steamer for steam box

[uglyokie]

I'm working on my wife's (pqtex) great-grandfather's house. It was built in 1913 and includes lots of nice old wavy glass windows. House needs attention and I ran out of excuses.
Among a long list of horrible projects I'm facing is the old wood window sashes and frames are in need of attention.
I've been searching this forum, learning what I can, but I want to be certain I get this right.
Considering the number of window sashes we have, I decided on the steam box approach.
I'm almost finished building the steam box.
Now I need to get a steamer.
I've been looking at Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner. It puts out steam at 275F/135C.
My question: Is that a good steamer for what I'm doing? Is the advertised temperature reasonable for removing multiple paint layers and questionable glazing?
I'm not a 'get it on ebay' guy. Never had much luck with buying used equipment. I want to get a new good quality steamer that hopefully will outlast this job. I'm thinking if I have any life left in me after I do all the work on this house and its windows, I might find less work involved uses for the steamer.
(steaming fire ant mounds comes to mind and might be an enjoyable spare-time experiment)

[historicalwork]

I know for sure there are others on this forum with much more experience and better input - because that's where i got my info. But I'll add that I got an old Jiffy Steamer (i think a Model: J-4000). I got an old one off craigslist and it works well. It has decent capacity versus some of the smaller Jiffy steamers.

[Mick_VT]

yep, get the big Jiffy steamer - you will find all sorts of uses for it afterwards - stripping paint, bending wood, or even steaming fabrics and shaping hats

I think the smaller ones can be used but dont produce as much steam / need refilling more often

[phil]

here's a good video on steam bending. You can find others if you look into boat-building a bit more. I wouldn't waste money on little carpet steamers or those that are intended for wallpaper and such. If you have one you can try. we know water boils at boiling temp but steam can cool so there is a difference between hot steam and cooler steam. four feet from a boiling kettle you have steam but you might be able to hold your hand there. it is hotter near the kettle and you'd know better than to put your hand there. the temperature of the steam is one part of the equation but the volume of steam is another to consider. If it's a great big box then you need more.

for wood bending you want the heat. Id consider a hotplate or a burner like in the video. maybe a camp stove. the BTU's you put in and the volume of water should be appropriate for the size of what you are doing. You can probably find stuff around to cobble something together.
If you contain steam then you have superheated steam and in a contained pressurized state the steam can be above boiling temp, but that involves pressure and dangers, so it isn't really a thing to consider there. that's the basic principle that a pressure cooker or a steam engine uses.

you might be able to soften your glazing putty and paint with a lower amount of heat as compared to bending wood especially if you have time on your side. I'd just try with what you have and if it isn't enough you'll know.

in the video he speaks about the volume of water in his pot and you can see how simple his setup is and size yours accordingly. a commercially bought steam generator might be nice, perhaps safer or easier to use, but my point is you dont really need to spend on that if it's a temporary setup just for a few frames.

one way to compare is just to look at the power the thing draws. that dupray one draws 1500 watts or 12.5 amps at 120V that's sized to run on a household 15 amp breaker and you ll find that typical of household appliances are compatible like a heat gun or an electric kettle. Its neater than a kettle and a rubber hose but approximately the same BTU's therefore likely about the same output. there is a direct relationship between the power draw and the output.
I dont know how long that thing can run for unattended. at some point you need to add water so if you plan to leave the thing running for hours you might be tied to it on a rubber band checking the water level at whatever periodic interval is necessary. One like that might have an internal switch so it turn itself off when water is low. If it had the ability to refill itself and remain connected to the water supply that might be a feature of something more appropriate for continuous use but if you only plan to use it for an hour or two at a time watching the level might be acceptable. maybe a good question could be , how long will it run at maximum before you need to tend to it and refill it? how many gallons will it hold?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50uXPPt8-VI

[uglyokie]

Thank you for the replies. I do like to double check on this project stuff before I throw myself into it.
Phil, that is a cool video. That guy has a great shop with plenty of room to work and I like the way he repurposes things like those fuel containers to fit a new job.

[phil]

I thought it was interesting how he managed to contain the steam in plastic. maybe it is special plastic to be able to stand the heat but it seemed that might be a practical way to encase larger items like doors etc.
Easy to store. perhaps reusable. I thought maybe it was simpler than building box just for that purpose. I can see a steam box quickly becoming an obstacle considering the frequency that I'd use it and my available storage space.

[vtattebury]

Thanks for the video link— it got my brain gears turning. I thought if this guy can use a bag for an ultra long beam, why can’t I use it for a window??

So I threw a sash into a contractor garbage bag (3mil???) and plugged in my steamer. Still some improvements if I do it again, but it worked surprisingly well. I used an old 2x2 to make the bag tent and held it off the glass. I may still make a steam box, but this worked in a pinch. It could also help when I address my storm windows, because I do NOT plan on making a 3x6’ steam box!!! (Coffin???)

I tilted the window just slightly and put a bucket under my drain hole to catch the water. Please pardon the “professional” work bench!!!

[phil]

cool that that's all it took. I can see making a steam box if you do multiples and have storage for it.

I always tease my brother because for the past 10 years every time I see him he keeps his cell phone in a ziploc. he found a way to make it waterproof, and now with covid it's even more practical. He can even take pictures underwater. I bought an otterbox. It was expensive and in no way is it even water resistant, but it did make the thing survive a lot of rough treatment. Now they are banning plastic grocery bags here so we have begun hoarding them..

a little trick I found is when I go to empty the filter on my shop vac. I get a garbage bag, stick my whole arm in there and seal the bag around my arm. then I can whack it all around and knock all the dust out in the basement without making clouds. Ill still usually take it to find a tree outside to finish up but it works better than making huge clouds all over the place.

[vtattebury]

Yep— saw our contractor do that in Seattle once and I’ve done it ever since. His arm looked like a plaster ghost afterwards, but it worked!

[phil]

works on a smaller scale if you use a magnet to pick up nails, metal filings, or fluff from using steel wool. Put the magnet in the bag then you don't find yourself picking the metal off the magnet, You just take it out of the bag.
My girlfriend looked at me quizzically when she found a ladies stockings in my workshop. I explained it was to pull over the shop vac filter to keep the fine dust from going right in , makes it easier to clean. She said uh-huh.