Bubble Cap Column Build

[MacStill]

Thought I would share my latest build with you lot, progress has been slow so far but I got most of the bits rounded up now to make a good start on it.

I'll start off building the bubble cap plate tree, it'll be 5 plates with 11 bubble caps on each plate & the downcomers will be 40mm into 50mm cups.

Bubble caps are Artisan Copper Works design and supplied by 5Star, the quality of these caps is awesome & the brass is lead free.

Couple of piccies.







:mrgreen:

[QLD.Andy]

This looks like its going to be one of those epic builds.
Is it a keeper or a seller??

[MacStill]

I'll be keeping this one mate, but then I say that about all my builds..... I guess with this one it will all depend on how deep someones pockets are :laughing-rolling:

It will be a bit of an epic build though, not going to be able to do this one in a week :crying-green:

edit: Just as a clue for everyone.... the bubble caps are 1 inch diameter ;)

[QLD.Andy]

So she's an 8 incher ?

[8-ball]

well my pockets fit my hand in but if i get the missus to make special one i may be able to fit that in my pocket :laughing-rolling:

[busman]

I'll be keeping this one mate, but then I say that about all my builds.....

You'd have trouble topping this one, methinks :lol:

[MacStill]

I think maheel will lose his load when he see's this, he's been wondering for months what this bit of pipe is going to turn in to :mrgreen:

[MacStill]

I thought it was time to get back into this build while waiting for parts for others builds I'm doing, so today I've had a crack at getting the first bubble cap plate completed.

Here's a pic of all the bubble caps fitted & ready to solder in the down comers and cups, the down comers are 40mm & the cups 50mm :o

[maheel]

your keeping the copper prices high anyway :) a job Obama cannot figure out how to do.... :(

you hand making the reducers ? 8" -> ? must cost some COIN

i am just pissing around with 2" pipe aren't I :violin:

[MacStill]

I'm not going to use any 8" reducers, they're $274.00 a pop so I'll use a 8" tri clamp for boiler connection & copy the the Holstein stills design :teasing-neener: with a side take off & drop in reflux condenser to negate the need for large reducers ;)

:mrgreen:

[MacStill]

Today I spent a bit more time on this rig and got all the plates cut by water jet as well as some 25mm strips that will go around the edge of the plate as a weir, each disc took 45 seconds to cut :dance:

I will never bother cutting discs myself again.



:mrgreen:

[maheel]

are you using flat sheet stock for the circles or beating out pipe ?

looks like sheet being so smooth etc & i am interested in where you get and $ per sheet etc

nice looking circles :)

[MacStill]

These were made from 2mm sheet copper at a workshop out in the bush here, I'm in negotiations with the guy on a bulk order of flat pre drilled discs so I can have a heap in stock available to members.

I helped him program the computerised water cutter to do these and fired off a million questions :laughing-rolling: but he basically said I could have plates made with any configuration of holes and hole sizes down to 1.6mm :dance:

Prices will have to wait for now, and I will advertise them ASAP in the commercial section, all I will say is that 4" perforated plates will be very affordable ;)

[maheel]

nice work :)

[SBB]

Geeze they look flash Mac.....looks like the way to go in future. Having said that Im glad I did mine the hard way (bashed out of an old bit of pipe)...Its an experience to remember and I learned a lot doing it.
I began to understand why people say "Build ya own". If I ever finish the bloody thing it will be one of the little treasures I keep for life.

[MacStill]

Having the plates done this way might cost a little more but the amount of time saved far outweighs the expense, well for me anyway ;)

The main cost of getting this done is in setting up the water jet cutter, the more discs I get made the cheaper they will become so I'm trying to work out the cost of getting a whole sheet of 2mm done in 4" discs.

I'll get perforated plates, and plates made to fit ACW bubble caps if it all pans out.

But IMHO building your own is a great experience that helps a person understand how the still works, let alone gaining knowledge on the whole distilling process :)

I'm hoping tomorrow will see a few more plates finished off, and if I'm lucky the plate tree finished.

One thing I'm going to try out with this build is having a perforated plate above all the bubble cap plates ;)

[MacStill]

Progress has been a little slow but the plate tree is coming together nicely, I just need a couple of days in the shed with no interuptions and this beast will be getting close.

The coke can is so you can see the size of this thing :text-lol:

[MacStill]

A tad more progress today and finally got one tray finished :dance:

[wynnum1]

Will the water cutter cut heat proof glass into circles.

[MacStill]

Will the water cutter cut heat proof glass into circles.

I dont think so because it's high pressure, I think the glass would just shatter :think: