AA130
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7496
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
I've been running a BoilerMate for 4 years now. It works great.
-Don
-Don
- swyman
- Member
- Posts: 2355
- Joined: Mon. Apr. 13, 2015 9:50 pm
- Location: Blissfield, MI
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea
Don, could you save me some time of going back through your pages and tell me what I need to do to get one of those glass fire cover/flapper thingy? I love watching a fire....something that is darn near impossible with my Leisure Line!
- lsayre
- Member
- Posts: 21781
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 23, 2005 9:17 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
- Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75
Find a glass cutter guy who can cut you one out of pyrocyram, neocyram, or ROBAX glass (which is actually ceramic, and not glass). He will also need to drill the hole(s) in it for you. These are not a purchasable item. They are custom made.
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7496
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
The first thing to do is be really, really nice to McGiever.
But seriously, this was a very generous gift from him. I don't know what the process is to make one but apparently this stuff is very, very hard to cut in a circle and probably hard to drill a hole in.
All I did was take a cabinet handle out of the basement, drill a hole in one end for the bolt on the boiler. Then used the cabinet handle screw to attach the glass. -Don
- McGiever
- Member
- Posts: 10130
- Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
- Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
- Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
- Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar
Correct. But the glass was very easy to drill with a diamond embedded hole saw through a temporary duct-seal fashioned ring placed centered as a dam and is flooded with a 1/8"-1/4" of water...goes through like buttah.
The hardest part is finding a smart old glass cutter fellow that's willing to cut your circles.
Hint: buy several pieces more than you'd need of ceramic stove glass cause even the pro will lose some pieces before getting some not to snap into pieces...cutting straight is easy, circles are very tricky.
My next attempt would be to try to find a large enough diamond hole saw and drill out the big'ins that way since it worked so well for the center holes.
- hotblast1357
- Member
- Posts: 5661
- Joined: Mon. Mar. 10, 2014 10:06 pm
- Location: Peasleeville NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1984 Eshland S260 coal gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite pea
- Other Heating: air source heat pump, oil furnace
I’ve always thought the top to a small crock pot would work..
- lsayre
- Member
- Posts: 21781
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 23, 2005 9:17 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
- Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75
Unlike the AA, the AHS Coal Gun's port and therefore its port cover is oval shaped. It is likely much harder to form a glass one for an AHS.
- coaledsweat
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 13767
- Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
- Location: Guilford, Connecticut
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
- Coal Size/Type: Pea
AAs have oval ports too. My 260M has one.
- McGiever
- Member
- Posts: 10130
- Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
- Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
- Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
- Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar
Larry, Mine and everybody else’s AAs, although not apparent, are angle cut and oval.
It doesn’t matter if the window is cut round...my factory metal flap was round to start with.
It doesn’t matter if the window is cut round...my factory metal flap was round to start with.
- swyman
- Member
- Posts: 2355
- Joined: Mon. Apr. 13, 2015 9:50 pm
- Location: Blissfield, MI
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea
I found a website called One Day Glass. They can make the elliptical shape I need and drill the hole plus round the edges! 3/16" seems to be the thickest I can get and part without a hole is $70. I will have to double check where to put the hole as my cover seems to have been fabricated and not sure if it's in the correct spot. It's a 1/4" hole and down 3 1/2" centered....if that makes sense? Such a sweet modification!
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7496
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
Just so everyone knows, I still do work on this project once in a while. It is just cleaning one or two things when I have a chance.
-Don
Here are some of the bits and pieces that we have, and are cleaning up.
I cleaned the gearbox up about a year ago. It came out really good, I don't think I will even paint it!
One of the parts I was never able to figure out on this boiler is these auger bearings. According to Axeman Anderson, this should be two bearings, not one single bearing.
Today I had another go at removing the fan hub from the shaft. It still ain't come'in off! -Don
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7496
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
Still working on the fan hub. I followed Lightning's advise and used a puller. I used a 3 jaw puller not a bearing puller. Tightened it up, whacked it with a hammer and the hub broke where 2 of the jaws were. But the hub was STILL stuck on there!
There ya go, after fighting with this on and off for over a year, it is finally OFF. With the hub out of the way and the fan plate finally off we can have a good look at the bearing housing.
The two round collars ride against the shaft bearings, kind of a thrust bearing. These can be adjusted to reduce the end play of the fan. I never realized this before but these small round collars have a set screw also. I am going to assume that you put them close to the hole in the housing to limit the amount of oil that can get out. This bearing housing will get cleaned up and painted eventually. I used the fan off of this unit on my 1959 130M. The fan on the 1959 had developed cracks and was starting to "Sing" to me. According to the folks at Axeman Anderson, the fans should not be swapped without the hub because the hub is balanced with the fan on it as an assemble. I ordered a new one.
-Don
After that it was time to get serious. I took the grinder with a thin wheel on it and cut just about down to the shaft. Then split it with a hammer and chisel.There ya go, after fighting with this on and off for over a year, it is finally OFF. With the hub out of the way and the fan plate finally off we can have a good look at the bearing housing.
The two round collars ride against the shaft bearings, kind of a thrust bearing. These can be adjusted to reduce the end play of the fan. I never realized this before but these small round collars have a set screw also. I am going to assume that you put them close to the hole in the housing to limit the amount of oil that can get out. This bearing housing will get cleaned up and painted eventually. I used the fan off of this unit on my 1959 130M. The fan on the 1959 had developed cracks and was starting to "Sing" to me. According to the folks at Axeman Anderson, the fans should not be swapped without the hub because the hub is balanced with the fan on it as an assemble. I ordered a new one.
-Don
- Lightning
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 14669
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
- Location: Olean, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite
Yep, the fan is shipped already mounted and balanced to the hub, which makes it nice but kinda pricey. I don't understand why that dam hub is so stubborn to get off the shaft. I also used a 3 claw puller, I just didn't know that's what you call it lol. I was surprised mine put up with the abuse I gave it while trying to dismount it. It was to the point that I worried about bending the shaft. Fortunately when it all got put back together it all spins nicely
The new fans seem to be built a little more robust and with slightly thicker material.
The new fans seem to be built a little more robust and with slightly thicker material.