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The Unofficial Mamod and Other Steam Forum
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syrtismajor
Junior Member
Joined: 23 Apr 2007
Posts: 399
Location: Salisbury
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 Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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Ok,
My feelings for Sovereign can now be summed up in these following words:
GARH! FFFLIIIIAAAAAAAAAHHHHH, Mmmmmmmmmmphhhh FURtin BAASSSAAAARRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's better, I needed to get that out of my system
You know that leak I kept having trouble with? Well I went on 'leak mend' over drive. I Graphite Yarned every sliding part, I filled the rivet holes in the boiler with blind bosses so the firebox can be bolted on, I even built up the sightglass with heat proof resin. The thing should have been sealed tighter than a cold war bunker. But alas, when fire is added to the mix, she lost water and steam so quickly the boiler was dangerously low after three minutes.
THREE FREAKING MINUTES!
My plan now is to order a replacement boiler and start that bit again. The reg - lubricator - cylinder etc are all ready to be re-attached, it's literally just the boiler.
And after I had redone all the soldering!  And all that lovely paintwork and brass banding!
This learning curve is rapidly becoming a learning cliff face.
This project is temporarily on hold until I decide what to do next. If I'm rebuilding the boiler I might as well change a few bits of the design that I wasn't happy with.
And just for those who want to know (or have forgotten  ), here are her current stats:
Cylinder: 9.5mm Bore - 13mm Stroke, Double acting slide valve
Boiler: 20Psi with Double superheater, inline lubricator and regulator at rear of firebox
Firing: Meths with early 1970's burner from an SE1
Decor: A rather fetching blue and yellow ensemble
Destiny: To be booted up the blast pipe if she doesn't come together and be what her potential is
*Locks ones-self in a dark room and hums 'Sounds of Silence' by Simon and Garfunkel*
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Worrying the populace since '82' |
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IndianaRog
Steam Legend!!
Joined: 26 Dec 2006
Posts: 6327
Location: Indiana, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:12 pm Post subject: |
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Ouch....replacement boiler does sound like the best course of action now...must be leaking at the bosses, end caps or all of the above.
Patience is a virtue...but it's hard to remember that at such times.
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johnreid
Steam Supreme Being
Joined: 06 Sep 2007
Posts: 11145
Location: Friendship Indiana, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:38 pm Post subject: |
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Dang, I know how that feels. The only good thing is you now know each step and in fact it will go much easier and faster when the new boiler arrives.
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Nick
Steam Legend!!
Joined: 15 Dec 2007
Posts: 7319
Location: Minnesota, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Please don't give up as this engine has come so far already. Good luck! |
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Reid
Steam Legend!!
Joined: 27 Nov 2007
Posts: 2187
Location: Miami
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| Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:06 am Post subject: |
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It is such a beautiful thing in its present livery, even if it were to grace a shelf,
that would be a fine existence for the present model.
Looking back to page one, there was a hint, but who could know then?
| Quote: | | a 10mm wide lump of loose solder in the boiler |
It's a peril working with the unknown, abused, put-away-wet after it was run dry, engine.
Now that was the wet blanket speech.
Here is the truth: You know exactly what to do.
It won't be but a fraction of the work to date, to replace that boiler and do the necessary repaint.
This colour scheme of yours is the most handsome I've seen on any engine.
It suits a showman's engine perfectly.
I love black and brass and black and nickel, etc,
but for your engine: you have the colours.
You have the good taste, the mechanical instinct, the drive, and so
after you recoup and realize that entropy is all around us,
not just in the boiler and in the kitchen sink,
well, mate, lean to it and get her done right.
We're all pulling for you.
Remember what Edison said?
Nothing worthwhile works the first time...
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Les
Steam Supreme Being
Joined: 03 Nov 2007
Posts: 8648
Location: Bournemouth, Dorset.
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| Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:14 am Post subject: |
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Now you have come this far you have to finish it, please 
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syrtismajor
Junior Member
Joined: 23 Apr 2007
Posts: 399
Location: Salisbury
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| Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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| IndianaRog wrote: | Ouch....replacement boiler does sound like the best course of action now...must be leaking at the bosses, end caps or all of the above.
Patience is a virtue...but it's hard to remember that at such times. |
It's either that or there's a crack in the brass that only opens when there is positive pressure. It seems to be vacuum tight but fails under pressure 
| johnreid wrote: | | Dang, I know how that feels. The only good thing is you now know each step and in fact it will go much easier and faster when the new boiler arrives. |
I am taking solace in that thought. all the other parts are ready to be fixed and tested when a new boiler is ready
| ncseverson wrote: | | Please don't give up as this engine has come so far already. Good luck! |
Rest assured that I am not going to give this one up! And thanks for your wishes of luck 
| Reid wrote: | It is such a beautiful thing in its present livery, even if it were to grace a shelf,
that would be a fine existence for the present model.
Looking back to page one, there was a hint, but who could know then?
| Quote: | | a 10mm wide lump of loose solder in the boiler |
It's a peril working with the unknown, abused, put-away-wet after it was run dry, engine.
Now that was the wet blanket speech.
Here is the truth: You know exactly what to do.
It won't be but a fraction of the work to date, to replace that boiler and do the necessary repaint.
This colour scheme of yours is the most handsome I've seen on any engine.
It suits a showman's engine perfectly.
I love black and brass and black and nickel, etc,
but for your engine: you have the colours.
You have the good taste, the mechanical instinct, the drive, and so
after you recoup and realize that entropy is all around us,
not just in the boiler and in the kitchen sink,
well, mate, lean to it and get her done right.
We're all pulling for you.
Remember what Edison said?
Nothing worthwhile works the first time... |
Very well said, and thanks for the compliments, they are very much appreciated from people like you, Indiana Rog, etc as I admire the work you're doing with your own engines!
| Les Marsh wrote: | | Now you have come this far you have to finish it, please |
One day, one day 
The new boiler has been ordered, as wells as some rubber tire treads for the wheels. I've spent the past few days doing some painting on the cylinder and stuff so there'll be more blue, black and brass when you see her next. I have also planned out how I am going to do the plumbing on the next attempt for ease of possible breaking down and the initial putting together! I am very nearly at the end of the difficult part of this engine, once the mechanism works all I have left to do is the dynamo and gearing. After that it's all decoration.
As soon as that boiler is in my grasp, I know exactly what to do to it, and it shouldn't be long before the next set of vids and pics.
Watch this space!
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IndianaRog
Steam Legend!!
Joined: 26 Dec 2006
Posts: 6327
Location: Indiana, USA
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| Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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SM...we have no doubt at all that this creation will be completed and be a stunning example...boiler leak is a minor setback. You have really designed something unique and prior vids show it actually works.
Resume speed!!!!
Roger
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syrtismajor
Junior Member
Joined: 23 Apr 2007
Posts: 399
Location: Salisbury
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| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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Right!
At the STIA I bought a new boiler!
Behold!:
This was a black boiler from Forest Classics before I attacked it with Nitromors. The brass seems thicker than previous Mamod boilers, but a few things let it down such as the poorly turned bushes and the over use of solder. Also, when I shook the boiler about half a teaspoon of waste, solder and muck fell out  . Nothing seriously bad though as I'm going to re-build it anyway . Well I have actually already re-built it! I would still be working on it if it weren't for the fact that my blowtorch has just kicked the bucket. I couldn't have expected much more for £7 though. Will just have to buy another.
After learning from last time, I am now routing the steam pipe from the dome to the back of the boiler internally, so it exits at a bush on the rear of the firebox. This is to ensure that the steam remains wet for the lubricator before being superheated through the firebox. It will also make dis-assembly easier in the future if required.
Tonight I may start the paintwork again so it should be back up to running standard again without the leak this time next week, fingers crossed 
In the mean time, enjoy an example of the finished wheels complete with tyres from Forest Classics:
I can't promise anything, but it hopefully won't be too long before they'll be vids and pics on here of Sovereign chuffing away again!
But until then,
Ta-rah!
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Les
Steam Supreme Being
Joined: 03 Nov 2007
Posts: 8648
Location: Bournemouth, Dorset.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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Back on track, won't be long now.
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Les - Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternatives.
www.freewebs.com/lesmarsh |
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James
Site Admin
Joined: 26 Jun 2006
Posts: 26837
Location: Nr. Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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Holy shit
That wheel is just 
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steamyjim
Steam Legend!!
Joined: 27 Oct 2006
Posts: 5332
Location: Pensford Somerset
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| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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That wheel is great!
Sovereign remindsme of the Mc'laren showmans-The Banshee
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Mamodman123
Steam God!
Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 31850
Location: Midlands, UK
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| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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Wow that wheel looks great!
Get cracking
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You could get a nice flatbase for that
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MTA
Steam Legend!!
Joined: 26 Jun 2006
Posts: 7378
Location: West Sussex
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| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:05 pm Post subject: |
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I didn't know of the boiler failure until STIA admitedly, although recently I haven't been posting as much as I did a year or so ago...
Alun, you will have to forgive me about the comment about not making things more complicated than neccessary. Literally as soon as I said that I thought "Wait, Alun's modifying a TE1A!"
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syrtismajor
Junior Member
Joined: 23 Apr 2007
Posts: 399
Location: Salisbury
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| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:18 pm Post subject: |
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| MTA wrote: | | Alun, you will have to forgive me about the comment about not making things more complicated than neccessary. Literally as soon as I said that I thought "Wait, Alun's modifying a TE1A!" |
hahaha! Don't worry about it! I'm the first to admit that what I'm doing is slighty insane. Anyway, I'm not making the home-made slide valve engine with modified boiler, lubricator, regulator and working dynamo for a Mamod TE1a any more complicated than it needs to be
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