Engineering Report - December 2002
Since the last report things have moved again slowly but I can assure you very surely.
The back cabin is now 90% complete. The new scumbling looks magnificent. It is to have 3 coats of yacht varnish. It will be part of our annual maintenance programme to gently rub down with fine wire wool and apply a coat of yacht (no other) varnish. Whilst on the subject of maintenance the external paintwork will be cleaned and polished using only best quality turtle wax. All other means such as paraffin and oil, and the German polish MER are banned. This is the advice that we have been given by lan Kemp and the doyen of boat painters Phil Speight.
Moving on to the plant. The main components are now in position. I have started to fit the boiler fittings and valves. Two interesting points have arisen. As we were discussing the opening in the cabin top and lid for the safety valve lan Kemp commented that this was not historically correct. So checked with Dave Powell, and yes the photos do not show an opening at this point, but there appears to be a small lid just forward of the blast pipe. This makes sense, as the Valve springs would have penetrated the cabin top at this point.
So what to do. To start with our safety valve is modern and is much smaller than the original twin spring jobs, secondly our safety valve sits forward of the steam dome. I have therefore reduced the height of the safety valve by having the bend it sits on lowered. C.H. Thompson have done the mod's. The exhaust pipe from the valve will be modified to bend up and over the steam dome to the blast pipe. This has eliminated the need for an opening in the cabin top.
It is intended to put a mock opening with lid just forward of the blast pipe so that we are correct on appearance.
The second point is that the blow down valve we have been using is incorrect. It will be replaced by a sliding disc style valve lever operated through approximately 60° . This will be easier and more effective particularly as we will be blowing down at least every hour of steaming.
I have, after careful thought abandoned the rather attractive displacement lubricator. I concluded that I could not rely on its performance, so we have reverted to the mechanical lubricator that came with the engine, which if you recall was belt driven, with no filler lid and looked Naf!!! .
It will now be chain driven and it has been superbly restored by Brian Empsall with new filler lid and painted to match the engine. It looks a dream.
So there we are, we progress. I hope to do the first steam test of the boiler before the end of the month. Please be patient with us, will get there.
Dave
Stott
Last edited:- 06-Jun-2009