Briggs repair

[fred55]

www.potterysupplies.com.au/
www.nswpotterysupplies.com.au/
Very helpful crowd in Bris. 5Kg cement was enough for firebox and easier to spread with some cheap clay tools.
I redid the cladding, using 3mm blanket (doubled over firebox). Its said to be good to 1600 degrees, but needs you to wear a mask as the microscopic dust is nasty.
Im interested to see how the new paint job handles the heat when I finally fire up the beast.
Pete

[Jim]

Thanks for that info Pete.
If it's any help I found the only spot I had problems with heat was on the chimney and smoke box of the Burrell, pretty obvious really.
The smoke box was solved with Pot Belly Black applied directly to the metal, it's a deep graphite grey.
After a couple of failures I found heat proof engine gloss black also applied directly to the metal gave me a lovely glossy baked enamel chimney. I was told that in fact the red oxide primer I had used previously was the real cause of my problems as it is largely chalk which gives way easily under heat.

Thanks again

Jim

[fred55]

Just to folow up, I finally got everything working and am now sporting a shiny new boiler certicate, issued under the new Aussie steel boiler code.
New fireclay wasn't as hard to apply as I thought, and is doing fine. The "pyromat" that I tried out under the firebox cladding, has left the paint (acrylic enamel) untouched even after the scary 5+ minute accumulation test (full blower and not allowed to increase pressure more than 10% while the glass goes from top to bottom)
With the aid of a mini camera and a long scraping tool, the boiler is free of scale shells and is in fact in excellent condition. This was followed with a cleanout using a sulphuric based cleaner called Sopura.
The difference in performance is amazing and even with my incompetant driving its a joy to use.
Pete

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[fred55]

Whilst on the subject, check this article on DiscoverLive Steam. And thought my boiler was dirty
www.discoverlivesteam.com/magazine/190/index.htm

[Jim]

Fred, I must have forgotten to press 'Post' last night

Anyway the 'lost post' was to say 'Congratulations'

It's very satisfying when it all comes together and your engine ticks along nicely doing exactly what it was intended to do without fuss and worry.

All the best

Jim

[suctionhose]

A bit late to join the fray I suppose but for the record I feel I should contribute.

The original Briggs idea of a coil proved dangerous because they boiled dry before any water emerged from the exit. There was an incidence of one failing and the driver suffering burns as a result.

The Codes require some form of circulation device. This is absolutely essential to deliver water to the back of the crown.

Forget about traction engines - they don't work hard enough to test the point (I have one)

A 5" loco with 2 tonnes on the hook will test the point (I have one of those too!)

With Briggs boilers about aged 30+ years, a lot of experience is available that was not initially. Those that do not have sufficient water delivered to back of crown suffer from a thinning of the crown sheet due to overheating.

A few cases have come to light. One recently, having tubular "water walls" which I suspect boil dry and deliver only steam to the crown, not the much needed water.

The 5" loco of my own to which I refer is 20 years old and has not suffered thinning of the crown indicting that circulation has been adequate. It has a tee on bottom of tubeplate and two 1/2" pipes to rear corners of crown.

Care was taken to admit the water to the crown inboard of the girder stays so that water was delivered to, and flows over, the central part of the crown where it is hottest. You don't want the girder stays keeping the water to the outer edges of the crown.

Would be lovely to have a window to see what really happens!

ps Jim: How are your stainless liner plates? Mine (2.5 stst) melted on the first day!!!!