Making your own copper packing

Vapor, Liquid or Cooling Management. Flutes, plates, etc.

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mash rookie
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by mash rookie »

I think some of you guys are missing the lesson that Bushman is offering. It is a very affordable way to make “copper wool” packing. As dense or loose as you choose to pack it.

1 unwind
2 fluff
3 stuff

4 drink

5 use thumb for …...

Give me a call when you like BM
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Medicine Man »

waster wrote:I PM'ed Bushman and he reports producing ~1 gal of 93-95% product in 3.5-4 hours with this packing in a 4" CM column.
How did this compare to using scrubbies?
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Medicine Man »

Bushman wrote:
BoisBlancBoy wrote:Am I missing something, how would just one of those fill even 2" column or do you need to do it multiple times?
I posted 19 but I found another band on the floor so if you separate all 20 and then unravel them and work them together as explained as the picture doesn't do it justice but it will be a tight fit and I staggered them so it came to about 49" long. 6' filled my 4" by 40" column which would be 4 times the volumn of a 2" so 3' is easily enough.
I counted 19 strands in a section of 2/0 welding cable, so pretty sure the extra strand you found was either missed from your initial count or maybe from another piece of cable.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Bushman »

Medicine Man wrote:
waster wrote:I PM'ed Bushman and he reports producing ~1 gal of 93-95% product in 3.5-4 hours with this packing in a 4" CM column.
How did this compare to using scrubbies?
I have not used scrubbies so cannot compare it, however I have used the mesh you buy on line and because the strands from the welding wire is more dense I beileve they work better with both vapor and condensation.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Medicine Man »

So I tried this method, Using 6' of 2/0 welding cable, and packing an 1 1/4" column.
I soldered one end as per one idea on this thread.
I soldered one end as per one idea on this thread.
I untwisted the cable with a power drill and ended up with this.
I untwisted the cable with a power drill and ended up with this.
At this point the wire bundle was about 77" long. My column is 34", so I figured to cut the bundle in half and do some more separation of the conductors.
This is a time consuming job. I have no idea how long this job took Bushman, but at this point I ran into some...
This is a time consuming job. I have no idea how long this job took Bushman, but at this point I ran into some...
snags. These things are deadly, one little kink will grab every other strand, and pretty quick it's a mess.
snags. These things are deadly, one little kink will grab every other strand, and pretty quick it's a mess.
I persevered, and 4 hours later I had half the bundle fluffed.
This is the difference in volume fluffing the bundle makes.
This is the difference in volume fluffing the bundle makes.
One half of the bundle fluffed.
One half of the bundle fluffed.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Medicine Man »

The next day it took about 3 hours to fluff the other half of the bundle. I got quicker because I was more careful, especially with the last 3-4 inches of the bundle, making sure there was no kinks there before I started to separate the conductors.
I taped the two halves together and pushed them into the column.
I taped the two halves together and pushed them into the column.
The fit is snug but not tight. The packing will fall out if I shake the column.
The fit is snug but not tight. The packing will fall out if I shake the column.
I still have to trim the ends.
I still have to trim the ends.
Comments, suggestions?
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raketemensch
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by raketemensch »

That's some pretty wild stuff. How much do you think the copper cost?
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by FreeMountainHermit »

For those considering using drawn copper or stainless wire :

There's a fair amount of drawing oil on it even though that it's not readily apparent. I know this from making jumper cables from welding leads as I had to flux the living daylights out of it to get my solder to bond.

Give it a good wash or soak.
Blah, blah, blah,........
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Medicine Man »

raketemensch wrote:That's some pretty wild stuff. How much do you think the copper cost?
$10 for a meter of 2/0 welding cable (the guy cut me 6 ft, I thought a meter was 3ft? Good thing, because I ended up using it)
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Making your own copper packing

Post by raketemensch »

Damn, that's a nice, cheap column full of packing, which will enforce specific paths up and down for reflux. It seems like it will actively force rising vapor and falling reflux to interact more than anything else I've seen.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Medicine Man »

FreeMountainHermit wrote:For those considering using drawn copper or stainless wire :

There's a fair amount of drawing oil on it even though that it's not readily apparent. I know this from making jumper cables from welding leads as I had to flux the living daylights out of it to get my solder to bond.

Give it a good wash or soak.
I noticed my hands getting black for handling the copper. So that's what it was. Thanks.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by FreeMountainHermit »

Dawn dish soap is an excellent degreaser without going to the harsh commercial products.
Blah, blah, blah,........
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Medicine Man »

Finally finished up the packing this weekend.
I sweated a 1 1/4" CxMIP adapter on the bottom. The fitting stops the packing from sliding into the boiler.
I sweated a 1 1/4" CxMIP adapter on the bottom. The fitting stops the packing from sliding into the boiler.
The packing is cut flush at the top of the column.
The packing is cut flush at the top of the column.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Bushman »

Nice job medicine man should serve you well!
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Hillbilly Popstar »

How often do you pull your packing out for cleaning?

Seems this would be difficult to remove and put back in if you had need to do that often.
"Making likker with a hydrometer and thermometer is like measuring the length of a 2x4 with a clock"
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Bushman »

Hillbilly Popstar wrote:How often do you pull your packing out for cleaning?

Seems this would be difficult to remove and put back in if you had need to do that often.
I've only pulled mine out once to add more packing to my 4" column. Pulling it out is the easy part, putting it in so as to get it evenly packed is a bit more of a challenge. I like where people have expanded on my first tutorial, that is the beauty of the forum and sharing what we have done.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Hillbilly Popstar »

Well I keep a few copper scrubbies in my pot column. I have been pulling them and washing them after every distillation. Is this uneccesary?

Just to keep things on topic, I have lots of copper wire laying around and may do this before my next run. Not having to remove the wire for cleaning will weigh heavily on my decision to do so.
"Making likker with a hydrometer and thermometer is like measuring the length of a 2x4 with a clock"
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Bushman »

After the initial cleaning as mentioned earlier to get rid of the oils all I have ever done is rinsed my column with cold water. Raining hard here right now but if I get a chance I will take some pictures of both the top and bottom of my column so you can see what the copper packing looks like after 2-3 years of constant use.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Hillbilly Popstar »

I'd appreciate that.
"Making likker with a hydrometer and thermometer is like measuring the length of a 2x4 with a clock"
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Bobbywolf »

If I could add to this, I used the same method to seperate strands but then fluffed handfulls of it together to form short copper mesh slugs. I used 6 of these to completely fill by 2" column. This makes them removable/cleanable and very easy to handle.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Cashjon »

Bobbywolf wrote:If I could add to this, I used the same method to seperate strands but then fluffed handfulls of it together to form short copper mesh slugs. I used 6 of these to completely fill by 2" column. This makes them removable/cleanable and very easy to handle.

Bobbywolf, could you please post a pic of what they look like? I was thinking the same thing but wasn't really sure how to implement it. Thanks
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Bushman »

I think it's cool the way people take an idea and run with it. I would also like to see pictures.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Bobbywolf »

Cashjon wrote:
Bobbywolf wrote:If I could add to this, I used the same method to seperate strands but then fluffed handfulls of it together to form short copper mesh slugs. I used 6 of these to completely fill by 2" column. This makes them removable/cleanable and very easy to handle.

Bobbywolf, could you please post a pic of what they look like? I was thinking the same thing but wasn't really sure how to implement it. Thanks
I actually need to make the packing for my new 3" boka, so I'll be making lots of packing from a 5ft 4/0 gauge wire. I'll post pictures.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by Bobbywolf »

Still didn't get my 3" running yet but here is a pic of my 2" packing made from welding wire. I just sort of fluffed handfulls of it together until I got these.

Image

I just finished cleaning them since they were pretty tarnished and smelly lol.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by rad14701 »

Looks like the remnants from a few of my haircuts in my youthful long hair days... :lolno:
Last edited by rad14701 on Wed Apr 06, 2016 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by moosemilk »

rad14701 wrote:Looks like the remnants from a few of my haircuts in my youthful long hair days... :lolno:
So rad is a red?
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by rad14701 »

moosemilk wrote:
rad14701 wrote:Looks like the remnants from a few of my haircuts in my youthful long hair days... :lolno:
So rad is a red?
Yep...!!! :ewink: Not a good idea to call me "Red" though... :problem: It'll bring the true red out of me that even I don't like... :econfused:
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by moosemilk »

I am going to comment on your demeanor that often comes out...sure glad I didn't.

An on topic note...found a large amount of copper wire left behind by the last owner up in the attic of my shed...thanks to this thread I just may have a use for it.
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by pfshine »

More proof that gingers are inherently evil, and blondes (me) are stupid. :lolno:
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Re: Making your own copper packing

Post by D in Texas »

Hello, folks, is this the place to ask if anyone has ever packed a column with pennies? Anyone?
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