Glad to hear there are no leaks. I think you can put the top and sides back on if you haven't done that already.

I agree that it sounds like the steam lever was slipping back toward the closed position. That hex nut you removed might have loosened a bit during shipment or the first few uses, allowing the lever to slip a little when fully open. When you put it back on, you may have tightened it enough to prevent the slippage. Again, I think Dan should be able to advise on proper tension for the hex net and any other adjustable parts.

Peppersass wrote:Again, I think Dan should be able to advise on proper tension for the hex net and any other adjustable parts.

Thanks so much, again, Dick. You are a valuable resource.

Haven't heard back from Dan yet, Dick, so I'm asking you.

The problem came back today. After once "bleeding" the steam this morning, pressure rapidly went to "unusable" again.

I've taken the arm cover off, and am holding the inner assembly in my hand as I type. I can loosen that "grub screw" easily enough (it can't be tightened actually, as it's already tight).

But that doesn't seem to allow any movement of that plunger, regardless, even with the grub screw completely removed. What should I expect? What should I be looking/feeling for, here?

Thanks again.

Seems obvious to me that the "grub screw" prevents some vertical movement of something within that cylinder. But removing it, completely, leaves me with an assembly that still seems completely immobile. So I'm missing or not understanding something.

Okay, there is an internal hex screw as well, it seems. But I have no idea what to do with it, whether loosening or tightening has what effect, if any.

Dan did not mention this inner hex screw.

I'm lost.

Your steam lever isn't stock equipment and I've never seen it. Can you post some photos?

Stay tuned Dick. And thanks.

Okay, Dick ... or for anyone else who cares.

Not sure how much I can post in a single note here (the rules), but I'll go as I can until stopped.

Shot 1.



This is what I see when I remove the side lever handle. It's just a simple hex screw removal (of the handle), and a chimpanzee could do that much.

You can see the "plunger" on the left (between the two left side screws; it's rather dark, and not well defined).

Shot 2.

I have removed the four screws, and the "plunger" just pops out. Both are on my desk.

Shot 3.

This is the "grub screw" that Dan referred to.

The problem here is me. I don't know exactly what I'm dealing with, and Dan didn't exactly explain (he probably just assumed I knew more than I know) . You can clearly see the "grub screw" here.


That screw is tight, and loosening it doesn't tell me much about what might be any predicted result.

Then, shot 4

You can clearly see an internal hex screw here that Dan did not mention at all. I am totally unsure what to do with this. It seems to have limited clockwise or counterclockwise movement (somewhat restricted). But what I should do with this assembly, and then expect, is beyond me.

But I'm a female Air Transport Pilot certified pilot. So I can learn.

Maybe.

Help.

You may have answered this before, but I'll ask anyway: If you hold the handle in the forward-most position, and don't let go, do you get normal full steam power, or does the steam power decrease at about the same rate as when you just pull the handle forward and let go?

Can you post a shot of the inside surface of the lever? I'm guessing that it's molded in such a way as to depress the plunger when rotated clockwise, and that there's a "stop" that fits in the large open area at the top that sets the fully open and fully closed positions.

It's a bit hard to tell what's really going on with this mechanism without seeing what's inside the machine and how it connects to the steam valve. Is there a spring behind the plunger? If not, I guess Dan is making use of the internal spring in the steam valve.

In either case, assuming there's a spring inside the machine that pushes the plunger out as the handle is rotated back to the closed position, the function of the grub screw might be to provide enough friction to keep the plunger from pushing out when the handle is in the forward position. I can't tell without seeing the parts, but maybe this can cause the handle to move back very slightly, maybe not enough to see, but enough to significantly decrease steam power. If that's the function of the grub screw, then the head has to be very slightly above the surface of the plunger. Not so much as to jam the plunger in the hole, but enough to keep it from sliding too freely.

I would also think that the amount you tighten the hex screw that holds the handle on would play a part. If that screw is too loose, the round plate the handle is attached to won't resist the plunger pushing out from the spring pressure. If loose, it would tilt as the plunger pushes on it.

So, there could be an interaction between the grub screw and the screw that holds the handle on, and both have to be adjusted just right.

I would guess the hex screw inside the plunger fastens the rounded dome at the other end, which looks like a separate piece. I wouldn't loosen it.

I'm doing a lot of guessing here -- shooting in the dark as it were. Hope this helps.

Peppersass wrote:You may have answered this before, but I'll ask anyway: If you hold the handle in the forward-most position, and don't let go, do you get normal full steam power, or does the steam power decrease at about the same rate as when you just pull the handle forward and let go?

You asked. I didn't follow thru. I *think* not. But I will try to focus on this question tomorrow. I haven't *noticed* it, but I haven't really focused on it either, being more focused on steam quantity (or lack thereof).

Peppersass wrote:Can you post a shot of the inside surface of the lever? I'm guessing that it's molded in such a way as to depress the plunger when rotated clockwise, and that there's a "stop" that fits in the large open area at the top that sets the fully open and fully closed positions.

Yes, there is some molding as you suggest. If necessary, I will remove again and photo.

Peppersass wrote:It's a bit hard to tell what's really going on with this mechanism without seeing what's inside the machine and how it connects to the steam valve. Is there a spring behind the plunger? If not, I guess Dan is making use of the internal spring in the steam valve.

In either case, assuming there's a spring inside the machine that pushes the plunger out as the handle is rotated back to the closed position, the function of the grub screw might be to provide enough friction to keep the plunger from pushing out when the handle is in the forward position. I can't tell without seeing the parts, but maybe this can cause the handle to move back very slightly, maybe not enough to see, but enough to significantly decrease steam power. If that's the function of the grub screw, then the head has to be very slightly above the surface of the plunger. Not so much as to jam the plunger in the hole, but enough to keep it from sliding too freely.

I would also think that the amount you tighten the hex screw that holds the handle on would play a part. If that screw is too loose, the round plate the handle is attached to won't resist the plunger pushing out from the spring pressure. If loose, it would tilt as the plunger pushes on it.

So, there could be an interaction between the grub screw and the screw that holds the handle on, and both have to be adjusted just right.

I would guess the hex screw inside the plunger fastens the rounded dome at the other end, which looks like a separate piece. I wouldn't loosen it.

I'm doing a lot of guessing here -- shooting in the dark as it were. Hope this helps.

Never considered the relationship between the outside hex nut and all of this. But it makes sense now that I think of it. Dan never mentioned it at all, only the 'grub screw' but not even how much to adjust it either way. Guessing he thinks I'm a mechanical engineer, as he probably is.

I've temporarily forgotten which direction I rotated that inner hex screw.

Well, I don't think it will explode on me ... right?.

Will advise, and thanks so much again.