Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Would be interested in a pic of the seal cutting idea :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Russ wrote:Also I stuffed up the bottom downcomer, since I have a reducer connecting the bottom t to the keg, the downcomer hits the side of that, ERG!!!

Does the bottom t section not seal against the reducer? If it seals, and works, who cares? If it doesn't, then maybe you could make a spacer out of some 4", it could just be butt soldered onto your reducer (with internal bracing) so you don't need an extra clamp.

Stanley knife for the win...
If you want to make more circular cuts make up a disc of wood the same size as you plate and use that as a template to run your knife around.

Not sure how a router bit would go on rubber, maybe freeze the seal first so its a bit more rigid.

bluc wrote:Would be interested in a pic of the seal cutting idea :handgestures-thumbupleft:

As requested, it wasn't exactly perfect but it did the job, problem is the seal is quite bendy even though its ptfe, and tended to distort a bit, had to carefully spin it by hand.

The seal holds itself onto the downcomer quite well though as the last photo shows.

db1979 wrote:Does the bottom t section not seal against the reducer? If it seals, and works, who cares? If it doesn't, then maybe you could make a spacer out of some 4", it could just be butt soldered onto your reducer (with internal bracing) so you don't need an extra clamp.

The downcomer actually hits the reducer, so it can't actually sit properly, I made them to one side so they just sit inside the inside the side wall of the 4" Tee below, but the reducer tapers down so there is no room for the downcomer.

I may get away with making the bottom liquid trap closer to the plate, will measure it tomorrow.

scythe wrote:Stanley knife for the win...
If you want to make more circular cuts make up a disc of wood the same size as you plate and use that as a template to run your knife around.

Not sure how a router bit would go on rubber, maybe freeze the seal first so its a bit more rigid.

The seals are PTFE, which machines ok, interesting idea on freezing first, might have worked on the ptfe as well.

I had the same issue with my reducer and bottom downcommer too, this is how i did mine...



Could you add a couple inches of 4" to the top to rise the bottom plate from tapered part of the reducer?

My reducer is stainless, I guess I could extend it, I am thinking of welding a 4" riser and ferrule on top of the boiler, which will solve the problem, then I can get rid of the reducer completely.

If I did that I'd also weld on a 6" ferrule for cleaning access, I didn't want to do any more alterations to the boiler but it may be for the best.

Russ wrote:I am thinking of welding a 4" riser and ferrule on top of the boiler, which will solve the problem, then I can get rid of the reducer completely.

If I did that I'd also weld on a 6" ferrule for cleaning access, I didn't want to do any more alterations to the boiler but it may be for the best.

That would definitely make the best sense in the long run... your still would sit on the boiler a lot nicer too, compared to sitting on a 2" ferrule. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Yup, its always time and money that ruins all our fun.

Russ wrote:Yup, its always time and money that ruins all our fun.

It has a good crack at it anyway...
Trying to save a dollar sometimes cost you 2 in the end!

Shortened up the bottom downcomer, now it fits into the reducer with microns to spare.

Have been trying to fit up the Tee pieces, seems my ez flanges aren't as good as I had hoped. I put a 4" stainless cap on the bottom, then the sight glass and seal then filled one Tee with water, and...a steady stream of a leak :(

I had cleaned up the mating surface on a polished marble tile and wet and dry until it looked correct, but it still leaks.

I am using the hard white HDPE seals, thinking of going to the softer black seals, maybe that will help.

wrap a few turns of pfte tape around those hard seals then fit it up and see if it seals. If not it is time to get a besser block and start rubbing the flange in a figure 8 until the flange is dead flat.

Double check its not coming from a bad solder join as well.

I am now the proud owner of a weird ass goldfish tank !

I ended up wrapping the ptfe tape onto the easy flange, a couple of revolutions, and that slowed the leak, then I wrapped it around the machined end cap and also the sight glass itself.

No more leaks.

It makes me feel slightly better that even the machined stainless end cap and flat sight glass were both letting water through, I was beginning to seriously doubt my easy flanging skills.

The tape on the glass also makes it seem nicer when the tri lamp is done up, no metal directly on glass contact.

I have to rub the rest of the pieces flat then I can assemble the whole thing and water test again, hopefully successfully.

Pics or it didn't happen...

How far tightened were your clamps? If they bottomed out then maybe your flanges aren't quite thick enough.

They hadn't bottomed out, I was worried about that to start, so I tried without a seal at all to compare, all good.

So now the sealing issue is pretty much sorted, I am going to spend a bit of time on the boiler, I decided to put a 6" ferrule/cap to allow for hand access to clean, and also a 4" riser instead of using the reducer thingy, much better and easier to use all round.

I cut the holes this weekend and have shipped it to a mate to give to his mate to TIG together.

I probably should have also welded legs and element covers at the same time but don't want to push my luck since I am getting the TIG'ing done for free this time.

Once the boiler returns the column will start getting final assembly/cleaning.

Sounds scary but I am now looking at recipes !!!

So Ive been really busy at work lately, not much time for the important things (like still building), but I managed a visit to the shed today and put another T piece onto the first, then topped up the water level to check the seal, pretty happy, I will probably tidy up the teflon tape at some stage but it seems to work really well.