The Steamboating Forum

Hello Steamboaters,

a friend of mine asked me to machine a valve.
First off all I thought "Why making your own valves?"
Than I got this pictures as appetizer: It's a replica of a US Navy Type K Engine valve. I already found a picture of the original in the "STEAMBOATS & Modern Steam Launches" May-June 1962 issue.

Now I am desperately waiting for the over seas parcel with two sets of castings and hope to convince the customs officers not to take all my holiday money to buy Miss Merkel a new NSA proved cell phone.

Till than I will make new metric 3D drawings of all parts - first start:

Rainer,

That is a beautiful throttle valve. How did that work inside? Is it a sliding cylinder with a cross hole? Or is it a tapered cone? I can see the cylinder for flow regulation, but it would be difficult to seal it 100% off. A tapered cone could seal completely. I'm working on a Locomobile steam car project and I think it had the same type of throttle. Straight push and pull in the body.

-Ron

That looks like boat jewelry to me... where can one get those castings ?

- Bart

Have a look here - it's a D-valve. If you like you even could give the valve plate a V shape or what ever design to enable a fine opening curve:You can mount/remove the D-valve (3) through the bottom flange (2). I will change some things of the connecting rod (11) and valve design but in general will take over this layout.

Those are the valves that Dave Thorpe made for his steam lunch Wicwas, he printed the story in "The Smokestack" printed by the North American Steamboat Association, castings,drawings, notes, bill of materials and a DVD of photos are available from Dave.

steamdon-jr wrote:are available from Dave.

Yes, I got it all from Dave.
He also allowed me to publish this pictures and drawings.

Is this a copy of an original valve? A few features are a bit confusing. Behind the valve seat there is a "plateau" or raised surface drawn in line with the surface of the valve seat for the valve to transfer over to in the open position(left of numeral 3 and below the numeral 4). From the drawing it looks impossible to machine (without a special right angle boom).

-Ron

Rainer,

Looked at the vid on your site of Wicwas and when it was taken Dave has a globe valve being used for the throttle. Is this a recent design from Dave?

By the way, the engine in Wicwas is a York compound, the same engine that I am building. Dave's made his into a work of art, something I can only strive for.

Ken

Dave's steamer is indeed a work of art. The last picture in the forum thread under Rally Reports, "Lees Mills 2013" shows his gauge panel, and the last photo in the thread Lees Mills 2012" shows his engine installation. Something to strive for if one has time, talent, and polish! The entire boat is spit and polish.

He has this valve mounted just forward of the HP cylinder, the only thing that is not polished I think.

I've contacted Dave and now I am on the list to get my very own Navy K valve when he gets the next batch of castings. Yeah!!!!!

Ken