Hi,

Anyone know who sells flue cutters these days? I have heard of these devices, but have never used one. It is my understanding that they are chucked in a power tool, inserted in the flue just on the other side of the flue sheet. A cutter spins and cuts the flue from the id to the od. Sounds easier and safer than a torch.

Thanks,

Dale Grice

Go take a look at www.impactsocket.com - this is an Indian outfit that offers a bunch of nice-looking boiler tools, brand-new, including flue cutters. Don't know about prices and importing, but might be worth a call. Some nice large impact sockets, too, including the double square 1" drive stuff us track foamers love. Let us know how you make out--might be a good new source (of course, I may be way behind the curve on this, and the steam jocks may know all about it already, if so, I apologize!).

HP
www.rmne.org

.

Use a torch. Embarrassing story follows.

In the very earliest days of the restoration of PM 1225, that is, say, 1972, before we learned much at all about working with steam locomotives, we bought Elliott/Wiedeke tube cutters to remove the tubes. We quickly learned that these devices bell the tubes as they cut, so that the tubes cannot be removed through the holes in the sheets, even through the kinghole. Of course, you could use a torch to lop off the belled ends inside the barrel.

The devices are handy, however, to trim new tubes after installation if you have bowed tube sheets, and you DO have bowed tube sheets. Order the new tubes of a length to match your longest pair of sheet holes. Roll one end, then use the tube cutter to trim the other end. The cutter will automatically give a uniform length protruding past the sheet on all tubes. The end will be belled and ready for rolling, and beading if you do that. This saves a lot of time over precisely measuring the length of each tube. Plus it looks nice and impresses visiting boiler repairmen.