Merkur steam engine ALCOHOL burner

Warning: Do not attempt. If spilled, lit alcohol is an extreme fire hazard. Steam engine burner assembly. Fueled with 70% ethanol, which mitigates the flame, as the temperature of the alcohol rises.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• live
• steam

[soverato3]

how do you make that burner???

[RamonaSteam]

Three 3/4" copper plumbing caps, steel epoxied to the slide in tray.  Fill 80% full with pure ethyl alcohol and light.

[MisterOcclusion]

Interesting burner. There's no wadding in it at all?

Fantastic looking engine. It really does look like a direct descendant of Fleischmann. I've never heard of this make before.

[RamonaSteam]

Thanks. I bought it because these engines are so obscure, especially in the US. Also, I had some ancestors from the Czech Republic and I thought it would be fun to have one. As far as the burner goes, there's no wadding, just alcohol. There's about a 10% water content in the ethyl alcohol mixture I use and no methanol, which produces a uniform burn, throughout the burn cycle and no toxic fumes. Of course, the engine was designed to burn esbit type fuel; but, I can't stand the stuff.

[stuman01]

That looks good. What is EQUALINE ... ?

[RamonaSteam]

" Equaline" is the brand of 70% ethyl alcohol that I like best for open container burning in steam engines. It produces a steady flame throughout the burn cycle and leaves about 10% water, after burning. The other 20% of non-alcohol ingredients are flammable. It's available on the West coast of the US, from Albertson's grocery.

[ANTONSTOOM]

Nice engine. I got the older version by the brandname IGLA-ITES

[soverato3]

ok thats easy :)

[Avatar230594]

if u hav plans for that burner could u plz e-mail them to me btw thats a good engine

[MisterOcclusion]

I know another fellow who waters his meths slightly in some of his burners and gets a better flame. I'll have to try it. I searched and found an outfit in Toronto that sells Merkur products, including erector sets. I'm terribly tempted :)

Esbit is what happens when safety regulations get in the way of good clean fun. Horrible, smelly stuff, and far too many pennies-per-calorie.

[calumdude2]

OK thanks - don't know if its available in Scotland though!