Wicks for spirit burners.

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

1. The instructions say to use silver solder ie, to braze . Is this not hard soldering ?

2. When would you soft solder a boiler ? I did not know boilers were ever soft soldered as I did not think such a join would hold ?

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by Ian S C on 12/11/2014 12:33:19:

Russell, no you couldn't melt the silver solder even with an LPG burner, you have quite a large lump of metal filled with water, and the fuel should run out before the water.

I wasn't suggesting that it could. On the contrary I was questioning the safety aspect of letting that silver soldered boiler run dry with the little spirit lamp still burning.

Jason has answered that.

Russell

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

Okay, thank you for clearing that up. I still intend to hard solder it as I need to learn how to do this and I have already purchased the correct silver solder and flux for hard soldering.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Brian, ten minutes is about what I would expect , most of my larger meths burners burn at a rate of one ml per minute, if you fill them more you don't get a proportionally longer burn time because as the whole unit heats up some of the fuel vapour is vented via the vent hole, sometimes lighting up.

You need a lamp with a good size flame. My small boilers are horizontal, and use either a trough like burner as in Mamod SE 2, or similar to yours(one tank), but with 3 wicks.

Ian S C

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

I have trimmed the wick a bit more and I am getting close to 15 minutes. I doubt that this burner will produce enough heat but we will have to wait and see what happens when I get the boiler built. I am waiting for the safety valves to arrive in the mail from the UK.

What are my other options ie. Who else makes spirit burners ? I only see the glass laboratory types on ebay and they are too big. I may have to make something myself.

Edited By Brian John on 13/11/2014 12:08:10

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

If you were in NZ, I would suggest "Iron Horse Hobbies" in Christchurch might be able to help, They seem to have bits for Mamod, and some other bits and pieces. I'd make my own.

Ian S C

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

If anybody has built their own spirit burner, could you post some photos ? I have a few ideas but it would be nice to see what others have come up with.

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

Is this type of spirit burner safe ?

**LINK**

The reason I ask is that I was thinking about building my own spirit burner ( I have a few designs in my head). But I thought this type of design where the wick fits directly into a metal container would cause the metal to get too hot. Any thoughts on this ie. is it dangerous ?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Given that the underside of your boiler is quite enclosed I would tend to go for something more along the lines of what you had before so the container won't get so hot. I'd also be thinking of a larger area for the burner, these flame licker and sterling burners don't need to heat a large area so probably won't be upto heating the 2" dia base of your boiler

Edited By JasonB on 29/11/2014 07:51:03

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

Yes, I was going to build something with a brass tube extending from the base as per the initial burner but I would make sure that the brass tube fitted to the bottom of the container (30mm plumbers brass end cap internally threaded with a top) and I could also pass a wick right through the brass tube. Drill a filler hole and a breather hole in the top of the end cap and add an L shape fitting to the flame end of the tube.

I will add some photos when I get back to Cairns.

What are Meta blocks ?

Edited By Brian John on 29/11/2014 10:12:15

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

> What are Meta blocks ?

Posh firelighters

Solid fuel block burnt in a tray as an alternative to meths.

Neil

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Solid fuel block made for "Meta" stoves. You should be able to get something siomilar like Esbit blocks

A round dish say 1.5" dia and some Sterno (gel fuel) would also work

Edited By JasonB on 29/11/2014 13:01:56

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

I am familiar with Esbit blocks.

The Midwest vertical boiler is designed to use Sterno and they actually supply a copper dish for it but Sterno is not readily available in Australia. Perhaps it has another name here.

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

"The instructions say to use silver solder ie, to braze . Is this not hard soldering ?"

The name "Midwest" was also mentioned, Sadly those in TLOTF don't understand the term "Silver Solder" – if it's shiny and silver coloured (Colored) its Silver Solder (Tin/Lead really – SOFT Solder). Having said that, our brethren on that side of the pond regard Silicone tube for steam and fuel connections perfectly acceptable and before the arrows start flying, a flailing bit of pipe issuing steam allows hot gas to be expelled in ANY direction.

Regards Ian.

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

1. I will be hard soldering this boiler when I get back to Cairns. I have purchased a larger burner which should produce the necessary heat.

2. I will use a Mamod safety valve as the filler plug so there will be a safety valve on the boiler.

3. Interesting point about the silicone tubing : I had intended to use it but I will give the idea further thought.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Nothing wrong with silicon tube for fuel lines, just think how many thousands of glow engines are flying or driving about with silicon linking the tank to the engine.

J

 

Edited By JasonB on 30/11/2014 07:35:26

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Posted by JasonB on 30/11/2014 07:34:27:

Nothing wrong with silicon tube for fuel lines, just think how many thousands of glow engines are flying or driving about with silicon linking the tank to the engine.

J

Edited By JasonB on 30/11/2014 07:35:26

Yes Jason, difference is, the fire is contained inside a metal cylinder which is either cooled by the free flow of air or has a heat sink wrapped round it. Even in our toys, you can get a nasty burn from "Cool" steam.

Regards Ian.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by JasonB on 30/11/2014 07:34:27:

Nothing wrong with silicon tube …

.

A quick note from Pedants' Corner: The rubbery flexible tube is "silicone"

MichaelG.

[off now, to the Treacle Market, in Macclesfield]

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 30/11/2014 10:17:11

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

With a wick burner in your boiler, you should have the fuel container outside the fire box, the fuel piped in (the tube in the shape of a smokers pipe) with a cotton wick(in the past asbestos) from the bottom of the tank to the bottom of the upturn of the pipe, then put in the burning wick, be it fibre glass, or iron wire. You could make the top of the tank completely removable for filling, but remember to have a vent hole in it, or your flame will go out. For the tube to the burner copper is not the best as it conducts heat rapidly, the ideal would be stainless steel, and the vertical part to the burner wick should be as thin as possible to reduce heat conduction. Try to have the fuel tank an inch or two away from the boiler to reduce the heating.

Ian S C

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

I was going to use brass tubing as I know I can cut a thread on this. I am not sure I would be able to cut a thread on stainless steel ; I had enough problems with brass. I would not use copper as I can never cut a thread on it. It is too soft.

Everything else you have described is exactly as I had planned.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Brass should be ok, it has a lower rate of conduction than copper. Thin brass (from the hobby/model shop) would be good, with silver soldered joints. I use steel tubes and I use brass to braze the joints, my motors are not always very pretty, just functional.

Ian S C

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