill my time I started with some accessories. First one here is a 3 valve water gauge. I found some suitable drawing in a rather old book my father bought in the 70th, called handbook for model steam engines. It is written in German, but the authors are from the Netherlands, Rob van Dort and Joop Oegema.

I took the drawing as it was, just adopted some of the threads used to metric fine, as it looks and works better. Also I made some freelance hand wheels, as I wanted to test my new rotary table. The hand wheels went rather well, outer diameter 22mm.

The 3rd valve is still missing, the drawing had foreseen here a conical valve, but I prefer a type similar to those already made.

Water gauge a current stage

Edited By Gerhard Novak on 24/10/2021 19:56:58

Nice work

H

That's a nice looking piece of work, good proportions, and neat square sockets - I'd be feeling very pleased if I'd turned out those..

Edited By DiogenesII on 24/10/2021 21:12:46

Well I am pleased as well, especially as the square shape on the hand wheels is done by hand with small files...

In the meantime I ordered the boiler kit. Reeves 5" x 10" vertical test boiler.

A week passed and the water gauge is completed.

For the boiler kit I have to wait a bit, Reeves estimated 2 weeks until dispatch...

Really nice. I'd like to make some wheels like that on my rotary table.

Thanks zeb flux. The centre of the chuck and the mill itself have to be set as accurate as possible and DRO on all axis help to make it possible. It is not really 100% precise, but good enough to look ok.

In the meantime the boiler kit arrived at home, but as I am currently looking after my old mum in Vienna there will be no progress before the end of the month...