Great video Keith, and thank you to black gates for allowing you access to show their manufacturing techniques. It's a bit of an honour and shows your status in the steam hobby world ;) It was most interesting to see as until now I hadn't realised how dual flanges in plates were formed. Thanks for taking the time on this vid :) regards one happy viewer ;)

Amazing Keith, thanks for the behind the scenes look at the hard work.

I enjoy all your videos. Great job. It's fascinating to see how much work is put into all the parts.

Another window into the black art that is steam engineering - Keith, you are the "Gandalf of Steam"!!!! Many Thanks.

Thanks for this - I'm trying to make a small boiler and was thinking of casting brass - this is much better!

Finally a behind the scenes peak at model steam, basic component construction. Thank you Keith and THX to Blackgates.

This is fascinating. This boiler work is clearly extremely skilled and labour intensive.

That was very interesting. I always assumed that they stamped them in much the same way that they do for sheet metal for cars, and maybe heated it up first for the thicker stuff.

Wow! Super interesting. Thank you all!

Thanks Keith, this has answered the question I asked you the other day about the gauge of copper needed to make my large Tich boiler, you are lucky to have such a nice bunch of people selling Model Engineering parts so close to you, this has also given me ideas for making the bucks to form my own boiler, regards Nigel.

As usual "I DID" find that useful, and a usual I thank you for it! :-)... I'm would also say thank you to blackgates for allowing you to show us the information. A testament to your patronage.

Thank you Kieth, that was very informative. I didn't know the flame should be a large as that and the work involved in flanging, well thas an eye opener. I will still build a boiler kit of that size for my 5"narrow gauge loco I am building but appreciate when it comes time for the boiler to shop around for a kit including the pre-formed parts.

the forming work is astounding.

Thank you so much for all of your videos! An absolute treasure!

Fantastic insight into great craftsmanship

BBC needs to hire you to narrate documentaries. You are vocal gold.

Thank you for opening the inner sanctum. Great video

That is skilled workmanship.

G'day Keith I found that very interesting, as you said when you see one made you can understand why the cost is hight, and it has to meet the boiler codes. Once again Keith thank you for showing the video . Kind regards John Kinnane Patriot member.

I never build enough of one design boiler to use metal formers maybe one of these years. I always use hardwood formers you can get a number of parts from one and they don't hurt as much when you drop one on your foot. You should try doing one Keith the forming can be as soothing as painting.

Another great vid - thanks again!

Thanks!

thanks Keith

Very interesting indeed - thanks.

That was very interesting, I'm amazed at how thick the copper is, raw materials must cost a fortune without the labour

Always good to see how the grown-ups do It Paddy

great video - thank you!

Thank you

excellent enjoyed very much

A fine video. I would have thought that the parts would be stamped by hydraulic press, similar to car body parts but on a smaller scale.

5:01 Flangeformers,...boilers in disguise! Great tutorial! Thank you.

Wow, very nice.

Very interesting, I had never heard of letting the copper turn black before quenching.

quite like the production quality o that, interesting content that was an advertisement, but formed in such a way that it was still heavily interesting and worth watching

Only ever made one boiler, and that was forty years ago. I hated flanging, and I only had two plates to do, it was a small vertical.

Excellent video Kieth. Thanks for doing this. Does Blackgates make complete boilers too? I hope you can make a video of the silver soldering process too.

What grade of copper is used for the boiler and are the boiler tubes seamless?

Bonjour Keith, Great job which requires a great skillness. However, I am surprized because it would be much easier if Duncan used a 20 ton press as I saw one in a French model steam manudacture. Is there a reason why Duncan does not use a press ? Amicalement, Raphaël

Would Duncan's hammer be a Thor #1 hide and copper hammer? I have one, but I think it will be a long time before the copper head on mine looks like that.

A stupid question: is it possible to do the same operations on a stamping press? Like, in less than 15 minutes?

I thought I saw a boiler end being made ... I did I did see a boiler plate being made now I see another good reason for being a supporter of Keith Appleton's on Patreon I got to see and discuss this video with Keith a few days ago it was almost magical So I would suggest that all viewers go over to Patreon and pledge just $ 1.00 a month to help support Keith and help keep these great videos coming. Now after saying that I want to say that Keith will keep making his videos, and posting his videos for free, weather he gets money through Patreon or not because He is a great guy and he likes doing them too have a good day and a better tomorrow

Would there be any issues of using a cast silicon bronze throat sheet, back head etc. wrapped with screwed in place sheet copper and then all fusion brazed in an autoclave?

Was that a burgess bandsaw on the bench? Great video

Thanks, a good video. I have just finished making the plates for a Belpaire boiler in 5" gauge and don't recommend it. I wish I had seen this video first though as I did use a ball pein hammer and as you say it isn't ideal. It leaves a really bad finish on the flanges.

Two techniques come to mind that seem simpler, but I've never done this sort of thing so these ideas must not work -- else they'd be doing it. Half-baked idea #1, set up a large and powerful clamp. Set the outside formers sitting on the lower jaws of the clamp, warm the copper, place on top of the formers. Place the inside former over the copper. Then tighten the bee jees out of the clamp to force the inner former into the outer former, making a copper flangewich between them. Would this be too prone to getting off center and having thin walls on one side of the flange? Or is this perhaps too much pressure on the copper in one go and risking a fracture? Half baked idea #2 being - can you melt the copper and pour it into a flange shaped mold? I'd offer all the US pennies I have cluttering up my house to the cause and be glad to see the back of them (their buying power is far below their nuisance value and any bill to eliminate a coin with Lincoln's bust is DOA as long as Illinois is a state) but they're really zinc with copper veneers at this point. Henry

Been trying hard to lay my hands on a small table top lathe round here in darkest Dorset, being on disability means I can't afford the crazy prices people are asking for just spares and repairs although I missed out on a £40 very ancient Drummond lathe with all the tools and motor plus a range of chucks and tail stocks (I kicked myself hard on that one but I did say to the seller it was worth far more and someone bought it for £200), ppl keep telling me to go for one of these aluminium X extrusion thingies from China but they look cheaply made and can't see them standing up to much although I do like the innovation in you can rearrange it from a lathe to a mill, or a jigsaw or pillar drill but would rather find a spares and repair and get it right myself lol

I think they use big burners like that to burn vegetation as an alternative to herbicide.

The mate's soft copper hammer seems to have worn down enough so that the actual head piece is through the copper. Bet that'll mash up the copper!

I guess if this copper forming could be done in a press or with rollers they would be doing it that way.

I suppose you need to balance the cost of purchase over the time and effort to make formers then make the parts, either way us old blokes will have a heart attack, very enjoyable,thanks, Peter

Wow! Who knew? C'mon Powerball Lottery, come to daddy so I can buy one or two of these!!!

I'm surprised that a hydraulic press wasn't used. Impressive

Why not a single tube boiler ? You can make one out of an old 55 gal drum and maybe 100 ft of small A/C or water tubing and some firebrick. Water tube boilers are safer too, I think. Perhaps the art and craft of making a big assembly of fat tubes and copper plates is more important. Mechanical arts are a good way to study history. I bought a pre WW I copy of Machinerys Handbook in a used book store. Worthwhile purchase. It had a handwritten note in it including the national anthem of Siam, LOL.

Before anyone asks - no, you can't use a bunnyboiler.

well that was a cleverly disguised commercial you have crafted there, I almost didn't notice. but your love for the little company was too strong to be genuine.

I, too, prefer to steadily work my way around when it comes to banging away.

How come the oil cans are in german writing? Is it just because they are so damn simple that anybody who buys themalready knows what they are?

Now Another supplier has begun selling so called KITS in the Flat?? Which is no use whatsoever!! The first thing you would then need is a Bandsaw and some planks of Hardwood for a 1 off!! I have used MDF but worked in a Woodshop with extraction!! Copper and Silver are always hammered so that the metal has time to stretch or compress! spinning tends to thin the metal. David.

High quality does not come from UK..... starting by Imperial measurments..... and end with fish and chips......