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Blow steam whistle with air

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Robert in Md.

02-02-2001 19:24:55




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Just acquired a 5 inch steam whistle with a 1 1/2 inch pipe connection. I want to hook it up to my air compressor. what do I need to do to get enough air to it. I know that I can only blow for a short while and then I will have to let the compressor catch up. Also why doesn't the steam valve have any packing around the valve stem, it just slides brass on brass, going to be a big leak around the stem . Any ideas.

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bbott

02-05-2001 12:37:05




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 Re: Blow steam whistle with air in reply to Robert in Md., 02-02-2001 19:24:55  
Make a butterfly valve and hook
that puppy up to your tractor
exhaust.

Get a bell to ring and you can really have some fun with the neighbors.

bb



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medfarm

02-03-2001 19:11:32




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 Re: Blow steam whistle with air in reply to Robert in Md., 02-02-2001 19:24:55  
For 28 years, I operated large sawmills in the pine regions of the Sierra Nevada mtn's of California. Since most steam power generated by the company power plant was replaced by large rotary screw air compressors, compressed air was used for everything including the steams whistles used for start of shift, lunch, end of shift, equipment breakdown, and emergency warnings. The steam whistles, as one post suggested, sound slightly different when operated with air. When water accumulates in the air supply line, the steam whistle has a melody of it's own. The big whistles will require a large volumne of air to properly operate. A 1 1/2" air inlet will require about 100 CFM to operate. The supply line from the tank should be 1 1/2" also. A typical smaller farm or shop air compressor does not have the capacity to operate the whistle.
I now have the sawmill whistles (after we closed the mills) hooked up in my farm shop. I use a 100 gal auxilary tank with a 1" line to the whistle. Old habits are hard to break. Enjoy your brass whistles.

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Allen at Catfish Hollow

02-02-2001 21:04:56




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 Re: Blow steam whistle with air in reply to Robert in Md., 02-02-2001 19:24:55  
A 5 inch whistle was designed for a 250hp+ boiler, so you better have a really BIG receiver to blow it on air. (something like 150 gallon, though the bigger the better) The problem isn't pressure, its the volume.
Most vintage steam whistles don't have packing because it tends to cause the valve to drag and not seat quickly...the stem is on the discharge side and doesn't need to retain pressure when the valve is seated (closed). Eliminating packing on the valve simplified the design, cut manufacturing costs, and improved the action all at once....
The only real reason to put a new bushing or guide in would be if the valve was worn so badly that it no longer seats correctly.

Don't expect the whistle to sound nearly as good on air either. most steam whistles sound thinner and thready on air (while, conversely, air whistles will get funny undesirable overtones (minor and modal harmonics) on steam).

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Robert in Md.

02-03-2001 06:11:56




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 Re: Re: Blow steam whistle with air in reply to Allen at Catfish Hollow, 02-02-2001 21:04:56  
Thanks Allen, you answered all my guestions. The valve stem isn"t worn that bad. I had never seen the inside of a steam whistle before. I also have a very small whistle about 1 1/2 inches in diameter with an 3/8 inch inlet with no valve. How can I make a working valve for this whistle. I want to attach this whistle permanently to my air compressor line..



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Allen

02-03-2001 09:53:10




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 Re: Re: Re: Blow steam whistle with air in reply to Robert in Md., 02-03-2001 06:11:56  
The cheapest valve would be one of those 1/4 turn ball type valves from the hardware store (about $12). There are cheap new chinese made whistle valves (with nylon seats - useless for steam, but great for air) on the market (about $38 from places like Hit'n Miss Enterprises). Or there are good valves, both new and used (Crane and others) for more than I feel they're worth (I'm CHEAP), but somebody out there is buying them.

A buddy of mine has a 3-3/4" single chime mounted on top of a 50gallon receiver up in the rafters of his garage, he's only blown it a couple times, not because it's too loud inside (it is), but because it also blows and vibrates loose all the dust and dead bugs off of the joists and lights. He said if he did it again he'd either put it outside, or down lower.

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Whiskers

02-03-2001 06:50:36




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 Re: Re: Re: Blow steam whistle with air in reply to Robert in Md., 02-03-2001 06:11:56  
Look for a valve like they used for Air Horns on trucks. Any truck salvage yard should have one. Even a new one could not be terribly expensive.



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Whiskers

02-03-2001 06:49:08




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 Re: Re: Re: Blow steam whistle with air in reply to Robert in Md., 02-03-2001 06:11:56  
Look for a valve like they used for Air Horns on trucks. Any truck salvage yard should have one. Even a new one could not be terribly expensive.



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