Little engines 0-4-0 project

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ChooChooChris
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Re: Little engines 0-4-0 project

Post by ChooChooChris »

Builder01 wrote: Tue Oct 04, 2022 5:21 pm
ChooChooChris wrote: Tue Oct 04, 2022 4:56 pm
Bill Shields wrote: Tue Oct 04, 2022 3:22 pm an interesting order of assembly....
Can’t access the tubes to roll them from the firebox once the front is welded on to the firebox.

Note the smoke box side is not rolled in and was just for holding things in place.
What order would you do things in?
I would think that you must be able to roll a tube even when everything is welded. How else would you replace a tube some time later??
Spend big bucks on a long reach roller or modify my current one to be shorter (might be doable). Every photo I have seen of people
Building these seem to have the firebox rolled long before welding to the actual round shell. Then again build photos and discussions are hard to find.
-Chris Srch---- Home track Tradewinds and Atlantic Railroad
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Bill Shields
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Re: Little engines 0-4-0 project

Post by Bill Shields »

Like I said ..I always put the tubes in last. My gut feeling is that most tubes are put in last...but then I am a creature of tested habits.

Getting tubes out is not a problem...just cut through the shell with a band saw -> basically saw the boiler in half just in front of the firebox -> tubes and all..and you can get the tubes out...

There are tools made specifically for reaching in and cutting tubes off.

Clean up the holes, weld the shell back together and slide the new tubes in...and roll.

The alternative is to cut the fire box out... which in some cases is as much work as building a new boiler.

I have seen examples of situations where the firebox tube sheet has been cut out and a new one welded in...but you pretty much have to be Marty Knox to get that one right.

If you cannot roll from an assembled boiler you maybe are in trouble in years to come.

Most boilers with copper tubes have a long life ahead of them...but when you have worked on BIG boilers for years, the first thing you think about is -> how do I fix a leak if it happens?

Most industrial boilers or hex get retubed many times in their lives.

If your boiler will not pass a low pressure soap and air test THEN you worry about a long reach roller....
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
Marty_Knox
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Re: Little engines 0-4-0 project

Post by Marty_Knox »

Harold_V wrote: Tue Oct 04, 2022 4:25 pm
Bill Shields wrote: Tue Oct 04, 2022 3:22 pm an interesting order of assembly....
I can't help but wonder what is going to happen when the boiler is welded. Distortion way well cause some leaking of tubes.

While I've never built a boiler, I would expect that the tube sheets would be welded before the holes were sized for the tubes, to ensure a round hole. Comments?

H
I have found that the holes distort because of the welds. I drill the holes in the rear tube sheet 1/32" undersize and ream them nominally to size after the firebox is welded up. I drill the holes in the front tube sheet to size. After the tube sheet is welded in I ream them .010" oversize to make it easier to install the tubes. I have long reamers that I put through the holes in the front tube sheet to ream the holes in the rear tube sheet after all the welding is done. This cleans up any spatter that might get in the holes. Tubes seal better when the hole is really round. The surface doesn't need to be that smooth - slightly rough is better.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Little engines 0-4-0 project

Post by Bill Shields »

Gee Marty...looks like we went to different schools together
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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NP317
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Re: Little engines 0-4-0 project

Post by NP317 »

The welds on the firebox look rather "gloppy" in that photo.
'Makes me nervous not knowing if they are full penetration.
What am I actually seeing?
RussN
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Re: Little engines 0-4-0 project

Post by Marty_Knox »

Bill Shields wrote: Tue Oct 04, 2022 6:55 pm Gee Marty...looks like we went to different schools together
The School of Hard Knox?
ChooChooChris
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Re: Little engines 0-4-0 project

Post by ChooChooChris »

NP317 wrote: Tue Oct 04, 2022 7:01 pm The welds on the firebox look rather "gloppy" in that photo.
'Makes me nervous not knowing if they are full penetration.
What am I actually seeing?
RussN
You are seeing a crappy weave weld that was only used as a cap over about 5 passes of straight beads filling the bevel
-Chris Srch---- Home track Tradewinds and Atlantic Railroad
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Bill Shields
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Re: Little engines 0-4-0 project

Post by Bill Shields »

Most assuredly -> still enrolled after all these decades :mrgreen:
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
ChooChooChris
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Re: Little engines 0-4-0 project

Post by ChooChooChris »

Progress
67B79AF1-BF28-48D6-855A-595F3C4A635C_rotated.jpg
Last edited by rmac on Sat Oct 22, 2022 9:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Photo Orientation
-Chris Srch---- Home track Tradewinds and Atlantic Railroad
ChooChooChris
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Re: Little engines 0-4-0 project

Post by ChooChooChris »

Got some more work done. Some slight misalignment with the firebox due to some warping and I am dealing with that now. Just have to seal up the bottom, add the stays, roll the front tubes and I will be ready for an initial pressure test to 60 psi while I build my hand pump to take it to 300.
-Chris Srch---- Home track Tradewinds and Atlantic Railroad
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Bill Shields
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Re: Little engines 0-4-0 project

Post by Bill Shields »

Looks good...

I do typically do a quick air / soap test at 10 PSI to ensure that the rolling is correct.

If you have bubbles at that pressure -> you need to get back in and roll no matter what...
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
ChooChooChris
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Re: Little engines 0-4-0 project

Post by ChooChooChris »

Bill Shields wrote: Wed Nov 09, 2022 11:27 am Looks good...

I do typically do a quick air / soap test at 10 PSI to ensure that the rolling is correct.

If you have bubbles at that pressure -> you need to get back in and roll no matter what...
I am just going to hook directly to tap pressure and let it sit overnight and then look for any leaks. Figure if its dry at 60psi the rolls should be ok. I still got a lot of welding to do before that step and a few more trips to homedepot for cuttingwheels Those things do not last when cutting this stuff.
-Chris Srch---- Home track Tradewinds and Atlantic Railroad
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