4" option part 2 advice welcome

[bt1]

More newb questions on 4" perf plate...

Do you guys buy sheet copper in say1.22mm then cut with a 4&1/8" hole saw no centre drill piece like arbour i think it's called and shave/grind the plates down to required size later? Not sure on what size is required for internal 4" as haven't got the 4" pipe yet.

How the F do you make the ferules for sight glasses fit the curve of 4' so perfectly?

For copper sight glass ferules do you use the simple tap it out flaring / easy flange type process or is there some cute flaring tool for this?

For column join to deph at the top for reflux do you easy flange it or is there a better way if you prefer to stay all copper?

cheers
bt1

[crozdog]

Hi BT1,

My $0.02 is based on research on making one - not from experience.....

A lot of guys use 2" pipe, slit it & beat it flat to get the material for each plate. Others buy sheet and cut slightly oversize disks, they then bolt all rough plates together using a centre hole and place the whole assembly in a lathe & machine or file down to size. I've see pics of guys mounting an electric hand drill in a vice to do the same thing if they don't have a lathe.

For machining the ferules for sight glasses the easiest way I've seen is to use a 100 mm hole saw (or whatever the OD of the pipe is) to cut the end of the ferrule. A jig (made out of a bit of board with a hole the OD of the ferrule made in it) to hold the ferrule in place makes it simple & repeatable. If you then wrap the pipe with emery you can lap the ferrule to be a tight fit to the curve of 4".

As to making the triclamp flange, easy flange seems to be the go for both sight glasses & dephlag if you want to keep it all copper / reduce the cost. Alternately buy off the shelf ferrules...

hopefully that helps you

cheers
Crozdog

[law-of-ohms]

Like I keep saying....

WATERJET!!!

[emptyglass]

Like these?

A 4" holesaw. You could clamp them to a bench and file them in a pinch, but thats only if time is on your side.

[Kimbo]

Here is a template download if you interested
http://harderwoods.com/pipe.html