New Arrival at the Water Closet of Steam!!

johnreid · New Arrival at the Water Closet of Steam!!

UPS just left Woo Hoo they left a carton!

Be back in a minute, I have to find my box cutter

Nick

Can't wait John.

I just got an engine today too.

johnreid

Found the box cutter

Sorry, I just hate those Styrofoam Peanuts, these are extra staticy, plus Cats love to chase them as they fly from the box,
Wonder whats in there?

johnreid

TaaDaa!
Here it is

Nick

Looks great John!

Now go steam it.

Andy

It not fair you lot all getting new toys

johnreid

Now for better lighting

Parts came today too, I hope I got the right ones

The Plywood is chipped, but the Auctions said it was

I will check it out first, the spring on the safety valve is gone, I did not order any replacements, it isnt one that has the threads, I have valves on other engines that I can use for a while. The cord is one of the rubber type ones and is badly cracked, and it needs a whole new set of gaskets. So, I think it will be a while before I run it. I will check the heater for function, then go right into the restoration, still unsure about replacing the plywood.

The firebox really isnt all that bad, so I do not think I will need to strip it, just a sand and paint job. The Boiler straps are not shiny but look like they were not Nickel plated in the first place, wonder if they are correct? they do not seem to be corroded, I will see what they look like underneath. All in all not that bad looking condition wise. I bet this one will be up and running Sunday if I get to work on the paint today.

Les Marsh

That looks really good John, looking forward to it's restoration.

James

Bugger me John, that's great! Well done

MooseMan

Can't beat those cast iron flywheels!

johnreid

The paint is drying on the firebox as I type this, there is a lot of corrosion on the boiler, but I bet it should hold pressure. the only gaskets on it appear to be made of melted rubber excepting a brand new one under the Steam Dome. Oddly I see no pulley other than the one that is cast with the flywheel. I do not know if there is supposed to be another or not.
The heater heats up just fine and the paint on the Firebox wasnt that bad, all I had to do was sand it lightly before painting. I believe that the paint should not be exposed to heat till Sunday night, so I do not plan on a Steam up till Monday. By Sunday the paint should be dry enough to handle and I will reassemble the engine that afternoon.
Some day in the future I will try to find a replacement boiler, but till then it will be just fine, some wear and tear makes it look like it isnt brand new, as it is a product of the late 1940s.
I am sure that it will become one of my favorites.
I am taking pictures of most of the steps, does anyone want me to post them?

Les Marsh

kusuchi

johnreid

Well, dont say I didnt warn you. One thing that I have to admit to is that I get carried away and forget to photograph some steps, for that I apologize

I first checked the heater with an OHM meter for shorts to the engine. I them plugged it in and it instantly heated up, I unplugged instantly as it is no use to burn myself,

Next I took the screws from the wooden base and stripped the boiler of the Whistle and Safety Valve

Then the Steam Dome is removed

I then can lift the Firebox from the base and the lower pieces of asbestos are accessed.

Next the rivets are drilled out from the sides of the Firebox

That enables the shel and upper asbestos sheets to be removed

I next removed the Heyco fastener so I can remove the Chimney base from the cord.

One can remove them and reuse them, it takes some carful use of pliers to compress the Heyco.

Next I drilled out the rivets that hold the Boiler Straps on.

I then unscrewed the heater retaining screws and removed the heater

At that point I took all of the loose parts and put them in a vinegar bath, and then sanded the Firebox and Chimney base, painted them and left them to dry.

While the paint is drying I will polish the boiler and organize my thoughts on how to complete this without buying any more parts. Parts bought? A Chimney and some eyelet rivets.

I will take some more pictures Sunday when I reassemble it.

pauly

careful what you are doing with that asbestos mate.

Mamodman123

johnreid

THE Steam dome is attached via a hollow steam screw. The screw is hollow and has some holes in the sides to allow steam to pass from the Boiler to the Steam line. This takes two gaskets and works quite well, as of a fact new Jensens still use the same set up, why change a good thing.

Asbestos in the sheet form is harmless, it is the dust that is harmful. You will inhale more Asbestos dust changing a flat tire than you would working on an older Jensen.

Breathing Meths and Esbit fumes is far more harmful than that. The most harmful thing I did today was when I spray painted and unintentionally inhaled Acetone paint thinner from the spray paint in the air.

kusuchi

johnreid

The Rivets get peened, and yes not only do I have some on hand, but I ordered some when I knew the engine was coming.

I guess that gloss black paint is gloss black paint whereas a lithographed antique tin toy is another animal. Again though, Roger restores to new, I restore to well cared fro condition. I do like mine to look like they are not brand new.

The hollow steam screw on the tube type sightglass is the exact same part.

One can see how I do te rivets on my Jensen Project 35 page, or stay tuned as on Sunday I will take some more pictures.

I believe that the cord is original on my other Cast Base 25 and it shows no cracks or fatigue, it is about 6 years newer too though.

Stitch

John, your collection is growing and growing

All the best with the restoration. I am sure you will have it up and running soon.

steamyman

looks good John, bet you can't wait to steam it.

Les Marsh

That's exactly what we need, a step by step guide of how to strip a Jensen.

Thankyou.

johnreid

TA

I have done this before with my 35
http://www.freewebs.com/johnreid/jensenproject35.htm
Start to finish complete with a video at the bottom of the page.

The boiler on this one is really corroded. I am now wondering if maybe this particular engine wasnt a collection of left over parts that someone had after fixong up a bunch of older Jensens. No big deal though, as long as I can get it to operate well, I will be happy. However I will be on the lookout for a replacement tube sightglass Boiler

oldstuff

That's coming along well, John. Look forward to it running.

johnreid

I have to admit that the photos stopped as I didnt want to go out and buy new batteries. I was installing the sightglass and quickly realized that the bottom sightglass thread is stripped out, all I could do is spin the steam screw but not purchase any threads

Dont ask me why, but I decided to try it without the guard, and now have enough thread to tighten it down snugly. Literally hanging on by a thread. But as long as it will tighten enough to be steam tight, that is all that matters.
The handles were both stripped out and had to be replaced, I made new ones from a dowel.
I will post some pictures Monday.
I do think that this one needs to be steamed before I spend money on a Safety Valve as if the Boiler is stripped out, I might find a new Safety Valve when I find a replacement boiler, but lets hope it holds pressure without any leaks, wont know till Monday when the paint is cured enough to heat it up.

madeinenglang

I agree with mm asbestos is safe just not long time holding or braking it or smashing it I use to work in a factory that used to make washer and gasket and yes it was asbestos

johnreid

I assembled it this morning, put water in the boiler and plugged it in. It was heating just fine, making the normal warming up noises when all of the sudden sparks flew, the heating element is shot

I need to decide how to go about finishing this, do I wait till I can find a replacement boiler or do I just go ahead and buy a heating element. I will probably order a new heating element on Monday, and a Safety Valve, but was hoping that I would luck out on this one. As the saying goes, you win some, you lose some.

Les Marsh

Thats not good news at all.
Are elements expensive??

johnreid

I can get one for $35 and I do need a Safety Valve so I guess that i will end up spending about $50 on it but once done it should be worth it, I didnt save any by getting it at a reasonable price though and the Boiler is kind of poor looking for the total investment. That is the risk one takes when buying on Ebay. If I had found one for sale through a Dealer it would have cost more.

made-in-england

If your concerend about the asbestos out of your boiler we had all three boilers stripped to rid of it.. Think it was about 5 tones im told ?!?!

johnreid

Seriously, there isnt a problem, I could replace it with something else for a small amount of money but do not know if it would improve it. The Asbestos is not dusting and as long as it is in good condition and is in a location where it isnt going to be inhaled, I really do not see any reason to dispose of it.
In fact, it is better where it is than stuck away in a landfill someplace.

kusuchi

Sorry to hear about the heating element, John.

This one doesn't seem to working out so well and it looked so promising at the beginning.

johnreid

Good fortune is often followed by a bit of the bad, but before the element went, I did get a bit of good news and ordered a new addition to be added to the Water Closet of Steam. My first Vertical no less! So, I might have to wait till June to order the heater, and in the mean time I will be on the lookout for a replacement boiler, if anyone knows of a CHEAP tube sightglass type boiler let me know ( is there such a thing?

)
I might hook the engine up to my 70 boiler just to see how it works. The plywood base on my 70 has a flaw that just keeps gnawing at me every time I see it, so I might fashion a new base for ir and test the non reversing 25 engine with that boiler.

Nick

Since it's not a very rare engine John, strap a newer porthole boiler on there.

It would be much easier to monitor the water level.

You could probably find a complete engine off ebay to steal the boiler from and sell the parts on here.

Cedge

John
Something you might want to try before giving up on that boiler. I had pretty good luck with taking a new hollow screw and letting the nice sharp threads re-cut the ones that are stripped. I even cut a relief in one, similar to a thread tap, that I used until I found a real tap in the proper size.

Steve

johnreid

By removing the guard I purchased enough thread to get that part to work. The oly reason I would replace the boiler is the corrosion but can live with it as is. I dont see that many Non Reversing 25s on the Bay of E so I dont want to fit it with a round sightglass. I see reversing 25s with the round sightglass, but since my reversing 25 is in such good condition I will not mess with it. I dont have a lot of money so instead of amassing a large quantity of engines I am trying to end up with a few that are in really good condition, not one that has been mucked up just to get it going.
For now the heater and Safety Valve are the main stumbling blocks.

johnreid

I ran the engine using the boiler on my Jensen 70 and this thing runs like a scalded dog, I think it has higher RPMs than my reversing cast base 25. I think this one is worthy of getting a new heater for.
The Valve rod was in backwards, the notch was away from the cylinder so it took a while before I thought to check and then like I said it runs like a charm. Plus, that Flywheel is one of the heaviest I have come across.
A question for the Jensen experts, I notice that this one does not have a long enough crankshaft for one to mount a pulley on it. I notice that one some of the older Jensens that was the case, when did the lengthen the shaft to mount an external pulley?
I think that this is an actual non reversing 25 and not one that the Stephenson gear has been removed from. So I can also assume that it is from the late 1940s?
I am looking forward to getting it running on its own, a new heater will be ordered tomorrow, today must have been Doritas day off.

johnreid

Well, I got the new heater and installed every thing, filled it with water and listened as the water heated, the POP the hollow steam screw on the sightglass blew off, the glass tube, new, broke at that time too. I guess this one will need a boiler. I am really disappointed as it ran so well withe the boiler from my 70, but I have my heart set on a tube type sightglass for my non reversing 25. So far, with the parts and all, this is the most expensive one I have now and still isnt up to running condition.
Well, Jenny Wrens and SE3s have emptied the coffers so this one goes on the shelf for some day when I can find a boiler. Its pretty looking so I guess it is a display model.

IndianaRog

John,

I have found a simple way to fix external sight glass Jensen boilers with stripped out boiler holes. I scribe around the sight glass block with a fine sharpie marker and rough that surface up with a Dremel, careful to stay within the scribe marks.

I then take a piece of brass plate, drill a hole and tap to the proper Jensen thread. I then measure and mark this plate using a sight glass block so that the newly cut hole lines up perfectly with the sight glass block. Lastly I cut the rectangle to match the sight glass block using a Dremel cutting wheel. Clean up the piece roughening the back side.

OFF the engine I tin the back side of the brass plate with solder, including the edges...flux it well and lay it on the exact spot where it will line up with the existing stripped out hole. Then I gingerly heat the brass plate in place with a torch til the tinned solder layer liquifies and bonds to the boiler face.

Voila

There is now a solid brass surface for the steam screw to "bite" and the sight glass block covers it perfectly if you were careful with tracing and cutting. Having tinned the edges of the brass plate, it blends in perfectly with the nickeled sight glass block for a virtually transparent repair.

Things will line up a bit better if BOTH holes are done this same way, but I have done a single one and gotten OK results. Gasket as you would normally do and you are in business.

Rog

johnreid

I will be on the hunt for some brass plate ( how thick is too thick? and a tap ) This one has been a disappointment from the get go, but still shows so much potential.

IndianaRog

John, see my PM.

johnreid

Rogers repair seems to have worked like a charm, but once one problem is fixed, another shows up, this boiler leaks all around the endcap except for two small areas where Rogers repair actually sealed the endcap at their locations too. I had noticed that the nickel plating was gone around teh edge of the endcap and now wonder if the previous owner had not tried to remove the endcap in an attempt to repair the stripped sightglass.
I plan on trying to lay a bead of solder around the seam, but to be honest my expectations are low. I think this one is making up for all of the bargains I got in the past.
A replacement boiler will be high on my want list now.

IndianaRog

John, there is a paste form of solder I have seen at the hardware store. No personal experience with it, but perhaps it would lend itself to coating that seam and then hitting gingerly with a torch.

I know from trying to solder seams, they have to be very clean and well fluxed or you get perpetual gaps that keep forming.

Very frustrating indeed!

johnreid

I have been fighting it this morning while I wait for the Furnace people to show up and I think it is futile. Will research the paste though, where I used to work they used that for parts that were baked in a high temp oven to solder circuit boards.

IndianaRog

John, maybe if your home oven is in the temp range for melting the stuff, you could remove sight glasses, whistle, SV etc. and place the boiler upright in the oven after a liberal coat of solder paste around the seam...buff off excess if that melts. If it doesn't melt it is at least no worse for the wear.

johnreid

I got the seam around the end cap sealed and now steam sprays from several pinholes on the face of the boiler. I really was at the limit of my patience. When I replaced the Firebox on the original plywood I discovered a bad split that was in fact clear through, the plywood was shot, I did have a 1 X 12 scrap in the garage so I stained and varnished it. I think it turned out looking real nice. But there I was a nice engine and no boiler.

Then two engines arrived today, a Jensen 60 ( a wee little thing ) and a Meths fired Jensen 75. Here the problem lies, I dont have the burner for the 75, but it has the prettiest boiler I ever saw sitting on top of it.

THis led to some serious head scratching, I am sure you know what I was thinking. Do I take that boiler and put it on a nicely restored Non Reversing 25 or do I wait and fashion a burner for the 75. I imagine the cartoons where a guy has a devil on one shoulder and AN angel on the other. Do I or dont I, restored engine with a brand new heater, or a not so common Meths fired 75. Hmmmmmm What do I do. One engine ends up getting used and the other is a display piece. One had a very heavy Cast Iron Flywheel and the other is a more modern looking Flywheel attached to an Oscillator.

WHAT DO I DO? It is so tormenting.

One I can play with tonight or one I will have to wait till I fashion a burner for before I can use it. Now or wait?

Wait a minute, I dont want to wait do I ? Instant gratification is the goal isnt it? It might take me weeks to fashion a burner. I can run the 25 tonight!

I carefully removed the boiler from the 75 and spent the better part of an hour scrubbing off soot and them polishing it, a good clean surface to contact the heater would be more than desirable. With a little finesse I managed to remove the old boiler from the 25 without rivet removal, it is tricky if you do not want to scratch the boiler but there is a trick that I discovered by accident with my Jensen 70.

I then very carefully installed the boiler from the 75 into the Firebox of the 25, 10 minutes later it was running like a brand new one. I ran it fast, I ran it slow using the regulator to control speed as I did not use the Variac this time. I then ran it fast for 5 minutes and then unplugged the cord from the wall and let it run till it stopped. Over 4 minute later it finally came to rest.

By far the best performing engine I own, I do not regret the decision I made. Photos tomorrow I hope.

The leaky boiler will serve as a display boiler on the 75 till I find a suitable replacement boiler.

IndianaRog

John, that read like a confession!!!! You are now absolved of your sin and in my opinion made a very right decision.

The meths burning 75 is a unique and somewhat rare engine, but the non-reversing, cast iron electric 25 is simply a lot more of the good stuff we love.

Glad the changeout worked. I think I know your tip for getting the boiler out from under the boiler straps without rivet removal, it takes care to avoid scratching the boiler, but I found grease on the boiler surface takes care of that, though I usually drill out rivets anyhow to give the firebox a complete refinishing.

I believe you are having fun with that 25...YES, pictures are mandatory and no later than tomorrow...that is an order!

Rog

johnreid

Normally I would drill or snip the rivets, a pair of miniature diagonal cutters cuts the heads off of the rivets without a chance of an errant drill bit going somewhere unmentionable and avoids my saying words that even the Cat doesnt like. However I have replaced the rivets on that particular 25 at least 5 times in the past week or so, I just did not want to do it again. I will clean the Firebox on the 75 next week and have it all ready for a new boiler, till then I will use screws and nuts to retain the boiler straps as not to waste the rivets. I have quite a few on hand, but why waste them.

Les Marsh

I am glad my PM helped with your decision.

When thinking about it why have two engines sitting there that you cannot use, it made sense to get one working engine out of the pair and then wait to get a replacement boiler.

johnreid

Not the best photo, my truck isnt available at the moment and I usually photograph my engines on the bed cover. Plus it is just too danged hot outside so I did a photo by the window to at least show what it turned out like

Better photos next week.

IndianaRog

Looks great to me John.

Nick

That looks much better.

I know I asked when you bought it, but I'm not sure if it was answered. Is the steam
dome taller than the one on your 25 from Roger?

TRAPPERKEEPER

Looks great John, a fine Jensen

kusuchi

Looks really great. Thumbs up!

johnreid

I dont believe that the Steam Dome is taller than the other Cast 25, it looks like it might be taller than my Hobby Grade 25 and 70. However I have not measured them.

The picture doesnt do it justice, but for the time being, that is what I have. Better pictures next week.

IndianaRog

The early steam domes WERE taller than modern ones...just looked over mine and earliest were tallest, maybe 1/3 taller than modern.
Also early ones were sort of cone like at the top, modern pretty flat.

Nick

IndianaRog

Hard to tell Nick...Jensen was famous for never wasting parts. He would make up whistles or steam regulators with either black (early) or red (later)...sometimes engines would go out with a black steam valve handle and red whistle handle...waste not, want not.

So, it makes dating difficult sometimes...Johns could be older or could bear a use it up part that makes it appear older. We'll likely never know.

steamyman

nice pic John, of your old Jensen.

Wallace

Very neat looking engine John

Les Marsh

That looks very nice indeed John.

seven.mpd

Nice one

johnreid

Here is a better picture

It runs sooooo smoothly

johnreid

This one arrived a few weeks ago, but the boiler was sacrificed for the non-reversing 25 I was fortunate enough to win another Boiler on an Ebay auction and it arrived today. I ran this using the burner from my Luton Bowman PW203 and to be honest I think it was too much burner, the next time I run this I will try the burner from my M135.

Here it is with a working boiler, my Alcohol Fired Jensen 75

A few of these were made as an experiment to see if Jensen could market an Alcohol fired engine, the Alcohol 75 borrowed the engine from the 70. Today the model number lives on with the Jensen 75 being the Esbit fired counterpart to the 25.

toxx

... gosh, how I missed this!
John, what a terrific job you've done! And as Reid once quoted Lennon: There are no problems - only solutions!

Les Marsh

johnreid

No video at the moment, I did run it and it runs like a Jensen 70, however I am in a bit of a mess right now, I misplaced something and am going nuts trying to find it.