brake line?

[87gn@tahoe]

I know I am putting my self out here to potentially get lambasted for asking this but here goes;

Could someone use regular old mild steel brake line for watertube boiler tubing (NOT talking cunifer/kunifer at the moment as it's a bit more difficult to obtain here in the colonies)? Either the poly armour stuff (clean off the coating of course) or the zinc coated stuff.. You can get them relatively cheap with flares and fittings already in place which would make them easily removable if one decided to go and cut down on one having to perform those operations themselves. Even the 3/8" stuff has super high psi ratings, is quite easy to bend, and relatively inexpensive as well. Just drill and tap your drums, insert female flare fittings, bend tubes, screw in and voila! No reaming holes, no rolling tubes, no welding tubes, etc. One could make a wrench similar to an o2 sensor wrench to access tubes in the tube nest that need tightening.

If one blew a tube at a meet it would be as simple as obtaining said replacement from closest auto parts store, bending it up, and replacing! Your steaming weekend you'd been planning for all year would be saved. (of course it would be a bit more involved and sooty than I've described here)

Of course considerations for shielding the fittings from direct flame impingement would be made.

This would be much more time consuming to do in a "yarrow" configuration than would in a "Roberts" configuration, so let us consider this in the context of the "Roberts" design for argument's sake.

What do you think? Am I crazy?

[DetroiTug]

Hi Wes,

I don't see a thing wrong with that and it sounds like a clever idea. The plating on those looks like Zinc dichromate (gold color) (I did a short stint at a plater once). It is very thin unlike galvanize that can can actually break loose in shards.

I would use at least 3/8" and keep the circulation up. Very small tubing can boil dry pretty easy and overheat in a spot. The monotube folks speak of that. Yep, that tubing will handle very high pressure.

The only other thing I see and you are probably aware of, is the fittings in the fire. Separate components heating and expanding and getting loose over time.

A buddy of mine built a bolsover using tubing just like that only 1/2" diameter. Works really well.

-Ron

[DCSmith]

I believe cunifer is sold as nicopp on our side of the pond.

[87gn@tahoe]

I believe cunifer is sold as nicopp on our side of the pond.

Thank you very much! I've found the most hits over here under the "NiCopp" name.

I've seen Kunifer, Cunifer, CuNi, Cupronickel, and now NiCopp! Can't we just have one bloody name for it!


Ron,

I imagine an ofeldt would be an easy one to build as well.

[Mike Rometer]

[quote="87gn@tahoe]
I've seen Kunifer, Cunifer, CuNi, Cupronickel, and now NiCopp! Can't we just have one bloody name for it!


Ron,

[/quote]

Hmm! Now I think you're living in Fairyland.

[87gn@tahoe]

[quote="87gn@tahoe]
I've seen Kunifer, Cunifer, CuNi, Cupronickel, and now NiCopp! Can't we just have one bloody name for it!


Ron,

Hmm! Now I think you're living in Fairyland. [/quote][/quote]

I do live in California...

[barts]

Have you considered using steel hydraulic tubing? It's available in a lot of sizes, the tools to bend, cut & flare it are readily available, and it is available seamless: http://www.hydraulic-supply.com/html/pr ... tubing.htm

http://shop.hoseandfittings.com/catalog ... .049W.html

- Bart

[87gn@tahoe]

Have you considered using steel hydraulic tubing? It's available in a lot of sizes, the tools to bend, cut & flare it are readily available, and it is available seamless: http://www.hydraulic-supply.com/html/pr ... tubing.htm

http://shop.hoseandfittings.com/catalog ... .049W.html

- Bart

Bart,

Thanks for the link.

I have considered hydraulic tubing (brake line is essentially hydraulic tubing as well isn't it?), but was looking for something readily available and some of the work already done for me. Just design the boiler and bend tubes to allow the use of available pre-made lengths.