Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

I have an oxy lpg set but got freaked out when I found out the oxy bottle hire , fucking thieves $ 128 a yr to hire a bottle that couldn't be worth more than $ 30 . pricks ort to be in jail no wonder they don't let ya own the bottles anymore so trying to see what other options there are

Try Aquasafe 100. Almost pure tin with a trace of copper to prevent tin pest. Foodsafe, and Bunnings has it in 500gm wire rolls (usually in the copper plumbing fittings section). Use Bernzomatic lead free flux paste (also at Bunnings). Any propane torch will do. I use an ordinary barbecue bottle with a torch attachment.

It's not as strong structurally as silver solder, but is adequate for most copper soldering jobs in distilling equipment. Pretty much the same stuff they use to seam food cans.

HTH

Slainte!
regards Harry

Thanks mate saw this stuff but didn't know what it was cheers

Just go the bernzomatic soft solder/ flux from Bunnings mate, and the cheap $20 butane torch... it'll do for anything we build unless you want to use your still as a car stand :))

maheel wrote:
what flux you using for that ?

Finally remembered :))

ok , will I still need the silver solder rod and this GP silver/brazing flux they sold me to do the easy flange and is this flux any good for soft solder or do I need the other gear

You can use what you have already, but "to me" you're talking about brazing not soldering ;-)

yeah I had the soft solder and the bunnings fella reckoned i needed this other gear so thats what they sold me but I think I'll get the soft solder tomorrow , keep this stuff now I got it and use solder for my pipe joins as I think they'll be easier to do in soft solder . For a start I haven't done any brazing for maybe 20 yrs or more

stubbydrainer wrote:CE
I use 45% silver in the rods i get, and I use oxy/acetelene for most welds, although I am using soft solder more and more

:whistle: how much those 45% sticks set you back?

IMHO brazing sucks!

It's hard to clean up, uses excess fuel to get the heat required & is just overkill for what we need..... there's even a guy (read wanker) on ebay that reckons TIG is the only way to go, and he's qualified TIG welder after doing a tafe course for a few weeks :laughing-rolling: 8-} :laughing-rolling:

Seriously though, I've been trying different things lately with soft solder & it's fucking great stuff...... plenty strong enough for our needs, cleans up easily & if you want to modify/change your design you can heat up the join to melt it & file the solder off easily to re use any fittings or pipe without waste :D

Also the Bernzomatic flux is water soluble, so you end up with less shit in the column to clean out & no carbonizing of your precious pipe n fittings :clap:

+1 to that,
in my very limited still building capacity, i braized my first 2 builds (man that was hard work), then Mac showed me how easy and strong soldering is.
I know which way I'll be going next time ;-)

kimbo wrote:+1 to that,
in my very limited still building capacity, i braized my first 2 builds (man that was hard work), then Mac showed me how easy and strong soldering is.
I know which way I'll be going next time ;-)

Was it you I showed that soft soldered easy flange clamped to the keg, then we tried to break it off ?

Cant renember much from when you were here :))

can i soft solder the ring on the easy flange ?

croweater wrote:can i soft solder the ring on the easy flange ?

I would braze that ;-)



Then wire brush it to a shine or the solder wont stick to it

sam_and_liv wrote: :whistle: how much those 45% sticks set you back?

I don't ask :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: I know its "the right price" thats right hey SBB ?? ;-)

Couple of SS to copper soft soldered joins I did today.

ok I better hang on to the stuff they sold me and just get some solder tomorrow as I don't know if the stuff I have here is lead free I might be a tight arsed basted but I'm not to keen on the idea of lead poisoning

i did some work on a bit of copper the other day for a non-brewing application joining a butt seam on some .5mm plate

1st i tried my gas torch and it just got hot way to quick and just pissed through the gap

then i got this out and stuck it on the torch and it worked a treat


i have a set like this but run it off a POL bbq gas bottle
the "iron" screws on the front of the torch jet


i think might actually buy one of those old school big copper head irons that you heat up next time i see one cheap as i quite liked the way this worked

That's a similar kit to mine. Those big copper tips really come into their own for doing sweated lap seams on thin tinplate. Perfect every time. :dance:

Harry wrote:That's a similar kit to mine. Those big copper tips really come into their own for doing sweated lap seams on thin tinplate. Perfect every time. :dance:

yeah i actually thought they (the big copper old irons)might go well in shotgun construction etc where with one you might localise heat easier