The Steamboating Forum

As a complete beginner and having recently bought a John Winn steam engine with a view to assembling a Steam Boat, I thought a good way to learn the basics of machining would be to build the hand feed-pump I require. Does anyone know of any plans that are available (Bar Stock preferred). I'm thinking about 1" bore, but could always double sizes if this wasn't large enough.

Many thanks

Simon

another way you could make a nice looking hand pump is to buy castings from
Rappahanock Boat works or Pearl Engine Company, there are others as well.

I made one last year out of bar stock, i will see if i can hunt out the drawing

Handpumps: It's been my experience that most of the handpumps available are really too small for the intended emergency service (or maybe I'm just a weakling). On the tug is a Pearl 1" bore X 2"~ stroke handpump. As a test, I tried to keep up with the boiler, I got tuckered pretty fast and I couldn't keep up with it, or maybe is was one of those instances where "I couldn't because I didn't want to". There is a bit of loss on each stroke with the opening and closing of check valves. If I was to build or buy another handpump, it would be around 2" bore and 3"~ stroke, and then have a long removable handle for leverage that can be stowed until needed. I've seen a few small steamers that operate where the handpump is the primary source of feedwater, they are large pumps to be able to keep up. I've seen these large handpumps on Ebay for sale presumably for traction engine service.

On the steamcar is a pump about the same size 1" X 2" and the boiler only holds about two gallons and it's a significant job to fill the boiler with that. Thankfully, it thermosiphons and fills the boiler at the end of each run so the pump is not really needed very often.

A note on the Pearl pump, the design calls for flax packing around the piston. a better route is just use O-rings on the piston and leave the packing out. The packing has to be very tight so the pump doesn't pull air - and results in quite a bit of friction. The O-rings are very low resistance and a much more positive seal. The Pearl is the best looking handpump available in castings that I know of.

And keep in mind I'm basing this opinion on a bit larger than normal boiler use.

-Ron

The discussion of boiler feed auxiliary hand pump capacity reminds me of an observation made under similar circumstances with respect to bilge pumps: "Never underestimate the capacity of a desperate man with a bucket!"

This month's issue (Nov-Dec vol49 no6) of Live Steam and Outdoor Railroading has plans for a hand pump. It is rather small only having a 16 mm bore x 32mm stroke, but there is an easy way to scale it up. Instead of a dimension of 16 mm, each mm is turned into a 16th, a 8th ,a 4th or even a half inch.


Frank

It depends on the size of the boiler, and the firing method, as to the size of pump needed.
We have a foot pump, but then the boiler and fire (coal) are larger than most launches.
You don't have to keep up with firing, just get enough water in to make it safe while the fire dies down.

I cant add anything in terms of plans/designs as out pump predates me and I do not have it drawn up.


Daniel

Hi

If you want to build one rather than buy, another source of inspiration is Beckmann Boatshop. Mr B sells and nice big hand pump and, in a moment when greed overcame common sense, I bought one. It really looks the part and yet is very simple as the valves are simply plumbing clack valves. The price, especially by the time you add import duty, is mind bending. The piston is a big chunk of mild steel (mistake it rusts - it should have been s/s) while the body is brass or bronze,the handle and links are cast aluminum. Its dimensions are 1.5" X 3" but I have forgotten how long the handle and link are. If you want I could probably scrabble under the cover and take the odd photo and measurement.

I too have a John Winn engine - a vee twin possibly his first (He won't tell me which year he built it!).

Hope your project goes well.

Regards


Pete

I've had very good service from a hand pump made from 1/2 brass pipe, a piece of 5/8" bronze rod w/ an o-ring groove on the end and a pipe tee and two 3/8" lift checks. This has been on Otter for perhaps 25 years...

- Bart

I second Bart's recommendations. I have built a couple of feedwater pumps with standard brass/bronze pipe fittings, 3/8 inch standard plumbing check valves, and standard "O-Rings" on a simple plunger piston. They have worked with excellent reliability for years, and very little machining is required. Look into a previous post subject; "Building Pumps" in this forum May 2015 in the "Engines and Boilers" section..