Search found 36 matches

by Ethelred
Mon May 15, 2017 9:18 pm
Forum: Sales and Trade
Topic: Frolic 18 project for sale
Replies: 1
Views: 4283

Frolic 18 project for sale

Unfortunately due to changing circumstances my Frolic 18 has to go. Grab yourself a bargain.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Steam-Launch- ... SwY3BZGb9F
by Ethelred
Tue Feb 28, 2017 6:29 pm
Forum: Sales and Trade
Topic: Searching For Vintage Boiler West Coast US
Replies: 20
Views: 20325

Re: Searching For Vintage Boiler West Coast US

......"By the way, button head bolts with allen sockets make quite a good substitute in looks for rivets.'...... That's very true, particularly when replacing pop-rivets. I'm making a new shell for a two-drum water-tube boiler and a row of stainless, socketed button-head bolts holding the stainless ...
by Ethelred
Fri Feb 17, 2017 10:47 pm
Forum: Technical - Engines and Boilers
Topic: Copper vs Steel boiler components
Replies: 27
Views: 24289

Re: Copper vs Steel boiler components

I might well be interested in one of your boilers Jack. Could you furnish a few more details and a photo or two.
What pressure does it run at and what engine are you running on it and what are the steaming characteristics?
by Ethelred
Tue Feb 14, 2017 11:01 am
Forum: Technical - Engines and Boilers
Topic: Copper vs Steel boiler components
Replies: 27
Views: 24289

Re: Copper vs Steel boiler components

You're perfectly correct Ron, there are certainly no absolutes with steamboats. As you say if you can get the flames all the way up the tubes through forced draft or a tall stack then the figures will be different. When you start looking into the history though, you find there's a whole lot of diffe...
by Ethelred
Sun Feb 12, 2017 4:38 pm
Forum: Technical - Engines and Boilers
Topic: Copper vs Steel boiler components
Replies: 27
Views: 24289

Re: Copper vs Steel boiler components

The relative heat transfers are not an issue, however tube length is. The experiments done by loco boiler engineers showed, very approximately, that 80 percent of the heat transfer took place in the first 20 percent of the tube. So the modern tradition of tall VFT boilers is not as good as a shorter...
by Ethelred
Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:47 pm
Forum: Technical - Engines and Boilers
Topic: Copper vs Steel boiler components
Replies: 27
Views: 24289

Re: Copper vs Steel boiler components

Does the different rates of expansion between copper and steel matter? As you can't weld the copper in aren't they more prone to leakage as a result?
by Ethelred
Wed Feb 08, 2017 10:16 pm
Forum: Technical - Engines and Boilers
Topic: New VFT boiler for Frøya
Replies: 23
Views: 21522

Re: New VFT boiler for Frøya

It's fascinating, thanks for the explanation Fred. So is it the case that to improve the heat transfer then the more tubes the better. The late Simpson Strickland boilers were wide and not very deep, presumably because more short-tubes are more effective than a similar surface area made up of a smal...
by Ethelred
Wed Feb 08, 2017 3:04 pm
Forum: Technical - Engines and Boilers
Topic: New VFT boiler for Frøya
Replies: 23
Views: 21522

Re: New VFT boiler for Frøya

I read somewhere that there's actually little difference in performance between copper and steel tubes as it's masked by the boundary effect. Improving the circulation is more effective as it scours the boundary layer. This is certainly with true in water-tube boilers, though I don't know how you'd ...
by Ethelred
Mon Jan 30, 2017 3:24 pm
Forum: Technical - Engines and Boilers
Topic: Savery 32
Replies: 22
Views: 20695

Re: Savery 32

Beautiful looking engine, those obsessional sons come in useful :-)
Have you got a boat to put it in?