Mr Tinkers Bubbler

[Mr Tinker]

So I've decided to do a Bubbler build thread, only I've already finished the still and been using it for a couple of months.
I figure I owe it to all those here who have shared so much knowledge and advise, and hopefully my contribution to the wealth of knowledge accumulated here may be of some help to others.

Enough with the mushy stuff, here's the finished product

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I think i'll do a series of posts with details of each component to break it down a bit.
I started on the boiler first so that's the logical place to start I suppose.

Cheers,

[markus]

:-bd
Nice job

[db1979]

Nice work :handgestures-thumbupleft:
more pics needed though :teasing-tease:

[bluc]

How is that plumbed? Whats pipe on left for :-B

[Mr Tinker]

The Boiler...

- 110l capacity
- 2mm copper sheet bottom and sides
- 1.2mm top cone
- 4" Tri ferrule column connection/fill point
- 1" drain valve
- ½" copper tube handles

I already had the copper sheet for another unrelated project, it was quite costly but it was literally more expensive to buy half sheets (minimum size to suit my needs) than full sheets and I knew I'd find something to do with it.
The size and shape was largely a product of maximising capacity with the materials on hand, determined in particular by the biggest cone I could make.
All joins are 15% silver solder, except the tri ferrule which is 45% silver solder. The top cone in particular really took some doing, lots of solder and oxy/acet (luckily i've got a good supply ;-) )

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...

[Mr Tinker]

...

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I'll try to keep posts coming daily.

Cheers

[woodduck]

Ohhhh I can tell I'm gonna love this thread :happy-partydance: ^:)^

[A&O]

Amazing stuff. Please can you enlighten me as to why 15% for the seams and 45% for the 4” column connection?
Thanks

[Mr Tinker]

How is that plumbed? Whats pipe on left for :-B

Hey Bluc, I just didn't like the look of flexible tubing so I hard plumbed it.

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The dome nuts are just dust covers.

Amazing stuff. Please can you enlighten me as to why 15% for the seams and 45% for the 4” column connection?
Thanks

Hey A&O
I used 15% because it's what I always have for soldering copper pressure pipes, no flux required and it runs nicely on the copper. 45% because it is better for dissimilar metals particularly where there is a large difference in co-efficient of expansion (the amount a material expands and contracts with temperature change). Copper and stainless are quite different, copper-brass not so much. probably wouldn't matter too much at the temps we run, but I've got the stuff so might as well use it.

Cheers,

[bluc]

Lines look awesome :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[A&O]

Cheers great explanation. I have learnt so much in such a short period of time.

[ThePaterPiper]

So do you have two rc’s running in line there? Does that help with speed of adjustment/accuracy or both?

[Mr Tinker]

Hi ThePat

So do you have two rc’s running in line there? Does that help with speed of adjustment/accuracy or both?

Seeing as though you ask, i might as well cover the RC today.

The Reflux Condenser...

- 4"
- 160mm long
- 12 x ⅝" tubes in primary condenser
- approx 1m x ¼" tube on secondary condenser
- ¼" inlet/outlet connections
- ¼" inlet needle valves

I spent a lot of time reading about RC's here and anywhere else I could find any useful information.
I found the general consensus is that building an RC to handle full reflux at decent power input, results in long response times and difficulty dialling in take off rates.
Obviously taking steps to reduce lag time and get finer control, affects the ability to hold the still at full reflux.
I thought about ways of getting the best of both worlds and came up with this idea...

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The idea was that once you are done with full reflux, close the valve on the primary condenser and use the secondary for partial reflux.
The reality is that at the heat input I'm running at the secondary is slightly under size and the primary still needs to be cracked slightly open.
I had planned to increase the secondary capacity but have found it works just fine like it is.
Get in the ballpark with the primary and make the fine adjustments with the secondary. Because the volume of the secondary coil is so small response times are much faster.

The cooling water connections are inlet one side, outlet the other, and water is directed where it need to be via internal plumbing...

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This is the view from the top, with water inlets on the left.
The Primary is fed by a distributer ring right to the very bottom (better seen in the second photo) and primary outlet is at the very top centre.

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The view from the bottom, here you can see the distributer ring better, with holes corresponding to the gaps between riser tubes. The Secondary inlet/outlet drop straight through the bottom plate into the coil.

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It all fits nicely, I had to deform the risers slightly in places to allow the internal plumbing to pass freely

...

[nuddy]

This is beautiful. I love the effort you’ve gone to make this. That RC is out of this world designed.

Are you a copper smith by trade?

[Mr Tinker]

Some more photos...

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I really like this RC and it works really nicely.
Having said that, far more simple designs do the job too and you don't have to go to these lengths to build one that will work for you.

This is beautiful. I love the effort you’ve gone to make this. That RC is out of this world designed.

Are you a copper smith by trade?

Hey Nuddy, Thanks.
Nah not a copper smith, I'm a Fridgy by trade, but I'm a Tinkerer at heart

Cheers

[Lowie]

Nice stuff Mr Tinker. I think we're all tinkerers at heart. Hardest part of that habit is to stop bloody tinkering with stuff when it works...Cheers.

[ThePaterPiper]

An absolute thing of beauty! Real out of the box thinking with both the dual condensor and the distribution ring at the bottom and return in the middle at the top. Very tidy work. I am jealous and I don't even have one to compare! :))

[db1979]

Following with interest!
^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^
Love the out of the box thinking with your RC and the use of tie down straps to put together your boiler. Well done mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bluc]

Look like they are but thought i would ask, on the boiler are the seams folded and crimped? :-B

Like the rc out of the box thinking :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Mr Tinker]

Yeah Bluc, they are lock seams, sealed with silver solder internally to provide a smooth, “seamless” finish inside.

Cheers,