O.K., Tony, in that case, I wil suggest a "Water Tube Marine Boiler" as they are even easier to construct and are very fast steamers. The little Copper boiler I made had a drum of about 3" in diameter and around 12--16 1/4" Copper water tubes. I fire it with a home-made Propane burner and it steams very well. If you can get ahold of a copy of Harris' book, it is very close to being Design No. 12, "Scott Marine or Stationary Boiler", on Page 167-168. Al --- Terry Lane <tel@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > Granted a vertical boiler can be somewhat easier to > make Al, but they tend > to dwarf you engines. For that reason I prefer the > horizontal boiler for a > stationary steam plant. > > > Tony, may I suggest a design? I would consider a > > Vertical Firetube design, such as the LBSC design, > MAP > > plan No. LO-86 and fire it with Propane since you > want > > a small reliable boiler for operating your models > > mainly at home. I think that this boiler is well > > within your abilities. > > > > Al Messer > > > > --- Phill Smith <steam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > > > Tony, > > > > > > I, personally, don't understand why you don't > just > > > make your own. They are > > > really easy to make. There is nothing hard about > it > > > at all. > > > > > > All you need is the following; > > > > > > - oxy-acetylene torch (use the cutting torch as > the > > > large quantity of small > > > flames is the best heat source) > > > - Copper tube (for both barrel and end plates, > > > flues, and Galloway tubes if > > > required) > > > - Gun metal / Phosphor bronze for bushes > > > - steel for endplate former > > > - Silver solder (2 grades) -- 245 (45% silver) > for > > > bushes and > > > lues/tubes: -- 115 (15% silver) for attaching > your > > > end plates. > > > - Sulphuric acid (battery acid) for pickle bath. > I > > > add 1L of acid to 10L > > > water, and find this OK if I get it on my hands > (no > > > burns) > > > - 20L plastic bucket for pickle bath > > > - Flux (for the 245 silversolder) > > > - Hand tools > > > > > > That's about it........ Of the top of my head I > > > can"t think of anything > > > else..... > > > > > > The first thing to do when deciding to build a > > > boiler is to decide your > > > fuel.... As that will often determine the style > of > > > boiler that you build. > > > Have a look in Harris's book at the different > > > styles/configurations of > > > boilers, and then decide how big you want it. > Then > > > start making it..... It's > > > that easy. > > > I would seriously recommend that you get hold of > a > > > copy of the Aussie copper > > > boiler code, as this will solve all your > thickness > > > and stay sizing/spacing > > > issues. Something to note though, is that the > Aussie > > > code tends to use much > > > thicker materials than required, as it is > designed > > > to protect EVERYONE from > > > the idiot boiler builder. > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > > > Phill. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Tony Wells" <oaksfield@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > > To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > > Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2005 3:08 AM > > > Subject: [modeleng] Re: Steam engine RPM? > > > > > > > > > > It is not verbotten at all Al, I just lack the > > > cheek to ask! I do have > > > that > > > > nice long length of seemless copper tubing to > > > trade if anyone is > > > interested > > > > however .... Is there so much to boiler making > > > though ??? In my naiveity, > > > I > > > > would have thought that at the low pressures > > > involved a bit of silver > > > solder > > > > would go a long way, and I have plenty of that > > > too! > > > > > > > > Tony. > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "Allen Messer" <al_messer@xxxxxxxxx> > > > > To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > > > Sent: Friday, September 09, 2005 7:58 PM > > > > Subject: [modeleng] Re: Steam engine RPM? > > > > > > > > > > > > > Glad to help out as I don't want you blowing > > > yourself > > > > > sky high with an improperly made steam > boiler! > > > If > > > > > that happened, with whom would I discuss > > > politics? > > > > > > > > > > Have you though of posting a query on the > > > Modeleng > > > > > list to see if any of our listees would > build > > > you a > > > > > boiler, or is this verboten? > > > > > > > > > > Al > > > > > > > > > > --- Tony Wells <oaksfield@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > >> A belated thanks for this "headzup" (???) > Al! > > > > >> > > > > >> Tony. > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> ----- Original Message ----- > > > > >> From: "Allen Messer" <al_messer@xxxxxxxxx> > > > > >> To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > > > >> Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2005 5:11 PM > > > > >> Subject: [modeleng] Re: Steam engine RPM? > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > Tony, if you are thinking of building > your > > > own > > > > >> boiler, > > > > >> > run, don't walk, to your nearest agent > for > > > Tee > > > > >> > Publications and buy yerself a copy of K. > N. > > > > >> Harris' > > > > >> > book "Model Boilers & Boilermaking" and > if > > > you > > > > >> want it > > > > >> > to look scale, there are several vendors > of > > > model > > > > >> > steam fittings in Britain that are > excellent. > > > > >> > > > > > >> > Al Messer > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. > > > > >> > > > > >> To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank > > > email > > > > >> to, > > > > >> modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the > word > > > > >> "unsubscribe" in the subject line. > > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________ > > > > > Click here to donate to the Hurricane > Katrina > > > relief effort. > > > > > http://store.yahoo.com/redcross-donate3/ > === message truncated === ______________________________________________________ Yahoo! for Good Watch the Hurricane Katrina Shelter From The Storm concert http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/shelter MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.