I loved this. It really demonstrates the hard work required for the retube on a roller and I'm sure you probably had a lot of other niggles and problems along the way as these things never go smoothly! Thanks for spending the extra time to film it all.
Glad you liked it - and yes there were one or two 'added highlights' not shown here, but I think it gives a good impression hopefully without getting too long and boring to watch.
Really great, very impressed that one man did this, as an engineer who has built a 3 inch scale traction engine i know how much work that is , Great people like you do this so people like me can enjoy them too.
Thank you - did get a little repetative constantly going back and forth, especially when a number of the new ones were a 'snug' fit, but got there in the end 🙂
@@IACooper Incidentally, while I admire the many superb restorations carried out in recent years, the working rollers of my boyhood looked very much like this and it is pleasant to see one in this condition
Thank you for replying to my comment, I didn't know that steam rollers & I presume traction engines the the tubes were not beaded. That means that the new tube ends are flush with the face of the tube plate.
They're not flush, they do protude a small amount, but not too far else they'll overheat and burn back. At 3:35 you can see the protrusion being checked. You're right in essence though, the first step of extraction was to grind off that protusion so they _are_ flush with the tubeplate. At 0:46 as the tube is being pulled out you can see the ends of the surrounding tubes have been ground back to the tubeplate, before they were then heated and cooled and given a squirt of oil whilst still hot to all help get them to contract back a bit and break the seal. Once they were all out everything was cleaned up and dye-penetration tested - which is why at the 3 minute mark the tubeplate is white from the remnants of the test developer and has light rust marks on it from having all been fully degreased and cleaned for the testing done a week or so earlier.
Hi Ian, great video and thanks showing us how you did the tubes, I am currently restoring a Fowler road roller which you can see on my channel and I hope you have a good rally season.
When I got the roller it didn't come with any tools and I didn't have anything to fit either. The first couple of months were spent mooching around the stalls at steam rallies picking up large looking old spanners for a pound or two each. Over the course of the summer I ended up with a dirt cheap set of spanners for it. The older style feel much better if you need to give a little percussive persuasion as well.
Nope - like most road steam boilers in the UK, it doesn't have beaded ends. The length is positioned to only just protude past the tubeplate so they don't overheat and burn back.
Like most road steam boilers in the UK, this didn't (and still doesn't) have beaded ends (unlike rail boilers which usually do). Even so, still worth grinding flat to prevent the crusty protruding bit snagging or the end distorting and wedging. Even having done that, they're still drum tight and as I'm working alone I went around both ends of each tube with oxy-propane to heat them up to red heat to then let them cool and contract slightly to just break the seal. That probably took longer than having an assistant bonking tubes with a hammer whilst applying steady hydaulic pressure at the same time, but was a *lot* less effort, especially working solo. Having done all the prep the day before, they all effortlessly pulled out - the monotonous bit was constantly going back and forth to reload for the next tube.
Hey I live in North Wales (Anglesey) and looking at some of your video titles, maybe you do too... If so and you ever need some extra hands let me know! I would love to help you out on your engine if you ever need it. For free of course haha. Loved steam all my life but have only ever been to a few rallies. I want to build one some day
I loved this. It really demonstrates the hard work required for the retube on a roller and I'm sure you probably had a lot of other niggles and problems along the way as these things never go smoothly! Thanks for spending the extra time to film it all.
Glad you liked it - and yes there were one or two 'added highlights' not shown here, but I think it gives a good impression hopefully without getting too long and boring to watch.
Really great, very impressed that one man did this, as an engineer who has built a 3 inch scale traction engine i know how much work that is , Great people like you do this so people like me can enjoy them too.
A job I have been involved in more than once - but never single handed. Very well done!
Thank you - did get a little repetative constantly going back and forth, especially when a number of the new ones were a 'snug' fit, but got there in the end 🙂
@@IACooper Incidentally, while I admire the many superb restorations carried out in recent years, the working rollers of my boyhood looked very much like this and it is pleasant to see one in this condition
Really enjoyed watching this, it’s very interesting to see how big of a job it is to retube a roller. Thanks for sharing!
Would be a lot easier without the wheels in the way at the front! lol
The ending to this video is the exact appeal of steam to me.
An oily rag to start a fire, and this great iron giant slowly comes to life
Thanks for the video. Great stuff
Thank you for replying to my comment, I didn't know that steam rollers & I presume traction engines the the tubes were not beaded. That means that the new tube ends are flush with the face of the tube plate.
They're not flush, they do protude a small amount, but not too far else they'll overheat and burn back. At 3:35 you can see the protrusion being checked. You're right in essence though, the first step of extraction was to grind off that protusion so they _are_ flush with the tubeplate. At 0:46 as the tube is being pulled out you can see the ends of the surrounding tubes have been ground back to the tubeplate, before they were then heated and cooled and given a squirt of oil whilst still hot to all help get them to contract back a bit and break the seal.
Once they were all out everything was cleaned up and dye-penetration tested - which is why at the 3 minute mark the tubeplate is white from the remnants of the test developer and has light rust marks on it from having all been fully degreased and cleaned for the testing done a week or so earlier.
Hi Ian, great video and thanks showing us how you did the tubes, I am currently restoring a Fowler road roller which you can see on my channel and I hope you have a good rally season.
Looks like you've got quite a project with the Fowler - hope it all runs to plan for you 🙂
@@IACooper Yes a bit to do but getting there, cheers.
Great that you used the proper older spanners on it
When I got the roller it didn't come with any tools and I didn't have anything to fit either. The first couple of months were spent mooching around the stalls at steam rallies picking up large looking old spanners for a pound or two each.
Over the course of the summer I ended up with a dirt cheap set of spanners for it. The older style feel much better if you need to give a little percussive persuasion as well.
Did you bead the tubes over in the fire box?
Nope - like most road steam boilers in the UK, it doesn't have beaded ends.
The length is positioned to only just protude past the tubeplate so they don't overheat and burn back.
the most important of the tube removal was taking the beaded end off in the firebox.
Like most road steam boilers in the UK, this didn't (and still doesn't) have beaded ends (unlike rail boilers which usually do). Even so, still worth grinding flat to prevent the crusty protruding bit snagging or the end distorting and wedging.
Even having done that, they're still drum tight and as I'm working alone I went around both ends of each tube with oxy-propane to heat them up to red heat to then let them cool and contract slightly to just break the seal. That probably took longer than having an assistant bonking tubes with a hammer whilst applying steady hydaulic pressure at the same time, but was a *lot* less effort, especially working solo.
Having done all the prep the day before, they all effortlessly pulled out - the monotonous bit was constantly going back and forth to reload for the next tube.
Hey I live in North Wales (Anglesey) and looking at some of your video titles, maybe you do too... If so and you ever need some extra hands let me know! I would love to help you out on your engine if you ever need it. For free of course haha. Loved steam all my life but have only ever been to a few rallies. I want to build one some day
I'm a couple of hours drive from Anglesey on the English side of the border, but Wales is where I work and often my playground at a weekend.
@@IACooper Cool. I see. Thanks for getting back to me