Steam models anyone?

[mwilliwood]

Hi, Just wondering what happened to the steam powered models, I have been out of r/c for a few years and was considering getting back in and thought about trying one ,but seems they have all but gone!I know back in the 80's when I first sarted with airplanes tower had a bunch of saito steam boats?Thanks for the info!

[Ol Guy]

I think when you look at the price of the engines, boilers and misc. parts, you can see why they have all but gone. I for one don't have $1,000+ to put into just the engine of any boat. Midwest has a couple of cheap (inexpensive) steam engines but have not heard much good about them, short run time, can't keep burner lit, low power, etc. I do have some links to a couple of kit makers that look pretty good but you need a metal lathe and know how to use it. I have heard some good reports on them. Remember you will still need a boiler ($300 - $500), something most recomend against DIY. Plus the fitting to hook everything up. If interested in the links, e-mail me and I would be happy to send them on.

[mjmsprt40]

I got out of steam several years ago because I didn't have the room ( and still don't) for the small machine shop needed to keep a steam engine going. Parts are all but impossible to come by, so you have to make your own. They will break and need repair, after all. I have 2 of them standing on the side at the moment, a Saito twin and a home-made ocillating V-twin.

Boilers are another matter. The previous poster recommended against making your own, but once again if you want one you're probably going to end up doing just that. Get a couple of good books on the subject, some scrap copper, and start practicing your metal-joinery techniques before you do it on a real boiler. The danger is real, a marine center-flue boiler operating at 60 lbs can destroy a room and kill people if it bursts. The reason is that you'll have maybe a quart of water in even a small boiler, and at 60 lbs pressure that represents an incredible amount of latent power that would be unleashed all at once if the boiler bursts.

The fun is real, too, though. Learn about it, do it and be safe. Be the only person at the lake with an actual, operating steamboat and I guarantee a crowd of interested onlookers at your site. I wish I still had the old "Promethious" for that reason.

[A-37]

For your viewing pleasure, here's my 4' scratch-built tug with a Saito steam plant. Note the copper tubes filled with lead shot for ballast.

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