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Steamer or kettle?

Stan

A-List Customer
Messages
336
Location
Raleigh, NC
Hi,

Ha! I like the way this thread is going. I think I need to post a pix of the old Case Steam Traction Engine, running of course, with me holding a hat over the whistle exhaust!

Well, when our local antique farm equipment club has the Spring Plow Days show in April, I'll have to do just that!

For those that don't know, here's what I'm talking about:

http://www.casesteamtractor.com/

Anyone else have a bigger steamer that that?? lol

later!

Stan
 

Marc Chevalier

Gone Home
Messages
18,192
Location
Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
.



Contestant #3: Miss Kazakhstan...


1206504_old_kettle_1.jpg




.
 

Topper

Vendor
Messages
301
Location
England
tools_hatsteamer1.jpg


Old traditional Hat Steamer.

I Also have Jiffy, but find that whilst it is good starting in a "jiffy" ( the old steamer takes about 20 mins to warm up!) to pushes out far far too much steam.

Wish could reduce Jiffy to a "simmer" level. The older steamer, plugs away giving a slow constant steam output for hours ( takes about 3 + ltrs) which i find best.
 

fenris

One of the Regulars
Messages
214
Location
Philippines
How.about an overheated car's radiator? Don't laugh, but that happened to me a few days ago. The steam from the radiator hit the crown of my hat so as I waited for it to cool down I reshaped the front pinch since it was a little low... I tried a couple of times to reshape it before but it always goes back to its original state. It's been 4 days since that time and the pinch held.
 
Messages
10,524
Location
DnD Ranch, Cherokee County, GA
fenris said:
How.about an overheated car's radiator? Don't laugh, but that happened to me a few days ago. The steam from the radiator hit the crown of my hat so as I waited for it to cool down I reshaped the front pinch since it was a little low... I tried a couple of times to reshape it before but it always goes back to its original state. It's been 4 days since that time and the pinch held.
If you are running straight water, then okay, but anti-freeze has some nasty stuff in it that would be in the vapor hitting your felt! :eek:
 

fenris

One of the Regulars
Messages
214
Location
Philippines
gtdean48 said:
If you are running straight water, then okay, but anti-freeze has some nasty stuff in it that would be in the vapor hitting your felt! :eek:

Yep. I knew that... But the car has been just running on water for the past 2 years - no anti-freeze (tropical country...) or coolant - just pure H2O.
 

Stan

A-List Customer
Messages
336
Location
Raleigh, NC
Topper said:
tools_hatsteamer1.jpg


Old traditional Hat Steamer.

I Also have Jiffy, but find that whilst it is good starting in a "jiffy" ( the old steamer takes about 20 mins to warm up!) to pushes out far far too much steam.

Wish could reduce Jiffy to a "simmer" level. The older steamer, plugs away giving a slow constant steam output for hours ( takes about 3 + ltrs) which i find best.

Hi,

You can. Insert a Variac in the power line to the Jiffy. Run the variac at full until the Jiffy warms up and gets too much steam going, then simply turn the dial on the variac down until you get what you want.

For those that don't know, a Variac is an autotransformer and it lowers the AC line voltage. They're a simple box with a cord and an outlet and a big dial on top. You can get a 10 amp 110v one on eBay for under $100 new, and much less used. :)

later!

Stan
 

Stan

A-List Customer
Messages
336
Location
Raleigh, NC
Steam outputs

Hi,

Well, I decided to take a couple flash photos of a teakettle and a Jiffy at work.

Here's the Jiffy:

JiffySteamer.jpg


Here's the teakettle on high:

Teakettle.jpg


As you can see, the Jiffy is pretty heavy-duty when it comes to steam output. As noted, it's a bit too much, actually.

When I use the teakettle, I turn it so that the spout is facing the front of the stove. I have it turned sideways in the photo so the steam showed up better. ;)

The Jiffy is out in the garage on the hat workbench. So, if I need to tweak a hat I took out of the box, I use the teakettle. I put just enough water in the bottom of the kettle to cover the bottom. Then, with the gas range on hi, the thing is almost as fast as the Jiffy to make steam.

Plus, with so little water in the kettle, most of the interior is used as a steam chamber, so it does not spit any hot water droplets out. That's something that the Jiffy does from time to time.

Anyway, now y'all can see the difference. :)

Later!

Stan
 

Stan

A-List Customer
Messages
336
Location
Raleigh, NC
Hi,

Thanks. I rather like it, even if it was put together with a few bits from here and a few more from there and a lot of bits off of eBay. lol

I have this whole workshop thing going on around this farm. There's a woodworking shop - actually my wife's - in it's own building. There's a metalworking shop as well on the far side of the garage behind me as I took that shot. The cars and whatnot get worked on in between the two when it's not full of other things. :eusa_doh:

There's an arts and crafts shop upstairs in that garage - also my wife's. I have the center of that made into my photo studio, mainly for shooting T-shirts for our screenprinting business' web store, but it works for photos of hats as well. :eusa_clap

There is a farm equipment workshop under a shed roof hung off the far side of the garage as well. Then, in the house itself, is my electronics workshop and my wife's sewing room as she likes to quilt - a lot this winter as it works out.

So, I guess it's not much of a surprise that I happen to have a small workbench for messing around with hats! lol

I'd like to rearrange it so that the hat workbench was fit in with my racks of electronics and ham radio gear and the other electronics workbenches in the house. It'd be better than having it in the garage, plus I'd not have to cover it up with plastic when I wasn't using it because of the dust in a garage. Well, maybe later this spring after planting season I can do that.

later!

Stan
 

Stan

A-List Customer
Messages
336
Location
Raleigh, NC
donnc said:
OK, here's your picture of the espresso machine hat ruining station:

807965010_zF5hp-O.jpg

Hi,

Hey! It looks like it puts out too much like a Jiffy steamer does. lol

That's what I forgot to do. I was going to take my small Krupps espresso from the kitchen and put it on the workbench for the shot. You know, hi test coffee to go with trying to thread a needle - just what we all need!! lol

later!

Stan
 

donnc

One of the Regulars
Messages
173
Location
Seattle
Stan said:
Hey! It looks like it puts out too much like a Jiffy steamer does.

Indeed, probably more. But - I'm just guessing - it may not be quite as hot? The hat sure doesn't get real hot. Maybe sometime I should see what happens without the wand tip in place.
 

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