< Fittings 1 >
<< water gauge >>
William's water gauge is too low in height.
Before the water line disappears from the
gauge glass, the inner firebox breaks surface
of the water. So I modified upper connection
of the unit to change height of the water
gauge. Incidentally, I added four brass bars
around the glass for protection.
Each component is made from round, square
or hexagonal brass bars and silver soldered
together. Light press fit before soldering
is suitable for true square connection. To
cut a glass tube, make a sharp groove around
the tube with a fine "diamond file",
snap with fingers, then remove sharp edge
with the file.
Hand wheel for the blow off valve is made
from a hexagon brass bar. Round bar also
can be used but hexagon bar has advantage
in hexagonal indexed scribing or cutting.
The procedure is shown in the photos. Finished
hand wheel is silver soldered onto the spindle
made of stainless steel.
The glass holder is lined up with a suitable
round bar.
The glass pipe is sealed with O-rings in
gland nuts. The nut should be tightened only
with fingers.
<< blower valve >>
Components of the blower valve. The needle
valve is sealed with an O-ring.
The drain valve handle is the same as the
watergauge blow off valve handle, except
a square hole at the center to be held onto
the spindle. The square hole was cut with
a home-made square broach (see the photo)
in a bench vise.
Copper tube from the blower valve is connected
to a bush on the boiler backhead. The photo
shows the connection which can save much
space. Both the hexagonal countersink screw
and the drum are hollowed out to make steam
go through the connection.
I changed design of the steam turret and
mounted the blower valve directly onto it,
because the original blower valve on the
backhead would interrupt regulator operation.
<< pressure gauge >>
I got a pressure gauge from a supplier in
England. I chose 'bar' unit instead of 'psi'
because the latter system is so strange for
Japanese. JIS(Japanese Industrial Standard)
pressure gauges have 'MPa' system.
The pressure gauge is connected to the steam
turret. Note the copper tube has 'U' shaped
bottom to keep condensed water which guards
the pressure gauge against hot steam.
Almost of the operating gears in the cab
appeared except the main item 'regulator'.
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