Copper Spheres ?

[MickC]

I have a concept for a bubbler using 4" copper spheres as the column with each sphere being a plate and each sphere connected via a short piece of 4" copper pipe with possibly a viewing port in each sphere.

Now I have no idea if this would work so before I go and make a purchase of some 4" copper spheres is there any reason the sphere shape would interfere with a bubblers performance or any other problems that a sphere shape may present ?




I hope it's doable because I've started to fixate a bit about these copper balls :pray: :laughing-rolling:

[rumdidlydum]

No thats thinking outside the box. :think:
Have you got a pic of one?
It may tend to reflux a little more than a standard one. It definitely would be unique :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Good question for the bubler experts

[MickC]

Here's a link to one of the company's that I have seen that make copper spheres.

http://www.necopperworks.com/copperballs.html

I'm not sure if the copper they use is useable for a still ?

[andybear]

These spheres are actually two half spheres soldered together. He is probably using a solder with lead. You will need to check up on this. Or maybe you can buy the half spheres and solder them together youself.
I would love to see a sketch of your design. the spheres look cool.

[MickC]

Ok so I'm not much of a draftsman but here is a "CONCEPT" of what I'm thinking.

DSCF0014.JPG

[woodduck]

I love the idea :handgestures-thumbupleft:
I recon you would be better getting them in 2 halves anyway. You will need to get the plates in somehow. You could either seal the plates into the spheres with solder or you could easy flange both halves and triclamp them together with the plates in the middle.

Goodluck with it mate, i watch with great interest

[bayshine]

I think it would work well assuming the thicknesses are in inches as this would make the 6 inch ball around 2mm thick :handgestures-thumbupleft:
would look very breaking bad lol

[Zak Griffin]

Coooooool!

[andybear]

Now that looks so cool. I didn't get it at first, but I love the idea now. :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:
So going on from what woodduck said, the two halves and flanges would be the best way forward imo. But you may have trouble finding triclamps that fit. If so you can make your easy flanges with 1/2"tube instead of 1/4 and then drill holes thru and use bolts just like an industrial pipe flange. Your bubble plate would then be the same outer diameter as your flange and you would need two silicone gaskets for each plate. I'll be watching with interest. Good luck.

[hillzabilly]

check out viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1664&hilit=bubble+ball .good luck ,love a dream of something out there.volume would be less than tube does he do 6inch balls ?? cheers hillzabilly

[hillzabilly]

Four 4inch balls with 2inch (you quoted 4 ?) joining sections =a height of about 600ml not sure about ya 1000ml.I love building and have found that if ya get a large book of graph paper,at the news agent ,they use cm and mm sqares wich makes it easy to draw up idears and get a better idear of size,s and how it actually will look ,have also taped a few sheets together for the BIG idears .cheers hillzabilly

[MickC]

Thanks fellas for the replies and encouragement.

When i first saw the spheres I was thinking "I got work out how to do something with these" and a bubbler was what I thought.
but thought "Hmmmmm it would look cool,but would it work?"

I'm going to send the company an email and ask about materials, dimensions, and how much it would cost for them to put a flange on each sphere.
This probably wont work out to be cheap and may take me some time but I figure if I take it slowly I should end up with a groovy looking bubbler or at worst a expensive but cool looking talking point in the shed.... :))

[hillzabilly]

YES WE CAN.

[MickC]

Four 4inch balls with 2inch (you quoted 4 ?) joining sections =a height of about 600ml not sure about ya 1000ml.I love building and have found that if ya get a large book of graph paper,at the news agent ,they use cm and mm sqares wich makes it easy to draw up idears and get a better idear of size,s and how it actually will look ,have also taped a few sheets together for the BIG idears .cheers hillzabilly

Yep the drawing I posted is far from scale but give a general if not true idea of what I'm trying to do.

I worked on a 1000mm and was going to try and make within that height. I figured the I need to make eack joining pipe about 150mm to make the difference up. But The figure 1000mm was just a number I saw in some other builds and to be honest I really need to read up a shit load more about bubblers/plated stills.

Before I build I can be pretty sure I''l be submitting a few more plans for everyone's input

[Andy]

with a pot still having a constriction and expansion like the sphere causes internal reflux- heavier notes condense. So it might raise efficiency, especially having plate in them

[Meatheadinc]

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... obot+still

the stacked ball design has been used with success in stainless by a couple of people on other forums

[hillzabilly]

An old drawing ,clearly shows 4balls.and if I can help get her out of ya mind and onto the boiler ,we can all find out . cheers hillzabilly

[MickC]

Well I've sent off the email and waiting for a reply...its 4:25 am in New England atm :angry-banghead:


Thanks Hillz I will need all the help i can get.I'll be going to get some graph paper and find my reading glasses.

Thanks meathead for the link,I didn't think I was the first to come up with the ball design.
That I ROBOT gives me some more ideas though.

[sp0rk]

4" half balls are pretty cheap on Alibaba
http://sxdhead.en.alibaba.com/product/6 ... _ball.html
And the minimum buy of 10 halves would be perfect for 5 plates...

[punchy21]

Have you seen these builds? Not a perfect sphere but still look shit hot! :handgestures-thumbupleft:

4" Rum still

6" Rum still