Garden Railway Forum

So until I can sell one of the Kids, or retire and take up bank robbing, I will have to wait on the gas burner (best I've found is £65 from PPS...which is a tank.burner/controller).

However trying to get chaffing gell/fluid ie Sterno, its mainly in bulk locally and costly on web, HOWEVER on yahoo 16mm modellers blog someone (I am sorry I forgot who) had been trying Miltons antibacterial hand gel (100ml at £1.34)...It works on controlled burn of about 7minutes in the Max pan (its the ethnol) similar time for Asda drywash moisturising antibacterial hand gel(200ml at £1.44)goodness knows whats in that one!

There is an art to lighting and keeping burning and when to use my DIY wind shield. It works better when you don't overfill 50/60ml of water in the boiler seems to do the best and the fuel pan is hot

Crackingjob

Hand wash is the way forward

Crackingjob.. My uncle buys the fuel gel in bulk for his catering buisness.. I can get you tins at about a pound each if you would like I can sort something out?

My MAX should arrive tomorrow.

Any chance of a pic of you wind sheild?


Will

Just an FYI, there are some MAX with the wrong instructions and it says to put 20ml of water into the boiler it infact should be 40ml. Martin of Martins models is trying to take them out as they come in but of course there is always the one that slips the net.

ive been playing with mine all afternoon and have found the following...

It really only likes the regner fuel wich I didnt find two bad, so much so i am sourcing more.

Any other fuel produced too much or too little heat. The only stuff I could run mine on well was the supplied gel.. (all gone now so need more.. grrr)

It runs pretty well straight outta the box. Needs running in but you are to expect this..

Ive also made a burner sheild ala strongbow can wich seemed to work well outside after a bit of running in..

when im back from my holiday and I can find some more of this gelly (sterno didnt seem to give enough umph!)

Will

The 3 mamod tablets and the antibacterial gel did ok..it does need a gas burner

If you join 7-8ths.info there is a max pimped (search for pimp my max) for 7-8ths

Its the burner....Alan at Dream Steam 9who is an agent for martin) is trying to source gas burners

I found a round one with control and tank on PPS site...I understand the burner is from Forest Classics but the tank is apparently not good...it goes for about £65 .

Crackingjob

A couple of pics of Crackingjob's 'Max' running at today's steam up, off my crummy phone camera.



Yes, I know my Willi's boiler cladding is falling apart!



'Max' and his big brother.

CJ, could you please do a pic of your burner gaurd, ive made one but it isnt very good. wouldnt mind seeing yours too see if there are any differnces

Just wondering where I could get one of these from and what price?

MARTINS MODELS £245 ish

Crackingjob:44537 wrote:MARTINS MODELS £245 ish

Consider one ordered with water level gauge
Woo Hooo

Got mine, like 30mins ago, I'm throughly impressed, but in the Martains models instructions it says the fuel is Ethonal Gel, os this true? If so google brings up stuff like this to buy
http://tinyurl.com/25uwht8

yes it is ture and yes that is fuel gel. its like a solid fuel tablet campers use but in a gel form. Im sure you must be able to buy it in large quantities though

Sir haydn:45147 wrote:yes it is ture and yes that is fuel gel. its like a solid fuel tablet campers use but in a gel form. Im sure you must be able to buy it in large quantities though

Aye, think you can get it in larger quanities, google will bring something up

someone has done a meths conversion on one. i think it might have been mike darby at chuffed 2 bits but cant be sure

Martain models are knowing suppling gas conversion kits and reversor kits.

I asked a question on HELP ME last week about PPS De Winton as it was impossible to run slowly. You have to take the cylinders off and countersink the ports. Its still runnong on HELP ME Trouble is although looking a better bet than Max its £500 and I dont want to take it apart to make it run. I met someone ( sorry names dont stay long with me) at South Arbury in September who had a Max and ran it on a perfumed antibacterial soap. Said his garden smelt unusual. I lookforward to details of a reversing valve for it. There is a gas fire made by Regner but its £150. I would be happy with meths. Lot cheaper. Vapouriser.

I'd still get the PPS. They are nice strong things. If you don't want to take bits off I'd gladly sort it for you.

Thank you bessytractor. Not sure when I ll get one. But I ll be in touch.