CB - I have never had a problem... because I clean my tubes regularly. I have a VFT boiler with 1" ID tubes. Initially I used a tube brush but then a friend (Steamboat Mike) introduced me to a tube scraper that works wonderfully. Go to McMaster, item # 7085T41 for the 1" size. It's more work and it ...

Mike, thank you. Great idea.

Mike, would you please post pictures of your alignment arrangement both with and without boat? I am very interested and may want to copy - with permission, of course.

To your questions, in order....

No and yes. I've wanted to fit a float valve but never got it done. And, to the fiddling.... some days I hit it just right and steam for hours with no input. Other times I'm messing with it every 10-15 minutes. But, at least I have something to do.

Floating tank covers to preclude contamination have been used, and a vertical cylindrical tank is ideal for this setup. Even better, with a accordion style rubber diaphragm over the water to fully separate the water from the air. There are floating beans, plastic, and about 1 inch diameter, sold sp...

A few years ago I was very unhappy with my hotwell. It was shallow and didn't have enough volume. I found a SS cylindrical tank 30" high x 9" diameter at the local thieving junkyard. That does very nicely. Have not run it dry. And, with it fairly full, it will always provide a good positive head to ...

Rainer was at the Lees Mill meet last September; he rode with me on Flying Cloud. His looks are deceiving; he's 53 and looks 43. Brilliant guy. Check out his web site.

Ron lost his partner last year. I've spoken to him since then but not recently. And I don't remember when I last received Steamboating.

Rainer, You are welcome to ride with me on Flying Cloud if you like. We (Wife Hildegard Koeningshofer and me) will arrive on Friday Sept 9. You must ride on the sister Ship to Tiamat!

This stinks of advertising. Way off topic of steamboating.