The Steamboating Forum

After 2 expeditions WITHOUT being scalded or having to swim, it seems the boiler is a success. Wes timed it to 35psi in 13 minutes, I'm happy with that, and it makes more steam that we can use. In fact I found out that either my pressure gauge is off or my safety valve is off. We saw 210 psi while running, now I've never had the safety pop off because the old boiler was such a slow steamer, you had plenty of time to turn down the burner! So while the safety has been manually exercised I've never had it operate on it's own, will check gauge calibration first.
Also now we have superheat, I stupidly left my thermometer at home, so I don't know how much but some tape at the engine was charring. But the engine really likes that so now I HAVE to lube it, I'm using a Fat Lady but I would like to go back to a hydrostatic one. I had removed that years ago because it was hard to turn really down, kind of all or nothing, and it was in the way. Turns out the oil needle was really beat up, probably from too much tightening, but it still would hang out too far, which brings me to my question; On page 25 of the 2015 Tiny power catalog they list a vertically mounted hydrostatic luber, but it doesn't show up on the online cat. And Rappahannock Boat Works/Tiny power doesn't answer either their phone or Emails, are they still operating? And has anyone tried that lubricator or know of a similar one? Thanks Ronp

Ron,

Sounds like it went very well. I know what you mean about the hydrostatic oilers, barely cracked off seat is about right. The old directions say about 1/2 turn or something, it's way too much oil. You're probably right that the valve seats in them are damaged from over-tightening.

-Ron

When rushing to get the steamboat in the water for the final meet of 2010, I made a simple hydrostatic lubricator in about 15 minutes, and have used it every year since. It dispenses about 10cc of cylinder oil per hour, or about half that amount with some insulating foil wrapped around it.

It is made from standard copper fittings, brazed together with 1 inch copper type L tubing, 3 inches long, and 1/2 inch outside diameter outlet tube, with a standard compression fitting. I fill with a pump type oil can, and attach with the compression fitting to the top of the main steam pipe feeding the engine. After about three hours running I shut off the steam, disconnect the lubricator, dump out the condensed water, and refill with the pump oil can, and re-attach.

Crude, but it works well.

well that certainly seems simple enough, and probably fool proof, I wonder if I could make it vertical? thanks rp

It is amazing that works, the low amount of surface area in the top probably doesn't condense very much. The antique store bought versions have large bulb type condensers and even a U-loop in the line. They will collect a lot of water and displace a lot of oil is a short time and why they have to be metered. Good design Fred, I'll keep this in mind for a quickie oiler for an engine test.

-Ron

"........wonder if I could make it vertical? "

The device is vertical, just mounted on the top of the steam line. The attached pic shows actual mounting, with two horizontal leads (to left) going to individual admission valves at the top and bottom of the engine's working cylinder. My apologies for the dirty cotton/plaster steam pipe insulation.

".......Good design Fred"

Actually I just threw it together with no design effort at all. The second pic shows the steamboat just 5 days before the meet on 10 Oct 2010, which I managed to attend under steam. Notice it is an unfinished bare hull, no engine, no boiler, no steam piping, no seats, etc. I even had to weld together the trailer axle to get the boat to the meet. One busy 5 days of about 100 hours work.

"The second pic shows the steamboat just 5 days before the meet on 10 Oct 2010, which I managed to attend under steam. "

I remember it well, we were both racing to make it to steam meets.

Here was mine like two months before the meet in 2011, still had a long way to go. I started seriously collecting bits around 2005.

Lots of late nights. The only thing I'm going to change is going to a large Ofeldt boiler.

-Ron

Here's the edited video of the first outing:

Here's another homemade lubricator rescued from the scrap heap...

I see your luber and raise you one, Ha! full house. What I'd really like is one of the TINY Swift lubers, but real hard to find, it's ALL about style after all. I did buy a Lunkenheimer Banner one for a gas engine and modified it for steam use... maybe. It held pressure yesterday BUT will it lube, we shall see cheers rp