Does anyone have any data or experience to share with regard to fire space in a small wood fired boiler? My larger boiler (18" diameter grate, 5hp) had 16" from grate to tubes, and this seemed to work well, but it would be problematic for the little boiler I'm putting together for a canoe plant. Cur...

I'm jealous that you have a boat with space and bouyancy to be able to have fun with neat machinery like your duplex pump out on the water. I think, though, that your issue of scale IS going to be one of your biggest operational challenges if you intend to use the pump for regular boiler feed. What ...

If you are looking for a poor man's compound, have you considered a 2-stage air compressor? Just make a cylinder head, sleeve one of the bores (if you need to change the cylinder ratios), and set off under steam. From everything I've seen in reading accounts of our hobby, it seems that you can get s...

Well, I think I'm sold on the hydraulic flare fittings. Thanks everyone for the wealth of shared experience and advice.

Cheers,
Scott

I am looking to purchase a propane-air torch for brazing, but I'm having trouble making useful comparisons based on the on-line data available. I'm looking for something cheaper to run and less complicated than a full oxy setup. I'm hoping to braze copper tube up to 4" to make small boilers the myri...

Mike Cole wrote:cheapest and quickest way to steaming is to buy a complete boat.

You are of course correct. But making it my own is a large part of what I enjoy in it. I've enjoyed my big boat immensely over the years - I just haven't been able to actually go boating in it.

Cheers,
Scott

That's sort of what I was thinking about compression fittings. Start with the standard compression fitting and upgrade it by brazing the compression ring to the tube, or alternately, by making up the union nipple piece from stock to go where the tube end and compression ring would normally go. The l...

After 13 years of not getting my larger boat running, mostly due to space and money constraints, I've decided I have to have a going steamer in 12 months or less. So it has to be cheap, use as many parts on hand as possible, and fit into the workshop I currently have. So: the steam canoe Firewater. ...

I've been watching Keith Appleton's Youtube videos of model steam engine repair, and I love the "unions" he uses for pipework. One side threaded, the other side with a "union nipple" that looks like it functions as an upgraded compression fitting, silver soldered onto the piece of tube. It looks ver...

It sounds like you are getting the bugs sorted out. Next time it'll probably be you giving the broken infernal combustion boat a tow (which is always a VERY satisfying experience). One striking thing I noticed in your narrative is "plenty of steam". Many, if not most, of our plants, have engines tha...