Question on Easy Flanges

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mikeac
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Question on Easy Flanges

Post by mikeac »

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong forum, it's changed a bit since I was here last. I have been tinkering with building easy flanges. I haven't had a fantastic amount of luck on my own, but then came here and looked around a bit and think I found an idea that I like, but am not sure if it will work. My still (well... still to be...) consists of quite a few triclamp joints so that I can set it up in multiple different ways. I've noticed in my tinkering that if I make the flange to thick, it will clamp to the top of my keg, but not to another easy flange. So my question is:

If I use the gauge 4 wire, and don't flatten it out, will it be to thick to clamp it to another flange made the same way? Has anyone tried this?

I would post this in the easy flange forum, but it's locked.
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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by Prairiepiss »

What size pipe?

I use 6 gauge on 2". And I can clamp it to a keg or another easy flange. 3" or bigger pipe I use 4 gauge. And I can clamp them together. Can't use a triclamp gasket. They are to thick. I wrap both flanges with PTFE tape. Or a Samohon everlasting gasket should work. I plan to try one soon.
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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by mikeac »

It's a 2". I've been able to fabricate some okay 1" flanges too, I'll post pics of the process since I don't think the wire trick will work with them since you need to flare out a half inch. Good to know about the gauges! Now all I have to do is find it...

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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by Prairiepiss »

I don't flare the pipe. I just solder the wire around the end of the pipe. Using a hose clamp to hold it in place.
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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by mikeac »

Yeah, I took a good look at the forum. I'm excited to give it a try!

Edit: Sorry I think I misunderstood. The "flare" on the 2 inch triclamp is the same size as the wire so all you need to do is solder the bugger on (uber excited to try it still!). There is no 1" triclamp though, only 1.5", so in order to make the flange you need to flare out farther then then a piece of wire.
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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by myles »

It might just be me :roll: but I have a big problem with easy flanges. Not building them, that works OK

Image

My problem is getting the damn things to stay centralised when doing up the clamp. I think the entire design might need rethinking to build them on a slip coupler instead of tube. That way you could do this:

Image

As I said though it might just be me, other folks seem to manage OK. I am thinking of going back to bolted flanges instead.
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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by mikeac »

I can get them to clamp no problem, just getting a nice seal. The ones I have would take the flour gasket and be fine, but I'd really like to do cork gaskets or the everlasting gasket. It looks classier on my rig (I like the flour gaskets on some of the all copper rigs). I find that they center as I tighten the clamp. Just hold it still enough to get a clamp on, then crank 'em together. They snug up.

PS I love the way that brass looks. If I had the skills and patience, I'd go that route for sure!
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Husker
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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by Husker »

I am able to clamp mine just fine also. I made mine with 2" pipe, with the flange on that. The tube was only 4" long, and fitted into the bottom of a 2" slip coupler. The bottom of that coupler is soldered to the 2" tube.

So, what you list, is to simply skip the 2" tube, and flange the bottom of the coupler. I will try to make one of these, and see how it goes. It would make a shorter flange, which should be easier to build. But like mike mentioned, I have had no problems seating mine. If the coupler fits inside of the 2" tri-clamp, then it should build a flange easily, using just the coupler.

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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by Prairiepiss »

Myles I have successfully soldered the wire around the very end of a 3" pipe. So that there is a recess where the pipe would normally extend all the way out to the matting surface. I did this so my gin basket could sit in the recess and it could still be clamped together. I have a pic that shows it in my build thread last page or so. My stuff link in sig. But I could very easily do the opposite on a second flange. So the pipe extends out a little past the mating surface. That would allow the extended piece to sit into the recess on the other one. I think this would make centering much easier.

It didn't dawn on me to try this until I had already built all my current components. But I'm in the process of making new and more components to add to my still. And plan to go this route to see if it will work. But I'm looking at a month or two before this will happen. In the middle of fixing up my new house. Then need to move in. But then I will have a work shop of sorts. And I will get to building the many upgrades to come.
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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by mikeac »

Follow up question: I called around to a few stores today and all they have is the twisted wire grounding cable. I asked them where I could find a grounding wire that was just a single wire in gauge 4 and they told me they didn't even know it existed. Are they being ignorant, or is it that rare? If it is that rare, does anyone have any recommendations for searching it out?
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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by cob »

mikeac wrote:Follow up question: I called around to a few stores today and all they have is the twisted wire grounding cable. I asked them where I could find a grounding wire that was just a single wire in gauge 4 and they told me they didn't even know it existed. Are they being ignorant, or is it that rare? If it is that rare, does anyone have any recommendations for searching it out?
i seem to remember olddog using flattened and formed 1/4" tubing successfully in place of wire?
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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by mikeac »

I found some 3/16" round copper bar that is about the same diameter as 4 gauge wire. I think. I'll try it though and let you know!
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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by Prairiepiss »

Where you located. Solid copper ground wire is code in the US. I know it isn't in other countries. And makes it hard to find.
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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by mikeac »

Vancouver Island. All I found in the shops was twisted wires. I started asking if there was a place in town to get the single wire stuff and they looked at me funny...

The copper round bar should work, I just need to anneal it first.
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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by Samohon »

cob wrote:
mikeac wrote:Follow up question: I called around to a few stores today and all they have is the twisted wire grounding cable. I asked them where I could find a grounding wire that was just a single wire in gauge 4 and they told me they didn't even know it existed. Are they being ignorant, or is it that rare? If it is that rare, does anyone have any recommendations for searching it out?
i seem to remember olddog using flattened and formed 1/4" tubing successfully in place of wire?
Yeah, I use OD's method with the ¼" tbe to make my flanges. But I do like myles's slip flange idea...
No problems clamping them together at this end guy's, I just put one of my PTFE Everlasting Gaskets... between them and I'm good to go...
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Re: Question on Easy Flanges

Post by Prairiepiss »

Samohon wrote: Yeah, I use OD's method with the ¼" tbe to make my flanges. But I do like myles's slip flange idea...
No problems clamping them together at this end guy's, I just put one of my PTFE Everlasting Gaskets... between them and I'm good to go...
And I have found the PTFE tape will hold the position better. The flange doesn't slip as much as it does when trying to use a PTFE triclamp gasket.
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