Boiler check valves
Re: Boiler check valves
What's the pricing on the ex Mercer checks and safeties?
thanks!
thanks!
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- Posts: 983
- Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
- Location: Marietta, Georgia
Re: Boiler check valves
I use PM Research valves. My arrangement is an elbow coming out of the boiler, then into a straight globe valve, and then into a straight check valve. They make great valves, but my setup is more typical of a logging locomotive than a mainline locomotive.
-Tristan
Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay
Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay
Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
Re: Boiler check valves
Ask Dave with super scale. I received 2 Hancock check valves from him about 3 months ago. Just gotta ask him.
Dave Workman
- JBodenmann
- Posts: 3856
- Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 1:37 pm
- Location: Tehachapi, California
Re: Boiler check valves
Hello My Friends
Here are a couple check valves you might like. These are very easy to machine as they have an O ring on a poppet. This design has a couple advantages. The O ring being flexible allows it to seat on a imperfectly machined surface. So machining of the valve is easy. I use a brand new two flute end mill to machine the seat as on valve #2. It is also very forgiving of contamination in the feed water, unlike a valve with a metallic poppet or ball. Check valve #1 uses a ball for the body and is 2-1/2" scale but the body can be whatever you want, a ball or cylinder like valve #2. The poppet is the same for both valves. The valve can be made of free machining brass or bronze, whatever you have laying around. I have made many over the years and they work great.
Happy Modelbuilding
Jack
Here are a couple check valves you might like. These are very easy to machine as they have an O ring on a poppet. This design has a couple advantages. The O ring being flexible allows it to seat on a imperfectly machined surface. So machining of the valve is easy. I use a brand new two flute end mill to machine the seat as on valve #2. It is also very forgiving of contamination in the feed water, unlike a valve with a metallic poppet or ball. Check valve #1 uses a ball for the body and is 2-1/2" scale but the body can be whatever you want, a ball or cylinder like valve #2. The poppet is the same for both valves. The valve can be made of free machining brass or bronze, whatever you have laying around. I have made many over the years and they work great.
Happy Modelbuilding
Jack
Re: Boiler check valves
how often do the o rings need to be replaced on an O ring check ?
- JBodenmann
- Posts: 3856
- Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 1:37 pm
- Location: Tehachapi, California
Re: Boiler check valves
Hello My Friends
The O rings usually last three or four years.
Jack
The O rings usually last three or four years.
Jack
Re: Boiler check valves
Barry of SuperScale made check valves with metal-on-metal seats.
Over the years of use I have had to periodically re-grind in the seats to stop leaks. Prototypical.
Dave S of Mercer Works made his check valves with o-ring sealing seats.
So far I've never had to service any seats, and they seem a better idea to me for our model usage.
Just my take on the subject.
RussN
Over the years of use I have had to periodically re-grind in the seats to stop leaks. Prototypical.
Dave S of Mercer Works made his check valves with o-ring sealing seats.
So far I've never had to service any seats, and they seem a better idea to me for our model usage.
Just my take on the subject.
RussN
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- Posts: 174
- Joined: Sat Jun 23, 2007 8:18 pm
- Location: Central NJ
Re: Boiler check valves
Hi Russ,
I'm curious as to your procedure for refacing the SuperScale check valve poppets. I recently used the "Timesaver" non-imbedding lapping compound (specifically made for soft metals) to lap the poppet in mine after several years of use.
Sincerely,
Adam
I'm curious as to your procedure for refacing the SuperScale check valve poppets. I recently used the "Timesaver" non-imbedding lapping compound (specifically made for soft metals) to lap the poppet in mine after several years of use.
Sincerely,
Adam
Re: Boiler check valves
As long as the valves are easy to take apart/access and the O rings are standard easy to find size, I'd much either have to replace a few O rings than re lap a valve seat
Re: Boiler check valves
My point exactly.
And I have also used Timesaver for lapping in valve surfaces that are lightly scored. And will do so again when needed.
RussN
Re: Boiler check valves
Probably because they just work.... not much to talk about. They are very simple devices.
-Frank K.
Re: Boiler check valves
Going back to the original question, just buy a PM research globe check for like $30 and be done with it, they will be super reliable, look nice, and ultimately pretty cheap. I would 100% put a valve between the check and boiler, that way if you need to service the valve under steam or it has an issue you can just shut it off.