The Steamboating Forum

wsmcycle wrote:"The boat was re-set up by a knowledgeable and professional steam power mechanic (Andrew VanLuenen and Ronnie Baird)." Is it possible that either of these men are on this forum or known by some members of this forum? I would like to know.

This is Ronnie Baird's web site.

Post pics of your piping and many here can help and suggest if any changes need to be made.

-Ron[/quote]
I made a drawing of the piping and learned something important. The output of the supply pump has a T which is attached to the float valve on the hot well. I had missed that and it took a few hours to understand why and how it worked.
So, if the hot well is not full,(float raised) the boiler wont fill. does that make sense? Should you start with the hot well full?

Thanks

You play with the hot well level until the boiler level is where you want it. If you want the boiler level higher in the sight glass, dump some water in the hot well. I start with the boiler where I want it and the hot well just at the closing point of the float valve.

I find that Folly's boiler level is so steady over a steaming session that I develop a small scum line on the glass. The level creeps down if I am lazy and let the safety blow quite a bit (all too often) or blow the whistle a lot (also often) or have a bunch of leaks ( hardly any these days!).

Mike
If you had told me that the other day, I would not have understood but now that I have drawn out the piping and pondered it, I get it!
You say that your safety blows often. Do you manage your pressure that way? How low is it set?

Chris
I was told the hull had come from an amusement park but i had no Idea where. As i understand it, this boat replaced the original "fearless" and took the name. But only the boiler and engine came forward. I got with the boat some interesting items that have no place on the new "Fearless" I would guess they were extraneous to the conversion. When you saw the boat, did it have a roof?


Thanks to all who have been helping me.

My safety (the boat's, not mine) blows all too often because I am so busy blowing the whistle for kids and babes of all ages that I don't pay proper attention to the power plant. So I come up to the dock with way too much wood in the fire.

Safety is set to around 135-140. Hydro tested several times each season to 225. Fired between 100 and the pop point depending on how much attention I'm paying and whether I'm showing off. By running the stack blower and keeping a full firebox I can run the engine wide open as long as I want to put up with all the thrashing around. The guy who threw this boat together used a couple of 2 x 4's for motor stringers and boy do they flex at 450-500 r.p.m.

According to the bubbly promises from the builder I should be getting five h.p. at 500 r.p.m. and 130 p.s.i. My water line varies from 19-20' at the dock to the full length of the boat (24') at full snort. This all happens at just under 7 kts. measured with a g.p.s. in flat water and no current. The stern wave looks like it's coming in for a ride.

I am much happier at under 300 r.p.m. and 4.5 kts.

When you get all of your piping sorted out and get familiar with the power plant, you will have a ball. You will even have days when nothing acts up. I know. Dream on. But it does happen.

I recall the boat did have a canopy and a quick web search found a couple of pictures that showed the boats at the park. When I first noticed the boat it was at a storage yard on Placentia Ave in Costa Mesa, CA. By the time I moved my own boat into the yard the launch was gone. I'm pretty sure the boats followed an underwater track and had no functional steering ala Disney Jungle Cruise. I don't know what they were powered with, either electric or gas engine though. A deep skeg and rudder was added to the original shallow hull. There were a couple of these hulls in the yard for a while. The original propellers were only about 8 or 10 inches.
Not the greatest pictures but you can at least get an idea.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/73 ... beafc6.jpg
http://lh3.ggpht.com/gogonotes/SNm1LtPP ... /busch.jpg
http://www.3dstereo.com/Merchant2/graph ... la_g3b.jpg

Interesting story. I like navy Ks but few around here.

I like semples too and would like more info on them. One for sale near here and I am seriously thinking of buying.

Your son should always wear long gloves and long sleeves while in the boiler engine area.

Know anything bout crosshead pumps. couldnt get mine working. and check valve plug buried behind flywheel

should be water pump is 2 foot below top of lake

anyone know why a crosshead feed pump aint moving water