Hi PD's.... ..... ...me try & upset you RGY?.....never  ......Derek

I looked at the first can, the second is better. Unfortunately I am very upset. I am an idiot!!!!   :sobbingThe bush in the end of boiler was not threaded straight so I decided to drill it out and re tap, to a larger size. I only drilled into the fire tube !!!! GEOFF

Hi PD's....  & RGY says.... "I am very upset. I am an idiot"    

Take stock young man.......it was only last week that your grandchild very proudly  said ....

"tells anyone who has anything broken..... my grandad can mend it"  

So thinking as you repair this latest calamity    ...how proud you must be with all those little darling grandchildren  under your toes in the workshop.....Derek 

I have a plan.    Geoff

Quote from: R.G.Y. on June 24, 2012, 08:52:37 PM
I looked at the first can, the second is better. Unfortunately I am very upset. I am an idiot!!!!    The bush in the end of boiler was not threaded straight so I decided to drill it out and re tap, to a larger size. I only drilled into the fire tube !!!! GEOFF

What did you say when you realized what you had done? Is it repairable?
I trained my self when my children were young not to swear, my kids wanted Dang, sugar and opes added to the swear jar list.
Regards,
Gerald.

I said O BOTHER.But the man who never made a mistake made nothing. My father always said any man can make a mistake, but it takes a good one to get over it. Geoff

My grandson said if my grandad can't mend it no one will when he's finished with it.     Started on the plan to repair the boiler.  P1. Cut a plate to fit around the fire tube where it enters the flange plate. Marked its perimeter then cut inside the marks, using a 1" circular saw in a Dremel.  Then cut off the fire tube at its exit flush with the top of the boiler. P2.  Then drilled it out with a cone drill. P3. Removed the tube showing the hole. I had pined the elbow joint by inserting cross tubes. having drilled these out I still couldn't get them apart, although the solder ran. So a new fire tube it will have to be. Geoff

This is just a dry run. Nothing has been soldered yet. I have to scrounge some more silver solder from my son.    I flare the ends of the cross tubes by holeding a center punch in the vice, then knock another into the other end. Geoff

Fingers and eyes crossed for you!! Keep the faith

Thanks mo (greg).   I'm not worried now I have the old tube out, only a little soldering and back in business.  .
I have also fitted the steam pipe and pressure gauge. Had trouble with the gauge as it was meant for a Cheddar plant the thread was a strange one. In the end I had to re thread with a smaller one.  Geoff

Hi Geoff,
Did you have any luck getting some solder from your son?
I was running low on solder and have a boiler or two to work on so I went in the the welding supply to pick up some more, I got an unpleasant surprise when it came to pay. Last time I had picked some up it had cost around $20 this time for 30g it was $55.60. I wonder if I could melt down some of the silverware around the house without the wife noticing?
Regards,
Gerald.

Yes Gerald I have the solder and the fire tube is in the citric acid. I may post a photo of my stock now and make you very jealous. Geoff

Hi PD's.....RGY  ......what Gerald is forgetting is EPNS is only a few microns thick....so it would take four thousand & 24 pieces of cutlery to get a few grams of silver for the silver solder  ...& by then his wife would surely notice their disappearance......

You are doing a good job....just carry on please........ Derek ......

Its not what you know its who you know, Gerald.  Not all silver some sifbronze, but the price is right £00-00 Geoff.

Made the separator (oil trap). Searching through my rubbish (H.W.M.B.'s word) for my stock of bits & pieces. I found an old drill case, Dremel type but must have been 60 years old. Consisting of a aluminium tube 1.5" diameter & 2.75 long. Cutting out 2 discs from sheet ali, just to big to fit into the tube. Placing them on the tube I beat them down until a tight fit. Putting convex at the top & concave at the bottom. Drilled holes for tubes then used liquid steel epoxy to stick it all together. For people who don't know steam, the entrance & exit tubes only enter the top by .25". The other tube goes to the bottom and is normally capped off. To empty the liquid after use shut the exit tube and uncap the long tube and steam pressure forces the residue out. Geoff