Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

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Soot n' Cinders
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Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

FLSTEAM wrote: Tue Oct 16, 2018 7:01 am Tristan

My injector valves are PM Globe with the threads machined off the stem. The valves are installed opposite of normal steam flow. i.e. the steam holds the valve seat closed. My first valve this way I made a new stem with no threads just in case my design didn't work. But no problem, they work great.

John
Good to know John! Ill have to order 2 more valves to modify but thats not a big deal. Sounds like its no big deal to make them push-pull and making a little actuating lever shouldnt be hard either. Will be nice to have fast acting valves since the Eccentric Engineer injectors snap to even in the lifting position.
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
rkcarguy
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Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2017 10:33 am
Location: Wa State

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by rkcarguy »

Great work, good to see it up and running, it sounds great!
Soot n' Cinders
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Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

rkcarguy wrote: Wed Oct 17, 2018 10:29 am Great work, good to see it up and running, it sounds great!
Thanks! Sounds better than I was expecting for a shay, and it'll pull the paint off the wall.

More work done today too now that things are settled back in from running last week. Got two overflow pipe adapters made for my injectors. Took a piece of 9/16" diameter brass and turned a 3/8-32 thread on the end, then drilled 1/4" all the way through the middle with 5/16" through about 3/4 of it. Then drilled a 1/16" hole at the bottom of the threads to break the vacuum and prevent the overflow from siphoning the water from the tank. Finally drilled a 4-40 hole through the main body to secure the overflow pipe that will run down below the decking, just need to figure out where to route the overflow on the engineer's side.
Also ordered two 5/16mtp straight globe valves from PM Research to make injector starting valves and a box from McMaster-Carr came bringing me some parts for the water tank as well as two nice water filters. They're much bigger than the other ones I had and should do nicely. Plus they have a clear bowl so I can see what junk is collecting in the filters.
Other big news, I ordered one of my steam siphons from Shapeways in their steel-bronze alloy. Should be here in 2.5-3 weeks if all goes well in production. If it does, I'll make them available for sale to others who want one. So fingers crossed.

The main thing Im working on now is planning out the water tank. I've priced out brass, stainless, and plain steel and found brass is way too expensive at $480 for the sheet, stainless is pricey at $200, and mild steel is reasonable at $90 for 16ga material. What Im currently thinking is a mild or galvanized steel tank with internal angle iron frame to support me and a zinc anode like you would find for a boat motor. And also drying out the tank with a hair dryer or light bulb after running to help keep rust at bay. Any thoughts?
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
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Fender
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Location: Chattanooga TN

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Fender »

What type stainless are you considering? 430 is about half the price of 304, and is sufficiently resistant to corrosion, for our purposes.
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
Berkman
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Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Berkman »

I would go stainless. Another few hundred $ now will save you in the future... A stainless tank will last your lifetime.
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NP317
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Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by NP317 »

Use stainless steel (SS) for the water tank.
My 15-year-old tender is riveted steel with a coating sealant applied.
It has developed some minor rust spots that I attend to annually to prevent spreading.
'Makes SS look like a better construction material.
~RN
rkcarguy
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Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by rkcarguy »

Because of the tariffs on steel and aluminum, we are finding stainless to be about the same price as getting steel fabricated and painted, provided the SS doesn't need tons of work or alot of welding. I would go with stainless myself.
If I was to do steel, I would build in a poly tank inside like one of the boat and RV universal grey/black water tanks, but again, by the time you buy that, buy the tank, and paint the steel, you're at the $200 or more and could have had the stainless.
Soot n' Cinders
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Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

How would y’all suggest constructing a stainless steel tank? I’m hesitant to weld it because I don’t want to warp the sheets
And what gauge do you recommend?
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
Jawn
Posts: 283
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 12:39 pm
Location: Canton, GA

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Jawn »

I have been thinking (way) ahead for my future build about stainless vs brass vs mild steel... almost want to suck it up and pay for brass. My uneducated assumption is it'll be easier to work than stainless (for a riveted tank), is that correct? Guess I'd need to learn riveting too.
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NP317
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Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by NP317 »

Soot n' Cinders wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 11:58 am How would y’all suggest constructing a stainless steel tank? I’m hesitant to weld it because I don’t want to warp the sheets
And what gauge do you recommend?
Rivets and sealant.
~RN
TenderTank#90-4 small.jpg
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Fender
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Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Fender »

Eighteen or 20-gauge is plenty thick. Loctite makes a “wicking” product (290) that will flow into a rivetted joint via capillary action. I would use copper rivets (not s.s.).
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
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FLSTEAM
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Location: Central Florida

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by FLSTEAM »

Ten years later my steel riveted tank with a hand laid fiberglass liner is showing no signs of rust or leaks. If I were to build it again I would do the same thing but I would make feed thru bushings with a compression nut that would squeeze a rubber gasket against the fiberglass. That would allow you cut the holes before or after the make the liner.

john b
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