First time bubbler build

[ABV 95]

Hey guys,

Here are some pics of the build of my bubbler. Its a 4 inch (101.6 mm) stainless steel 4 plated single cap bubbler. It's modular for easy cleaning and adjustment and easy storage.

The first pic is one the four section with easy flanges. This wasn't easy to do but i did it :dance:

Segment.jpg

then there where the bubble caps to be build. These are made of 54 mm copper. I flatted out a piece to make the top and cut of 40mm pieces and welded it together.

Bubble caps.jpg

I used short downcomers of total of 60 mm with 20 mm above the plate and 40 mm below with a cup at the bottom to keep around 7 mm of fluid.

Downcomers.jpg

The plates put together by TIG with a riser with a height of 30 mm..

Plates complete.jpg

Then it was time to take a look around to make the sight glasses. These i made of 76.1 mm pipe welded on the segment and on that piece two flanges to keep the glas.

T piece.jpg

[Smbjk]

Very nice mate looks great so far :handgestures-thumbupleft: keep the pictures coming :D never made a bubble cap but just make sure your riser inside the bubble cap is higher than the riser on the dc. And not sure if the bubble cap slots are big enough but as I said I haven't made a bubble cap yet and I'm sure you know exactly what you are doing and a more experienced member will chime in and let you know ( and me 8-} )

Keep up the good work :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[dogbreath vodka]

Veeeeeery nice work there 95 :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Not seen anyone try modular stainless like that before.
Bending the flanges would have been a nightmare, how'd you do it?

The slots in the cap look a little short, but if it works then it doesn't matter. ;-) :D

DBV

[ABV 95]

The slots are 5 mm high and 2 mm wide space between also 2 mm. Maybe i will have to make them al little bit higher. :think:.
What do you guys think???

And you are right about the flanges ~x( . I used the so called "cold forged technique" :music-deathmetal: .

Also two pics of the Reflux cooler. This is 100 mm high and has 6 time 18 x 2 mm pipe and is connected bij two times 1/2 inch with a needle valve to a circulair cooling system

Reflux cooler 1.jpg

Reflux cooler 2.jpg

[dogbreath vodka]

The slots are 5 mm high and 2 mm wide space between also 2 mm.

5mm is fine, they just looked small.... I'll get my glasses checked later. 8-}
:D :D

Nice looking condenser as well mate. :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:

DBV

[Brendan]

Looks great so far 95!

On your RC, how come you didn't put a tube in the centre? :think: Seems like wasted space there...

[Kimbo]

That looks great 95,
now hurry up and run it, were hangin to hear how it performs :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Bootross]

That's certainly an interesting built 95. Could you elaborate on your "cold forging" technique? ^:)^

Is it essentially some tooling for a press to flare our the flanges? :think:

Do you have any pics of the tooling used?

[ABV 95]

Apologize for the late response but here is how i made the flanges on the stainless pipe

First i made this tool with my bench lathe.

Tool for easy flanges.jpg

Then you need a frame work press of at least 15 tons. Something like this.

raamwerkpers 20 tons.jpg

And then you put the pieces together, under the press and there you go.

Under press.jpg

Easy flanges :happy-partydance:

[ABV 95]

Here are some more pics
The pc is 500 mm long and 60.3 mm wide, on the inside thre are 7 tubes of 12 x 1 mm

PC.jpg

PC inside.jpg

This is the top

Topend.jpg

I stil need to polish these pieces :sad:

[dogbreath vodka]

Beautiful work....

Pity I finished making my easy flanges... I would have had an excuse to buy a press. :D ;-)

DBV

[ABV 95]

:laughing-rolling: Too Bad :laughing-rolling:

Maybe for the next build :))

[Bootross]

Thanks 95, that clears it up.
I intend to build a stainless column, and think this technique may just come in handy.
What radius did you use on the press tool?

[ABV 95]

The radius is 12 mm. Just keep the center high enough to hold the piece your pressing centered.

[Bootross]

Thanks 95 :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[ABV 95]

I ran a tpw wash this week and the average output was around 91-92 % :-D

Stil have to polish so a pic of the total wil folow :roll:

[Smbjk]

I ran a tpw wash this week and the average output was around 91-92 % :-D

Stil have to polish so a pic of the total wil folow :roll:

Hurry up :laughing-rolling: want to see this beast :D

[ABV 95]

Hey everyone,

A quick update, i have had the bubbler blasted with glass.
It looks nice, it has a matt finish. I still have to make some photo's. :oops:

I've put an extra tube in the reflux cooler in the middle (like Brendean said).

It performs well but the sight glass windows keep breaking. At the time i got some ss plates instaed of windows :handgestures-thumbdown: .
This happens during the warming up of the colom, lowest window goes well, the next three keep on breaking :angry-banghead: .

Could anyone tell what i'm doing wrong???

Kind regards
ABV

[Smbjk]

What type of glass are you using? Also check to make sure your flanges are totally flat. But from your build process they look flat so I don't see that as the problem.

Mac sells borcilite glass ( excuse spelling ) in many sizes. They are pyrex glass so handling heat is not a problem :D

[Bushy]

Like sbkjm says, if there is the slightest deviation from flat they will crack. May not be the case with yours but when my still is cold the clamps are nearly loose then they tighten with the heat. Which means I have overtightened a cold still. Maybe check that next time it's heating up. :think: