Thread: Restoring a Weir boiler feed pump

Nothing to report.
Just bumping to make sure this thread doesn't get locked as I may be about to continue on with the restoration soon.
I almost have a workable shed. I might even be getting some power connected. Woo Hoo!

Phil

Originally Posted by Steamwhisperer

Nothing to report.
Just bumping to make sure this thread doesn't get locked as I may be about to continue on with the restoration soon.
I almost have a workable shed. I might even be getting some power connected. Woo Hoo!

Phil

Pull your finger out Phil!

Simon

Its been a long honeymoon Phil time to get back to work.

How ordinary is this, just bumping again.
Definitely time to get some stuff done

Hi Phil, it gets like that. Time marches on!

Simon

Phil, you should feel ashamed for taking money for work you really love. What a rotten job you have making all of us feel green with envy.

How's the new shed old son, a step up from shipping containers?

Talking of shipping containers, would a 20' x 8' container be big enough for a workshop?

Ken

Originally Posted by neksmerj

Phil, you should feel ashamed for taking money for work you really love. What a rotten job you have making all of us feel green with envy.

How's the new shed old son, a step up from shipping containers?

Talking of shipping containers, would a 20' x 8' container be big enough for a workshop?

Ken

Hi Ken
this pump is my own personal one so it is a case of 'knocking off work to lay bricks'
The shed works a treat although it still has trellis walls covered in shade cloth and an extension lead for power so I restrict myself to running only one thing at a time.
At least the shed is functional.
If I had a 20' x 8' shipping container it would be bigger than the shed I have
Nah, it's time I got back into something I love doing at home (as well as at work). Extract the digit as they say.
I also fired up the Douglas shaper the other night, a bloke came around to have a look at the clutched motor I put on it as he has a Douglas that requires one.
Might be time to permanently bolt the old girl down and start using it in anger.

I hear what you are saying Simon, except time is doing a quick march at the moment

Phil

Originally Posted by neksmerj

Talking of shipping containers, would a 20' x 8' container be big enough for a workshop?

Ken

No!

Well, let me explain; About 5 years ago I bought and built a 9M x 7M shed with 3M wall height thinking it was ridiculously big and I felt really greedy for buying it. At the time I had a lathe and a workbench with a frill press and some other tools. Since then I have also acquired a mill, T&C grinder, surface grinder, bandsaw, shaper and things are getting a bit tight.

Don't get me wrong, I very, very grateful for what I have and feel very lucky and I would never complain about anything. Sheds are not cheap so it's not like I can just go build a factory! Anyway, it does not take long to go from a spacious (seemingly palatial) shed to one that's almost too small.

Get the biggest shed you can:

(1) afford
(2) fit

Simon

Sorry guys but just a bit of a bump.
The good wife and I have just returned from Tassie camping in a tent in what was apparently the worst floods since the 1920's.
While there we went to Pearns steam world where I noticed a Weirs pump exactly the same as mine.
The good wife was blown away and insisted that 'we' don't muck around anymore and get the pump finished.
This has apparently freed up funds for appropriate power to the shed and a real shed not too far down the track.
A refurbish of the camping box which leaked a little (but who can blame it) and the pump comes out to see the light of day.
Stand by for updates.

Phil

Originally Posted by Steamwhisperer

Apologies guys but nothing exciting to report last night as all I was doing was cleaning out the tapped holes for the studs (not that they needed it). I will probably run a die nut down the studs as well. I did a bit of a survey to assess any repairs and here's what I came up with.

Steam Valve Chest
The shuttle valve should be a good fit on the round face matching the round face with the ports and passages of the steam chest. This is done by using a file and marking blue (a big thank you to Marco and the Phil from the Melbourne Scraping Class for making available a world class marking blue ) The fit is very close but I can see a slight discrepancy using a light in the background so this shouldn't take too much work.
Attachment 265784 Attachment 265783

On the other side of the shuttle valve is a flat face that has to be scraped in to the auxilliary valve. It's a law that valve faces that slide against each other are to be scraped as with lapping, the grinding/lapping paste will impregnate the faces and accelerate wear.
Attachment 265786 Attachment 265785

I thought about straightening the auxiliary valve spindle but on closer inspection it was 'necked' from over-tightening the gland or perhaps just wear and tear so a new one will have to be made. I understand new ones are still available but where's the fun in that
Attachment 265788

About the only other part in the steam valve chest are the bells and they aren't too bad at all.

Hi Phil
I have been following your restoration with great interest as I have worked on many DA Pumps I have Drawings of nearly every component in a DA Pump plus numerous handbooks.....

The most recent entry by Phil in these posts is six years ago so Dhug's post may not be seen by Phil.

Originally Posted by Normanby

The most recent entry by Phil in these posts is six years ago so Dhug's post may not be seen by Phil.

But was last online only 10 days ago.