# Practical steam power for a small farm



## reubenT (Feb 28, 2012)

Can be done. If ya have an endless source of fiber (wood) And like fooling with old iron, or making metal things from scratch. I'm good on both categories and so steam is in the works. Just bought a 130 year old steam engine from an ebay auction, I have a boiler half made I was working on several years ago. I'll finish it and have me a wood fired powerplant for running everything I want to run. Quit spending money on that liquid consumable. I just help make rich men richer every time I buy it.


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## 1948CaseVAI (May 12, 2014)

Are you an experienced boilermaker? Hopefully certified...


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## JeepHammer (May 12, 2015)

There is a reason there are such tight regulations on steam boilers, they are horrendously dangerous.

Good luck on your project, how about pictures as you go?


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## Oldshep (Mar 28, 2015)

reubenT said:


> Can be done. If ya have an endless source of fiber (wood) And like fooling with old iron, or making metal things from scratch. I'm good on both categories and so steam is in the works. Just bought a 130 year old steam engine from an ebay auction, I have a boiler half made I was working on several years ago. I'll finish it and have me a wood fired powerplant for running everything I want to run. Quit spending money on that liquid consumable. I just help make rich men richer every time I buy it.


Isn't the boiler part of the steam engine? Are you replacing one from that engine or is this for some other purpose? This is very interesting to me. Any further information and pictures would be highly appreciated.


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## Oldshep (Mar 28, 2015)

Also, I found this company that makes large steam engines primarily for boats wouldnt it be possible to use something like this hooked up to a generator?

http://www.reliablesteam.com/RSE/RSEhome.html


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

I got a Large tube boiler I'd make you a deal on, that is if your willing to drive.

I think if your into steam great.
The GF's ex was a steam Junkie.
It is cool stuff.

But from a practical standpoint, you would be a lot farther ahead going the wood gas route.


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## reubenT (Feb 28, 2012)

I already tried the wood gas. Built a downdraft gasifier big enough to run my truck. Didn't like it because the wood needed to be processed into small enough pieces to feed down a hopper. And because it still depends on an internal combustion engine which has too many things that can go wrong with it. The steam engine is generally low RPM and simple, it can get pretty badly worn, be loosing steam and efficiency, but still run and get something done. Of course the boiler is something that has to be done right, is safe if built right and run properly. I like overkill safety. The one I'm building (ofeldt design watertube boiler) has design operating pressure of 600 psi, yearly cold test of 900, but I'll put a 200 relief valve on it since the engine doesn't need more. Plus it will have a soft plug that will blow up the stack long before it reaches hazardous pressure. I wouldn't recommend an amateur welder try to make one. I've been welding over 30 years, everything from thin sheet metal to cast iron to heavy steel equipment fabrication. For the critical joints of the boiler, preheat before welding, and then a stress relief heat after it's all done. It's legal to make your own and use it on your own property. To use one in public like at a show or something it has to be made by a certified boiler welder. But there's no reason I can't do just as good as the certified job. There's one kind of boiler that anyone can legally make and use anywhere. It's the monotube boiler. Just a coil of high pressure steel tubing, no pressure vessel involved. They will build pressure fast. But the disadvantage of those is they loose pressure fast if the heat gets interrupted a bit.  They are usually fired by gas or oil, wood fire is too uneven heat for them. But the watertube boiler with a small pressure vessel is a good compromise. OK for wood fired heat and easy to make for high pressure.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

I can follow your logic, I'm just sold on syngas.
True you need a internal combustion engine, I already have a ton of them used almost daily. Wood gas would allow me that ability.

As for the processing, something like this, 

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQjfJpeOYCg[/ame]


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