The Steamboating Forum

How do I get the pipe out from inside the stack?

And I use black pipe inside and come out with copper?

It may sound like a novel idea, though I have seen it done before, but how about drilling a hole in the side of the funnel and flue?

People have tried every different way to have a whistle that doesn't rain water all over them, very few have succeeded.

When I manage to get a boat built, I'll try having a pipe that is either vertical or at most 45 degrees from vertical into the boiler, so any condensed water will run back into the boiler.

I also have an idea in mind to clamp the whistle onto the internal flue and not to the funnel, so heat from the flue is transferred into the whistle keeping it warm.

As for having a black pipe inside the flue, it doesn't matter what colour you make it, it'll turn black.

I mean black pipe as iron pipe or copper. And yes drilling a hole but stick out a 90 iron pipe or bend the copper tube?

I run copper pipe inside the funnel to help keep things warm... I use 90s screwed into the back size of the flanges that bolt to the outside of the pipe... works, and quite neat looking from the outside.

If you don't like a shower, arrange for a very small steam leak in your whistle valve - this will heat the line, fittings and whistle very nicely.

=- Bart

Things to try to stop whistle rain

1.Try to prevent the water from accumulating. The pipe should have a downhill run back into the boiler (no low spots)
2. Try to prevent the steam from condensing. Some boats have their whistles mounted on top of the boiler with just a short run of lagged pipe. The heat of the boiler helps prevent condensation, but unfortunately what water forms ends up all over those in the boat when the whistle is blown. Other boats have the steam supply for the whistle pass up inside the funnel keeping it warm. Again this helps, but still doesn’t seem to stop the first gurgle.
3. Finally one can provide somewhere for the water to go. While perusing a 1915 book that was the standard text given to the American Naval cadets at that time I came across a reference to how it was done in their battleships. Essentially, it was expected that the whistle pipe would fill with water so a water separator was placed on the whistle side of the whistle valve. The water never got to the whistle. Looking at the diagrams I have made up a smaller version that will go in my boat. Cheers

Paul

Whistle rain, Canopy comes to mind, helps with the natural rain and Sun too!

Re: Steam trap:

I will really want to hear how well that works. I understand how a normal steam trap works (or is supposed to work) but that design looks like the water droplets would just shoot right out of the entrance and into the exit. If it works, there will be a lot of us building them!

As I sit here thinking up weird things, it occurs to me that the whistle could live within the stack just high enough to let the sound go out at right angles but well within the hot stack gasses. It would keep the line to the whistle pretty hot too. Couldn't keep it all nice and shined up but it might stay hot enough for no gargling and spitting. A chain or cable would be needed to operate it. More heresy!

Mike

Oops! I see it now. It's a disk, not a washer.

I still like my smoky whistle idea though.

Mike