Copper Spheres ?

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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby Zaximus » Fri Jun 12, 2015 1:45 am

Mate this is so cool is got me seriously thinking I need to replace my prostetic balls with....oh shit no sorry wrong forum :laughing-rolling:

Seriously though this is so cool. I think I want to add a ball to the top of my still build now. I see they have some pretty large diameters so that's awesome. Let us know how it is dealing with them, postage cost etc. Will be very interested as this really ads a nice element to a still :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby sp0rk » Fri Jun 12, 2015 9:13 am

punchy21 wrote:Have you seen these builds? Not a perfect sphere but still look shit hot! :handgestures-thumbupleft:

4" Rum still

6" Rum still

These are actually tempting me to build a perf plate (or possibly 2" bubble cap) bubbler like this with little 1.5" peepers...
I think mrs sp0rk would kill me if I started a build just before we're about to move :))
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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby MickC » Sat Jun 13, 2015 8:33 am

Thanks for the links spOrk, those 2 "rum stills" post by Mac have some great info.

Just on sourcing the spheres so far the only place I've contacted (emailed and rang) havent got back to me yet. :crying-blue:

I'll be trying a few others places but atm I'm trying to find a shop that can make the spheres and do some custom work.

The planning continues :geek: :music-deathmetal:
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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby Zaximus » Sat Jun 13, 2015 1:56 pm

Hey Mick have you had a response from the yanks yet about the spheres?
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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby Fishboy » Sat Jun 13, 2015 8:48 pm

Have you done a ring around to the local metal spinners and see if you can get em done locally?
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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby MickC » Sun Jun 14, 2015 7:58 am

Zaximus wrote:Hey Mick have you had a response from the yanks yet about the spheres?



No mate not yet.

Fishboy wrote:Have you done a ring around to the local metal spinners and see if you can get em done locally?


I hadnt thought of trying to source em locally :dance:
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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby Fishboy » Sun Jun 14, 2015 8:27 pm

I've used tithe metal spinners in moorabbin before.
They were pretty good (wasn't a copper job )
At least five showed up on a quick Google search.
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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby MickC » Wed Jun 17, 2015 9:24 am

So no replies from the states :crying-blue:

But I did get in contact with a local sheet metal company and they said that getting them custom made may be costly and suggested I could look at using copper float valve balls. So that's the road I'm going down atm



If anyone finds a company that will custom make them please let me know. We could maybe do a group buy?
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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby Zak Griffin » Wed Jun 17, 2015 10:10 am

I found an old copper float valve ball at Prominent Hill on a shutdown... It was a bit banged up, but about 6" around. I couldn't pocket it unfortunately, and I don't know what it had come in contact with anyway, so I left it.

Definitely worth looking into!

At Blackwoods; https://www.blackwoods.com.au/search/ba ... ?c=Product
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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby TheMechwarrior » Wed Jun 17, 2015 10:49 am

Zak Griffin wrote:I found an old copper float valve ball at Prominent Hill on a shutdown... It was a bit banged up, but about 6" around. I couldn't pocket it unfortunately, and I don't know what it had come in contact with anyway, so I left it.

Definitely worth looking into!

At Blackwoods; https://www.blackwoods.com.au/search/ba ... ?c=Product



Nice find :text-+1:

:text-thankyoublue:
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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby Fishboy » Wed Jun 17, 2015 4:16 pm

Mick, try ringing a specialist metal spinner. They do that sort of stuff all the time where the average sheet metal shop would have kittens at the thought.
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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby MickC » Wed Jun 17, 2015 4:24 pm

I checked out the blackwood 6" copper ball floats they came in at $93 each and I got a quote today from a metal spinner.
The metal spinner quoted me $150 fo a 4" dia ,2.6mmthick wall, with a 10mm flange(around the centre) and a 2" holes cut at the top and bottom and a third hole 2"
for a viewing port.

My wallet is leaning towards the Blackwood ball floats but I think the custom ones would work out a lot less work.....decisions decisions
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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby MickC » Wed Jun 17, 2015 4:25 pm

Fishboy wrote:Mick, try ringing a specialist metal spinner. They do that sort of stuff all the time where the average sheet metal shop would have kittens at the thought.



I rang the guys you mentioned and they couldnt have been more helpful. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Copper Spheres ?

Postby RuddyCrazy » Wed Jun 17, 2015 6:13 pm

Hi Mick,
I have done metal spinning in the past life, when I was a kid my dad got me to spin thin brass plate for making pendulum bob's. Ok they weren't 1/2 round spheres but I could have a go at machining up a a former then have a go at spinning one up in my old lathe. I do have a short section of 4" pipe left over I can anneal and eh after a bit of fun it may work out.

Cheers Bryan
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