The
Model Engineer
And Electrician.
A JOURNAL OF PRACTICAL MECHANICS AND ELECTRICITY.
EDITED BY PERCIVAL MARSHALL A I.MEcri.E
Vol_ XIX. No. 385. SEPTEMBER 10. 1908. PUBLISHED WEEKLY
We are indebted to a correspondent, Mr. O.L. Bickford. for the following interesting notes concerning his steam canoe. He tells us that he was prompted to send us these particulars as he had seen some correspondence on the subject of power-driven river skiffs in our recent issues. and he thought that perhaps his experiences might interest other readers.
At first he had a boiler 14 ins. by 14 ins. specially made for the job, but this turned out altogether too heavy, weighing about 135lbs., and was, of course, no use for his purpose. The canoe he bought, and also a No. 3 Stuart compound engine and an eight burner intensive Primus stove [This is probably an editor's error as it is likely that Mr Bickford used a Primus No 8 stove with a single burner]. The usual fittings were employed, such as gauges, hand pump. unions, etc. and the whole thing was connected up with motor pump tubing. The flash generator consists of 30 ft. of seamless steel tubing, at 3d. a ft; the boiler and Primus stove, complete, weighing only 25 lbs. It is possible to keep up 70lbs. of steam with engine running at 500 to 600 r.p.m., driving 7” three-bladed propeller, the speed attained being 5 miles per hour. A force-pump with variable throw, 1/4in. bore, keeps up the steam at about one-eighth throw, the pump running at the same speed as engine.
There is also an auxiliary hand-pump fitted for starting, sudden spurts, etc. The canoe carries two passengers and an engineer, our correspondent taking these duties upon himself. If it may also be said, the same engineer frequently fills the position of quarter-master. and, with a paddle, occasionally back-paddles, so to speak, against the engine. to swing the canoe round almost right-angle corners on the River Cherwell.
For next year Mr. Bickford intends to fit a 2-in. by 2-in. single-cylinder engine (as he finds it more powerful at equal steam pressures), together with a 14-in. locomobile steam car burner and a 10-in. two-bladed propeller. He recently tried the experiment of installing a 1 1/2 h.p. motor bicycle petrol Engine 2-in by 2 1/4-in. stroke air-cooled, but the vibration set up made seams of the canoe leak, and the noise was worse than the noise of the Primus stove. Besides this, the Thames Conservancy would not pass the job, as it kept catching fire, and so Mr. Bickford concludes: "Steam is, after all. the best for me."
The foregoing interesting notes should serve as a very useful guide to other readers at present thinking of making some attempt in the direction of actual marine engineering on a small scale. We believe great possibilities lie in this direction, and the many advantages, both as regards facilities for working and managing such a craft. as well as others in the way of actual pleasure do not need to be emphasised to make them apparent. We shall most certainly look forward to hearing of Mr. Bickford's further results with as much interest as any of our readers.