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Liked New Build 3 days ago
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💬 Re: Time to get her bottom wet.
13 days ago by GaryLC (
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
I would say the nearer to the engine the better with regard to the lubricator, and the simplest quick fix would be to empty it using a syringe, replace the needle with flexible tubing.
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💬 Re: Time to get her bottom wet.
13 days ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Very nice to see yet another convert to Steam, and that has to be the bargain of the year your boiler and a very nice steam engine for less than half price. I also managed a bargain out of Mr. Galgig an automatic gas control valve as the only bidder. I am wondering about your engine access especially with regard to the bottom drain valve on the lubricator? Mind a really nice hull you have there, and wishing you every success with your build. Regards, Gary. Attached is a photo of a Cheddar steam plant to go into a Mountfleet Clyde puffer hull.
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💬 Re: Deck fittings
29 days ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Just love that deck planking, the finished result is well worth the time and effort you spent putting it all together, plus the fittings and fitments are pretty damn spot on also, well done you.
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💬 Re: Deck Hatches
1 month ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Thank you, Graham, I appreciate your comment and that is the road I am going down when I get around to fitting the deck on my Clyde puffer, plus I will try the white vinegar and steel wool aging technique for good measure. That deck of yours is something to be proud of as I can see the time thought and effort that went into the making of it. Regards, Gary.
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💬 Re: Deck Hatches
1 month ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
I really like the planking very neat and concise absolutely spot on. Two questions if you don't mind, what have you used between the planks as caulking as it looks very good, and what are the small circles on the end of the planks, are they cut off cocktail sticks, as whatever they may be it sure makes for a great looking spot on deck, well done fantastic job there.
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💬 Re: Boiler #3 with servos
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
A more up to date photo although the quality of it leaves a bit to be desired, the gas blow torch nozzle burner, which works well and solved a long-standing problem of low steam pressure, the only problem being a bit on the noisy side. Plus a better gas cut-off valve from Cleveden Steam, the old one being homemade by myself. I built this in the 1970s so it has taken a while to get it running properly, also cleaned it up a bit, and updated the radio gear.
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📝 Clyde Puffer Build.
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Hi Colin, another useful item from motionco a nice simple gear box with numerous ratio choices.
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💬 Re: Change
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Great looking boat with nice clean lines, excellent workmanship, and very nice paint job. Forgive me for this but the first thought that came to mind on seeing your new fender arrangement was toilet roll holders, I think this has something to do with the present Pandemic. Regards, GLC.
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💬 Re: Marian Belle' Tug Mobile Marine Kit.
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Hi Ron, two boats the other one looks a bit like this, it's another Mountfleet kit Danny Boy a North sea Drifter, with steam plant which was difficult to fit as small narrow superstructure.
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📝 Clyde Puffer Build.
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
The shafts' bearing's sprockets and chains would be ideal for a paddle steamer, do you have access to a lathe to make bearing housings, small neat ones? As the Motionco bearing mounts are a bit over the top size-wise.
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📝 Marian Belle' Tug Mobile Marine Kit.
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
A Mobile Marine tug kit, modified to take a steam plant, TVR1A-BB steam engine, 3 1/2" diameter x 6" length boiler. 4 channel for forward / reverse. speed control, steering and gas cutoff valve. Around 2 years to complete.
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📝 Clyde Puffer Build.
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Colin, you asked me a question and I replied, and then Doug stuck his neb in as he can't help himself.
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📝 Clyde Puffer Build.
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Here's one I built earlier, note the ball-raced main bearings.
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📝 Clyde Puffer Build.
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Good to hear you are contemplating a STEAM project in the near future, get yourself a TVR1A BB engine in kit form and build it yourself, a 1/2" bore twin-cylinder slide valve, a very efficient engine which only requires 20 - 30 PSI to run flat out. When you have built it and sorted your valve timing, you'll know everything there is to know about slide valves. A suitable boiler would be a 3 1/2" diameter x 6" length, you can buy a kit of parts and save an absolute fortune, I have seen your silver-soldering. Regards, Gary.
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📝 Clyde Puffer Build.
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Hi Colin, and yes of course you can have the name of the supplier of the chains, sprockets, shafts and bearings. It is motionco and they have a lot of interesting gear worth a good coat of looking at, a chain tensioner is not required as just take a link out or add a link when required. The chain is plastic as per the sprockets, but is very very strong, incredibly strong actually. Regards, Gary.
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📝 Clyde Puffer Build.
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
with regard to oil and oiling a steam engine, the steam enters the engine via the lubricator which carries steam oil in the vapour to lubricate the engine internals and moving parts, this is required as model steam engines use an O ring on the pistons, so oil in the cylinder bore is essential to prevent the O rings being shredded. a fine car engine oil is required for crankshaft main and big-end bearings, and all moving joints as per Hackworth linkages and eccentrics etc. The shaft bearings are ball raced sealed for life and the sprockets and chains are of a very hard PLASTIC, although I do admit they look very real so no oil required there.
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📝 Clyde Puffer Build.
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Thanks Rick, I appreciate that comment and that's what I had in mind to get the prop shaft to go around the boiler. Then I managed to find a company that made the shafts of either 3 or 4mm diameter plus the bearings and bearing housings, sprockets and chain, basically, everything I needed all from one source at a very reasonable price into the bargain. I have kept the gear ratios at 1 to 1, which could be either geared up or down depending on how it performs on the water. Regards,GLC. (Actually, having solved that problem I seem to have come to a grinding halt on the progress front.) must try harder.
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📝 Clyde Puffer Build.
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Hello there, I don't know quite how but some of my photos are on your page, unless you are also building a Puffer with a Cheddar engine???????????????????
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📝 Clyde Puffer Build.
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
As that prop shaft solution is a little confusing hopefully these photos will help.
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📝 Clyde Puffer Build.
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
My latest building venture is a Clyde Puffer from Mountfleet, which I have made a start on and have managed to sort the somewhat complex problem of running the prop shaft drive around the boiler which is at the back end, with the engine positioned in the middle. As hopefully explained in the attached photographs.
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💬 Re: Dressed up no where to go
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Hi Rick, and congratulations are definitely in order as quite a feat of engineering, you designed your look-alike Borkum and fitted your own steam plant, and sorted the many problems as they arose along the way. Needless to say, I am really proud of all you have managed to accomplish over these last few years. Well done and what does the future have in store, I wonder????????
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💬 Re: Boiler #3 with servos
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
I don't think you will have a problem, as you will be carrying far more water than gas, and that small gas tank will run out long before the water does, (in theory anyway.) I have rebuilt this launch recently and am now using a gas blowlamp torch for the burner, maybe not pretty but definitely functional. Gas canister in the front and all servo's nicely hidden with wiring and pipe work under the decking. Are we complete and up and running yet?
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💬 Re: Boiler #3 with servos
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Hi Rick, hope you never need that 4th servo for the gas shut-off? I have just found even more photos of the Hackworth forward reverse servo shown in three positions, the middle position being neutral. Regards, GLC.
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💬 Re: Boiler
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Hi Rick, I found the photo enclosed which hopefully explains my solution to sorting the Forward / Reverse problem, and thought I would share this with you quite a simple solution really and works well, the positioning of the servo is a very important factor in successful operation. Regards.
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💬 Re: Boiler
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
You are ever so nearly there now, and I have every confidence in your ability, steam is all about solving the problems which arise usually one after the other. I think you have just about got it all sorted. Congratulations and well done an incredible achievement. Regards, GLC. ( Waiting for the COMPLETED photograph?????)
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💬 Re: Change
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
I should have mentioned on the TVR 1A the square rod with the grooves cut into it for the forward-reverse operation, need to be filed out leaving only the top and bottom groove for maximum speed forward and reverse, so that the piano wire can slide up and down and will stop at its top and bottom position at maximum engine revs.
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💬 Re: Change
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Hi Rick, you need a lever controlled throttle valve from Jerry, either the plain or lubricating variety. I am sending you a photo of my forward/reverse servo drive, 5mm diameter brass rod should do it with a screwed stud in one end, don't tighten this as it must be able to rotate, and the piano wire substitute needs to be a slide fit, this works really well if it is correctly positioned. I have used some rectangular alloy tube to hold the servo, hoping this helps to sort out this somewhat annoying problem. Regards, Gary
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💬 Re: Silver soldered
4 months ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Hi Rick, guess who? that is looking really good now, the boiler is spot on and should give you around 25 minutes on the water, mind gas tank looks a bit on the small side, been there and have done that and went back to gas canisters. Considering the speed that you can build these days, I reckon on that being just about complete any time soon. Regards, GLC.
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📝 Machine shop
1 year ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
I would be very interested, even bordering on extremely interested in buying your lathe, it is worth a lot more than £100, would it be possible to see a few photos in a private message? Regards, Gary.
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💬 Re: Jet powered ski boat
1 year ago by GaryLC ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
I love the video and it does prove the earth isn't flat. Regards, Gary.
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