Electric Keg hookup?

[djc]

What does everyone use to hookup the electrical cord to the heating elements on their electric kegs?
I've seen some with standard electrical boxes, but I've seen others that look smaller and slicker.
What do you use?

Thanks
Dennis

[Hawke]

I use propane.

[HookLine]

[djc]

Is that black thing on the cord just a strain releaf, or does the cord disconnect there?

Thanks

[LWTCS]

Not a complete highjack.

Pardon me.
So yestarday I scored 2 kegs for free (almost). Today I stoped by and picked up an (square flange) element.

Did the layout with a sharpie and the supplied gasket. Cut the holes with my step bits (luv those things).

Tapped some threads on the mounting holes. Cut and quadrupled some cork gasket material in order to get my mounting plate to seal. Seems to have tightened up nice.

I am getting some leaking at the mounting bolts however................Help.

The mounting plate is essentially flat and the keg is of course round. Hopefully the pics offer a decent view.

[Fester]

LWTCS, did you try teflon tape on the threads? I know folks here frown on anything like that but since you cannot get the head of the bolt to bottom out against the keg the liquid will find its way along the threads and past your cork gasket. I guess you have already figured all this out. I usually use about 5 or 6 wraps of tape around the threads if I cannot get a clean bottom (that is, metal to metal contact). It also helps if the gasket holes are just small enough that the bolt must be screwed into it. You can also pre-form the flat element flange by building a simple jig of similar curve material (old keg or whatever) and not tapping those holes. Just use nuts to tighten the hell out it til it conforms to the desired shape.
I used the same flange and element as you. the element screws into the flange. i cut one hole in the keg and seal welded the sucker on. then screwed the element in and no leak, no gasket, nothing but nice.
Fester

[Fester]

oops, I see now that your element does not screw into the flange. it looks like a one-piece setup. now you got me scratching my chin, LWTCS .

and Hookline, that is some pretty wiring. i would post a photo of mine but yours makes mine look like crap.

Fester

[MuleKicker]

I have triclamp flange welded to the bottom of the keg, took a 2" ss cap, bored/tapped for water heater element, there is a cover over it, i took it off for a better pic. the other end plugs into the controller, although you could plug it into the wall.

[LWTCS]

You are right fester.
It is a one peice set up (old style).

I was trying to find the square to round adapter kit and couldn't find it any where in my area.

I tried to make my gasket holes as tight as possible. I thought about using a bolt with a waffer head installed with a cork washer on the inside. I thought I could get it to seal similar to how toilet tank conection bolts seal to the bowl.
But my god d***** gorilla fingers are to big to get the bolt started from the inside.



That does look nice and tidy Hook.

[LWTCS]

Mule kicker,

That tri-clamp set up makes for an added benifit for cleaning and the like I recon.

I like it.

[Fester]

i like tri-clamps so much i want to use them for everything. thanks, MuleKicker!!! now i have another place to use one

you thinking of trying to put the bolt in from the inside? open up the holes and stick the bolt to a stick with a dab of clay. then run it down the top hole. a bit of fishing should get you there. it would sure seal better that way, LWTCS. of course, after you've theaded the holes you hate to enlarge them.

[rad14701]

"If it can't be done with tri-clamps, it can't be done!"

Great idea...

[HookLine]

Not sure the relatively thin walls of a keg will give a decent amount of thread.

How tight can you get those bolts?

IIRC, somebody else a while back used a hammer to carefully flatten the area of the keg where the mounting plate sits.



Oh, and the black thing on the cord is a compression fitting for electrical cable, and it is for mechanical protection, and to seal up the entry point, make it water proof.

[Squint]

no special plugs used wired direct to element,
i used the no weld adaptor kit and uesd M8 x 75mm s/s bolss, when I had the bolt and element holes drilled/cut I put a blob of the aqua seal ( safe for fish ) around the bolt head also put on a spring washer, then carfully put bolt through the centre hole with long nosed pliers once through , held bolts with clothes pegs
put aquaseal around adaptor and fitted on boltd removed pegs and pulled nuts up really tight, PTFE tape around elemant threads and fitted , have never had a problem with leaks and have a 75mm bolt to fix any type of box/cover (home made ) I want and also affix earth cable to one of the bolts and then cut off the excess bolt

3kw%20ele.jpg

4.5kw.jpg

white box 4.5kw ele
red box 3kw ele with vo;tage controller

music cork is to expensive in uK, got a tube delivered for £5.oo
http://cgi.ebay.com.my/Everbuild-Everfl ... otohosting" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Squint

[Fester]

very slick, Squint. i like it alot. clean and neat. i try to design my stills to expose only SS or copper to the alcohol vapors or boiler wash but it aint always so easy. I fight that battle all the time. I am becoming convinced that the best tool for still building is a TIG welder. Not so friendly for hobbiest skillset or budget but it solves the connection problems that we all face. When i was very young, a guy with a pool table was popular. As I got older, a pickup truck made you popular because everyone needed your truck from time to time. Maybe now I'm reaching the age of the TIG welder???
Fester

[Squint]

I am becoming convinced that the best tool for still building is a TIG welder

I wish, If only
when ya don't see to good and you don't want to involve other people with a tig welder, you have to use what you can get, I can't drive so have got all my equipment of the net and done it all myself so far , hopeing to get Manu to build me a s/s VM/Pot combo next month, funds permiting.

Squint

[LWTCS]

What kind of clay fester?

[Fester]

What kind of clay fester?

just about any hobby clay from the craft store would work. i think it is called "plasti-cine" or something like that. not sure how to spell it. it always stays soft, a little sticky and dosen't dry out. just shape it around the bolt head and then around the stick. i suppose a wax would also work but never tried wax. the clay sticks to wood better than to metal, so when you get the bolt in place, the clay should pull away from the bolt head pretty clean. years ago i bought a dollars worth of clay from the hobby store. i guess maybe one pound. its been in a plastic container in my toolbox since then. its like duct tape - no real man should be without it.

[MuleKicker]

Tell ya what Fester, tig may be the best, but I did mine with a cheap 110v wirefeed with argon gas and ss wire. I picked the wire up at the local farm store and wirefeed, well everyone should have one. Just make sure you crank the amps up to max, if you got access to a 220v, all the better. I dont claim to be the best welder, nor do my welds look the purtyest, but they hold water!

[nedscreekkennels]

its like duct tape - no real man should be without it. [/quote]
with duct tape and a wire clothes hanger I can fix most anything

[Fester]

MuleKicker, that is EXACTLY the system i am using now. been welding most of my life and still burn through the thin SS. so i get the heaviest SS bowls i can get or i dont have a chance. i do more grinding than welding or it looks like crap. it does OK when working with heavier gauge SS. never tried argon tho. just used tri-mix.( helium, argon and nitrogen, i think.)
if it holds water, i should not complain. very few people will ever see my stills. but i want my work to be pretty, even if just for my eyes. so i grind, and grind, and grind. then flap wheel to polish. And when it really looks good i hide it away. go figure.

[Fester]

its like duct tape - no real man should be without it.

with duct tape and a wire clothes hanger I can fix most anything[/quote]

have you tried the new Gorilla tape yet? same size as regular duct tape but its black. got some at the big orange store where i am on a first name basis with all the employees. it is cheaper and better than regular duct tape. sticks GOOD!

nedscreekkennels, you are brilliant! A clothes hanger wire with duct tape on one end and a dab of sticky clay on the other.... i must hurry to the patent office now! Fester sees dollar signs. haha

The uncontrolled proliferation of plastic clothes hangers will destroy society as we know it.

Fester

[LWTCS]

Clay vs. plumbers putty ?

[Fester]

Clay vs. plumbers putty ?

great idea, really!

[gbdsl0]

Hookline, I like the way you have used the junction box for your hook-up. I am just about to do an electric hook-up on my keg and would like to use a similar set-up. Can you advise if the juction box is held in place solely by the element nut or are you using an adhesive as well.

gbdsl0

[LWTCS]

Hookline, I like the way you have used the junction box for your hook-up. I am just about to do an electric hook-up on my keg and would like to use a similar set-up. Can you advise if the juction box is held in place solely by the element nut or are you using an adhesive as well.

+1

[HookLine]

I used standard roof and gutter silicone. Works very well. Only thing is to check the temp range of the particular silicone before you use it. Some go soft at 90C or so. I found out the hard way. Had to re-do it.

Also make sure you clean the surfaces of the junction box and keg using a hydrocarbon, like kerosene/mineral turps, before applying the silicone.

The element nut does not help hold the box on at all.

[pumpman]

Hey Larry if you need to go inside with the bolt maby you could bend a small hook on the end of a hanger tight enough to hold the bolt and then pull it real hard to open the hook once the nut is on. If I can get access to a tig I"ll weld the crap out of mine. Wonder if a sst half coupler would seal up with a standard element?
Hook what type af fitting did you use on your rig?

[LWTCS]

Hey Larry if you need to go inside with the bolt maby you could bend a small hook on the end of a hanger tight enough to hold the bolt and then pull it real hard to open the hook once the nut is on.

Thanks for the input. But I'll be picking up my keg from the welding shop tomorrow.

They are welding some studs into the threads I cut. I'll post some pics tomorrow.

1 hr shop time............ Oh well. It looks tidy.

[HookLine]

Hook what type af fitting did you use on your rig?

For the element mount I used a stainless half socket welded on the outside of the keg.