Dig's Big Four Incher

[Dig Brinker]

So, as I have mentioned recently in a couple of other threads, I'm not happy with the still that I got from a mate. I've used it once as a reflux still, and then removed the internals and have been using as a pot to strip CFW & MacRum. It is only a one & three quarter inch column with a three quarter over three eighths Liebig. Not really suited as a stripping column. :laughing-rolling: So I have decided to upgrade. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Got in touch with a mate who can get me some copper 'off cuts' from industrial type jobs. Couple of days later I have several 2 metre lengths of 1/2, 3/4,1 & 4 inch copper pipe and a couple of 90 degree elbows sitting under the carport :D Bought some 2 inch and some 1/4 inch and got to cutting.

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Mate came around a few days later & I was feeling proud having everything cut nice & square so started talking about making the sections into tees. He says 'I can probably get you some 4 inch pre formed copper tees' so of course that results in a 'fuck YES!' from me and they arrive in the next couple days. Very nice, just need to slice some 4 inch to make inserts for them to bring back to 100mm to fit the clamps. Got that done on the bandsaw at work last night so have to clean these up & solder in.
Now until I started this project I'd never even picked up a blowtorch before, so I read up all I could, watched a couple of vids on YouTube and gave it a crack. Pretty happy with the results!

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Feeling good about my newly acquired skills I thought I'd have a crack at some hard soldering so got a couple rings ready for the easy flanges. Had a harder time with these, I think I made a solid silver ring with the first one I tried :sad: got easier after I re read a couple of threads & stopped using flux :angry-banghead: lol. Anyway, I got the top 4"-2" reducer and 180 bend soldered up and flange rings on each end.

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Next up I though I'd tackle the PC, two inch with 4 half inch tubes. Thought this might test me but went together well, solder just flowed where it had to.

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Got some more 1/4 inch before work tonight to make a dozen four inch rings for the modules & sight glasses then I will get those soldered up as soon as I can. Then I will tackle the RC. I was originally thinking 7 X 3/4 inch tubes inside but might have a look at how many half inch I can stuff in there. Slightly torn on length of the RC too. Have seen some suggest 4 inches while some have said 6. 8-}
I'll be buying my sight glasses & plates from Mac as soon as funds allow.

Happy stillin'

[rumdidlydum]

Nice work mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Dam handy having mates that can score stuff for markers.
Also the answer to your queation is 25 1/2 tubes :D

[1 2many]

Looking very nice mate looking forward to your build. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Dig Brinker]

Thanks fellas :handgestures-thumbupleft: Great to get some feedback.
Sure is great getting copper for nix, I reckon I've spent over $100 on the 1/4 inch & 2 inch I've had to buy for this project so far. Add another 3-4 hunge on blowtorch, solder, flux, fittings, files, sand paper, grinder disks, dremel disks, flap wheels, :teasing-blah: :teasing-blah: and I could've had one of Mac's pots making the long trip across the Nullarbor :roll: but learning new skills is invaluable in my eyes. Especially if they are practical :handgestures-thumbupleft: I'll add it to my resume anyway lol.
Hmmm...25 tubes is a lot, not sure which way I'll go yet. I'm trying to do this build without asking any/many questions, because the info is all here and I reckon I could write a Ph.D. Thesis on all the stuff I've read both here and other distilling sites in the last 6 months :geek: but I'm always open to suggestions :think: Obviously being so many variations to how we can carry out our hobby there are always different opinions, but if anyone can say, for example, that a buttload of half inch tubes are better than a buttload of 3/4 inch tubes, then I'm all ears :silent: lol. Also if anyone can see that I am doing something terribly wrong (or even slightly!) then don't hesitate to yell out. Like I said before, I haven't done too much metal work in my time. :snooty: lol
Got a little done over the last 2 days, in between working night shift and junior footy :violin:

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Ready to clean & solder the inserts into the tees but I will flatten and solder the flange rings on to the inserts first as I've found they require a bit more heat than soldering tube into tube. Also I haven't tried soldering 4 inch yet, apart from top bend reducer, my torch is rated to 80mm so we'll see how it goes. Was fine on the 4-2 inch reducer so I reckon I'll be right :handgestures-thumbupleft:

After my last MacRum strip I removed my keg insulation and found a hard, sticky sap like ball on the top of the boiler, indicating a tiny pin hole leak. Wasn't much, maybe 5 cubic mm? So while I'm at work over the next few nights one of the (more competent :)) ) fitters might have an extra job, to weld in a 4 inch pipe with a ferrule on the end that I rescued from the scrap pile. :music-deathmetal:
I'm not totally sure, but I think that there may be a hydraulic press in the fitter's workshop, I'll bring my rings to work tomorrow & it will save me trying to squish them in my little old vice. Fingers crossed :pray:

That's about it for now, I think I'm not really that far away! Better be because I've got washes on and a NQR boiler & still combo :oops:


Happy stillin'

[Dig Brinker]

Stuffed up the pics, last one is a tee with inserts ready to solder in. Best I order sight glasses soon :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[scythe]

Is that tee chrome plated or is it just shiny and the lighting is bad?

If you use a press adjust the pressure to that you dont squash it completely flat or you will have trouble getting them to seal and may have to stack 2 seals per join.
They should be about 2-2.5mm thick after flattening.

Also make sure you support the ID so that it does not shrink when flattened.
The rings expand in both directions when flattened.
101.4mm +/-0.05mm is a good size for the ID, OD should end up about 119mm IIRC.

[Dig Brinker]

The tee is just shiny, Scythe. Straight outta the box :handgestures-thumbupleft:
As for the rings, I already learned that lesson with the first one I tried :laughing-rolling: filed down the gap until I had a snug fit around the 4 inch, brazed the ring and flattened in the vice only to find the bastard wouldn't fit around the pipe anymore :handgestures-thumbdown: I've cut this lot slightly larger :-B
My fitter mate is going to weld on the 4 inch ferrule to my keg tonight at work, and I'm finishing early so happy days all round!!

Happy stillin'

[rumdidlydum]

Why use a press to flatten the ring? A hammer works perfectly when you fit the ring to the pipe, slowly tapping while turning the 4inch.

[bluc]

Wondering how you blokes get the easy flange ring square and flat to get a good seal and a square flute :think:

[WTDist]

Top job. Looks like your getting a move on :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Wondering how you blokes get the easy flange ring square and flat to get a good seal and a square flute :think:

I use paper to make the lines on mine, wrap it around square and it is a good line. Then i use a hacksaw on one edge of the line. The rings are a bit of panel beating once they are formed around the copper pipe to get them flat.

[strongy12]

i must b a retard. i couldnt get that to work rum, i smashed my rings between the concrete and a 8mm steel plate. but they didnt end up round, what sort of hammer did u use?

[Zak Griffin]

Put the ring on the pipe and hit it with a hammer...

[Dig Brinker]

Turns out we don't have a press in the workshop so I'll be squishing them in the vice or using the hammer. Was only going to put them in the press to avoid physical labour... Lol :laughing-rolling:

[scythe]

Unlucky.

[Zipeddy]

Yeah i followed Mac easy flange tute to a T and worked flawlessly. Hammering on the pipe works well because it hugs the pipe nice and tight once its compressed. I found if i tried to flatten them then put em on the pipe they were too tight to fit on. Also learned the hard way to flatten flanges BEFORE outlets for water etc go on. Cant get couldnt get hammer underneath :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead:

[Dig Brinker]

Wondering how you blokes get the easy flange ring square and flat to get a good seal and a square flute :think:

I ended up beating mine against a piece of scrap pipe,as rum said, removed them & gave little taps to try and flatten them before soldering on. They are pretty close but I will be filing or grinding them perfectly flat to finish.

Got a little done today, was a bit worried about attaching the rings to the 30mm sections of pipe, thought that with so little room I'd burn the flux and they wouldn't work, but I need not have worried, they went together well except for 1 that was a little loose which I filled with a sliver of copper and soldered over. So that's the sight glass ferrules done, ready to solder into the tees.

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Also got my flange rings soldered onto the RC shell. Didn't get the keg finished last night, will be done during the week. Nothing fancy, just a 4 inch flange for now. Unless I can find a drain here tonight :think:

Happy stillin'

[rumdidlydum]

Perfecto :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Dig Brinker]

Right O, got a bit more done over the weekend, getting bloody close now! Haven't got my keg back yet though, was heading in to work on Friday morning to get it when some :teasing-tease: decided to run a red light and t-bone me. Needless to say I didn't get to work.
So I headed home to do some real work :handgestures-thumbupleft:
First I attacked the rings that I had cleverly made oversized for the flanges. Had to cut & shut because I made them TOO FUCKING BIG 8-} Got them all fixed up & attached them to the pipe sections. Chucked a couple on a longer section of leftover 4" and now I have a tall stripper of my own. She says her name is Candy :dance:

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Got some more time today and stitched my modules together. Except for one I need to get some more 1/4" to make flanges with. :angry-banghead:
Gave them a dry fit and I reckon she looks a treat :music-deathmetal:

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Next step is transferring some coin across the country for some glass to look through and then waiting til I have some more coin to get some shiny copper plates with. Oh and I gotta get some more 4 inch Tri clamps. Best I have a look around work tomorrow night :))

Happy stillin'

[warramungas]

Very nice!! That is a beauty!
Slightly off topic but just quickly as dig brinker has the same problem as others apparently.
Can anyone explain why some pictures that are posted right way end up turned to the left 90 degrees in the posts? It sh*Ts me to tears sometimes. :angry-banghead:

[scythe]

Probably need to crop them so that they are wider than they are tall.
Forum program is just trying to save length. IMHO