Hi Ron, and thanks for the reply, believe me when I say I was not criticising your actions as it is no business of mine. I am very pleased that you are into steam as the more the merrier, we are as rare as hen's teeth on this website, more is the pity. You certainly sound extremely capable in the fitting and turning department, which can save you an awful lot of money these days. Your boiler is pleasantly complex with its nine cross tubes and superheater. I have just taken a leaf out of your book and am now using an adapted gas torch head as a burner with very good results, I can now run the engine flat out and still maintain a boiler pressure of 40PSI. Kindly check out my collection of boats all of which use steam as a power source in my harbour. I rather like your motor cycle and have included a photo of mine a 61 year old Ariel Huntmaster 650 cc twin. Regards, Gary.

Hi Gary, Thank you for your concern. I have a new pressure gauge that I will be mounting. The safety valve is set to 60 lbs and it does work (Tested it and test it every year priot to spring sails).
In building the boiler I hydro tested the boiler to 150 lbs. The outside copper tube for the boiler wall is 0.100 thick and the end caps are 0.090 thick. It has 9 fire tubes and is silvered soldered together. The smoke dome on top where there is a loop of stainless steel tubing (used for a dryer) under the hood. The motor is about 70 years old and is 5/8 X 5/8 oscillator built by a fellow named Anthony Bohaboy out of Rahway NJ. The kitchen rudder is used as there is no reversing in a single cylinder engine and it works quite well. The boat is fiberglass where I made a plug then a mold. The boat is not finished as I have some copping and interior work to do, Boat is 36" long with a 12" beam and weighs 26 lbs. I do like your boat, it looks very nice. I just acquired a Diana hull and deck with the deck planking and some of the anterior is completed

I am also quite intrigued by your video, as the pressure gauge shows zero pressure and the boat is steaming along at a fair speed. I would hazard a guess there is at least 20 PSI steam pressure in your boiler considering the engine's speed. I suggest you get the pressure gauge sorted in order the calibrate the pressure release valve, more so for your own safety than anything else. Besides that minor problem, I loved your video and let's have more steam-powered boats on this website. Regards, Gary.

Hello CaptLarry, and you are very welcome on this site as there is very little doing with regard to Steam. There are two valves you can use for throttle control one is a rotary valve which is complex, difficult to get hold of and expensive. then there is a lever-operated valve from Cleveden Steam U/K, not expensive and used in most of my steamboats very successfully. I would strongly recommend this one to you, and Cleveden Steam is a very good source for most steam fittings. Hoping this helps, regards Gary.

Did you make thi or was it offered commercially?

Thank you for the reply. The boat is over 30 years old. The boiler walls are 0.100 inches thick with the end plate the same thickness. It was originally 5 tube boiler. The burner is a Optimus back pack stove that I modified. The burner and 5 tube boiler did not build up that much steam, not enough burner. Added 4 more tubes and that seemed to help. In running, I fill the boiler up to valve near the top or the sight glass to get the longest run, a little over 30 minutes. She the boat first goes into the water ther is some priming going on but it settles down once heated and the water level goes down a bit. I believe the gauge does work as if I leave the boat sit it will go up. I have another gauge and should swap it out or test the one I m using. With running low pressure you do get a longer run. Thank you for the reply.

Mate, I like your oscillating engine and your great video. I have been steaming for eons and am fascinated at the steam pressure gauge at the start registering pressure , though I cannot read the actual pressure gauge numbers and what seems a lot of condensate ( so what ) and after a short while the pressure gauge drops to near zero or thereabouts and stays there for the full run and yet your water gauge glass is so very FULL ( yippee) , such a good pump till it, the glass water gauge eventually shows it has not too much reservoiur water left for the run and the pressure gauge STILL shows near zero to indicate the end of the run , do you have a faulty pressure gauge ? Maybe the Mamoli tube should be inverted to the pressure gauge as you may have it filled with water? I do not know. On another matter, my club Webb identity picture shows my model 56 inch Cervia steam engined Tug which I replaced the Stuart 10 to the Stuart twin 5/8 bore and stroke same as yours ? I think, which may be their still selling 11mm or so bore and stroke (me, still imperial and not modern ). My little twin pushes the Cervia displacement 44lbs hull like a rocket , such power. In my latest model build I am struggling with a 46 inch long hull with a Stuart 10 twin AND it is the Kitchen rudder ( that is the struggle) which I have done several times. My mate who is "radio modern" says he will fix/train my transmitter 2.4 ghz on his computer my two rudder cup servos to do "mixing " like Ailerons to impart opposite throws so that the Kitchen cups will then turn such that "I have left and right rudder" in addition to normal opening and closing of the Kitchen rudder cups. I was not to impressed with the threaded screw tiller and the triangular wings mine is ALL brass to impart strength, as you have ALL on a base that imparts steering .I just found I lacked hull room for a swivelling base in my needing a beefy apparatus, as it weighs about 20 to 26 pounds at a guess, so far a lot of finishing still needed ,I love to build big, such is . Though I got off the track, your thoughts on the pressure gauge may be revealing to me ! Regards Lyle.

This is my first Video down load so be patient, might of posted it in the wrong forum section.
Length 36" beam 12" Boat is scratch built and the boiler is scratch built 9 fire tube. Burner is a modified Optimus back pack stove and uses Coleman lantern fuel (white gas). Boat has a kitchen rudder but this video really does not show it, unless you notice some fancy turns. Engine was made by Anthony Bahaboy (Late 40's) out of Rahway NJ USA. It has a 5/8 bore and a 5/8 stroke with a packing as piston rings. I get a little more than a 30 minute run.
More to come

Mine works the same way. This looks commercial as I built mine with all metal.
I have the photos just need to find them and my book/notes on the kitchen rudder. Want to post all of my information with the pictures. I am also looking on posting videos on you tube as I am a novice, but do not want to pay the you tube price. I see that there are others alternatives for posting on-you tube. Have a video with a camera that was mounted on board and want to put this on you tube as "Taking A Ride On Steamboat Willie". just have to learn😊

Hi:
something like this, perhaps?

Hi RonH,
Do these help?

Martin555.

I am looking for some detailed photos that I have on the Rudder. It looks more complicated than it is. The idea is basically very simple and the way that I did it works almost like the original, One servo to operate both rudder clam shells and nother servo to turn the rudder for steering.

Kitchen rudder but on a Midwest boat you may have to use very small servos.Or you can look for a variable pitch propeller which are expensive. I have one of those boat that I made in the late 80's. The engine was made of white metal/zinc, had to make a new one, I used the sterno to fuel but what I did was to build up steam first put the fire out reload with sterno and I got between 25 to 30 minute runs, These are great boats!

Hi Julio,
That is a very clever system.
thank you for showing us.

Martin555.

Hi:
This is what I found.
I hope it serves you

Looking forward to seeing the photos, and perhaps a video of the rudder in action!

Martin555.

Thank you for your input Martin. the kitchen rudder was patented in 1914 by Admire Kitchen. You can always pull up the original patents if you wish.
My boat is 36" X 12" and uses a single cylinder Oscillator that was made in the late 40's by a fellow name Antony Bayoboy out of Rahway NJ. The Kitchen rudder works very well as when it is in reverse it is about 30 percent of what it would be going forward., but with the slower speed it is steerable. I will looks for some photos of the rudder dissembled and take some photos on what it looks like in the boat.

Hi RonH,
I would be interested as I know very little about this system.

Martin555.

The Kitchen Rudder:
Not to hard once you understand the basics.
For mine there are 4 shafts: The rudder stuffing box, the tube that is used to control the right rudder shell, the tube to control the left rudder shell then there is a floating shaft. all are telescoping. There are two servos used, one that is mounted on the floating shaft that pulls or pushed the two shells apart or together then the other servo is used in controlling the right to left motion as used on a typical rudder. It is hard to visualize, but it works very well. Question would the folks on this forum like me to open a kitchen rudder post? I can dig up some drawing, tke some photos and try to post a you-tube video?

I presume its a single cylinder single acting engine in which case have you tried an exhaust throttle? A simple lever pivoted at one end which can partially cover the exhaust port. it may seem a bit strange but if steam cannot get out there is less room for fresh to get in while keeping the full boiler pressure to move the piston. if your engine has an exhaust stub then a butterfly or slide valve across that .

PS: Welcome aboard Novagsi0 😊
Doug 😎

Tricky in any boat!! 😲 But an interesting concept.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_rudder

You could always make a Kitchen's Patent Reversing Rudder to control the speed I made one once but never fitted it to my steam boat. it requires 2 servos to open close the direction, and speed control is made by open more or less both sides engine runs at constant speed. I guess on a boat that small it may be tricky to modify at this stage.
Happy boating!!.

Thanks for the advice, well received. This little engine (oscillator) is soooooo simple, that any attempts to throttle it just causes it to stop. However, when up and running it propels the boat just fine. I think I'll just leave it as is.
The only boat clubs I have found here are only racing clubs, sail and speedboat. That's why I enjoy this site, you all are interested in classic boating!
Thanks again!

Whilst it may be possible to do this is something for the expert to try.
Simple model steam oscillators are quite safe to use in their intended form and used correctly should pose few problems for the user.
However they are simple and lack many of the safety features of their bigger models.
I suggest you join a model boat club with steam testing facilities and get expert help in addressing your requirements.
Sorry if this comes across in a negative fashion but for your own safety and the public's generally this is not something you should try yourself.