6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Perforated & bubble cap plated columns

Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby Brendan » Tue May 14, 2013 11:28 pm

WineGlass wrote:If you listen closly he's actually saying "we got a still, thats called the red eye love"


Haha that's brilliant! :laughing-rolling: Nice 'interpretation' of the lyrics ;-)
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby Kimbo » Tue May 21, 2013 11:19 pm

Noice build mate, very noice :clap: :clap:
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby Brendan » Tue May 21, 2013 11:31 pm

Kimbo wrote:Noice build mate, very noice :clap: :clap:


Cheers Kimbo :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Now I just have to find me one of these $50 grain mills to get stuff through it! :D
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby drunkmore » Wed Aug 28, 2013 7:49 pm

Awesome build.
^:)^
With your downcomers... Could you have made them all the same? I know the bottom one needs a vapour trap and I understand why but looking at all the others, it seems to me that they all have a cup at the bottom which would do the same thing.
Cheers
And once again
^:)^ AWESOME ^:)^

My heart sank when you had the ~x( moment with the cracked SG's on the vinegar run. Soooo close
I must admit ... :clap: your a better man than I, as I would have put in copper plates and ran it that way till the glass arrive.
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby Brendan » Thu Dec 05, 2013 10:48 pm

Hey drunkmore, sorry I only just saw this post mate.

As you mentioned, the downcomers can definitely all be the same, just have to have that vapour lock. The only reason I did it this way, was over my previous research, most designs had been using the downcomer cup on the plate below, and the J on the bottom one. By the time I did mine, I went for the elevated downcomer cups to give more effective plate space, and I only stuck with the J type at the bottom out of interest of wanting to make one after seeing them all the time. It also holds a bit more as the last point before dropping into the boiler, but that doesn't mean anything.

This thing is a beast, and I still love running her in all different configurations. And most of all, I'm glad I took the extra time to plan out every part of the build, and now I enjoy being able to set it up and pull it down very quickly and easily! The easy connect water fittings, filler port, drain port, and boiler view window are all luxuries that make the experience much more enjoyable, and less of a chore :D
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby halfbaked » Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:00 pm

Awsome build! :music-deathmetal: :happy-partydance: :music-deathmetal: How did you mount your plates inbetween the ferrules? Did you set them on the ferule or inside it ? You used no gasket right? Thanks for sharing your beauty :clap:
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby Brendan » Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:08 pm

halfbaked wrote:Awsome build! :music-deathmetal: :happy-partydance: :music-deathmetal: How did you mount your plates inbetween the ferrules? Did you set them on the ferule or inside it ? You used no gasket right? Thanks for sharing your beauty :clap:


I've realised I never provided any photos of this. I can take some later if needed, but I'll try and explain...

I cut two gaskets for each section join. One gasket had the outer an inner diameter of the lip of the flanges that join together (the pics on page 7 show this lip I mean). And the second gasket has the same outer diameter, but the inner diameter matched the outer diameter of the plates...so the plates sit on one gasket, and in the middle of the other gasket, that way the sections join together neatly with the gaskets and seal well :-D
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby halfbaked » Sat Dec 07, 2013 10:13 am

I am pretty sure that I know what you are talking about but I'd like to see a pic if its not to much trouble. Have I told you you do good work. I like it. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Hard solder does flow well -- right temp and flux.

Postby VARocketry » Sun Dec 15, 2013 12:11 am

Brendan:

I realize I just found your GREAT ^:)^ build thread and reading a few pages in ....

You stated hard solder doesn't flow with capillary action .... this is really not a correct statement. Actually at the correct temperatures, the opposite is true.... hard solder flows extremely well toward the heat with the proper flux. It tends NOT to fill gaps as well as soft solder. At the proper temps, it wicks toward the heat/flux very well.

I use 56% silver hard solder on my builds [ had to move to oxy/acetylene for pipes over 2"] and the working temp is about 1100 degrees -- it's stated on the box or MSD sheet. The right high temp FLUX is mandatory too.

You may have already figured all this out months ago as you got further into your build.
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6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby P3T3rPan » Sun Dec 15, 2013 5:33 am

I never use any flux with silfos unless I am joining dissimilar metals.
Clean the copper by heating it to cherry red then let it cool for a moment or two so that it turns black. This brings any crap to the surface where it flakes off when you reapply the heat. And yes it will flow to the heat very well. With good flame control ( experience helps ) gaps etc can be easily filled. Far superior join to solder. Much easier for vertical and overhead joins. Only downside is its hardness makes it more difficult to file if you need to clean it up a bit. A dremel or similar takes care of that though.
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby Brendan » Sun Dec 15, 2013 8:35 am

Yeah I probably had a bit of a spat there when things weren't going my way.

I got the brazing/silver soldering working fine on the smaller joins like the flange rings, and the entire 180 degree bend and all it's connections, as well as the output arm and parrot. Pretty much, most of the still that's not on the column tee sections, is hard soldered.

Like P3t3rPan said, I just got the parts really clean and heated it up to a red glow, and the stuff was like butter. I didn't use any flux for it, and at the time all the brazing fluxes I found were nasty shit, so didn't want to use them on my gear :snooty:

The problem in the tee sections was that I wasn't able to get a 3" of 4" piece up to that red hot temperature with a TS8000 torch on MAPP...would need oxy acetylene like VaRocketry was suggesting :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby P3T3rPan » Sun Dec 15, 2013 9:29 am

Yeah oxy acetylene makes all the diff with silphos. Much easier to heat small areas selectively
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby Brendan » Wed Dec 25, 2013 2:02 pm

I meant to put these up earlier on. This is how I made up my flanges using the 100% silicone baking sheet (which i tested thoroughly, as discussed in another thread).

I cut two rings, the plate sits on top of one, and inside of the other, so that the modular sections join together smoothly with a double flange. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
flange1.jpg


You can see that the top flange has a slightly larger ID to accomodate the plate.

flange2.JPG


flange3.JPG


flange4.JPG


Might look a bit rough, but the tri-clamp pulls that together tight and i've never had the slightest leak out of any of them :D
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby Smbjk » Thu Dec 26, 2013 9:16 am

:handgestures-thumbupleft: nice work brendan :handgestures-thumbupleft: might have to use that one day :D
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby Yummyrum » Thu Dec 26, 2013 3:47 pm

Brendan. How thick is the silicon rubber sheet you have ?
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby Brendan » Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:34 am

Yummyrum wrote:Brendan. How thick is the silicon rubber sheet you have ?


I'll have to check the box to be sure, but I think they're about 1mm from memory. Only thin, but very effective and I use 2 at each join...works a treat :smile:
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby MacStill » Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:15 am

Unless anybody objects I'd like to put this up for BOTM.

Anyone wanting to build a bubbler for themselves by hand this is one of the best threads on the net to take notice of, and it's not just all about skills either....

Time - effort - patience - dedication = reward :happy-partydance:

All I need is a really nice hi res pic I can use for the portal page ;-)

^:)^
Last edited by MacStill on Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: fikst pist poastin
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby Bushy » Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:19 am

Why not build of the year? Took that long :-D
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby Brendan » Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:22 am

MacStill wrote:Unless anybody objects I'd like to put this up for BOTM.

Anyone wanting to build a bubbler for themselves by hand this is one of the best threads on the net to take notice of, and it's not just all about skills either....

Time - effort - patience - dedication = reward :happy-partydance:

All I need is a really nice hi res pic I can use for the portal page ;-)

^:)^


WOW, thanks Mac! I'd be honoured :happy-partydance:

I'll email a couple of pics first thing in the morning :-D
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Re: 6 Week Bubbler Challenge

Postby Brendan » Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:23 am

Bushy wrote:Why not build of the year? Took that long :-D


Haha I've got nothing for that Bushy, good on ya :))
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