CliShay Boiler Questions

[littleevan99]

I'm going to be getting started on building the boiler for my CliShay in a few months, and I need some help on deciding what I'm going to do for it. I'm torn between Doing it as it is presented in the plans as a watertube boiler, or as a firetube type boiler. If it were a firetube type boiler, were any drawings ever produced for the locomotive? If not, what needs to be done to design one? Also, what kind of materials are best suited for the boiler? All copper? Steel with copper flues? All steel? I've never built a boiler before, so please excuse my ignorance on the subject.

[kenrinc]

There is actually quite a lot of info about this if you search the archives. Having said that, the vast majority of builders that I've run into have built conventional firetube boilers for the Clishay. I know that Bob stood behind the original watertube boiler design evidently because it was easy to build. I don't know your background but the vast majority of builders put the boiler in the hands of a boiler maker. With my first engine, I had absolutely no interest in building a boiler. I know I can build a boiler myself but it would take me a huge investment in time, money and materials so I gave the job to someone who does it everyday. $.02

Good luck

Ken-

[steamin10]

The original watertube boiler is a bit of a pain to construct, but easy enough that a careful amateur builder can surely be a success. It steams well and has a fast fire up from cold, I am told. However, due to all the parts, it is more expensive and time consuming than a straight Vertical boiler of copper and silver solder done in the home shop. I see no reason a steel shell with rolled copper flues would not be successful even with a flat head plate.


The real deal for my mind is the switch to a steel boiler, that is all welded. This entails some skills and equipment not always accessable to the normal home guy. Hiring out is always a cost/benefit thing on the checkbook, and giving control to someone who may not know the precise needs and limits you must have.

[littleevan99]

Thanks for the input! If I had to arc weld the boiler together I already have the necessary equipment. Plus I'm taking a welding class with a teacher who would help me weld it if necessary. I'm probably going to end up doing the original boiler. I already have the plans for that and if soldering it is like household pipe, my grandfather thinks it shouldn't be a problem. The only question I still have is about if any plans were produced for a firetube boiler?

[steamin10]

Soldering it all IS like house hold pipe with one difference, you have to hold the ENTIRE shell near the temperature the silver will flow, and work a brush AND the silver as you go around the project. Once started it has to be done all in one go, or the flux and oxides will get you on the return trip. Same with any leaks when barrel tested. Reheating is to be avoided if possible, and cauing a pinhole can be done with lower % of silver leaving the rest of the joints solid.

Best bet is to create a small boiler for a table model, and get the hang of the process before committing a lot of cost and effort into the full size unit. An hour or two spent on a smaller project will be an eye opening trainer, if you haven't done much silver solder.

IMHO if you go to a steel shell, a tube and endplates can be done pretty easy with the standard dimensions of the original drawings. The firebox can be a steel ring that is an add on, and eliminate the complicated wet wall there. As such several rings can be made at the same time for spares, in the event they rust and burn out. These rings can be held to the boiler by 3 tabs that drop down and bolt to the removable firebox, for replacement.

Just some ideas tossed out. KISS rule. Make it happen for you.

[Steamrod]

I built a Clishay copper water tube boiler. It steams like crazy and makes the engine run like a fast rod engine. One fellow Live Steamer said after racing around the track ,"I have been around steam for over 70 years and I have never seen an engine run that fast!" If you follow the text in silver soldering the boiler it is challenging!!! I was about five minutes into the process, when I realized I should have not put the top and bottom on. It is very difficult to solder the tubes to the main drum with them on. The elbows on the short tube are hard as you can't see them and can't get the torch to heat the joint. With the Top and Bottom off you can see the join and put the heat from the torch to the joint . When all the tubes are soldered you can do a prehydro and find any tubes that leak. I had at least 6 of one and a half dozen of the other. Several were under the tube elbows and a real pail to try to seal. Whereas if you put plate on each end of the drum with rubber washer sealing and a one inch bolt clamping them together you could find the leaks then fix them.this will be a lot easier as you can both see the joint and apply heat to the joint! After you got all the tubes leak free,you can solder the top and bottom. That joint is out in the open. Hydro and you got your boiler. I tested mine at about 300 psi for four hours while I ran my friend 's steam engine to get further steamed on building my engine!

[littleevan99]

The running theme of the CliShay boiler is that the watertube boiler works, and it works quite well until you accidentally run out of water in it some day as you could in any boiler, and it supplies lots of steam. But it's somehow no good because it's a watertube boiler. Why's that?