Your ease of building your own brass couplings has me very inspired. I hate going to the store to scrounge around the brass fittings and spend half my time restocking parts that have been mis-shelved to only discover the part I need isn't there. I've done this routine WAY too many times. Then the off time you do find the right fitting, I'm always shocked at the price for some reason. The idea of just knocking out any given brass fitting needed is honestly kind of intoxicating. Thx for the inspiration.
I looked up the difference between Loctite 545 and 569, and 545 lubricates well, allowing for removal of your parts or aiding with fine threads, while 569 is high strength and cures, allowing for extra security against shock and vibration.
Excellent explanation of the hydrostatic test rationale. I’m in the pipeline business and our test segments can sometimes be 50 miles of 42” pipe and when we get 340,000 gallons up to test pressure(2,000psi) we go looking for a leak if we have to keep adding those little pump strokes. 😀
To Quin, you might find that one of those thread sealants is specked for brass and one for steel, as the metal acts as the catalyst for annerobic thread sealants the quality and curing of the final seal is strongly effected by the metal that there used on, brass normal requires a different one due to steel because of its much greater catalytic activity in such an application, some relatively inert metals also require an activator on the thread (think stainless steel and such) to cure inside of a human life time. For there heat life and other such technical specifications Henkel (locktites parent group) have all the graphs on there website.
I'm an "old" hvac guy. Great channel, good joking around with good info. Subscribed !! Two things engineers cant duplicate without spending lots of "other" peoples money: steam power and asbestos. Nothing compares when utilized correctly :)
Hello from Melbourne Australia. I've been making steam engines for many years but I was never game to build a boiler as the idea of pumping it up with the compressor to see if it goes bang filled me with dread. I now understand the water pressure method after watching your video and am inspired to have a crack at it. Thanks! I'd be really keen to see a series on building your second boiler (and I reckon your first one was a pretty good effort too :) Look after yourself and stay safe. Alan
Hi Quinn your videos are the best because you include all of your mistakes which I think is important for the audience you are aiming for. Your honesty is one of your many assets. You probably already know this so just ignore this if so and please don’t take offense because none is intended. I am a Brit and we use a pipe thread called BSP it stands for British standard pipe and is produced on a flat, parallel shank. NTP I believe is a Japanese standard thread (not 100 % sure on that point) and is I also believe the same TPI in many of the sizes but produced as you say on a taper shank. Some people not knowing this mix these fittings and it doesn’t always end well. The point I am making is that I prefer the BSP fittings for my steam models that I have built over the years. A nice video as always thank you.
Hydro-static examination, AKA a squeeze. You should also check the blowdown of the safety valve by dropping the pressure slowly and noting what pressure it re-seats at.
Quinn, I hope you don,t mind me calling my friend, I,m English and am a semi- retired mechanic who has always used lathes as part of the job. However, now I have more time to spare I started watching your vids. You are an inspiration, I,ve learnt so much and your humility is amazing, thank you, love, Trev.
Oh I think I know what's next! Interesting procedure. I have a friend who is basically a steam engineer and at the museum where he works they've been restoring the steam tug Hercules bit by bit so I've watched footage of the Coast Guard safety valve test as well as the hydrostatic. Takes days to do those tests on something that big and a lot more safety procedures. But it passed, she's almost ready to steam on the Bay again.
If you turn it too small a fist shake will not fix it. Just turn it to a bigger dimension with the increase diameter tool. Or run the lathe backward and unturn it. Design of the boiler is genius, if you forget to add water the heating element will just burn out and then the system shuts down. Very little chance of an explosion do too low water. Still can explode from over pressure so you still have to hydro and have a relief valve. Great for running indoors where exhaust is a problem.
Not that I would make or test my own boilers but your channel is entertaining,interesting and the added humor is what keeps me coming back. You got skills girl.
I’ve tested many pressure vessels in my life. Air receivers mostly. I used to fill them with water completely then use a grease gun to provide the pressure. Worked out quite well. A hand operated grease gun can develop 3000 PSIG. Love your stuff. Really enjoyed your steam engine build. I made a little wobbler a few years ago. A Mr. Pete design.
Quinn, I had occasion to pressure test a 6ft. dia. x 20 ft. long autoclave and your description of the process was nearly identical. We used a pressure washer to generate the 200 psi required. The test went fine until the door seal popped out and dumped the 3 or 4 thousand gallons of water on the floor. No problem because there was a lot of available space and adequate floor drains. The state inspector was satisfied and we operated the autoclave for several years using steam for vulcanizing conveyor pulley rubber outside linings.
The best explanation regarding pressurized fluid vs gas or air is that air acts like a spring and it will continue to expel it's energy until it reaches atmospheric pressure. A hydraulic hose with 2000 psi will leave a mess on the floor if it ruptures, a pressure vessel with 2000 psi will leave pieces of you on the floor.
On the power utility boiler i operate there are 3 safety valves. During safety testing we gag 2 of the 3 safety's and fire the unit at full load raising the steam pressure untill the safety valve lifts. Although there are 3 each valve is rated for a full steam flow over pressure situation. And when they pop, even when your expecting it, it's still a brown trousers moment lol. PS we hydro test to 3000psi but use exactly the same process you used.
OMG - more sexual innuendo than Keith Appleton! That can't be good! No hedghog joke after the brass oops? Just kidding BTW. Amusing video all as always.
I used to assemble pressure pots and we had to test to the release of the safety valve. I think it took me a month of doing that up to 20 times a day to get used to it.
Having tested the full size ones for part of my working life, and had a father who completed the boiler for a 5" gauge loco, I commend your thorough and entertaining treatise. It was only because I had recently completed said function that I survived your opening! 😉
I am impressed with your skills. I am not a machinist (general maint. tech who works on boilers). Your small boiler build was really impressive along with your machinist abilities. (just threading a hole in a piece of metal is an achievement for me). Again, really nice job on the build.
Hey Quinn, I’d like to mention a way to touch up solder that I was proud to learn. I used to touch the solder with the torch flame quickly then wipe it away with a dry cloth. This could be done even after the solder joint was made. My boss won awards for boilers, he finished them by wiping with alcohol and using spray can lacquer over the pipes and joints to keep the new look. Don’t know if this is something that can be helpful, but I’m happy to try and help your progress (even if it is from the comment section). Good work, neat stuff, thanks for sharing your videos
Ryan, My dad was a plumber as was his dad. When I was a kid my dad showed me how to solder. He had a dedicated "wiping cloth" that he used when he wanted an especially neat joint. I remember it being several layers of cloth sewn together and maybe about 3 inches square (75 mm). I'm not sure what kind of cloth it was made of, but I don't think it was fire proof. He just used it quickly and it didn't ignite. I don't think I have remembered that in more than 50 years. Thanks for reminding me.
It's nice how these things line up, also temporally: 6 pm you publish your video, then I got half an hour to think about what I just watched, and then I can watch a new Blondihacks video.
It took me a while to learn silver soldering so I don't think your first efforts are an issue. Thanks to TH-cam contributors like you I can now silver solder with confidence. The boiler you have produced is similar to the marine boiler I use on my 5" gauge locomotive where the heat source can be quickly removed in an emergency!
"you'll know you're doing it right if the hose gets rigid..." that's what grand-pappy always used to tell my little confused face. Also, "driving colors;" I like that one!
Nice video, I designed a few valves for Campbell Hausfeld (air compressor company) in my twenties. You can add an extra layer of safety by using a Temperature and pressure safety relief. The relief you are using looks like a typical air compressor relief value. I am not sure about the long term temperature rating on those. If I remember correctly there was once an issue with the brass/copper combination on certain relief valves when use in a boiler vs air compressor. The problem was the rate brass and copper dissipate heat is different and the differences in expansion caused work hardening of the brace which would result in it cracking. The crack would interfere with the valve moving freely and cause over pressure. The problem was solved by increasing the wall thickness of pressure valves used for boilers. This is likley outdate info now. All pressure valves maybe interchangeable but I could be useful information for someone. -David
Another excellent video. I liked watching this one, as is the tradition even though I very likely will never have a steam boiler to test because I very likely will never have a steam boiler. Having said that, I’d watch a video of you tying your shoes if it was presented in your typical style. We all love your witty sense of Yuma. 😎👍👀
Scotchbrite and pliers? BARBARIAN!! Imminently practical and perfectly functional as well as expedient as all get-out. But...BARBARIAN!!! Okay, got that outta my system. Good job. Moving on.
Surprise, I read your blog policy. Your policy “should” be National policy. You are a great Polite, teacher, and I very much enjoy your” self Effacing “ humor. Thanks for including your goofs. That is where learning is demonstrated best, I think.
It's good you show the boo boo mistakes. I always show them. Some youtubers though are perfect & never make a mistake. Lots of different shots though. camera stop Camera start etc. Regards from the UK.
I used to do Hydrostatic Pressure Testing on natural gas wells. We tested our lines between 15-18,000 psi. Well over their rated limit but we did have a few “hot” wells that were up there on pressure. Even though water can’t compress you still didn’t want to really be around that stuff when it’s pressurized. Luckily we never had any incidents and of the hundred or so wells I worked on, only 1 had to be redone. We had really good welders.
Very interesting. I used to hold a low pressure steam boiler license when I was a custodian working in a church with a heating boiler. We'd have inspectors in once a year to recertify the boiler but they would not let us in the boiler room while working. They said it was for safety, but I know it was to keep their closely held secrets!!
I know your pain! 1/8 npt threads are my BANE! I have to agree though, they DEFINITELY seal well, and since the parts I use operate at 850 psi, I'm glad of that!
Great vlog, Quinn, always love some brass machining, watching it anyway,. It's my understanding that tapered threads were developed to seal pipe work to fittings, though there is flank sealing ( most common) or Root to Crest sealing (called Dryseal). When high pressure and pulsing conditions are present, then parallel threads and face sealing is used, face sealing includes various washers, rings, and annulus bite ring. Always a tense moment hydrostatic testing, good to see PPE being worn, it's scary when using air only and submerging the DUT in water, Thanks for sharing. Regards John Quinn.
The things I watch at 1am. I'm not even a machinist, nor have I ever been. Lathes scare the crap out of me. I mean, I absolutely love the things you can create with them and you won't hear me say they're unnecessary or not useful... but I don't want to be anywhere near it when it's spinning.
Quinn - I admire your completely sang froid response to the ugliness that your honest-about-mistakes, self-deprecating, exploratory and cheerful videos brings out on occasion. This was indeed an entertaining episode, and while everything I can actually claim to have learned here was about human nature, not about machining or model steam engines, it was still more than worth my time.
Very interesting and entertaining at the same time. Your presentation is never boring and keeps me watching to the very end. So far just checking out your steam videos but am interested in what other topics you cover. I will subscribe, great job! Thank you.
Electric boiler huh? That's like those swiss steam locomotives that they retrofitted to run on overhead wires during WW2. The price of german coal kept going up but they had access to a whole lot of hydroelectricity, so they stuck a resistance heater in the boiler and some pantographs on the roof. I think it was just some yard switchers, not mainline trains.
The water pressure tester ( the red one ) reminds me of my time making plastic injection mould tools and checking the cooling systems. Very enjoyable video Quinn.👍👍👍
I see a real nice new boiler being built in the near future for you . Great to see your fascination for steam engines and even machining them with nice precision !
That’s really cool. I’ve worked with boiler makers rebuilding boilers in hospitals and factories. The testing of the boiler always made me a little nervous. The Millwrights do everything on the pressure vessel but weld. You need a special welding certification. Hopefully someday I can build a little steam engine like yours and a boiler. I’ve also been wanting to build a steam turbine
On a coal fire for low water it is easy enough to make a fusible plug. Should the water drop bleow the crown sheet. The fusible plug will melt and the resulting steam blaqst will put out the fire. When I was with the Los Angeles Live Steamers in 1985. The 1/8 NPT has a 1/8" hole filled with solder. It should be noted. That one should check with what ever modeling club. As some of what you said is not what is considered safe at other clubs. IE LALS requires two safeties. One set at operating pressure, the other set at 5 psi higher.
I applaud your humble admissions when you find yourself using any.... "Unapproved" methods when machining and/or assembling all of your interesting products. To me, it means your honest to a fault. Yahtzee..! 🛠👌
You should absolutely leave the gauge glass in for the hydrostatic test. If it fails in service you will have steam with some degree of superheat exiting from the steam space at the boiler working pressure and superheated water from the water space that will instantly become "flash steam" on existing the broken gauge glass. What you see coming out your kettle is not steam, it is water vapour at 100C. Steam at 100C + is much nastier if you are standing next to the failure. If I'm being picky, two intermediate pressure and hold times is better that one (for the reasons you explained in the vid). Very good point on confirming the capacity of the safety valve. BUT only after you have done the 2X hydrostatic test on the boiler shell!
Ooh, interesting. Might have to look into doing this since I have a pretty beefy 11 gallon compressor I bought used, in really good condition (no visible rust, and I painted all the bare spots), but seeing a compressor explosion aftermath on TH-cam has me anxious... Of course, I only paid $40 for the compressor (flea market) so it seems any test equipment would have to cost more than the tested equipment... Great, as is tradition!
I don't have a steam boiler, I will never make a steam boiler, I will never own a steam boiler , I will never know why I watched this twice and enjoyed it so much.
"Are you not entertained?" Always. And, as usual, I learned something. I gotta stop doing that. If I learn too much, I'll forget other things, like speling. ;)
I tried silver soldering last week for the first time, don't be so hard on yourself. You managed to get the solder to melt and seal something, that's further than I got :P
It looks good for the first time at bat. When trying to make a item for the first time, it's always best to get the basics done first and then worry about appearance later.
Well the first attempt at soldering and silver soldering is often not great but the good news is it dramatically improves with practice. Your pressure test has also shown that it was only cosmetically rough but perfectly functional.
Not useful to me as I will never build one, BUT I did find it/you very funny! I really love the way you explain what your doing and your awesome humor!
We have certain types of shafts at work that have npt threads in the end. Normally 1”-1”1/2. We have to hand tap them as they are like 100-200mm down inside the end of the shaft. Funnnnn
9:07 Andrew Camarata did a hydrostatic pressure test by hooking a tank up to a regular old household pressure washer. I thought that was kinda cool. I had no idea it was that easy.
Hi Quinn, Interesting you're going 2 x working pressure on an annual test. Over in the UK the 2 x test is used on first test then after 1 1/2 x working. On full 12" scale boilers a hydraulic test is normally after 10 years and each year a cold visual inspection. Great video thank you.
Besides being able to drop the fire most (not all) steam locomotives also have 2 safety valves. This is partly to overcome one failing. Many also have options to blow down steam, which most times literally is a valve through which they can let steam escape the boiler.
Used to perform set pressure tests on the main steam relief vales at a nuclear station. When those things blow it will really rattle your cage. Can be heard from miles away.
That was a good one! JIM ps, your request for a lathe with universal threading ability would be CNC. Next to that Hardinge toolroom lathe with the metric threading gear box accessory.
I build high power rocket motors in my garage. My neighbors moved as soon as they discovered what I was doing in the garage late at night! I pressure tested motors to at least 1500 psi. I use a grease gun filled with mineral oil to pressurize a water filled motor. 1/8" copper pipe was used to plumb the assembly. Needle valves were used to hold and relieve pressure. Of course the test rig was hydrostatic tested. The total cost wa as minimal.
We need to see a collaboration between you and Myford boy.He can cast the bits and you can make them up :) two of my favourite channels. Everyone vote by giving this comment a thumbs up.
Your ease of building your own brass couplings has me very inspired. I hate going to the store to scrounge around the brass fittings and spend half my time restocking parts that have been mis-shelved to only discover the part I need isn't there. I've done this routine WAY too many times. Then the off time you do find the right fitting, I'm always shocked at the price for some reason. The idea of just knocking out any given brass fitting needed is honestly kind of intoxicating. Thx for the inspiration.
As a European I got a smile and a chuckle by "Metric handful" (@15:32). It's these editing details that makes this channel shine!
This is much better than anything on cable. What a wonderful sense of humor you have.
I looked up the difference between Loctite 545 and 569, and 545 lubricates well, allowing for removal of your parts or aiding with fine threads, while 569 is high strength and cures, allowing for extra security against shock and vibration.
Excellent explanation of the hydrostatic test rationale. I’m in the pipeline business and our test segments can sometimes be 50 miles of 42” pipe and when we get 340,000 gallons up to test pressure(2,000psi) we go looking for a leak if we have to keep adding those little pump strokes. 😀
To Quin, you might find that one of those thread sealants is specked for brass and one for steel, as the metal acts as the catalyst for annerobic thread sealants the quality and curing of the final seal is strongly effected by the metal that there used on, brass normal requires a different one due to steel because of its much greater catalytic activity in such an application, some relatively inert metals also require an activator on the thread (think stainless steel and such) to cure inside of a human life time. For there heat life and other such technical specifications Henkel (locktites parent group) have all the graphs on there website.
I'm an "old" hvac guy. Great channel, good joking around with good info. Subscribed !! Two things engineers cant duplicate without spending lots of "other" peoples money: steam power and asbestos. Nothing compares when utilized correctly :)
Hello from Melbourne Australia. I've been making steam engines for many years but I was never game to build a boiler as the idea of pumping it up with the compressor to see if it goes bang filled me with dread. I now understand the water pressure method after watching your video and am inspired to have a crack at it. Thanks! I'd be really keen to see a series on building your second boiler (and I reckon your first one was a pretty good effort too :)
Look after yourself and stay safe.
Alan
Hi Quinn your videos are the best because you include all of your mistakes which I think is important for the audience you are aiming for. Your honesty is one of your many assets. You probably already know this so just ignore this if so and please don’t take offense because none is intended. I am a Brit and we use a pipe thread called BSP it stands for British standard pipe and is produced on a flat, parallel shank. NTP I believe is a Japanese standard thread (not 100 % sure on that point) and is I also believe the same TPI in many of the sizes but produced as you say on a taper shank. Some people not knowing this mix these fittings and it doesn’t always end well. The point I am making is that I prefer the BSP fittings for my steam models that I have built over the years. A nice video as always thank you.
Good pick to use Loctite 545. 569 is also an adhesive so you could have had difficulty removing those plugs.
Hydro-static examination, AKA a squeeze. You should also check the blowdown of the safety valve by dropping the pressure slowly and noting what pressure it re-seats at.
You made the fittings----- I have a lathe -- I am impressed
Quinn, I hope you don,t mind me calling my friend, I,m English and am a semi- retired mechanic who has always used lathes as part of the job. However, now I have more time to spare I started watching your vids. You are an inspiration, I,ve learnt so much and your humility is amazing, thank you, love, Trev.
Why am I just now learning about the upside threading thing! THANK YOU!
One of my favorites channels in TH-cam. Full of ideas for everything.
Oh I think I know what's next! Interesting procedure. I have a friend who is basically a steam engineer and at the museum where he works they've been restoring the steam tug Hercules bit by bit so I've watched footage of the Coast Guard safety valve test as well as the hydrostatic. Takes days to do those tests on something that big and a lot more safety procedures. But it passed, she's almost ready to steam on the Bay again.
It might not look pretty but it is well made. Your honest enough to show we all start somewhere, can all youtubers say the same?
This was really interesting, learned a few new things. The "as is tradition" however made my day complete and all is well in the world.
I hope my next wife has Snap-On tools
@@OMB-hq6lm Long as your EX-wife doesn't leave with your snap-on tools...
And, like most Blondihacks videos, 1:22 in and I've learned something I had no idea I even needed to know before I started. Kudos!
If you turn it too small a fist shake will not fix it. Just turn it to a bigger dimension with the increase diameter tool. Or run the lathe backward and unturn it.
Design of the boiler is genius, if you forget to add water the heating element will just burn out and then the system shuts down. Very little chance of an explosion do too low water. Still can explode from over pressure so you still have to hydro and have a relief valve. Great for running indoors where exhaust is a problem.
Not that I would make or test my own boilers but your channel is entertaining,interesting and the added humor is what keeps me coming back. You got skills girl.
I’ve tested many pressure vessels in my life. Air receivers mostly. I used to fill them with water completely then use a grease gun to provide the pressure. Worked out quite well. A hand operated grease gun can develop 3000 PSIG.
Love your stuff. Really enjoyed your steam engine build. I made a little wobbler a few years ago. A Mr. Pete design.
Watching the threading operation was deeply satisfying.
Quinn, I had occasion to pressure test a 6ft. dia. x 20 ft. long autoclave and your description of the process was nearly identical. We used a pressure washer to generate the 200 psi required. The test went fine until the door seal popped out and dumped the 3 or 4 thousand gallons of water on the floor. No problem because there was a lot of available space and adequate floor drains. The state inspector was satisfied and we operated the autoclave for several years using steam for vulcanizing conveyor pulley rubber outside linings.
A toaster in a bathtub, couldn't describe it any better. Can't wait to see it all come together.
That ratcheting die holder is really sweet, and, yeah, I'm impressed that you own two boiler pressurizers.
The best explanation regarding pressurized fluid vs gas or air is that air acts like a spring and it will continue to expel it's energy until it reaches atmospheric pressure. A hydraulic hose with 2000 psi will leave a mess on the floor if it ruptures, a pressure vessel with 2000 psi will leave pieces of you on the floor.
Love that you gave myfordboy a shoutout... 👍
On the power utility boiler i operate there are 3 safety valves. During safety testing we gag 2 of the 3 safety's and fire the unit at full load raising the steam pressure untill the safety valve lifts. Although there are 3 each valve is rated for a full steam flow over pressure situation. And when they pop, even when your expecting it, it's still a brown trousers moment lol.
PS we hydro test to 3000psi but use exactly the same process you used.
“Simmer down” made me laugh
OMG - more sexual innuendo than Keith Appleton! That can't be good! No hedghog joke after the brass oops? Just kidding BTW. Amusing video all as always.
I used to assemble pressure pots and we had to test to the release of the safety valve. I think it took me a month of doing that up to 20 times a day to get used to it.
Having tested the full size ones for part of my working life, and had a father who completed the boiler for a 5" gauge loco, I commend your thorough and entertaining treatise. It was only because I had recently completed said function that I survived your opening! 😉
I am impressed with your skills. I am not a machinist (general maint. tech who works on boilers). Your small boiler build was really impressive along with your machinist abilities. (just threading a hole in a piece of metal is an achievement for me). Again, really nice job on the build.
Hey Quinn, I’d like to mention a way to touch up solder that I was proud to learn. I used to touch the solder with the torch flame quickly then wipe it away with a dry cloth. This could be done even after the solder joint was made. My boss won awards for boilers, he finished them by wiping with alcohol and using spray can lacquer over the pipes and joints to keep the new look. Don’t know if this is something that can be helpful, but I’m happy to try and help your progress (even if it is from the comment section). Good work, neat stuff, thanks for sharing your videos
Ryan, My dad was a plumber as was his dad. When I was a kid my dad showed me how to solder. He had a dedicated "wiping cloth" that he used when he wanted an especially neat joint. I remember it being several layers of cloth sewn together and maybe about 3 inches square (75 mm). I'm not sure what kind of cloth it was made of, but I don't think it was fire proof. He just used it quickly and it didn't ignite. I don't think I have remembered that in more than 50 years. Thanks for reminding me.
That's hilarious: I actually used the phrase "raison d'etre" in my video today, too. I swear we don't coordinate these things. :)
I blame/credit growing up speaking French. 😁
I actually watched that video before this one and hadn't heard the phrase in a long time (years?) and suddenly two videos in a row.
I had to look that up. I get smart watching you folks.
It's nice how these things line up, also temporally: 6 pm you publish your video, then I got half an hour to think about what I just watched, and then I can watch a new Blondihacks video.
Ummm, shhhure you didn’t...
It took me a while to learn silver soldering so I don't think your first efforts are an issue. Thanks to TH-cam contributors like you I can now silver solder with confidence.
The boiler you have produced is similar to the marine boiler I use on my 5" gauge locomotive where the heat source can be quickly removed in an emergency!
I love my snap on spanners and always feel a little joy when I see someone else using them!
OMG girl you made me laugh with your "Simmer Down". What a riot.
"you'll know you're doing it right if the hose gets rigid..." that's what grand-pappy always used to tell my little confused face.
Also, "driving colors;" I like that one!
Nice video, I designed a few valves for Campbell Hausfeld (air compressor company) in my twenties. You can add an extra layer of safety by using a Temperature and pressure safety relief.
The relief you are using looks like a typical air compressor relief value. I am not sure about the long term temperature rating on those. If I remember correctly there was once an issue with the brass/copper combination on certain relief valves when use in a boiler vs air compressor. The problem was the rate brass and copper dissipate heat is different and the differences in expansion caused work hardening of the brace which would result in it cracking. The crack would interfere with the valve moving freely and cause over pressure.
The problem was solved by increasing the wall thickness of pressure valves used for boilers. This is likley outdate info now. All pressure valves maybe interchangeable but I could be useful information for someone. -David
Another excellent video. I liked watching this one, as is the tradition even though I very likely will never have a steam boiler to test because I very likely will never have a steam boiler. Having said that, I’d watch a video of you tying your shoes if it was presented in your typical style. We all love your witty sense of Yuma. 😎👍👀
Scotchbrite and pliers? BARBARIAN!! Imminently practical and perfectly functional as well as expedient as all get-out. But...BARBARIAN!!! Okay, got that outta my system. Good job. Moving on.
Surprise, I read your blog policy. Your policy “should” be National policy. You are a great Polite, teacher, and I very much enjoy your” self Effacing “ humor. Thanks for including your goofs. That is where learning is demonstrated best, I think.
Another intelligent, informative, and entertaining video. Thank you, Quinn.
Yay!! It's Blondihacks time!!
It's good you show the boo boo mistakes. I always show them. Some youtubers though are perfect & never make a mistake. Lots of different shots though. camera stop Camera start etc. Regards from the UK.
I used to do Hydrostatic Pressure Testing on natural gas wells. We tested our lines between 15-18,000 psi. Well over their rated limit but we did have a few “hot” wells that were up there on pressure. Even though water can’t compress you still didn’t want to really be around that stuff when it’s pressurized. Luckily we never had any incidents and of the hundred or so wells I worked on, only 1 had to be redone. We had really good welders.
Very interesting. I used to hold a low pressure steam boiler license when I was a custodian working in a church with a heating boiler. We'd have inspectors in once a year to recertify the boiler but they would not let us in the boiler room while working. They said it was for safety, but I know it was to keep their closely held secrets!!
They didn't want you to witness the satanic rituals...
May sound silly, but I was glad to hear you use the proper terminology for the street elbow/90 fitting :)
I learned it because I had a devil of a time finding that fitting until I knew what it was called. 🤣
I know your pain!
1/8 npt threads are my BANE!
I have to agree though, they DEFINITELY seal well, and since the parts I use operate at 850 psi, I'm glad of that!
Great vlog, Quinn, always love some brass machining, watching it anyway,.
It's my understanding that tapered threads were developed to seal pipe work to fittings, though there is flank sealing ( most common) or Root to Crest sealing (called Dryseal). When high pressure and pulsing conditions are present, then parallel threads and face sealing is used, face sealing includes various washers, rings, and annulus bite ring.
Always a tense moment hydrostatic testing, good to see PPE being worn, it's scary when using air only and submerging the DUT in water,
Thanks for sharing.
Regards John Quinn.
Awesome video!! My granddaughter enjoyed it!
You can add Loctite 567 to your collection. For sealing stainless steel fittings, it's the bomb.
I don't know why anyone would want to be rude to that cute little boiler and all its character :D
Achmed, you just want to see everything kaboom. You're fooling no one. 😁
The things I watch at 1am. I'm not even a machinist, nor have I ever been. Lathes scare the crap out of me. I mean, I absolutely love the things you can create with them and you won't hear me say they're unnecessary or not useful... but I don't want to be anywhere near it when it's spinning.
Looking forward to the potential boiler build series ? Thank you informative and very entertaining as per norm.
Quinn - I admire your completely sang froid response to the ugliness that your honest-about-mistakes, self-deprecating, exploratory and cheerful videos brings out on occasion. This was indeed an entertaining episode, and while everything I can actually claim to have learned here was about human nature, not about machining or model steam engines, it was still more than worth my time.
VERY interesting. I learned a lot about boiler safety.
Very interesting and entertaining at the same time. Your presentation is never boring and keeps me watching to the very end. So far just checking out your steam videos but am interested in what other topics you cover. I will subscribe, great job! Thank you.
Nicely done, been genuinely enjoying this series.
Electric boiler huh? That's like those swiss steam locomotives that they retrofitted to run on overhead wires during WW2. The price of german coal kept going up but they had access to a whole lot of hydroelectricity, so they stuck a resistance heater in the boiler and some pantographs on the roof. I think it was just some yard switchers, not mainline trains.
I am an avid WWII history buff and had never heard this. Thanks... 👍
ah yes the electric-steam locomotive not to get mixt up with the steam-electric locomotive.
That’s amazing. I didn’t know that.
I bet you they ran like a swiss clock 🧐
@@justinstrik7125 nah... But they did run like Swiss locomotives.
The water pressure tester ( the red one ) reminds me of my time making plastic injection mould tools and checking the cooling systems. Very enjoyable video Quinn.👍👍👍
I see a real nice new boiler being built in the near future for you .
Great to see your fascination for steam engines and even machining them with nice precision !
That’s really cool. I’ve worked with boiler makers rebuilding boilers in hospitals and factories. The testing of the boiler always made me a little nervous. The Millwrights do everything on the pressure vessel but weld. You need a special welding certification.
Hopefully someday I can build a little steam engine like yours and a boiler. I’ve also been wanting to build a steam turbine
On a coal fire for low water it is easy enough to make a fusible plug. Should the water drop bleow the crown sheet. The fusible plug will melt and the resulting steam blaqst will put out the fire. When I was with the Los Angeles Live Steamers in 1985. The 1/8 NPT has a 1/8" hole filled with solder. It should be noted. That one should check with what ever modeling club. As some of what you said is not what is considered safe at other clubs. IE LALS requires two safeties. One set at operating pressure, the other set at 5 psi higher.
Fascinating and important content, lucidly explained, thanks.
Another home run.
I applaud your humble admissions when you find yourself using any....
"Unapproved" methods when machining and/or assembling all of your interesting products. To me, it means your honest to a fault. Yahtzee..! 🛠👌
I think it looks amazing! Funniest video yet, BTW. Cheers!
hope to see that new boiler when it gets made!
You should absolutely leave the gauge glass in for the hydrostatic test. If it fails in service you will have steam with some degree of superheat exiting from the steam space at the boiler working pressure and superheated water from the water space that will instantly become "flash steam" on existing the broken gauge glass. What you see coming out your kettle is not steam, it is water vapour at 100C. Steam at 100C + is much nastier if you are standing next to the failure. If I'm being picky, two intermediate pressure and hold times is better that one (for the reasons you explained in the vid). Very good point on confirming the capacity of the safety valve. BUT only after you have done the 2X hydrostatic test on the boiler shell!
Ooh, interesting. Might have to look into doing this since I have a pretty beefy 11 gallon compressor I bought used, in really good condition (no visible rust, and I painted all the bare spots), but seeing a compressor explosion aftermath on TH-cam has me anxious... Of course, I only paid $40 for the compressor (flea market) so it seems any test equipment would have to cost more than the tested equipment...
Great, as is tradition!
Quinn's sense of humor is working overtime here
I don't have a steam boiler, I will never make a steam boiler, I will never own a steam boiler , I will never know why I watched this twice and enjoyed it so much.
Wonderful video Quinn, I look forward to all of them.
The same process scaled up for an air compressor tank. ie tank/compressor 150/175 psi test to 300/350 psi
"Are you not entertained?"
Always. And, as usual, I learned something. I gotta stop doing that.
If I learn too much, I'll forget other things, like speling. ;)
I tried silver soldering last week for the first time, don't be so hard on yourself.
You managed to get the solder to melt and seal something, that's further than I got :P
It looks good for the first time at bat. When trying to make a item for the first time, it's always best to get the basics done first and then worry about appearance later.
ive pressure tested a fair bit offshore and it can take ages for a test to settle. just pipe stretch takes a good while to settle out
Well the first attempt at soldering and silver soldering is often not great but the good news is it dramatically improves with practice. Your pressure test has also shown that it was only cosmetically rough but perfectly functional.
Great explanation. Can’t wait for you to build a new boiler.
Thanks for adding "as is traditional" back in:)
Not useful to me as I will never build one, BUT I did find it/you very funny! I really love the way you explain what your doing and your awesome humor!
We have certain types of shafts at work that have npt threads in the end. Normally 1”-1”1/2. We have to hand tap them as they are like 100-200mm down inside the end of the shaft. Funnnnn
9:07 Andrew Camarata did a hydrostatic pressure test by hooking a tank up to a regular old household pressure washer. I thought that was kinda cool. I had no idea it was that easy.
Hi Quinn,
Interesting you're going 2 x working pressure on an annual test. Over in the UK the 2 x test is used on first test then after 1 1/2 x working. On full 12" scale boilers a hydraulic test is normally after 10 years and each year a cold visual inspection.
Great video thank you.
2x is certainly not necessary, but figured it wouldn’t hurt.
Nothing wrong there...looks nice...cute little fittings.
Machinist on the Roof: *"TRADITION!!"*
Nice :^)
I must spitefully applaud your majestically horrible pun.
Now do kindly get out. 😂
Shouldn't that be Machinist in the Basement? ;P
Besides being able to drop the fire most (not all) steam locomotives also have 2 safety valves. This is partly to overcome one failing. Many also have options to blow down steam, which most times literally is a valve through which they can let steam escape the boiler.
Used to perform set pressure tests on the main steam relief vales at a nuclear station. When those things blow it will really rattle your cage. Can be heard from miles away.
Good thing I wore the brown pants on the day you posted the safety valve test.😮😁
Been looking forward to this for some time!
The only rude comments would likely be from people that don't make things.
It's awesome!
One would hope so, and yet the internet exists.
@@Blondihacks if you hadn't told me it wasn't brilliant i would have continued to be awed :)
I made a polite comment about the boiler... & a rude one about Quinn for thinking so poorly of the quirky boiler.
My Saturday morning meditation is complete.. Time to get to work.. :)
Your bad saulder and brazing is better than most people best.
Good stuff. Thanks. Made my week seeing this.
That was a good one!
JIM
ps, your request for a lathe with universal threading ability would be CNC. Next to that Hardinge toolroom lathe with the metric threading gear box accessory.
I build high power rocket motors in my garage. My neighbors moved as soon as they discovered what I was doing in the garage late at night! I pressure tested motors to at least 1500 psi. I use a grease gun filled with mineral oil to pressurize a water filled motor. 1/8" copper pipe was used to plumb the assembly. Needle valves were used to hold and relieve pressure. Of course the test rig was hydrostatic tested. The total cost wa as minimal.
Very interesting. I was thinking about a bicycle pump.
😮
If it realy was your 1st try on making stuff like that then color me impressed its looking good!
We need to see a collaboration between you and Myford boy.He can cast the bits and you can make them up :) two of my favourite channels.
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