sp0rk's pot still build

[sp0rk]

Finally got my hands on 6 meters of 2.5" copper pipe, 5 x 90° elbows and a 45° elbow so my build can finally start
I'm planning on building a 2.5" shotgun condenser that I can share between my pot (which I'll be building over the next month or so) and a LM/VM still once mrs sp0rk calms down and starts letting me buy more brewing stuff (I do have a 4x3m shed full of brewing gear)
I see around here that most people do 550mm shotties, is this usually from the ends of the outer shell or from plate to plate (inner tube length)?
I also notice most people solder their inner tubes for the shotgun to the plates from the external side, is there any reason not to solder the tubes to the plates from the internal side, slide this assembly into the outer shell of the shotgun and solder the plates to the outer tube?
I just figure I could get the tubes perfectly flush with the plates this way

I've got the 90° and 45° elbows soaking in some citric acid and warm water right now, looks like there is some pitting on them so I'll have to give them a go over with steel wool
The tube and elbows had been sitting under cover outside of an old plumber's shed for a few years, never used just a little weathered

Will post some pics once I pick up a mitre box and a new hacksaw and I start cutting out parts

[Yummyrum]

Sounds good Spork.

Wouldn't be too anal about getting pipes perfectly flat ...you here all this stuff about pooling and smearing but its all Bollocks . You will be likely to get less that 2mLs of liquid pooling , compare this to the typical 300ml cut jars most of us use and you'll get the picture .

Regarding length, there is no fixed rule ...sure there are online calculators but they are only guidelines and most just use a size that "fits" their situation be that the length that works for easy collection or the length of the pipe they have on hand .

For my 4" Bubbler I'm building its 450mm long but the actual condenser shell is only 350mm....even so this is about as long as I could possibly make it otherwise the output will be close to the boiler for my liking ....and I'm not going to have a Parrot.

[Brendan]

....and I'm not going to have a Parrot.

[sp0rk]

I've had the elbows on soaking in citric acid and water for 24 hours now and it seems some of them have a fair bit of pitting
I bought 1kg of citric acid from a local chemicals mob today, so I've given the elbows a go over with steel wool and emery cloth and put them into a fresh solution of citric acid and water for another 24 hour soak
If the majority of gunk isn't gone after this, should I be grabbing brand spankers?
I don't mind if it's a bit average looking, as long as it's not leeching anything harmful to me or creating off flavours

I cut a 100mm section of the pipe off today and cleaned it up, then cut a slot along the pipe and flattened her out ready to mark up for drilling my shotgun plates
I used a mitre box from bunnings, but this still cut on a slight angle, so I think I might have to borrow a metal cut off saw from someone to get nice straight edges for the column and shotty :think:

[Yummyrum]

Wrap a piece of paper around the pipe and mark it with a texta...Got the Idea off Linny :handgestures-thumbupleft: You just follow the line around bit by bit with a hack saw to create a groove and it will be perfectly straight .Then cut through...the saw will be guided by the groove .
After my experience with a cut off saw , this will be much closer to perfection

Gunna 015.jpg

Regarding the fittings , if as you say they have never been used , only oxidized outside then they will be perfectly OK after a citric acid Bath

[P3T3rPan]

:text-+1:
I been cutting this all my working life
Drop saws, mitre boxes, hack saws, sabre saws, draw saws, angle grinders, none of them as consistently accurate and simple as wrapping a piece of stiff paper around and marking with a pencil or such and cutting as above.

[sp0rk]

Thanks very much lads!
A mate has offered to soda blast the elbows for me, so I might give him one and see how it goes, if it carves the elbow up too badly or takes way too long, I'll just use the other ones as they are
now to hurry up and buy a soldering torch!

[sp0rk]

Well, I pulled the pin and cut my column at 500mm high, using the paper trick to get a nice marking and then slowly rotated the pipe whilst I cut it
Worked perfectly :)
I'm thinking about putting a tri clamp in the middle of the middle of the top section, so I can alter the angle of the shotgun
I can't find a 2.5" pipe union, so it's either try the tri clamp (hopefully it doesn't slip and rotate downward) or go a 2.5" to 2" reducer then to a 2" pipe union then a reducer back up to 2.5"
Will try the tri clamp and see how it goes

Also still tossing up whether to go 5 x 12mm or 7 x 12mm pipes in my shotgun :?

[Yummyrum]

Macstills got 2.5" tri-clamp unions for $30 Here

I recon the larger the diameter, the better it would hold the angle , also you don't want to keep reducing up and down if you can help it .But I'm sure even 2" will hold the angle just fine .....those EPDM seals stick like shit to a blanket

And I'd stick as many pipes in you shotty as you comfortably can

[1 2many]

:text-+1: The tricamp fittings are fine mate they won't slip once they are tightened up :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[kickarum]

Hey Spork
Got 1 of Mac's 2 1/2" tri clamps on my pot, where the top of the column connects to the Lynn arm holds very well. I'd be more concerned about smearing from the puddle the angle will form at the top of the shotty, but I'm no expert.
Cheers Kicka.

[Zak Griffin]

You'll have more smearing in a 300ml cut jar than any puddle at the top of a shotty ;-)

[sp0rk]

Marked up my shotgun plates today with 7 x 1/2" pipes, there will be around about 7 mm between the edge of the shotgun and the entry to a pipe
I can't see there being more than around 20 ml pooling there, I'm happy with that
I'm thinking an easy flange at the top of the column so I can reuse it as part of my LM/VM column, then one of Mac's 2.5" tri clamp ferrules in the middle of the lyne arm so I can adjust the angle of it's dangle
Well after today there's going to be a 2 week wait until I can do anything more, I'm out of town next weekend and I've gotta buy a few more parts before I can go any further
Will update once I get back to it

[sp0rk]

Finally an update!
all my copper bits are ready except a 3/4" to 1/2" reducer and then a foot or so of 1/2" for the outlet, just gotta grab the reducer from Bunnings
Stainless bits are in the mail

the gaps between the column, the two halves of the lyne arm and at the start of the shotgun will all have tri clamps in them once they're here :-D
very excited to get this baby running !

[MacStill]

that's not a thong :naughty:

[sp0rk]

they're mrs sp0rk's safety boots :)) (they're Crocs thongs)

[stillar]

Nice pot :handgestures-thumbupleft: . Only way you know your using to much solder is wearing thongs, solder splashing on your toes is a good sign lol.