SPP first attempt

[DAD300]

Sorry I was away for a week...BS got it, the stiffer, springier the wire the more deflection off the mandrel.

But those coils that look like closed springs aren't bad...the have a dif holdup and vapor speed but they will still outperform Scrubbies.

You can also change the interior dimension with a thinner blade.

I found if I was having trouble keeping the wire on the mandrel, sharpen the edges a little. It adds some friction.

I believe the more erratic the outside is, it keeps them from nesting together in the column.

These are .025" (0.6mm) SS 316 LSI welding wire...

[BigSwede]

<drool> - those are perfect. Love the even lobe spacing. And the tip on sharpening is a good one, much appreciated. When my 0.023" wire comes in, I'm going to try to get it looking like that. I've also been searching for a set of wire cutters that I can adapt to a powerful solenoid and create an auto cutter. I've got an industrial repeat timer that can actuate it repeatedly at any interval. Just got to avoid having it bind up the winding going on above it.

Worst case, I'll tie it to a foot pedal switch and feed the coils in by hand.

[DAD300]

It sounds stupid but, Instead of wire cutters...look for the smallest bolt cutter you can find. The blades are much harder and adjustable. They also are symmetrical unlike dikes.

Home Depot/Lowes carry an 8" or 10" set that can be adjusted. With the harder wire you don't need to cut 100% through it. At about 60-80% it breaks off. Saves the blades...

bolt cutter Lowes.jpg (19.88 KiB) Viewed 1537 times

I didn't find an easy, cheap enough way to automate it.

[BigSwede]

Thanks Dad300... got my 0.023" SS wire, anxious to give it a shot. Any more posting I'll do in a separate thread. I have the basis of the auto-wind feed done, just got to get good, consistent coils before even thinking about the cut part.

[BigSwede]

I know I promised to post elsewhere, but one more!

I'm on a four day trip, can't get pics up because they are all at home, but my SPP machine is making some glorious little packing nuggets. Couldn't be more tickled. Interestingly, they seem to make little pentagons when viewed end on.

Some things I found... we already figured out the wire MUST have stiffness/spring in it, or it simply will not open or have interleaved lobes without some post-wind interference like my ball bearing, and that is VERY fussy to do. But the other thing I figured out was that to get both open space between winds, AND lobe interleaving, the tension on the wire must be very high.

I was running 0.023" SS wire through my rig which I designed with complete control of drag and tension, and I had to crank it up to about 95% of the wire's tensile strength to get it to make SPP like Dad's. In many experiments, the wire simply snapped with just a smidge more tension.

The bits are not critical. Make them look like those posted, they all work more or less. It's all in the wire type, diameter, and tension. I think 0.025" is near perfect for what we do, my 0.023" is just a hair light.

But I designed a very simple machine which can be made without machine tools, and which will bolt to a drill press table, with the coil winding down through the center hole in the drill press. I've not started on a cutter yet, but I'm looking at pneumatic actuators right now.

When I get home, I'll start a new thread with pics.

[RandyMarshCT]

BigSwede, your excitement about this is getting me excited too, haha

I already have 2 big projects going... but now I want to make SPP too. Lathe? Check. 0.023" Mig wire? Check. Just need to find a screwdriver that isn't a Matco...

[cob]

BigSwede, your excitement about this is getting me excited too, haha

I already have 2 big projects going... but now I want to make SPP too. Lathe? Check. 0.023" Mig wire? Check. Just need to find a screwdriver that isn't a Matco...

1/4" hex drive insert bits 2" long are a good inexpensive start.

[BigSwede]

BigSwede, your excitement about this is getting me excited too, haha

I already have 2 big projects going... but now I want to make SPP too. Lathe? Check. 0.023" Mig wire? Check. Just need to find a screwdriver that isn't a Matco...

hey, if I'm going to be hurling $$ at this stuff, I want other people to do so too. Makes me feel better about it.

Heck if you have a lathe, you are 90% there. I ended up making my bits from A-2 1/4" drill rod, and I did harden them. My first bits were mild steel, and I could tell their life span would be short, just a few minutes under that stiff wire put some grooves in them.

But a decent quality screwdriver bit should be hardened, then its just a matter of grinding on it a bit.

The machine base is heavy gauge "L" stock, aluminum or steel. The wire spool goes on an all thread spindle, with a nut, spring, and washer pressing on it for tension adjustment. The wire goes up, over a brass round, turns 90 degrees towards the drill press chuck, gets fed through a brass piece drilled #60. Easy-peesy.

Like i mentioned, pics to come. Can't help myself, I have visions of microscopic HETP and 95%+ ABV from a stumpy little column. And since SPP likes to run hard and wet, the throughput will be better too.

[DAD300]

Hmm...with .032 and .025 wire, I've not ruined a bit. But it does wear the little starter cut at the end.

Harbor freight sells a pack of misc driver bits for about $4.5usd...flat head, hex, star, phillips,...I think I tried 10 of the 20 or so. They are hard, almost too hard as driver bits.

Microscopic HETP...well it will be 2-3x less than scrubbies anyway. I have gotten to 2.6cm HETP in a 2" but for speed I'd say 3cm HETP for a 3" is more accurate. Vapor speed and flood condition will be the dif.

[RandyMarshCT]

Hey Dad, what do you think the ideal wire size would be if I only plan to run 3" columns? If I'm gonna try this, I should probably do it right the first time. Thanks for all you excellent input, by the way. I'm rebuilding still #5 and building still #6 from scratch... but when I'm done with them, I'm going to steal your CCVM design for still #7. I'm not lying when I tell people that I want one of every design out there... someday I'm going to fulfill my dream of building a "distilling playground" with every setup possible to tinker with. My retirement is going to be so awesome!

[DAD300]

Best...hmmm...for speed in a 3-4" I would use 0.032" and make the pieces 4mm dia x 6mm long. In 2-3" for lowest HETP I would use .025" at ~3mm dia x 5mm long.

The smaller the pieces, BEST HETP, but the tighter they will nest, take less power, slower production, less void will be easier to puke.

Both of these wires are heavier than the Russian design. But in a 2", 3" or 4" column, you'll never crush them. And the smallest commercial stuff is .035".