The boys' book of engine-building; . an elbow screwed to the pipefor the pressure gauge and, finally, if you havea steam whistle, screw a coupling on the pipe inthe smoke-box sheet. Pipe /4 inch in diametercan be bought cut to any length up to 2 feet andthreaded on both ends, and the elbows and coup-lings are tapped with right-left-handed threadsto fit the pipe. The boiler complete with a castsmoke-box and fire-box is shown in Fig. 43. How to Test the Boiler.—Before you get upsteam in the boiler after you have completed it,the safest way is to test it by trying it withwater pressure. Then you
The boys' book of engine-building; . an elbow screwed to the pipefor the pressure gauge and, finally, if you havea steam whistle, screw a coupling on the pipe inthe smoke-box sheet. Pipe /4 inch in diametercan be bought cut to any length up to 2 feet andthreaded on both ends, and the elbows and coup-lings are tapped with right-left-handed threadsto fit the pipe. The boiler complete with a castsmoke-box and fire-box is shown in Fig. 43. How to Test the Boiler.—Before you get upsteam in the boiler after you have completed it,the safest way is to test it by trying it withwater pressure. Then you can find out where itleaks and why without danger either to yourselfor to your handiwork. If you will turn to the next chapter, you willfind that the steam gauge is constructed with abent tube so that instead of the steam acting di-rectly on the mechanism of the steam gauge thetube is filled with water and the steam presseson the water instead. Hence all you have to do is to connect theintake water pipe to a force pump and to pump. Fig. 43. The Boiler Complete108 Making Small Boilers 109 until the pressure gauge indicates twice the num-ber of pounds pressure that you ever intend toget up in steam. The boilers described in thischapter should be tested to 40 or 50 pounds pres-sure ; consequently you should never let the steampressure rise to more than 20 pounds. A Safe Way to Operate a Small Boiler.—Any engine that will run with steam can be runwith compressed air. Now by pumping air into the boiler until it isunder as much, or a little more pressure thansteam, if you used it, you can run your enginewithout steam and, naturally, without fire, andthis eliminates both of these elements of danger. To pump up the boiler is a simple matter,for you can do it with a bicycle pump, or, better,with a motor car pump. If you use compressedair, you do not need the water gauge on theboiler; instead of coupling a source of water tothe intake pipe fit a bicycle valve or an inner tubevalve—
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