Drilling through boiler tube

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jeffsmith
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Drilling through boiler tube

Post by jeffsmith »

I need to drill into the boiler tube to mount various items and would like to know if it would OK to drill through holes and lock-tite stainless steel studs in? Thanks for your advice.
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Re: Drilling through boiler tube

Post by Jerry_H »

Not threaded??
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cbrew
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Re: Drilling through boiler tube

Post by cbrew »

drill and tap, then use loctite to seal, i am not sure i would use stainless tho.
I have always used grade 8 steel cap screws with the heads cut off, some of them have been in
place for the last 18 years
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jeffsmith
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Re: Drilling through boiler tube

Post by jeffsmith »

What would be the objection of using stainless steel studs?
Marty_Knox
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Re: Drilling through boiler tube

Post by Marty_Knox »

jeffsmith wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 7:30 pm What would be the objection of using stainless steel studs?
Carbon steel in contact with stainless steel corrodes very quickly in a boiler.
jeffsmith
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Re: Drilling through boiler tube

Post by jeffsmith »

Would zinc plated screws be better. I am using 5-40 UNC screws.
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Greg_Lewis
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Re: Drilling through boiler tube

Post by Greg_Lewis »

Just throwing out an idea: weld tabs onto the boiler and drill and tap them. Thus the boiler remains intact. If the tabs are low profile they'll be hidden under the boiler lagging. That's what I've done with success. A 5-40 tap or screw breaking off in a boiler shell does not sound like fun.
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NP317
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Re: Drilling through boiler tube

Post by NP317 »

As Greg Lewis suggested, I tack welded metal tabs onto the boiler shell that were drilled and tapped for handrails, and more.
Tabs also provide side support for the domes.
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Harold_V
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Re: Drilling through boiler tube

Post by Harold_V »

jeffsmith wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:19 pm Would zinc plated screws be better. I am using 5-40 UNC screws.
Keeping in mind I am not a boiler maker, I'd suggest that zinc isn't any help. The pH of the boiler water is sure to dissolve the zinc quickly, but on the positive side, if the pH is high enough, that, alone, protects the boiler from corrosion.

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jeffsmith
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Re: Drilling through boiler tube

Post by jeffsmith »

Would brass studs be OK on boiler attachments?
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Bill Shields
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Re: Drilling through boiler tube

Post by Bill Shields »

No brass either as it is an alloy...look up what is in brass.

Stay with carbon steel.

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