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Thread: Wiles Senior cooker.

  1. #161
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    Old tubes have been very carefully cut out with a tungsten carbide cutter as there is no room for a grinder.
    ( It takes about an hour to cut away just one end of a tube)
    Tube replacement and barrel replacement is been done in Two stages so dimensions can be kept under control.
    The boiler is currently with the pressure vessel welder.
    17 x 500mm long tubes
    9 mtrs of tube needs to be purchased of 4mm or better wall thickness.

    One picture shows wiles senior and wiles junior safety valves side by side.
    They are different sizes, but the boilers are the same size ???????
    The safety valves are to be sent away for testing and inspection to keep the boiler inspector happy.
    A new glass is currently being made for the pressure gauge.
    I Found a siphon for the gauge, but it is a bit wasted, so I am trying to find some suitable pipe to make a new one.( the original pipe used is not a drawn tube, but has a seam running down the side which is surprising to find on a boiler)
    In another photo I found in my stuff is a large brass operation plate which is only fitted to earlier Wiles senior cookers and all the stationary units.
    As built they didn't fit the plate to the juniors.
    There is nothing special about the steel in the boiler or tubes...…..it is just mild steel.
    The housing the tubes are welded to is flat plate which has been pressed into shape and the side of the box welded up...…….all very simple using non strategic materials for a WW2 design.
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  2. #162
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    I have looked at the oven.
    The old rusted floor has been cut out.
    As usual the rust is worse than I thought.
    One side of the oven where it fits up against the boiler will have to be replaced and that was expected.
    What was not expected is the need to replace various angle iron supports and various sheet metal internal baffles...…...all a lot of work.
    The main aim currently is getting the boiler to steam as the oven can be bolted on later when repaired.
    I am still trying to get my head around how the hot air from the oven fire flows around the oven and how the oven fire draws fresh air.
    Ron
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  3. #163
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    Jan 1970
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    Adelaide Hills. South Australia
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    Quote Originally Posted by 101 Ron View Post
    Old tubes have been very carefully cut out with a tungsten carbide cutter as there is no room for a grinder.
    ( It takes about an hour to cut away just one end of a tube)
    Tube replacement and barrel replacement is been done in Two stages so dimensions can be kept under control.
    The boiler is currently with the pressure vessel welder.
    17 x 500mm long tubes
    9 mtrs of tube needs to be purchased of 4mm or better wall thickness.

    One picture shows wiles senior and wiles junior safety valves side by side.
    They are different sizes, but the boilers are the same size ???????
    The safety valves are to be sent away for testing and inspection to keep the boiler inspector happy.
    A new glass is currently being made for the pressure gauge.
    I Found a siphon for the gauge, but it is a bit wasted, so I am trying to find some suitable pipe to make a new one.( the original pipe used is not a drawn tube, but has a seam running down the side which is surprising to find on a boiler)
    In another photo I found in my stuff is a large brass operation plate which is only fitted to earlier Wiles senior cookers and all the stationary units.
    As built they didn't fit the plate to the juniors.
    There is nothing special about the steel in the boiler or tubes...…..it is just mild steel.
    The housing the tubes are welded to is flat plate which has been pressed into shape and the side of the box welded up...…….all very simple using non strategic materials for a WW2 design.



    The address on the brass plate brings back memories Ron.


    The Refrigeration Co I worked for at Marleston used Wiles Manufacturing's Hot Galv Baths for our Galvanising needs. Mainly steel wire shelves from the Domestic Fridges we made.

    Like most of that type of factory, the Roof & Walls were eaten out due to the acidic atmosphere & you could see from one side to the other. When it rained..... Don't ask. Still it was Post War (circa 1950) & materials were still hard to come by.

    So, good progress on the Junior then?

  4. #164
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    New tubes are in.( Eight hours TIG welding work.....that's going to hurt the hip pocket.)

    The second stage is to fit the new boiler barrel.
    New glass fitted to pressure gauge done and had a spare glass cut ,just in case for the future.
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  5. #165
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    More progress

    New barrel welded in.
    The boiler now is nearly as good as a new one.
    water level sight gauge, and various pieces of piping to be worked out.
    boiler drain pipe and valve fitted.....much hand fitting going on, especially as my modified ash pan is slightly higher than the standard design and I had to grind the bottoms of the fire box castings so the whole thing fits together correctly.
    Chimmey/boiler cover support bolt holes matched up and correctly drilled in the replacement fire box sides.
    The chimmey / boiler cover has to be sealed with high temp corking compound and glass rope to replace asbestos gaskets ect.
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  6. #166
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    Getting very close now for a hydraulic test using the hand pump and then lighting the fire.
    Water tank fitted after playing with the mounting brackets.
    Hand pump now working .
    Starting to fit up the water level sight gauge and other brass ware.( it was some of the stuff that was damaged in storage by a previous owner.)
    I still have to make up some sheet metal brackets and pipe covers ect.
    Getting everything to line up correctly takes the time.( I have new boiler fire box sides, on basically a new boiler and new boiler top cover)
    Also waiting on more black hi temp stove paint.
    Boiler cover has hi temp furnace sealant around it to replace the asbestos putty that once was used.
    Water gauge blow down pipe still to be bent to shape and supported.
    Main boiler blow down pipes in place, but a support for the pipes from the trailer chassis still has to be made.
    I have been using nickel high temp never seize on the various bolts( its the reason for silver smears all over the stove black, it gets everywhere)...….I was luckly I found some stored away in my long gone fathers stuff from his days of working on steam tug boats in the 1960s
    Stag is been used on the pipe fittings.....I am hoping the old ways still work well......I have no idea if stag is going work with the heat...…..but stag is food rated.
    It has to be remembered the inside of the boiler and its pipes must be blown down often as its the steam from this boilers insides is used directly into food stuffs or tea urn etc.
    No boiler treatment chemicals can be used.
    The boiler will need a bit of use before it is ever used for cooking foods, to stop contamination and bad food tastes.
    It is interesting to note when the steaming pots are not used, the steam feed hoses must be disconnected, as a boiler left connected and allowed to cool can form a vacuum and suck food stuffs inside the boiler itself , and when the boiler is used again those food stuffs will come out and cross contaminate the new lot of food been cooked.
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  7. #167
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    Re Stag. I think you will have to suck it & see, but Never Seez for me was a lifesaver for all bolts, nuts & fittings when I restored my S2A. Makes taking things apart a breeze as you may know.


    With STAG I guess if you follow good cleanup & oil free conditions of the threads it should work ok. What could possibly go wrong?

    Glad to see good Progress being made, & now it looks like a Wiles Jnr rather than a pile of rusty panels & misc. bits of a few months ago..

    I wish I could bagsie the first brew out of it when completed although it might taste a bit crap to begin with but please let me know when the first Lamb Roast & Spuds is coming out?

  8. #168
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    The boiler is in steam for the first time in more than 20 years.
    I had to spend much time in disassembling the pump clack valves, steam and water cocks.
    They all need a clean up to get them working correctly.
    I have a few steam leaks to chase , even though I did a hydraulic test and then used the workshop air compressor as a final check before lighting the fire.
    The safety valve is set at a very low 75 PSI until I feel everything is working well.
    The stag sealing compound works fantastic for the cold side, but doesn't like the heat and therefore not much good for steam.
    I will have to use a Loctite product or something else.
    I am only a third of the way done.
    The oven will have to be done next and then tea/hot water container and steaming pots.
    The parts from the spare Wiles senior cooker has been a saviour .
    I am getting steamed up about the whole project.
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  9. #169
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  10. #170
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    Homestar is offline Super Moderator & CA manager Gold Subscriber
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    Great work Ron, brilliant it’s back in steam. Wiles Senior cooker.
    If you need to contact me please email homestarrunnerau@gmail.com - thanks - Gav.

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