Historic Steam Launches

The launching of Consuta on 26th May was very busy day, fortunately with lots of support from our helpers; thank you.

Consuta is now safely afloat on the pontoon at Beale park ready for the Boat Show

We spent part of the morning tidying up ready for the re-launch. The bilges under the boiler have been cleaned and given a coat of Danboline grey. This is good stuff and makes everything look smart in the bilges.

The rear cockpit seats have been revarnished.

Too good to be true.

The front cockpit seats have also had a re-varnish to a high standard

Collecting one of the pontoon sections from the river, then taken under the bridge and through the cut.

A new steamboat has appeared on the river side moorings at Beale Park.

Magic Dragon owned by John Schofield is a half size Clyde Puffer.

I'm sure she will be in steam during the Beale Park Boat Show

The boiler had a successful Hydraulic and Steam test on 20th May, so is now fully certificated for use

Hydraulic test 20 minutes at 300 psi and steam to 180 psi. Sorry no photos - forgot to take the camera

Left:- a view looking towards where the boiler locates, note the two gauges which will show engine pressure and engine revolutions

Right:- putting up the polythene cover to keep dust and dirt out before applying the final coats of varnish

There was a lot of brass/copper polishing, cleaning the bilges
and fitting in the pipe for the new engine pressure gauge.

Below are some photos of work on engine, boiler and varnish preparation taken during March 2010

All tubes are now fitted (31st March) photo on the left shows the firebox ends. This work was completed using the power drill.

Remaining work now needed is to complete the tube expanding to get a 4% to 5% tube wall thickness reduction for optimum performance. Tubes that are over expanded are bad because they can damage and crack the tube plate, and under expanded will leak.

Final expanding will be by hand with a torque setting of 50 ftlbs set on the drive lever.

Supporter party on 29th March 2010 working on fitting new tubes

The method is to use a lathe chuck to hold the tube at the smokebox end, and fit the expander on the drill at the firebox end and expand until the tube is held, this is apparent by the rapid increase in torque required. The hand ratchet lever is then rotate a few turns until torque setting is reached, which means that the tube is firmly held. The other end of the tube then receives the same treatment. Note that the photos show the work achieved at the end of the day; so 16 remaining tubes to be fitted.

When all tubes have been fitted the hand expanding will then have to be carried out until the tube wall thickness is reduced by about 5%, this is to achieve ultimate fit - as recommended by Wicksteed makers of the expander.

This picture on the left shows what the expander does to a tube end.

In use the expander gets quite hot because of the work being done.

All supporters had a go at the smokebox end but were a little reticent using the power tool in the restricted space of the firebox because of the high torques.

Above:- On the left Paul uses a slow speed power drill on the expander to get the tube to a tight fit in the tube plate, then because the torque required increases a ratchet lever driver is then put on to continue the tube expansion. This is currently set at 24ftlbs torque. When all tubes are fitted, further expanding will be needed to get the correct fit in the tube holes.

Note the lathe chuck on left hand photo, which is used to hold the tube when first expanding a tube in the firebox.

The engine reversing lever had become loose last season. It's held by a 5/16" taper pin and a key.

The taper pin had broken into three pieces and the key was a poor fit. New key made.

The Starboard side of the aft cockpit suffered fire charring damage.

Fortunately the woodwork will not need replacing this picture was taken after sanding down and it doesn't show very much at all.

Above is the tube expander. It has a tapered mandrel and the cage has three rollers. The mandrel is drawn in by the action of the rollers as it is rotated clockwise.

On the right A few of the 43 tubes that we will be fitting to the boiler.

As the tube plate hole is some 50 thou of an inch larger diameter than the tubes, we have swaged out the ends of the tube so that there is less work for the expander.

Tube holes are quite often a little larger than the tube which makes for easier removal when the tubes are covered in crud.

The firebox tube plate as seen from the firebox. The firebox crown is at the top of the picture.

This is before work started to clean the holes

An adjustable reamer shown above

The firebox tube plate holes had quite a bit of corrosion pitting especially on those tubes that had been leaking.

Here the holes are being reamered out a few thou to produce clean virgin metal for fitting the new tubes.

Expanded tubes rely on good metal to metal contact to provide the pressure seal.

This view is looking into the firebox in the place normally taken up by the grate.

This is a view on the left is looking through the firebox.

The tubes are 1.5 inches but the tube plate holes we found were about 1.530 inches, the reamering takes about another .005/.01 metal off.

The new tubes are a standard 1.5 inches so will need to be swaged out for the extra diameter of the hole.

The holes are chalked to mark each one when done.

For More photos of the boiler click here.

Lovely clean bilges, lets keep it this way	Hanging while the final antifoul is painted on!	Floats high without the boiler doesn't she?

Nice polished backhead fittings	Adjusting the straps to keep the boiler level	A really tight fit but managed safely by the experts

Consuta Trust News Winter 2009/10