Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Are there any alternatives to the easy flanges that seem to be used by, well all from what I can see ?

Ive just assimilated Brendans epic build, and Those flanges just seem to "squeeze" the circumference when tightened (yes I know there is a taper inside the flange plate, but it designed for an exact stack height for that certain taper)

I think if the SG was squeezed together evenly around the flange to gasket surface (flange/gasket/SG/gasket/flange), that this would stop the breakages and troubles caused by the clamps.

please feel free to flame me if Im missing something basic here

snapperhead wrote:Are there any alternatives to the easy flanges that seem to be used by, well all from what I can see ?

Ive just assimilated Brendans epic build, and Those flanges just seem to "squeeze" the circumference when tightened (yes I know there is a taper inside the flange plate, but it designed for an exact stack height for that certain taper)

I think if the SG was squeezed together evenly around the flange to gasket surface (flange/gasket/SG/gasket/flange), that this would stop the breakages and troubles caused by the clamps.

please feel free to flame me if Im missing something basic here

There are a few different options, you can use stainless ferrules, make your own flanges or Mac has a new screw on sight glass thing which looks pretty cool (don't know how you could incorporate that into your own build), here: http://www.aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=3520&hilit=15+minute

My sight glasses go like this: Easy flange/gasket/sight glass. Then a triclamp over all that, works just fine and I haven't had a break yet.

Hey snapper head,

I'm not sure what you mean about squeezing the circumference? :wtf:

If you mean squeezing it around the circumference as opposed to applying pressure from the front and back (or top & bottom), well then no, mine dont do that.

My SG's broke because i'm retarded...I knew that the copper would expand when hot, but I went way too tight to make a good water tight seal while cold...so as soon as they heated up, they were already about as tight as they could go, and...crack.

As Blondy mentioned, there are a few alternatives, more expensive ones, but I can say now from experience that they are all equally effective :handgestures-thumbupleft:

.Grinding out the flange angle, making a new size clamp to suit sight glass/easyflange applications would be the answer. But like blondey said he hasn't cracked one yet, don't really hear of many people on on here cracking them either, except Brendan :teasing-tease: :laughing-rolling: have you found others on here with the same issue?. There are clamp on types from a company thats name shall not be spoken that use multiple bolts around a flange to hold the sight glass in. Have you got any ideas? . Good luck.

googe wrote:don't really hear of many people on on here cracking them either, except Brendan :teasing-tease: :laughing-rolling:

L-)

you can use a nut and thread . Its how they were done and sometimes still are but unless you have the stuff for it I'd hazard a guess that it is easier and cheaper to use the flange and triclover system ;-)

Go price some big unions.....

I have been reading so many builds since joining up, that I have no idea who the peeps were, having breakage issues. (one thread talked of the type of glass, maybe being the issue)

And having just read, and re-read B's build it sounded like something of a regular occurrence. I do get that copper and SS have different expansion/conductivity rates, which could have had an impact on the breakages. (But I have zero experience around stills and their "real life" use)

I do know that my pot wont need any SG's, but there will be 2 or 3 going in anyway so I can gain experience in both building and using stills in general (I'm sure that I have O.C.D and A.D.D tendencies that need calming)

I do have an idea for casting all the flange clamps myself, using modified lever cams to lock them in place (constant pressure thing, regardless of stack height, within a limited scope of course, but should be just right for differential expansion in metals).

It just looks to me that the "tri-clamp" style relies on a stack height that suits a particular clamp taper. As you tighten it, it reduces its own diameter, thereby "squeezing" up between the taper ramps. Just like the variable transmissions in cars, how they use the same concept to alter the v-belt pulley diameter.

I have a tendency to over complicate everything, looks like my pot will be no different.

snapperhead wrote:I do have an idea for casting all the flange clamps myself, using modified lever cams to lock them in place (constant pressure thing, regardless of stack height, within a limited scope of course, but should be just right for differential expansion in metals).

Yeah yeah, do that and take lots of pictures please.

Seriously though, triclamps work just fine as long as you have flat flanges and good gaskets. Don't let that stifle your creativity if you're keen.

If you do it one way, the ring you make can be hammered to a taper that suits the inside of the tri clamp.
If you make them flat, the clamp does pull on the circumference or the outer edge, but if the ferrule, gasket and glass diameters are the same, it dosnt matter, they work. Just allow for the thickness of everything you want to put in there.
Or you can go screw on.

Yes I do get it.
They work just fine, and are reasonably priced for what they do.

I am asking to see what other options there are, so I can judge how over complicated I am making my build, and to see if there is something else available that suits me.
I have a bunch of Lenses that I want to use instead of plate glass, should be an interesting close up of the vapour stream

blond.chap wrote:

snapperhead wrote:I do have an idea for casting all the flange clamps myself, using modified lever cams to lock them in place (constant pressure thing, regardless of stack height, within a limited scope of course, but should be just right for differential expansion in metals).

Yeah yeah, do that and take lots of pictures please.

Seriously though, triclamps work just fine as long as you have flat flanges and good gaskets. Don't let that stifle your creativity if you're keen.

:text-+1:

Mate the amount of time it will take to
1 design it.
2 make a pattern
3 make the mold
4 cast the metal and clean

I would think will take a huge amount of time, I realize you are planning a year long build ,and planning on making a right out there type of still but that i am really keen on seeing but the try clamps are great . you will end up over analizing the project to much. ;-)

like I said thread soldered on and a nut kinda like copper s and p traps are conected . One member, Googe I think have an Idea of using an end cap with the end hole sawn out just slipped over the tee. It could just be soldered or tigged on or if you waned it removable slipped on and sealed somehow four paste perhaps :icon-lol:

hehehe, sounds like I'm already past the point of over doing it 1-2.
And its really what having a foundry is about for me, I am sure if you poured just one crucible of molten metal into a shape you made, you'd be hooked too.
Just brought 35 spray cans from supercheap at 3 bucks a can, especially for my pattern making (the different colours help locating sets)

I took the day off work today and fabbed up a special anvil for forming the Lyne arm, so I am already over invested, cant stop now man.

I did read on here somewhere that, the way you build your still has a reflection on how you run it. So I am already working on safety and good practice. Picked up a 150 litre SS water tank for the low wine tank.

snapperhead wrote:hehehe, sounds like I'm already past the point of over doing it 1-2.
And its really what having a foundry is about for me, I am sure if you poured just one crucible of molten metal into a shape you made, you'd be hooked too.
Just brought 35 spray cans from supercheap at 3 bucks a can, especially for my pattern making (the different colours help locating sets)

I took the day off work today and fabbed up a special anvil for forming the Lyne arm, so I am already over invested, cant stop now man.

I have poured a crucible or two and your right its good stuff . Well mate go nuts can't wait (MUST BE PICS) :D

No worries for the pic whores out there.
Did a build thread once when I built my little furnace and burner for a bike site, I should have the energy to try again.

Pouring a jug full of pewter is about as terminator as it gets, better colours flowing than being on the mushies in Kuta

Are you looking for something along these lines?, but fancier!. I imagine with you having your own furnace you could do alot like this.

thanks for showing those goo-g
I do think that style of flat, perimeter squeeze has the goods when it comes to sealing and reliability, and its what I think I need for my "portholes" Mac's SG nuts have that flat squeeze, I think I could do a "jules Verne" version of them as my tooling is more agricultural than most. making do with what I got
From what I understand so far is that the ability to partially dismantle the rig for cleaning is critical, so I thought a "quick cam" version of that could be the shiznit for me, less spanners and more thumb work. I was hoping i could strip it down fast, like.....(insert sheep or mom joke here) for regular and thorough cleaning.
I dont want to feel anxious everytime I clean the rig I suppose, does that make sense ? or is it not that a big deal in "real life" living with sight glasses.

Oh shit yeah , I remove my sight glasses every .....um well I'll let ya know if I ever do anyway :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: