Hello from the Pacific Northwest

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Anne from Little Britan
Anne from Little Britan
Posts: 232
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 11:17 pm
Boat Name: No Boat Yet
Location: Roseville, MN
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Hello from the Pacific Northwest

Post by csonics » Wed Nov 18, 2009 2:42 am

Posted on behalf of Doug B:

Doug B
Just Starting Out


Joined: 09 Apr 2008
Posts: 8
Location: Issaquah WA , USA
Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 10:08 am Post subject: Hello from the Pacific Northwest
I'm new to this forum and relatively new to steaming.

I'm a member of NW Steam Society and Kitsap Liver Steamers (Washington State) and am really enjoying building my first steam project.

With lots of help from my steaming friends, I've managed to design and build a 20 square foot Vertical Fire Tube boiler. I had it welded by an ASME welder. We hydroed it to 225 psi, then steamed it to 150 psi. The Washington State Boiler Inspector certified the boiler in March of 2007.

I'm firing the boiler with a Beckett ADC 12 volt burner. Right now I'm firing with B99 biodiesel...which smells like french fries down wind. I started out firing with propane, but was just too spooked about propane in the bulge. The soy based biodiesel is a lot safer and fires much hotter than propane.

We installed the boiler into my 19 foot Thayer fantail hull this winter. I'm just finishing the machining on my 2.5 X 3.75 X 2 fore and aft compound engine (from a casting kit by Reliable). We've added an inch to the frame height, Stevenson reverse linkage and brass to teflon wear surfaces in the steam chest. We're also trying teflon piston rings in the grey iron cylinders. I'm not oiling the internal engine as it's a condensing system and oil in the boiler is not good. I'm told that wet steam on teflon is enough lubrication...we'll see...

My stern gear is installed. The bronze 17" X 25" three blade prop is on a 1.25" Manel shaft with a stuffing box which I turned from a block of Teflon.

I hope to be steaming this spring or summer. Work continues on the boat's superstructure, decks, etc.

I'm on the NWSS website, see "Tenacious" under the "Boats" heading.

In short, I'm having way too much fun for an old rietred guy !

Doug B[/b]
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