My column-style steamengine

[DetroiTug]

Dietrich,

Very nice work.

A suggestion.

I restore very early steam cars as well as well as play with steamboats. Something I discovered recently for cleaning brass and bronze is a cheap simple formula. Take equal parts of salt and flour and mix them in a bowl, then pour in white vinegar until a creamy state. Brush it on the metal and leave it on a few hours or over night, then scrub it with a brass wire brush, then rinse off with water. Works great, it will clean 120 year old oxidization off and leave the metal looking clean. I used to use a sandblaster, but it leaves the metal looking pink, I think because it cuts away the soft copper and leaves the harder tin and zinc on the surface.

Can get it all at the grocery store and there are no harmful fumes.

-Ron

[Mike Rometer]

Dietrich,

Very nice work.

A suggestion.

I restore very early steam cars as well as well as play with steamboats. Something I discovered recently for cleaning brass and bronze is a cheap simple formula. Take equal parts of salt and flour and mix them in a bowl, then pour in white vinegar until a creamy state. Brush it on the metal and leave it on a few hours or over night, then scrub it with a brass wire brush, then rinse off with water. Works great, it will clean 120 year old oxidization off and leave the metal looking clean. I used to use a sandblaster, but it leaves the metal looking pink, I think because it cuts away the soft copper and leaves the harder tin and zinc on the surface.

Can get it all at the grocery store and there are no harmful fumes.

-Ron

Like it!!!

[PeteThePen1]

Hi Folks

Thanks to Ron for his idea for cleaning brass and bronze. Having a very badly discoloured rudder and prop on Frances Ann, which shows up like a sore thumb given my recent re-fit work, I thought I would try the idea.

For those who like things quantified, I used 250g of table salt and 250g of plain white wheat flour from the local Co-op store. As they did not have white vinegar and time was short I added a bottle of cider vinegar. The mixture was very stiff to begin with but by the time the whole 350ml of Cider Vinegar had been added it had a consistency of pancake batter. It needed working with the stick blender to shift the lumps. The next day it had thicken up a bit so more vinegar would have been useful to make it a bit more of a thin paste. I tried it out today with great cries of woe from the assembled spectators who felt that 'no toxic fumes' was perhaps not quite the right description. Cider vinegar is strong smelling stuff!

After around an hour the mixture was washed off with water and the result was pleasing. There was some degree of pinkness in the metal but some work with fine wire wool took the surface back to nice bronze colour.

The before photo is one side of the rudder while the after photo was unfortunately the other side against the sun.

Before:

IMG_20200929_Rudder Before.jpg (111.11 KiB) Viewed 31074 times

After:

IMG_20200929_Rudder After.jpg (133.93 KiB) Viewed 31073 times

Regards

Pete

[dampfspieler]

Hello,

the Condenser lagging is finished. The front- and rear covers are made from 1 mm-brass sheets and were brushed.

Kondenser01_120kl.jpg (44.5 KiB) Viewed 30951 times

Kondenser01_123kl.jpg (46.72 KiB) Viewed 30951 times

Kondenser01_124kl.jpg (41.81 KiB) Viewed 30951 times

--
Dietrich

[dampfspieler]

Hello,

the condenser mounted on a trial basis. It will be attached to the engine with a stainless steel bracket and two brass clips.

The dummy of the bracket to check the dimensions.

Kondenser01_127kl.jpg (42.08 KiB) Viewed 30950 times

Kondenser01_129kl.jpg (53.32 KiB) Viewed 30950 times

Kondenser01_130kl.jpg (62.82 KiB) Viewed 30950 times

--
Dietrich

[PeteThePen1]

Yet another first class addition to your engine. Well done.

I think I must have missed your explanation of the condenser details. Will you use feedwater to cool the exhaust steam or simply draw water from that in which the boat floats?

Regards

Pete

[dampfspieler]

Hello Peter,

... I must have missed your explanation of the condenser details.

no, i have it not posted. I have used a plate heat exchanger. Its data:
Operating temperature: -190 to +225 ° C
Plates: 40
Connections: F1 / F2 / F3 / F4 = 3/4 inch
Flow rate (max.): 4 m³ / h
Exchange area: 0.92 m²
Operating pressure: 30 bar
Power: 180kW
Solder material: copper
Dimensions (L x W x H): 315 x 75 x 95 mm
Working principle: countercurrent
Weight: 3.7 kg

Kondenser01_028kl.jpg (49.56 KiB) Viewed 30822 times

Insulation:
Two layers of 2 mm insulating cork on all sides, covered on the side with a layer of 2 mm wooden strips, front and back with a cap made of 1 mm brass sheet.

Kondenser01_051kl.JPG (53.93 KiB) Viewed 30822 times

... or simply draw water from that in which the boat floats?

I will use water from outbord as coolant. This is conveyed through the condenser by an impeller pump and pushed outboard again after the “work is done”. The corresponding nozzle is placed slightly above the waterline with normal displacement, so a functional check of the pump and the condenser is easily possible.

The condenser is connected directly to the engine's steam outlet using a short copper pipe bend. The condensate is collected in a directly connected container and runs from there to the suction nozzle of the condensate pump ("wet air pump"). All connecting lines are designed with at least a slight gradient.

Here is a view of the connections, those for the steam on the left and those for the cooling water on the right.

Kondenser01_051kl.JPG (53.93 KiB) Viewed 30822 times

Best Dietrich

[Mike Rometer]

What may not have 'clicked' with folks is that these things are used in domestic central heating systems to provide hot water. Salvaging a used one may not be the best idea, dependant on what the hardness of the water supply has been. They do fur up over years of service.

[dampfspieler]

Hello Mike,

... Salvaging a used one may not be the best idea,

you are right. It is a new one and and was very inexpensive .

Best Dietrich

[Mike Rometer]

Hello Mike,

... Salvaging a used one may not be the best idea,

you are right. It is a new one and and was very inexpensive .

Best Dietrich

I guessed so from the early picture, still with the sticker on. I have had one develop a leak in service due to limescale build-up.