Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Simple pot still distillation and construction with or without a thumper.

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Dan P.
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Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by Dan P. »

Having seen people throw their money away cutting vees out of expensive copper pipe, I thought I would offer a lo-tech tutorial for making a frustum pattern.


1. You know how long your fustrum needs to be, how wide you want it at the base and how wide you want it at the shnozzle end. Draw the base of your frustum. A frustum is a portion of a cone, or a cone with the tip chopped off. I have marked the base here "A".


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Dan P.
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by Dan P. »

2. At 90 degrees to the middle of your base "A", draw a line the length you want you frustum. At the top of this, and parallel with "A", draw the schnozzle end of your fustrum, "B".

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Dan P.
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by Dan P. »

3. The photo for this step is missing, but you are able to see the results in the picture below; Draw straight lines from each end of "A", to the corresponding end of "B", but carry the lines through until they meet. What you are doing is drawing the cone/triangle from which the frustum is derived.

4. Put the pointy end of your compass at the tip of the cone, and draw an arc outwards from one end of "A". Be aware that your compass needs to be as big as the frustum you are making. For our applications, this equates to a pretty big compass. However, the compass can be substituted by a piece of string, or a piece of more solid material with 2 holes drilled in it, 1 where the pointy bit needs to be and 1 where the pencil goes. These substitutes will not be as accurate.


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Dan P.
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by Dan P. »

5. Draw a similar arc outwards from "B", from the same side as you drew the arc out on "A".

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Dan P.
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by Dan P. »

6. Now, multiply the length of "A" by "pi". "Pi" is an endless number that relates the radius/diameter of a circle to its circumference. For our purposes, "pi" can be understood to be around 3.142.
E.G. If the base of my frustum is 200mm in diameter (i.e. the length of "A" is 200mm), then the circumference of the base of my frustum, multiplied by 3.142, is going to be 628mm.
Okay, so now you have your circumference. Let's say it's 628mm. Divide that number by an arbitrary number, let's say 20. That gives us 31.4mm.
Now set your compass at that distance, e.g. 31.4mm. Now starting where the arc begins, "walk" your compass along the arc 20 times. That will give you frustum's base circumference measured out on your arc.
N.B. The greater the arbitrary number you divide circumference by, the greater your accuracy (and the greater the pain in your arse).


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Dan P.
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by Dan P. »

7. Then, when you have measured the circumference out on the arc, draw a straight line from the final mark to the apex of the cone/triangle.

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Dan P.
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by Dan P. »

8. And that's it, the pattern for your frustum, "C";

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Dan P.
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by Dan P. »

I hope this is of use to someone. I know there are computer programs out there that do this, but it's is really not at all difficult to do yourself. You can also do it straight onto the copper.
-Dan
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by Usge »

Thank you Dan. Good walk through! :thumbup:
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by emptyglass »

Dan P. wrote:I hope this is of use to someone. I know there are computer programs out there that do this, but it's is really not at all difficult to do yourself. You can also do it straight onto the copper.
-Dan
It would take me longer to wait for my prehistoric laptop to fire up than it would to lay one out on the job.
Its also a waste of paper and time cutting a printed pettern out.
You design it, I make it. Copper and Stainless. Down under. PM me.
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by Large Sarge »

Great post Dan P. I am pricing out Sheet Copper right now. Could not have posted at a better time!
If you look like food, don't be surprised when you get eaten.
Dan P.
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by Dan P. »

Excuse the capitals, but to avoid tiny tears before bed time;

DON'T FORGET TO ADD TABS ON ONE OR BOTHE ENDS OF YOUR PATTERN IF YOU INTEND TO SOLDER IT.
scoutdoors1000
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by scoutdoors1000 »

Great Frustum calculator. Gives you the option to play with the dimensions and maximize the amount on a sheet. http://www.i-logic.com/conecalc.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
SIXFOOTER
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by SIXFOOTER »

Man, wish I would have had this when I built my parrot. Ended up just cutting a circle and then cutting out a narrow slice to get it where I wanted it.
Thanks for posting
mash rookie
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by mash rookie »

scoutdoors1000 wrote:Great Frustum calculator. Gives you the option to play with the dimensions and maximize the amount on a sheet. http://www.i-logic.com/conecalc.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Thats a good link. Thanks. I do it like Dan when Bushman is not around with his cad program. I use thumb tacks and a sewing tape than calculate to compass degrees to match radius. It usually matches real close to walking a small divider. I have two beautiful sheets of copper in stock that will be a sweet boiler when I get time.
n_plains_drifter
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by n_plains_drifter »

This is a great tutorial. Thanks Dan P.!
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by urbomb »

or for those of us that need a pattern https://www.blocklayer.com/cone-patternseng
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squigglefunk
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by squigglefunk »

oh yeah thanks man!
n_plains_drifter
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Re: Frustum/cone development for lyne arm etc.

Post by n_plains_drifter »

Urbomb: great link. Thanks!
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