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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Rochdalian on Wednesday 06 September 17 01:46 BST (UK)
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Hi
I am a volunteer working on the restored RAN corvette HMAS Castlemaine berthed at Williamstown Victoria. This picture, along with others, was donated by the family of a man who served on the ship in WW2. It was taken in 1941 and purports to be one of the boilers installed in the ship, if not it is the same type. We wish to mount it and display it in our restored boiler rooom. The picture is only a photocopy and has suffered some damage somehow. I don't know if it's possible to remove the damage but I would appreciate it if one of you skilled people could give it a go.
Cheers
Bob
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I have given it a go, but unfortunately I couldn't find a clear image to work from, so I don't think this can possibly be historically correct. I wish I could have done better for you.
Pat
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Thanks Pat for your valiant effort, in truth I was not really expecting anyone to attempt it.
I've been searching the net looking for something similar but nothing quite fits.
Thanks again
Bob
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My try.
Incidentally, Bob, there's what looks like a cousin to your boiler on this page:
http://www.steamesteem.com/index.html?boilers/yarrow-boiler.htmlhttp://
Just scroll down to the second image on that page.
Cheers, Peter.
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Thanks Peter for your effort, and the link too. Our boilers were made at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney under license from the Yarrow company.
Cheers
Bob
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Hi Bob,
I'm working on something else the moment but (with the help of Peter's link) I'll have a go in a day or two.
Mike
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Hi Bob,
Attached is a very rough first version. Don't draw any conclusions from this. My first impression is that there's enough detail in different parts of the photo to make a reasonably good restore. But it would help a great deal if you'd post a pic of the restored boiler room with this boiler, preferably from the same angle.
Three questions:
- Is the inside of the boiler really 'evenly coloured dark' as the photocopy suggests or are the pipes on the outside visible on the inside too?
- Are the front of the bases either side (the bits inside the circles) flat or convex (or even concave)?
- On the 'triangle pipes'in the front, the photocopy shows a discontinuity (the two black strips). Is this a construction feature or due to the photocopy? In the black 'strip' on the left of the triangle, I see what looks like traces of a white line.
Most restore requests on Rootschat are pretty straightforward. It's usually clear how a photo needs to be restored and everyone gives it their best shot. For this photo, I think an interactive (dialogue) process will give the best results. It takes more time, but it will be worth it in the long run.
Thanks,
Mike
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Hi Mike
Thank you for taking such an interest. I will try to answer your questions and also attach two pictures of the next stages of construction.
The pipes would have been visible on the inside also, the only thing that connected, and supported, the upper steam drum to the two bottom water drums was the pipes therefore they would have been visible.
I think you will get a better idea of the doors on the water drums from the pictures rather than from me trying to describe them. The two vertical bars on the ends of the drums are the clamps holding the access doors in place.
The two black 'strips' are a design feature. It is a gap between the inner and outer banks of pipes.
As well as the photocopied image being damaged (all the white scratchy stuff-can't think of any other way to describe it!) the photo itself was taken with a lot of shadow hence the inside of the triangle on the left, and the two strips, appear to be black.
As you can see from the two additional pictures the boiler was clad in firebrick and steel sheeting. The middle of the triangle was the firebox withh four burners.
I hope this helps and I do appreciate what you are doing, pleaseget back to me if something doesn't make sense.
Cheers
Bob
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Fascinating pics and some serious plumbing :)
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Hi Bob,
Thanks for the info and the 2 pictures. All very helpful! I'm take a crack at it in the next couple of days. Don't get your hopes up - there's a lot of damage. And the other restores are great. But every bit of information helps to 'reconstruct' the damaged areas.
I know nothing about the construction of boilers (ship or otherwise) but this one looks fascinating!
Mike
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Thanks Mike,
I was never really expecting a lot to tell the truth as I realise it is a terrible picture however I look forward to what you can do.
Although this boiler was made at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney it was made under licence from Yarrow Shipbuilders of London & Glasgow. I'm not sure of the exact diameter of the tubes but I think about 1 inch. The doors on the bottom water drums were to allow access by a skiny stoker for tube cleaning. The water was continually pumped from the water drums up the pipes to the steam drum where a water level of about half the drum was maintained. Meanwhile the furnace fumes are passing between the tubes as they rise to go around the steam drum and up the funnel this heat causes steam to be produced. The process is more complicated than that but hopefully you get the idea.
Cheers
Bob
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Good afternoon,
Most Yarrow boilers had straight tubes and the bottom drums were "D" shaped in section. I believe yours is a three barrel admiralty pattern boiler which had the bent tubes and separate banks of up and down tubes.
John915
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Hi Bob,
I'm not sure whether this version is very different to Peter's, which is excellent. I've cobbled together a 'composite' based on the original photo and the other photo's you posted. It's far from perfect but I hope it's a bit clearer than than the original. I'll take a closer look in the coming days and maybe clean up some 'photoshop issues'. If you have any 'structural corrections', let me know.
The inside is just an attempt to add a bit of texture. Not very good or accurate but perhaps better than just a black hole.
Mike
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I gave it a shot....
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It looks good with a bit of colour, well done Andy.
Pat
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I agree!
It looks good with a bit of colour, well done Andy.
Pat
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Thanks Pat and Mike.... its a distraction and hides a multitude of sins ;D
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Wow, amazing what happens when you go away for a few days. Thanks to all for your input and the touch of colour certainly adds to the picture.
Just a little thing Mike, in the 'black hole' I like your texture but the tubes would have followed the shape of the tubes on the outside. Don't know if its possible to do however I'm happy enough with it as it is.
Thanks once again
Bob