Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Perforated & bubble cap plated columns

Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby Zak Griffin » Tue Sep 27, 2016 7:00 am

He's going for a single 2" cap on each plate, scythe :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Instead if using one rod for the plate tree, use two, and just rotate each plate 180° ;-)
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby WTDist » Tue Sep 27, 2016 7:17 am

i think the two 1" caps or three 1" caps will be better to have the centre rod still in, but Zacs double rod idea might be a bit more stable but what do i know, plate tree seems like a hard thing to seal between plates to me, especially if the 4" isnt perfectly round all the way like i found with 2" a while back
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby Rockybrewa » Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:03 pm

scythe wrote:Just check that a few 2" cap will fit on a plate tree before you commit to it fully.
To my mind it says it wont fit.
Mainy because the ID of a 4" column is 99mm ish, and a 2" cap is 50.8mm, on a normal plate this is fine as you can put the cap where ever you want, but on a tree you need to dodge around the centre rod.
Which if you use say an 8mm rod will leave you with 45.5mm between the rod and the inside of the pipe.

I would go with 2x 1" caps.
Or try offsetting/staggering the centre rod.


I was planning to use only a single 2" cap in the center of each plate. Here is a quick mock up of my plate design using a single 2" bubble cap and a 3/4" DC. Two 8mm 316 stainless threaded rods will support the tree.

As for a snug fit within the column I will have to address that issue when I get there. My design is very fluid right now so it can be constantly changed. I previously wanted to run a single threaded rod in the middle of each bubble cap but that would rely on my construction to be completely square. Not sure it that will happen haha.
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby coffe addict » Tue Sep 27, 2016 4:10 pm

Easy way to do them with one rod is to put a dot on your copper plate.
use a compass on the dot and draw your circle.
Roughly cut your circle
Drill the dot in the middle
Fit a bolt to the hole.
Fit bolt into drill press or drill secured in a vice.
With drill running use a file to shave down to the circle.
Makes the hole central to all the holes and your circles nice and round.
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby bluc » Tue Sep 27, 2016 8:51 pm

Good idea with the bolt in the plate and a drill press to get it round :handgestures-thumbupleft: could use a large washer to support the plate..
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby Rockybrewa » Mon Oct 03, 2016 5:49 pm

Had the day off today so decided to spend some time working on the rig. I cut the rest of the bubble caps, risers, down comers and started to make up the plate components.
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby coffe addict » Mon Oct 03, 2016 5:54 pm

Looking pretty good, did the last cut line up even?
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby Zak Griffin » Mon Oct 03, 2016 5:55 pm

Good stuff.

The 5mm spacing isn't vital, but if you keep that attention to detail up its gonna be a nicely finished still!
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby Rockybrewa » Mon Oct 03, 2016 5:57 pm

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is this ok for the bottom of the down comer? 4 largish holes for liquid flow. I just made it up on the fly and I reckon it should flow well enough.
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two of the down comers. I made the caps and they look alright to me. Hope they work alright. I fucked up the third one with my brazing and the fourth will be different for the bottom plate.

Peace!
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby coffe addict » Mon Oct 03, 2016 6:02 pm

It'll work fine. You can also cut 80% of the circumference 5ish ml shorter then braze it on and it'll have good flow. Your way looks prettier both will work.

Looking like it'll be a very good looking build. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby Rockybrewa » Mon Oct 03, 2016 6:09 pm

coffe addict wrote:Looking pretty good, did the last cut line up even?

Nah the last two cuts were just eyeballed. It was more of a rough guide then an exact measurement. The plate that's mostly together looks pretty messy because I just used the hacksaw to cut opposing slits together. The latest three I made each cut individually with the hacksaw. Took a while longer but I was much happier with the result.
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby coffe addict » Mon Oct 03, 2016 6:21 pm

Your doing well, my first plate attempt at a t piece section was woeful hence no pic's. I'll revisit it soon, me brazing and copper working has improved out of this world since the first crack.

I look forward to watching this develop
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby rumdidlydum » Mon Oct 03, 2016 7:13 pm

Nice their work mate, you will be bubbling in no time :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby Rockybrewa » Mon Oct 03, 2016 10:24 pm

rumdidlydum wrote:Nice their work mate, you will be bubbling in no time :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I sure hope so. I have been itching to build but the inlaws have been around.

I had the feeling I was unfinished with today's work so I quickly jumped back in the garage and finished what I started.
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I hope the mods don't mind I'm smashing the photos but i hope it may help someone one day like all the other build photos have helped me.

Cheers rocky!
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equipment: Currently building a 4" bubbler
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby coffe addict » Mon Oct 03, 2016 10:32 pm

I am fairly sure that the mods a dirty copper porn addicts like the rest of us! :laughing-rolling:

Looking the goods
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby rumdidlydum » Tue Oct 04, 2016 5:34 am

coffe addict wrote:I am fairly sure that the mods a dirty copper porn addicts like the rest of us! :laughing-rolling:

Looking the goods

:handgestures-thumbupleft: :text-+1:
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby Zak Griffin » Tue Oct 04, 2016 5:46 am

If liking pics of dirty copper is wrong, I don't want to be right. Keep em coming!
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby Sam. » Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:58 am

Zak Griffin wrote:If liking pics of dirty copper is wrong, I don't want to be right. Keep em coming!


:text-+1: :D
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Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby Rockybrewa » Thu Oct 06, 2016 2:51 pm

Quick trip the scrap yard today yeilded-
2 x 470mm lengths of 4" pipe
1 x 130mm length of 4" pipe and
1 x 230mm length of 3" pipe

Cost was a little steep @ 54 dollars for the lot :shock:

The short pice is a gimmie for a dephleg. I will try squeeze 4 x 3" sight glasses out of what I have but might only get 3 and I might change the design to a 3 plate main column with a modular 1 and 2 plate section. That will give me any combination from 3 to 6 plates at the cost of a few extra 4" clamps. What do you guys reckon? I didn't really plan on having more than 4 plates.
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Rockybrewa
 
Posts: 70
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Location: Perth WA
equipment: Currently building a 4" bubbler
2" Pot still on 50l keg boiler
T500 still (borrowed)
3V all grain beer rig
Mega jet burner

Re: Rocky's 4" Bubble Plate Build

Postby Zak Griffin » Thu Oct 06, 2016 3:08 pm

You'll get 4 sightglass 'fishmouths' out of the 230mm 3" piece, especially if you can cut them to shape as you go.

Mine are only 40mm long, which gives a branch length of about 20mm :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Some people prefer 3 plates for rum or whiskey, but 4 seems to be the general consensus.
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