Marty_Knox wrote: ↑Fri Dec 14, 2018 4:50 pm
If it really is iron, wouldn't be too worried about it. But as Pat said, these days the chances are it is actually steel.
As for water treatment, I wrote about water treatment in the Sept./Oct. Live Steam magazine.
Marshall Black's article on water treatment was reprinted in the same issue.
Marty,
Did you mean the Sept./Oct. 2018 issue? I didn't find anything there.
-BillF
Sorry to revive an old thread, but one more question. What is the best way to store this boiler? It's impossible to ensure the whole thing is perfectly dry for storage, so I thought maybe filling it completely with distilled water would be the best option (no air = no rust, or very little). It seems this is a form of the "wet layup" process, and I like this idea because distilled water is cheap and readily available.
I'd also considered buying a heat gun and running hot air through the boiler to try and dry it out, or even washing it out with alcohol or something.
I have been removing everything from the steam dome to access the holes there and remove the washout plugs. it all takes about 7 minutes I made up a housing to hold a computer fan. That completely dries the boiler overnight. the fancy housing is just a test piece from the scrap box.
Also try to open up and dry all your piping, injector lines, and steam cylinders. I’ve found water pockets in all these places, sometimes years after last use.
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum
Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge
Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
Glenn Brooks wrote: ↑Thu Dec 27, 2018 9:17 pm
Also try to open up and dry all your piping, injector lines, and steam cylinders. I’ve found water pockets in all these places, sometimes years after last use.
Well 'DANG' to that! The physics of mother nature are winning in all aspects - it's her desire to take everything to it's basic element. Even us.
Well; smile and be happy for a short time my good buddies.... Have grand times and keep your boiler (and powder) dry!
BC
Fred_V wrote: ↑Mon Dec 24, 2018 1:05 pm
The does dry it out but water sits there for a couple of days until it does dry out.
I had previously blown the boiler out with compressed air.
Merry Christmas, all you Live Steamers!
~RN
I jack mine up off the wheels to run the engine on air, clear the cylinders and plumbing then blow down the boiler. Here is a photo of the cylinder of an engine that was put up 25+ years ago. Yes, that is water you see.
Ouch! That's look awful!!
That's why I also run the engine on compressed air before putting it away.
And lubrication is our Friend.
After 15 years of this method: So far so good.
~RN