MR-E Flute build

dan · Post by **dan** » Mon Apr 09, 2012 7:57 am

MR-E,

You are doing a great job! Keep the pictures coming..... What do you mean that you are going cup-less?? and why the 45 degree on the down comber?? If you were going cup-less why didn't you perf the plate where the cup would have been? On my plates I just used a 3/4" length of 1" pipe for my cup instead of an end cap fitting like most guys do. Keep up the great work.

-Dan

MR-E · Post by **MR-E** » Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:25 pm

dan wrote:MR-E,

You are doing a great job! Keep the pictures coming..... What do you mean that you are going cup-less?? and why the 45 degree on the down comber?? If you were going cup-less why didn't you perf the plate where the cup would have been? On my plates I just used a 3/4" length of 1" pipe for my cup instead of an end cap fitting like most guys do. Keep up the great work.

-Dan

G'day Dan
The tip of the 45 deg cut will be touching the plate below with the open face, facing the column wall & the top of the d.c will sit just over 3/4" above the plate.
When the plate fills up past the top of the 45 deg cut which is 3/4"(that's why the 45 deg) above the plate it should stop vapour getting past the d.c (works for emptyglass)
I didn't perf the plates where the cups would have been, because that would allow vapour to go straight up the d.c
I have 1" pipe & caps, I just wanted to try the no cups method because I believe it can & does work.

Cheers

,

dan · Post by **dan** » Mon Apr 09, 2012 6:45 pm

You rebel!! I like it!!

-Dan

MR-E · Post by **MR-E** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:54 am

dan wrote:You rebel!! I like it!!

-Dan

Blame emptyglass, he was the original rule breaker

MR-E · Post by **MR-E** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 7:33 am

Hey guys
I got the down commers soldered to the plates & the tree assembled.

Gave the plates & down commers a clean in dish washing liquid to get rid of the flux residue then gave them a soak in vinegar.
Also gave the S/S rod a clean as well to get rid of the machine oil.

Cheers

effyeah · Post by **effyeah** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 2:14 am

Looking great man. I like the downcomers hey. Did u go 3/4 or 1/2" ?

MR-E · Post by **MR-E** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 9:38 am

effyeah wrote:Looking great man. I like the downcomers hey. Did u go 3/4 or 1/2" ?

3/4" & the tops sit just over 3/4" above the plates.
I did a cleaning/test run on the weekend using a turbo wash (cleaning run only guys) 24 litres @ approx 17% .
Man this thing is fast, 500ml in 15mins @ 94% (reading taken @ 20.C the next day) I will be able to run faster when I do me rum
with a lower abv.
I was using 6 plates, when it came up to temp I put it in full reflux for 30 mins to load the plates, then slowly adjusted the water to the defleg until I had product out of the condenser.
I have no idea how the plates behaved as I have not done the sight glasses yet, the temp on the thermo was stable @ 77.C,collected 3 litres & then the temp climbed rapidly
up to 88.C, placed back in to full reflux for 20mins & collected 500mls & then the temp rapidly climbed to 92.C & shut her down.
Anyway I am looking forward to getting the site glasses done & learning to drive this rig.

Cheers

Post by **MexicanCustard** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 1:56 pm

MR-E are you using wire at the flanges for the easyflange or just turning the lip as shown in your pictures? If your just using the lip how well does the tri-clamp hold to that?

MR-E · Post by **MR-E** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:42 am

MexicanCustard wrote:MR-E are you using wire at the flanges for the easyflange or just turning the lip as shown in your pictures? If your just using the lip how well does the tri-clamp hold to that?

Just as you see in the pics, when the tri clamps are on, there is a 4-5mm gap between the flanges.
I'm using 3mm hard/rigid cardboard wrapped with teflon tape for gaskets with no leaks.
Also the flanges are flat but the clamps are tapered & squeeze the flanges tighter as you tighten them.(no play or wobbles)
I think the wire easy flange would work as well, leaving a much smaller gap between flanges, it was just easier for me to do them as in the pics.
I will try & post some pics this weekend of the rig set up.

Hope that helps

MR-E · Post by **MR-E** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 5:06 am

G'day guys
Done some work on the sight glasses this weekend so here's some more pics.

Flanges done & ready for notching

Here's the notching jig I made

Notched & mock fitted to the column

That's it for now, but before I solder these to the column I have a question if I may

The top of my down commers are just over 3/4" above the plates & I was thinking of putting the bottom edge of the sight glasses 1" above the plates
is that O.k or should I put them closer to the plates

Cheers

Post by **bentstick** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:05 am

MR-E, I messed with my plate distance to where when it is running the liquid is at the bottom of the site glass, mine are at just 1/2". I use it to gauge if I am running to slow or to fast, with different washes! It seems to be working as of now.I would guess it some thing that is different with every column depending how it is built, downcomer depth, ect. That is what I like about this hobby there is always something to learn, and experiment with.
Nice job on the sights!

Post by **Sungy** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:32 am

Very nice work.

Post by **myles** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 4:10 pm

Nice. The wood clamps work fine, mine is beech for holding and marking out the tube for flanges. Did you turn over the edge of the tube for the flange in the clamp. I was a bit worried about the hammer damaging the flat surface of mine.

Just a quick question about joining the sight glass tubes to the column. Is everyone doing it this way with a butt seam - is no-one flaring out the tube onto the inside of the column.

Post by **emptyglass** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 12:42 am

MR-E wrote:That's it for now, but before I solder these to the column I have a question if I may
The top of my down commers are just over 3/4" above the plates & I was thinking of putting the bottom edge of the sight glasses 1" above the plates
is that O.k or should I put them closer to the plates

Cheers

That shoud be sweet. If you get it really exited you will start to see fluid in the windows, but this can be used as another sign of how the run is going.

Your windows should be sweet and still seal, but if you take them out for any reason, install new gasket at least on the inside, if not both sides of the glass. I could not get old gaskets to seal if disturbed.

Rest of the build is looking real good. I can wait to see how your plates go. I'm thinking of doing a set the same as yours. I like the drilling.

MR-E · Post by **MR-E** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 6:58 am

myles wrote:Nice. The wood clamps work fine, mine is beech for holding and marking out the tube for flanges. Did you turn over the edge of the tube for the flange in the clamp. I was a bit worried about the hammer damaging the flat surface of mine.

Just a quick question about joining the sight glass tubes to the column. Is everyone doing it this way with a butt seam - is no-one flaring out the tube onto the inside of the column.

I made separate jigs for making the 2" & 4" flanges & yes the copper leaves an indentation in the wood when making the flanges & all jigs were made from pine structural timber.
I'm butt seam soldering the sight glasses to the column then I will use a hole saw to make the holes in the column, I don't know if anyone is flaring the joints.

Cheers

MR-E · Post by **MR-E** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 7:15 am

Thanks for the replies Sungy & emptyglass.
Even after all the reading & research of the info out there I still feel out of my depth when making decisions on the build

& any feed back helps to keep me heading in the right direction.

Cheers

Post by **emptyglass** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 5:45 am

Welcome to the wonderful world of still building.
Just when you think you have a handle on things, someone comes up with something else.

Its not a destination, its a journey.

If I remember right, you still got to get a boiler and ferment something to feed this baby??

MR-E · Post by **MR-E** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:09 am

Yeah, I think I'll have to go to therapy when the builds finished, damn flute thread & all you flute builders showing of ya bits

I was originally looking for ideas for a pot still for me rum & saw Flute Talk & had to have a peek

Cheers

Post by **Mashy** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 2:00 pm

Damn fine work MR E! And to think I was proud of myself for making a parrot that wasn't dripping with solder....

Post by **emptyglass** » Sun May 13, 2012 3:32 am

How you going bloke?

Dan Call · Post by **Dan Call** » Tue May 15, 2012 12:33 pm

About annealing the tubes. Cutting tubes and using those for plates seems lke a good way to get good thickness on your plates, and it's cheaper if you've got lots of 2 inch copper laying around. Just wondering what you were accomplishing by annealing the copper? does it make them flatten out better? Speaking of flattening, did you use a hand sledge? Thanks.

Neosis · Post by **Neosis** » Tue May 15, 2012 12:44 pm

Mr E
Did you also make the reducers? If so, how?

MR-E · Post by **MR-E** » Thu May 17, 2012 6:56 am

emptyglass wrote:How you going bloke?

Yeah, going good

Got the sight glass flange's soldered to the column & the holes done, just grinding & tidy up for pic's at the moment.
Then it's onto the glass & she's done

Neosis wrote:Mr E
Did you also make the reducers? If so, how?

No I bought the reducers, I think Prairiepiss has a method for making them

Dan Call wrote:About annealing the tubes. Cutting tubes and using those for plates seems lke a good way to get good thickness on your plates, and it's cheaper if you've got lots of 2 inch copper laying around. Just wondering what you were accomplishing by annealing the copper? does it make them flatten out better? Speaking of flattening, did you use a hand sledge? Thanks.

Annealing the the copper makes it easier to work with, I suppose I could have done the plates without annealing.
I just used a normal hammer to flatten the copper for plates, just gentle taps so I didn't dent the copper.

Cheers

MR-E · Post by **MR-E** » Mon May 21, 2012 7:01 am

G'day guys
Well I'm done for now, I keep cracking my sight glasses

So I will be saving some coin for trap adapters or site glasses from Hillbilly stills & redoing the column or I will redo the column without sight glasses.
Either way the build is on hold till then

Sorry no pic's, camera has taken a dip in salt water & sand

Cheers

MR-E · Post by **MR-E** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:28 am

O.K, first off, thanks emptyglass for the kick in the pants to get this build moving again

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, but I haven't been idle, I've been busy in the shed with special build that
was very personal to me, also I finally cracked the S/S to copper soldering.
Anyway I have also finally got my sight glass issues sorted, so I am only a few days away from finishing this build
& finally seeing how this things gonna perform.
I'll post some pic's once I have it all sorted & running, hopefully within the next week.

Cheers

Post by **emptyglass** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 4:42 am

Post by **bentstick** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 9:48 pm

Yehaaaaaaa!

Lets see it!

MR-E · Post by **MR-E** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:40 pm

bentstick wrote:Yehaaaaaaa!
Lets see it!

Here's some pics, I've called this one, Mongrel.
Pics taken on the final cleaning run.

Heating up, waiting for the action to start.

The top plates.

The bottom plates.

Lots of bubbly goodness.

That's it for now, I will post a the link of a quick youtube vid, if you guys want

Cheers

ohyeahyeah · Post by **ohyeahyeah** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 9:31 pm

Super sweet. I love your sight glasses.

Post by **Samohon** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:30 am

Very Nice Mr-E.... Very nice indeed...

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