In order to get the learner started, it is reasonable to suppose that
the engine he is to run is in good running order. It would not be fair
to put the green boy onto an old dilapidated, worn-out engine, for he
might have to learn too fast, in order to get the engine running in good
shape. He might have to learn so fast that he would get the big head,
or have no head at all, by the time he got through with it. And I don't
know but that a boy without a head is about as good as an engineer with
the big head. We will, therefore, suppose that his engine is in good
running order. By good running order we mean that it is all there, and
in its proper place, and that with from ten to twenty pounds of steam,
the engine will start off at a good lively pace. And let us say here,
(remember that we are talking of the lone engine, no load considered,)
that if you are starting a new engine and it starts off nice and easy
with twenty pounds, you can make up your mind that you have an engine
that is going to be nice to handle and give you but little, if any,
trouble. But if it should require fifty or sixty pounds to start it,
you want to keep your eyes open, something is tight; but don't take it
to pieces. You might get more pieces than you would know what to do
with. Oil the bearings freely and put your engine in motion and run it
carefully for a while and see if you don't find something getting warm.
If you do, stop and loosen up a very little and start it up again. If
it still heats, loosen about the same as before, and you will find that
it will soon be all right. But remember to loosen but very little at a
time, for a box or journal will heat from being too loose as quickly as
from being too tight, and you will make trouble for yourself, for,
inexperienced as you are, you don't know whether it is too loose or too
tight, and if you have found a warm box, don't let that box take all of
your attention, but keep an eye on all other bearings. Remember that we
are not threshing yet, we just run the engine out of shed, (and for the
sake of the engine and the young engineer, we hope that it did not stand
out all winter) and are getting in shape for a good fall's run. In the
meantime, to find out if anything heats, you can try your pumps, but to
help you along, we will suppose that your pump, or injector, as the case
may be, works all right.
Now suppose we go back where we started this new engine that was slow to
start with less than fifty pounds, and when it did start, we watched it
carefully and found after oiling thoroughly that nothing heated as far
as we could see. So we conclude that the trouble must be in the
cylinder. Well, what next? Must we take off the cylinder head and look
for the trouble? Oh, no, not by any means. The trouble is not serious.
The rings are a little tight, which is no serious fault. Keep them well
oiled and in a day or two ten pounds will start the empty engine in good
shape. If you are starting an engine that has been run, the above
instructions are not necessary, but if it is a new one these precautions
are not out of the way, and a great deal of the trouble caused in
starting a new engine, can be avoided if these precautions are observed.
It is not uncommon for a hot box to be caused from a coal cinder
dropping in the box in shipment, and before starting a new engine, clean
out the boxes thoroughly, which can be done by taking off the caps, or
top box, and wiping the journal clean with an oily rag or waste, and
every engineer should supply himself with this very necessary article,
especially if he is the kind of an engineer who intends to keep his
engine clean.
The engine should be run slowly and carefully for a while, to give a
chance to find out if anything is going to heat, before putting on any
load.
Now if your engine is all right, you can run the pressure up to the
point of blowing off, which is from one hundred to one hundred and ten
pounds. Most new pop valves, or safety valves, are set at this
pressure. I would advise you to fire to this point, to see that your
safety is all right. It is not uncommon for a new pop to stick, and as
the steam runs up it is well to try it, by pulling the relief lever. If,
on letting it go, it stops the escaping, steam at once, it is all right.
If, however, the steam continues to escape, the valve sticks in the
chamber. Usually a slight tap with a wrench or a hammer will stop it at
once, but never get excited over escaping steam, and perhaps here is as
good a place as any to say to you, don't get excited over anything. As
long as you have plenty of water, and know you have, there is no danger.
The young engineer will most likely wonder why we have not said
something about the danger of explosions. We did not start to write
about explosions. That is just what we don't want to have anything to
do with. But, you say, is there no danger of a boiler exploding? Yes.
But if you wish to explode your boiler you must treat it very
differently from the way we advise. We have just stated, that as long
as you have plenty of water, and know you have, there is no danger.
Well, how are you to know? This is not a difficult thing to know,
provided your boiler is fitted with the proper appliances, and all
builders of any prominence, at this date, fit their boilers with from
two to four try-cocks, and a glass gauge. The boiler is tapped in from
two to four places for the try-cocks, the location of the cocks ranging
from a line on a level with the crown sheet, or top of fire box, to
eight inches above, depending somewhat on the amount of water space
above the crown sheet, as this space differs very materially in
different makes of the same sized boiler. The boiler is also tapped on
or near the level of crown sheet, to receive the lower water glass cock
and directly above this, for the top cock. The space between this shows
the safe variation of the water. Don't let the water get above the top
of the glass, for if you are running your engine at hard work, you may
knock out a cylinder head, and don't let it get below the lower gauge,
or you may get your head knocked off.
Now the glass gauge is put on for your convenience, as you can determine
the location of the water as correctly by this as if you are looking
directly into the boiler, provided, the glass gauge is in perfect order.
But as there are a number of ways in which it may become disarranged or
unreliable, we want to impress on your mind that you, must not depend on
it entirely. We will give these causes further on. You are not only
provided with the glass gauge, but with the try-cocks. These cocks are
located so that the upper and lower cock is on or near the level with
the lower and upper end of the glass gauge. With another try-cock about
on a level with the center of glass gauge, or in other words, if the
water stands about the center of glass it will at the same time show at
the cock when tried. Now we will suppose that your glass gauge is in
perfect condition and the water shows two inches in the glass. You now
try the lower cock, and find plenty of water; you will then try the next
upper cock and get steam. Now as the lower cock is located below the
water line, shown by the glass, and the second cock above this line, you
not only see the water line by the glass, but you have a way of proving
it. Should the water be within two inches of the top of glass you again
have the line between two cocks and can also prove it. Now you can know
for a certainty, where the water stands in the boiler, and we repeat
when you know this, there is nothing to fear from this source, and as a
properly constructed boiler never explodes, except from low water or
high pressure, and as we have already cautioned you about your safety
valve, you have nothing to fear, provided you have made up your mind to
follow these instructions, and unless you can do this, let your job to
one who can. Well, you say you will do as we have directed, we will
then go back to the gauges. Don't depend on your glass gauge alone, for
several reasons. One is, if you depend on the glass entirely, the
try-cocks become limed up and are useless, solely because they are
not used.
Some time ago the writer was standing near a traction engine, when the
engineer, (I guess I must call him that) asked me to stay with the
engine a few minutes. I consented. After he had been gone a short time
I thought I would look after the water. It showed about two inches in
the glass, which was all right, but as I have advised you, I proposed to
know that it was there and thought I would prove it by trying the cocks.
But on attempting to try them I found them limed up solid. Had I been
hunting an engineer, that fellow would not have secured the job.
Suppose that before I had looked at the glass, it had bursted, which it
is liable to do any time. I would have shut the gauge cocks off as soon
as possible to stop the escaping steam and water. Then I would have
tried the cocks to find where the water was in the boiler. I would have
been in a bad boat, not knowing whether I had water or not. Shortly
after this the fellow that was helping the engine run (I guess I will
put it that way) came back. I asked him what the trouble was with his
try cocks. He said, "Oh, I don't bother with them." I asked him what he
would do if his glass should break. His reply was, "Oh, that won't
break." Now just such an engineer as that spoils many a good engine, and
then blames it on the manufacturer. Now this is one good reason why you
are not to depend entirely on the glass gauge. Another equally as good
reason is, that your glass may fool you, for you see the try-cocks may
lime up, so may your glass gauge cocks, but you say you use them. You
use them by looking at them. You are not letting the steam or water
escape from them every few minutes and thereby cutting the lime away, as
is the case with try-cocks. Now you want to know how you are to keep
them open. Well, that is easy. Shut off the top gauge and open the
drain cock at bottom of gauge cock. This allows the water and steam to
flow out of the lower cock. Then after allowing it to escape a few
seconds, shut off the lower gauge and open the top one, and allow it to
blow about the same time. Then shut the drain cock and open both gauge
cocks and you will see the water seek its level, and you can rest
assured that it is reliable. This little operation I want you to
perform every day you run an engine. It will prevent you from thinking
you have water. I don't want you to think so. I intend that you shall
know it. You remember we said, if you know you have water, you are
safe, and every one around you will be safe.
Now here is something I want you to remember. Never be guilty of going
to your engine in the morning and building a fire simply because you see
water in the glass. We could give you the names of a score of men who
have ruined their engines by doing this very thing. You, as a matter of
course, want to know why this can do any harm. It could not, if the
water in the boiler was as high as it shows in the glass, but it is not
always there, and that is what causes the trouble. Well, if it showed
in the glass, why was it not there? You probably have lived long enough
in the world to know that there are a great many boys in it, and it
seems to be second nature with them to turn everything on an engine that
is possible to turn. All glass gauge cocks are fitted with a small hand
wheel. The small boy sees this about the first thing and he begins to
turn it, and he generally turns as long as it turns easy, and when it
stops he will try the other one, and when it stops he has done the
mischief, by shutting the water off from the boiler, and all the water
that was in the glass remains there. You may have stopped work with an
ordinary gauge of water, and as water expands when heated, it also
contracts when it becomes cool. Water will also simmer away, if there
is any fire left in the fire box, especially if there should be any vent
or leak in the boiler, and the water may by morning have dropped to as
much as an inch below the crown sheet. You approach the engine and on
looking at the glass, see two or three inches of water. Should you
start a fire without investigating any further, you will have done the
damage, while if you try the gauge cocks first you will discover that
some one has tampered with the engine. The boy did the mischief through
no malicious motives, but we regret to say that there are people in this
world who are mean enough to do this very thing, and not stop at what
the boy did unconsciously, but after shutting the water in the gauge for
the purpose of deceiving you, they then go to the blow-off cock and let
enough water out to insure a dry crown sheet. While I detest a human
being guilty of such a dastardly trick, I have no sympathy to waste on
an engineer who can be caught in this way. So, if by this time you have
made up your mind never to build a fire until you know where the water
is, you will never be fooled and will never have to explain an accident
by saying, "I thought I had plenty of water." You may be fooled in
another way. You are aware that when a boiler is fired up or in other
words has a steam pressure on, the air is excluded, so when the boiler
cools down, the steam condenses and becomes water again, hence the space
which was occupied by steam now when cold becomes a vacuum.
Now should your boiler be in perfect shape, we mean perfectly tight,
your throttle equally as tight, your pump or injector in perfect
condition and you were to' leave your engine with the hose in the tank,
and the supply globe to your pump open, you will find on returning to
your engine in the morning that the boiler will be nearly if not quite
full of water. I have heard engineers say that someone had been
tampering with their engines and storm around about it, while the facts
were that the supply being open the water simply flowed in from
atmospheric pressure, in order to fill the space made vacant by the
condensed steam. You will find further on that all check valves are
arranged to prevent any flowing out from the boiler, but nothing to
prevent water flowing in. Such an occurrence will do no harm but the
knowing how it was done may prevent your giving yourself away. A good
authority on steam boilers, says: "All explosions come either from poor
material, poor workmanship, too high pressure, or a too low gauge of
water." Now to protect yourself from the first two causes, buy your
engine from some factory having a reputation for doing good work and for
using good material. The last two causes depend very much on yourself,
if you are running your own engine. If not, then see that you have an
engineer who knows when his safety valve is in good shape and who knows
when he has plenty of water, or knows enough to pull his fire, when for
some reason, the water should become low. If poor material and poor
workmanship were unknown and carelessness in engineers were unknown,
such a thing as a boiler explosion would also be unknown.
You no doubt have made up your mind by this time that I have no use for
a careless engineer, and let me add right here, that if you are inclined
to be careless, forgetful,(they both mean about the same thing,) you are
a mighty poor risk for an insurance company, but on the other hand if
you are careful and attentive to business, you are as safe a risk as any
one, and your success and the durability and life of your engine depends
entirely upon you, and it is not worth your while to try to shift the
responsibility of an accident to your engine upon some one else.
If you should go away from your engine and leave it with the water boy,
or anyone who might be handy, or leave it alone, as is often done, and
something goes wrong with the engine, you are at fault. You had no
business to leave it, but you say you had to go to the separator and
help fix something there. At the separator is not your place. It is
not our intention to tell you how to run both ends of an outfit. We
could not tell you if we wanted to. If the men at the separator can't
handle it, get some one or get your boss to get some one who can. Your
place is at the engine. If your engine is running nicely, there is all
the more reason why you should stay by it, as that is the way to keep it
running nicely. I have seen twenty dollars damage done to the separator
and two days time lost all because the engineer was as near the
separator as he was to the engine when a root went into the cylinder.
Stay with your engine, and if anything goes wrong at the separator, you
are ready to stop and stop quickly, and if you are signalled to start
you are ready to start at once You are therefore making time for your
employer or for yourself and to make time while running a threshing
outfit, means to make money. There are engineers running engines today
who waste time enough every day to pay their wages.
There is one thing that may be a little difficult to learn, and that is
to let your engine alone when it is all right. I once gave a young
fellow a recommendation to a farmer who wanted an engineer, and
afterward noticed that when I happened around he immediately picked up a
wrench and commenced to loosen up first one thing and then another. If
that engineer ever loses that recommendation he will be out of a job, if
his getting one depends on my giving him another. I wish to say to the
learner that that is not the way to run an engine. Whenever I happen to
go around an engine, (and I never lose an opportunity) and see an
engineer watching his engine, (now don't understand me to mean standing
and gazing at it,) I conclude that he knows his business. What I mean
by watching an engine is, every few minutes let your eye wander over the
engine and you will be surprised to see how quickly you will detect
anything out of place. So when I see an engineer watching his engine
closely while running, I am most certain to see another commendable
feature in a good engineer, and that is, when he stops his engine he
will pick up a greasy rag and go over his engine carefully, wiping every
working part, watching or looking carefully at every point that he
touches. If a nut is working loose he finds it, if a bearing is hot he
finds it. If any part of his engine has been cutting, he finds it. He
picked up, a greasy rag instead of a wrench, for the engineer that
understands his business and attends to it never picks up a wrench
unless he has something to do with it. The good engineer took a greasy
rag and while he was using it to clean his engine, he was at the same
time carefully examining every part. His main object was to see that
everything was all right. If he had found a nut loose or any part out
of place, then he would have taken his wrench, for he had use for it.
Now what a contrast there is between this engineer and a poor one, and
unfortunately there are hundreds of poor engineers running portable and
traction engines. You will find a poor engineer very willing to talk.
This is bad habit number one. He cannot talk and have his mind on his
work. Beginners must not forget this. When I tell you how to fire an
engine you will understand how important it is, The poor engineer is
very apt to ask an outsider to stay at his engine while he goes to the
separator to talk. This is bad habit number two. Even if the outsider
is a good engineer, he does not know whether the pump is throwing more
water than is being used or whether it is throwing less. He can only
ascertain this by watching the column of water in the glass, and he
hardly knows whether to throw in fuel or not. He don't want the steam
to go down and he don't know at what pressure the pop valve will blow
off. There may be a box or journal that has been giving the engineer
trouble and the outsider knows nothing about it. There are a dozen
other good reasons why bad habit number two is very bad.
If you will watch the poor engineer when he stops his engine, he will,
if he does anything, pick up a wrench, go around to the wrist pin,
strike the key a little crack, draw a nut or peck away at something
else, and can't see anything for grease and dirt. When he starts up, ten
to one the wrist pin heats and he stops and loosens it up and then it
knocks. Now if he had picked up a rag instead of a wrench, he would not
have hit that key but he would have run his hand over it and if he had
found it all right, he would have let it alone, and would have gone over
the balance of the engine and when he started up again his engine would
have looked better for the wiping it got and would have run just as well
as before he stopped it. Now you will understand why a good engineer
wears out more rags than wrenches, while a poor one wears out more
wrenches than rags. Never bother an engine until it bothers you. If
you do, you will make lots of grief for yourself.
I have mentioned the bad habits of a poor engineer so that you may avoid
them. If you carefully avoid all the bad habits connected with the
running of an engine, you will be certain to fall into good habits and
will become a good engineer.