HELP PLEASE!!!

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

My cheddar puffin plant won’t light.

 

I was finally brave enough to tighten all my unions up, put oil into the displacement lubricators ( proper cheddar stuff) and water into the boiler and aux tank…….I was planning to have a nice little steam with the engines…it’s mounted at the mo  on a board prior to putting in my model Imara

 

I turned the gas on at the tank and fired up the igniter……..it lit straight away and started to burn inthe boiler …….I didn’t realise( not very well up on steam) that the little red unit conected to the gas burner and the release valve to the engines was in fact  the gas supply regulater……until I screwed the little nob down, and off the burner went…..a nice bright blue flame ……..to begin with……….then it became more orange/yellow as the pressure was slowly building in the boiler, but the burn rate was slowing down…..sudenly the flame just cut out as though someone had turned a light switch off, and it failed to ignite again.

 

Now before anyone jumps to conclusions, a) the gass bottle is at least 6 ( six ) years old, possibly older as it was given to me six years ago when I bought the steam plant, but b) still has some in that bottle.

 

could it be that or some other thing entirely.

 

The plant is a Cheddar maxi boiler and two cheddar puffin engines. The plant was put together by a consumate steam modeller but never steamed and is about 15 years old.

 

What have I done to cock this lovely little plant up please.

 

Thanks in anticipation, Neil.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 02/01/2010 15:26:17

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

[Gerald Gardiner 1Participant @geraldgardiner1]

Hi Neil,

As I said in my Paddleducks reply, I have to clean the jets on my burner every once in a while. I use a small wire or blow air backwards through it.

Regards,

Gerald.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

thanks gerald……am going to send the plant to guernsey and let the guru’s sort it.lol

beyond my brain power, and giving me a headache, dohhhh!!!

[Gerald Gardiner 1Participant @geraldgardiner1]

Hi Neil,

Check to make sure you have the fuel valve off, butane can cause headaches

[HS93Participant @hs9317166]

Posted by Gerald Gardiner on 03/01/2010 15:07:00:

Hi Neil,

As I said in my Paddleducks reply, I have to clean the jets on my burner every once in a while. I use a small wire or blow air backwards through it.

Regards,

Gerald.

 

You must be a very very rich man, just take the gaz valve out of line and try without it . what you are going to pay to ship to Gurnsey and them play with it you could buy one off the  NEW GAZ valve’s that work see here

 

Peter

 

Edited By Colin Bishop on 04/01/2010 11:07:30

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

hi Peter 

not rich, just plain stupid really…..messing with things i haven’t a b******Y CLUE ABOUT, LOL………..

 

 I phoned Stuart models this morning  and the gent there told me about that gas regulator valve, and how easy it was to upset the balance on it…..well..i have to admit i was screwing the little screw up and down the other day as though my life depended on it, so have probably cocked it up well and truly, but he has a colegue in mainland uk and says he will have a look at it.
however a friend of mine has an aquaintance who has shown an interest in buying the plant, and the model it goes into as one……..am just waitng for an offer…….
hopefully then back to electric for me, lol
but thanks for the help from all you chaps, much appreciated.
neil.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 04/01/2010 12:27:51

[Andy BaileyParticipant @andybailey80218]

Glad you seemed to have sorted it out mate because the only thing getting steamed up was you 

Andy

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Neil

 

Having just read this thread your problem sounds like a lack of gas, as the unit has been stood for so long you could try re-charging the tank and blowing the gas lines and jet through with compressed air (its amazing how a little bit of dust can block up a system)

 

Another thought is that, given the current weather conditions the tank might have been to cold to produce gas.

 

Paul

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

I think the latter, paul, as I bought a new gas bottle (they are dispossables…….however the days I was trying to light the stuff……my normal portable calor heater was even failing to light and it took 4 hours or more for that to start punching any heat out at all………so you are all (who said cold gas) more than definately right….anyway I have put it away till warmer weather, or should it all sell (on ebay at the moment….steam plant, Imara tug and my Mountfleet coaster as a job lot…just need the space….anyone interested it’s under the title of “BOGOF”

 

…………..buy one get one free, lol

 

going to return to electric motive power…less stress. lol

and thanks for all the replies of help. neil.

[HS93Participant @hs9317166]

Posted by neil howard-pritchard on 06/01/2010 11:26:47:

I think the latter, paul, as I bought a new gas bottle (they are dispossables…….however the days I was trying to light the stuff……my normal portable calor heater was even failing to light and it took 4 hours or more for that to start punching any heat out at all………so you are all (who said cold gas) more than definately right….anyway I have put it away till warmer weather, or should it all sell (on ebay at the moment….steam plant, Imara tug and my Mountfleet coaster as a job lot…just need the space….anyone interested it’s under the title of “BOGOF”

 

…………..buy one get one free, lol

 

going to return to electric motive power…less stress. lol

and thanks for all the replies of help. neil.

 

where did you get the idea that your boiler was used with the Proteus ? and i hope no one reads this then the ebay adver.

 

peter

 

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

where did you get the idea that your boiler was used with the Proteus ?

 

what it says in the manual, peter!!!

 

As for reading this befor seeing the add on ebay……no one’s gonna buy it anyway…we’re all such tight asses anyway, us modellers…want something for nothing…..

 

I’m just being realistic.

 

Mind you, only takes one person with money burning a hole in their pocket to press the button,

 

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 07/01/2010 14:08:55

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

And just to prove the doubters, peter…this was scanned from the Cheddar models booklet this morning, ???

 

“Puffin/Pelican Maxi Plant”

 

This twin engined power unit has been designed for the builder of larger twin screwed boats. The two engines are supplied with steam from our Proteus Horizontal boiler or CM86

 

OK.

Neil.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 08/01/2010 09:14:21

[JC Uknz 1Participant @jcuknz1]

When we are doing metal casting in the Club Foundary we stand our 9kg gas bottles in a pan of water to maintain the pressure to get the heat needed to melt the metal [ Aluminium ].

 

At home once when my 9kg gas bottle stopped supplying gas to my room heater I placed my electric bar heater behind the cabinet and warmed up the bottle …. the bottle produced more gas for me.   THAT WAS AN EXPERIEMENT AND I WOULDN’T NORMALLY DO IT, just change over bottles

 

So with all the cold weather you northern folk are having the ambient temperature could be a factor except from your description of the flame changing colour.  Which suggests to be the air input getting clogged up … I’m a bit vague on this and have a query on another thread I hope somebody will answer … otherwise I’m going to need a chimney sweep as a permanent crew member.

 

Years ago with some heating cooking device I remember it came with a ‘pricker’ so that one could clean the ‘jet hole’.  It was a petrol burning camp cooker , my memory is returning

Edited By JC Uknz on 11/01/2010 09:29:40

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

thanks jc……..i’ve put it all away until warmer weather, that is unless it sells on fleebay, but i doubt that very much, lol

[JC Uknz 1Participant @jcuknz1]

Doing further tests on the bench I discovered that by increasing the pressure down the pipe I got a better ‘burning flame’ which if read in reverse … your story about the flame reducing suggests a blockage in the supply.    My problem is the amount of soot being deposited on the boiler.

[Neville BurfordParticipant @nevilleburford98707]

I can’t find your treasure on Ebay, or as you put it FleeBay. These wonderful things seldom make their way down here.

As an aside, I have NEVER had any problem with gas delivery, but then, look at where I live.

Australia.

For my 2 bob’s worth, I think you have an old gas problem or a lot too little ambient temperature problem. But, what would I know, it was 47.8°C yesterday, that’s 118.04°F.

Nev.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

hi neville,

 

 it was -5c the other day when i was trying to fire it up, so we have the total extremes with your withering temps…..i’d have melted in those temps.

 

 

hope i’m not contravening mb rules but here’s the link to the item on fleebay.

if it does then please remove it, no problems.

mind you, i have someone interested in swapping the job lot for a fully build speedline tamar lifeboat.

 

link to item, neville………….      http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250558800858&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

[HS93Participant @hs9317166]

Posted by neil howard-pritchard on 08/01/2010 09:10:10:

And just to prove the doubters, peter…this was scanned from the Cheddar models booklet this morning, ???

 

“Puffin/Pelican Maxi Plant”

 

This twin engined power unit has been designed for the builder of larger twin screwed boats. The two engines are supplied with steam from our Proteus Horizontal boiler or CM86

 

OK.

Neil.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 08/01/2010 09:14:21

 

 

yes as i said it can be supplied with two different boilers one is the proteus and one is the CMB6 yours is th CMB6 not the proteus the CMB6 was NEVVER supplied for the Proteus

 Peter

Edited By HS 93 on 14/01/2010 14:21:19

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

do you have a problem, peter……………….get it off yer chest lad,

 

mine is the proteus   boiler…………….sez so on the bill of sale……signed by the man himself…….

 

anyway, as you’ve said nothing constructive in this little badenage’ and you are clearly not interested in buying the thing i don’t know why you are bothering to comment at all…………….seams a pointless exercise to me.

haven’t you got something better to do with your time, because I certainly have.

I hope you get better soon. lol

 

 

[HS93Participant @hs9317166]

read your first post you got it right

 

“The plant is a Cheddar maxi boiler and two cheddar puffin engines”

I get fed up with people coming on web sites after buying on ebay  with new plants they cannot get going for them then to find they have not bought what was discribed.

a CMB6 boiler goes for half the price of a proteus boiler. oh thats why it changed!

 

Peter

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

i think you have the problem here, peter,

not me.

stick to mayhem matey…..it’s nice and peacefull on here….the way we like it. lol

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 14/01/2010 22:05:18

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

eureeeeeeekaaa!!!….finally got my boiler up to steam, the smoke came out the right hole, the steam came out the right places and the safety valve blew at 40 psi………so it’s into the boat it goes, lol

After farting around with it for months I finally used what little intelligence I have and contacted a man from the Cheddar Steam Club.It turned out that he used to build them at the factory..pointed me out on a few placers and I fired it up this morning……..brilliant.

One of the problems that I have had was caused by the GAV (gas attenuator valve) which on the early set ups was very temperamental to adjust and me of little patience when something that I know nowt about, goes wrong couldn’t get to grips with it.In the end he recommended me to remove it, and just run the gas straight to the burner.

Anyway…I am now going to fit it into the tug and hopefully my next challenge will be to video it and post it somewhere.
Now that will be an even bigger triumph, lol

might even get it down the lake next week sometime.

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