building a meths burner

[ACLR]

Ive started making my own meths burner so ill post pics here as the construction continues

Ive used sheet brass K&S

marked out the patern and cut out with snips


then folded up the sides and silver soldered

next to make the lid

[Chris Cairns]

Excellent Graham.

This is exactly just what I would like to do, as it is annoying having to move my meths burner from loco to loco at present.

I've just got some easy flo silver solder & flux, so look forward to experimenting soon.

Are you going to style it like the IP Eng burner but with better wings, etc?

[steamyjim]

Well done!

Me thinks i should make my meths burners...save me a some cash

[ACLR]

yes Chris im planning to make one like the ip one with better sheilding and maybe with 4 burners.
will will see how it turns out
thanks Jim give it a go mate no pain no gain

[Chris Cairns]

Do you need to do anything to the brass before silver soldering?

I've read elsewhere online about people putting the brass in some sort of acid solution.

[ACLR]

as long as the brass is clean there is no need to soak it in anything.
use good quality flux and the right amount of heat and you will have no trouble at all.
practice on some scrap first till you get the idea. do not over heat or you could melt the brass. it should just start to glow a cheery red before putting the solder onand the flux should flow evenly
i usualy clean with steal wool first then add flux then heat the brass. the solder should melt when applied to the heated brass.
hope this helps

im off to bed let us know how you get on

[SillyBilly]

Cool project Graham!

Certainly I found that silver soldering isn't as hard as it sounds.

[Chris Cairns]

Some observations regarding the number of wicks used.

The burner that I have been using the most on my Mamod & MSS locos has 5 small wicks. This holds just under 15mls of meths and runs out before the boiler water.

I've just been using the 3 wick burner from my IP Jane in a Mamod & MSS loco and although this seems to hold slightly less meths (I have not filled it right up as filler hole is open and I do not want another meths fire), I have to stop running the loco first otherwise it will boil dry.

So this could be an indication that less wicks means more burn time.

I would also recommend not placing a wick right underneath where the steam pipe goes up through the boiler as I've just had that solder fillet leaking again today despite being resoldered recently.

[ACLR]

Chris ive found with my IP burnes that I run out of meths before the boiler is half empty so maybe this is going to be a suck it and see situation. also with the upraded pistons it seems to use less water and needs more heat to keep the presure up as if you have noticed in my vids it comes to a stop and then builds up presure and starts running again. so thats why i was thinking 4 burners for extra heating.