Search found 245 matches

by RGSP
Sat Jun 01, 2019 8:07 am
Forum: Technical - non Engines and Boilers
Topic: Propellor tip clearance
Replies: 8
Views: 8145

Re: Propellor tip clearance

I've been out and measured mine as it sits on a trailer by the barn. Clearance is just under 3", top and bottom above and below a 16" screw. I have no doubt the clearance is more than necessary, but the hull is a standard "Nell" from Blossom's boatyard near Oxford, and that's the way it is. Maximum ...
by RGSP
Mon May 20, 2019 8:47 pm
Forum: Technical - Engines and Boilers
Topic: New Stainless Economizer
Replies: 17
Views: 11397

Re: New Stainless Economizer

I suspect that almost everyone with a steamboat is aware of the chloride enhanced stress corrosion cracking in Austenitic stainless steels. 304 is fairly prone to it, wherease 316 is often called a "marine" grade, whereas in fact it is only a factor of around ten better than 304. To be honest, I thi...
by RGSP
Sun May 05, 2019 7:26 am
Forum: Technical - non Engines and Boilers
Topic: How to Install Brass Trim Between Hull and Deck??
Replies: 8
Views: 8404

Re: How to Install Brass Trim Between Hull and Deck??

"Alpha" brass is a metallurgists term, but I don't know a more common name for it. Ordinary brass has a classic binary phase diagram, with a high copper alpha phase which is ductile and fairly soft suitable for rolling into strip; that changes rapidly with increasing zinc to the beta phase which is ...
by RGSP
Sat May 04, 2019 9:29 am
Forum: Technical - non Engines and Boilers
Topic: How to Install Brass Trim Between Hull and Deck??
Replies: 8
Views: 8404

Re: How toInstall Brass Trim Between Hull and Deck??

Most brass sold as household decorative trim is straight apha phase material, and not very well suited to salt water use. You'd be better using what we know as bronze in the UK, and I think you know as Red brass in the US. Otherwise "Naval Brass" which has 2% Molybdenum in it is good if you can get ...
by RGSP
Tue Apr 30, 2019 3:37 pm
Forum: Technical - Engines and Boilers
Topic: Pressure Washer Pumps for Feedwater
Replies: 5
Views: 4882

Re: Pressure Washer Pumps for Feedwater

They have two issues, VERY sensitive to any sort of particle contamination in the check valves and they are difficult to disassemble without special tools. The check valves are in a plastic cartridge and pressed in. -Ron I have owned and run quite a number of them over the years, and can fully supp...
by RGSP
Sun Apr 21, 2019 8:15 am
Forum: Technical - Engines and Boilers
Topic: Cylinder lubrication ?
Replies: 6
Views: 5525

Re: Cylinder lubrication ?

They're (very) commonly called "Fat Ladies" in the UK. You can drop in a little (and I mean "a little") oil in after warming the engine and before starting, then maybe give another small shot at lunch time, and a final dollop when shutting down. The fat part of the oiler can have a much smaller quan...
by RGSP
Mon Apr 15, 2019 7:59 pm
Forum: General Steamboat stuff
Topic: Stern tube alterations
Replies: 3
Views: 3532

Re: Stern tube alterations

Colin, the bad news is that the thread could be any of several things. The good news is that cutting a new thread should be easy enough, whatever it is. You need to make an accurate measurement of the thread outer diameter, and the pitch, and that should be enough to identify a new thread which will...
by RGSP
Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:32 am
Forum: Technical - non Engines and Boilers
Topic: Boiler feed pump ?
Replies: 17
Views: 15875

Re: Boiler feed pump ?

It may well be worth putting a wanted advert in "The Funnel". Feed pumps do sit in people's workshops for a whole variety of reasons, but mainly being too good to scrap, and not really worth enough to justify the effort of advertising. Now I think of it, I bet Mark Rudall (as editor of The Funnel) w...
by RGSP
Mon Mar 18, 2019 8:42 am
Forum: Technical - non Engines and Boilers
Topic: Boiler feed pump ?
Replies: 17
Views: 15875

Re: Boiler feed pump ?

You could (of course) use an electric pump, but in my opinion something driven by the main engine is better. The boiler should only generally lose water when the engine is running (whistles excepted), so a pump that runs when the engine runs has a certain logic to it. Stand-alone steam pumps do have...
by RGSP
Sat Mar 09, 2019 12:48 pm
Forum: Technical - non Engines and Boilers
Topic: Wheel sizes ?
Replies: 19
Views: 226039

Re: Wheel sizes ?

Backlash in steering gear is far from the end of the world, but it IS irritating, and a spring tensioner is very simple and largely removes it.