Best Of

I ve removed many ideals ,burmhams and u name it old steam coal to oil to gas steam boilers and as much as guys complain I never though I need more then what I’ve always carried in just a 5 lb lump hammer and decent chisel cut the rods and if your skill at slamming a chisel is excellent then blast between the section w ur lump and chisel and done . Now this may not be for those who cannot swing a hammer and lack hammer to chisel coordination and might blast your hand but personally I don’t think anything is as easy and I won’t spend a cent or do anything different plus this is the same way the boiler demo guys have done it for as long as I can remember . When I was younger I had a 7.5 lump hammer and it would only be a few shots and usually nothing could stay together ,lost that bad boy so now it’s a 5 lb but most of those old bears of a boilers are already done and as I get older I ll pay the demo guys a couple of bucks and there done in a blink of a eye why destroy your back especially when your at a age where you got 40 years of time in already breaking down and carrying out sections and new boilers down ,my days of that are winding down on that end ,plus every one wants cheap these days which w me it ain’t gonna happen been there done that and didn’t get a bumper sticker or tee shirt for it .
Peace and good luck clammy
Ps do yourself a real favor and find a good boiler demo guy and pay them to remove and set your boilers in place cause you’re not doing anything including the boiler if you strain and hurt your back you ll be sitting on the side lines on the bench if your lucky . In the words of one of the all time worlds best mech don’t be a hero

Recently, I had to break down an "Ideal" 1928 American Radiator Co. steam boiler for replacement. After thinking about how to tackle the job, I came up with a technique that ended up being fast, (relatively) quiet, and something I've not seen anywhere else. I used a 4 ton portable hydraulic ram kit.

Often are referred to as "Porta Power" packs. Although there are many other manufacturers, I got mine from Northern Tool for ~$80. The most useful combination of attachments for me was the 'fork' on one end of the ram and 'spiky square' on the other. The 'threaded shelf' included in the kit let me put the ram between and inside the sections with minimal clearance. The 'spreader wedge' also was useful, but is unable to apply as much force as the ram.

First, I used the ram to separate each individual section - it split sections apart easily without a hammer and chisel. With the section on the ground, I used the ram to break it apart further. This requires a bit more creativity to find angles that can put opposite pressure on the section in a linear manner. I found that breaking down even large pieces was quiet using the ram. When it finally does break, it makes a 'crack' but doesn't shatter in an extreme or violent way.

Although I used a sledge in some cases, the ram made sure I didn't have to swing it as often. All in all, it let me from start-to-scrapyard in less than 4 manhours. If I had to do it again, I would have chosen the 10 Ton ram kit. There were a couple times when it seemed like I was putting too much force on the handpump - but was able to manage.