Steam Launch parts acquired

[seikeinlemming]

Progress continues! We wanted to be in the water this month, but for various reasons that won’t happen. Our new goal is in the spring. This will allow us to have much more of the interior complete the first time it goes out for testing and allow us the time necessary to complete the few remaining mechanical pieces at the level of finish that we want.

Photo one shows the fore bench seat coming together with the supports tabbed into the hull, and mahagony seat rough cut into position. The center of this seat will open up with a series of hinges that allows us to gain access to the bow area. This is where we will hide some of the electronics and other systems that we don’t want in plain view for cosmetic purposes.

Photo two shows the ash pan for the boiler. These parts were laser cut and then assembled and will be welded together in the next week. The boiler will sit on top of this and all of the little teeth on the inside of the ring will be for the grates to sit on. This was dropped into place to determine how the floor will flow around it so that there is clearance for seats etc. The engine supports are to the right (aft) of the boiler. These are already completed and ready to be attach the engine to the hull in alignment for the propellor shaft.

Photo 3 shows the stern fantail woodwork almost ready to be sanded and finished. There are a few more short planks to attach and then this will be complete. This was especially tricky to build as you cannot bend mahagony to the radius required, so each piece around the back had to be cut to perfectly nestle into the next layer out. After finding 6 different ways that didn’t produce the desired results, I taught myself how to cut complementary curves (thanks YouTube!) with a router and make all of the layers essentially be patterns for the next. This resulted in the finish you see today.


The steam engine continues to be reassembled with small pieces being finished (mainly cosmetic) for that. The focus will turn to getting the boiler and its counterparts assembled, as well as the aft bench seat in place.

 

[archbuilder]

Very beautiful work as normal sir! I always look forward to your boat, 1st class and then some on the build. Thank you as always for sharing it with us!

 

[kcassells]

When you get that steam all squared up what do you anticipate for hp/knots for the boat. I would suspect you have already made that calc and I may have missed it.
I love the mahogany.
Thanks.

 

[seikeinlemming]

kcassells- We should have about 11 horsepower out of the engine which should do around 7 knots. These specs are taken from another steam launch that is the same hull as ours, paired with the same engine. Overall weight may vary from that, but the same engine to hull pairing should be a fairly accurate indicator.

 

[kcassells]

Thank you for your reply! Awesome project and I've been following all of it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Fantastic workmanship as always

 

[Ned L]

beautiful as always!

 

[seikeinlemming]

Spent a few hours today dry fitting the boiler, ash pan, and engine into the hull. We wanted to make sure that everything fit without hitting each other. Success! It all fits. This also allowed us to look at how the firebox door opens (picture 3) to make sure it will clear our fore seat structure. Space between the machinery and gunwale will be walking space on both sides.

In the first picture you will see the smoke box on top of the boiler, this will direct all smoke up the smokestack. The spun brass top (subsequent photos) will be placed over the smokebox to make it look pretty.

Picture 4 is a closeup of the engine as it happened to be assembled when we decided we were going to put the various components in.

The final picture is the view from the captain's seat where all water/steam gauges will be able to be seen. The blue tape stripe on the boiler is the current location of the water gauge.

 

[oldrem]

Absolutely amazing as always! Looking forward to videos of it running.

 

[seikeinlemming]

More assembly is coming together.

Picture 1 is the boiler assembled with ashpan below and smokebox above. You will see a bar that runs top to bottom that holds everything together. Since this photo was taken, 3 additional bars have been fabricated and are in place. There will be insulation wrapped around the black part of the boiler and then vertical strips of mahogany to match the rest of the boat. The smoke box on top collects all the smoke and funnels it up through the stack. It will be covered by the bronze top pictured in previously posted photos.

Photo 2 is the grates while they were still hot from welding. These grates were fabricated in about 2.5 hours of both my father and I working on welding/cutting pieces to length, total 5 man hours. For as much as we try to make everything have a perfect fit and finish, the grates are by far the least square/true parts we have made/will make for the boat. After installation, they get hidden away and will likely be replaced down the road as they wear out, so spending the time being our usual perfectionist selves wasn't top priority here.

Photo 3 is the grates positioned inside the boiler. We can control airflow coming from the bottom via the door on the ashpan (photo 1).

Photo 4 is the rear bench mahogany being rough cut to length. Since this photo was taken, I have started gluing the panels up.

The boiler is now ready to be fired up. Not pictured is the test fitting of all the piping between the boiler and the engine. Everything lined up nicely so it is a matter of getting the final cylinder assembled and then lighting a match!

 

[Scott Danforth]

as always, looking good

the issue with the grate, even if it was perfectly round/square,etc. as soon as you have a fire, it would warp and pull.

 

[seikeinlemming]

The aft seats are coming together. Over the past few weeks I tabbed their supports into the hull and now have the seats rough cut and positioned. There are 5 vertical supports under each side of the seat, with the two rear supports running the entire width of the seat/hull. We added various 1" holes to these supports so we can run steering lines, steam tubes, and anything else we may want in the future. The steering wheel is back in place to check for clearances to move around it. The seats will be shortened a bit, and made less deep. You can see the placeholder tongue-in-groove paneling on the starboard side to help visualize what the backrest will look like.

Progress continues finishing up the steam engine, follow the link below to the latest video of it running on compressed air. Improvements since the last video are that there is a lot less air leaking out (although still some), as well as more paint and we've added lubricant reservoirs and feeds. You will see 3 oil reservoirs where the crankshaft goes through the base, as well as 2 reservoirs and feed tubes on the very end towards the camera that lubricate the eccentrics. Like before, the air compressor can't keep up, so after its tank is depleted, the engine comes to a stop.

https://youtu.be/Cv1pombHeUs

 

[archbuilder]

thanks for sharing the update amazing work as usual. the detail always impresses me!

 

[oldrem]

Always enjoy updates on this amazing project.

 

[seikeinlemming]

Woodwork is moving forward. The aft bench seat has been cut to the correct curve (image 1) and I started manufacturing the tongue-in-groove panels that will go below the aft seats (image 2). This gives you an idea of the final woodwork look.

Thanksgiving day was the moment of truth: first fire in the boiler and first test run. Photo 4 is the first whistle blow.

Below is a video of the first fire up. A few notes:

- We didn't quite have the second cylinder up and working, so this is running on a single cylinder.

- The boiler will be covered with insulation and wood slats, so it will be better protected than this test run shows.

- There is a lot of steam escaping that will be sealed up. The majority of that steam is exhaust from the first cylinder which will feed into the second cylinder, and is ultimately cooled down and rerouted back to the boiler.

https://youtu.be/Slv62hl2_E0

 

[sphelps]

It’s ALIVE !!!
Nicely done congratulations!

 

[archbuilder]

Thank you as usual for sharing this amazing build with us! The craftsmanship is second to none as usual! What is the inspiration for the build? This is a major commitment not a fleeting hobby, just curious.

 

[seikeinlemming]

Archbuilder -

Since the mid-nineties, my dad's friend had a steam powered boat (launch) that held about 3 people. I was there the day that it was christened and launched. My dad who always has been a steam guru (we had a miniature steam train in the backyard, as well as a steam traction engine) always liked the idea of a steam-powered boat. As I grew up influenced by my grandfather in the 'normal' boating world (powerboats), I loved anything boating related. In 2011 my passion for boats crossed with my dad's interest in steam and we decided that this would be a fun project to work on together. His expertise in everything steam and my understanding of boats blended well to make this project a reality.

This project has been an opportunity for my father and I to work on something together. We each contribute our knowledge and have a boat that we can say we built everything (except hull). It is such a different boat that even non-boaters and non-steam people take an interest in it. I am in my early 30's, so I should have many decades to spend with this on the water. Through all that time it will always be a boat that my dad and I built, bonded over, and made as high quality as we are capable of. Other members of my family have also contributed or will contribute in ways that fit their skillset.

So the inspiration is simply to have a unique boat that everyone in my family has in some way contributed to, that we can always take out and have fun on.

My wife has been told she may get rid of it after I die, but I will always own it while living.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Fantastic work as always, enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday

 

[archbuilder]

Thanks for sharing, that is a very cool story. Enjoy the time with your Dad! It is very cool that you guys are doing the project together. Again my hats off to your craftsmanship. Looking forward to seeing the progress.