Salt and copper coil

[bjarni88]

I'm gonna bend my copper tube to a coil using salt so it won't kink, but I want to know what you do afterwards to remove the salt from the coil and clean it

[T-Pee]

Why not fill it with water and freeze it? When it thaws it just drains out and cleans itself.
Salt can be a real PITA in small tubing.

tp (btdt)

[bjarni88]

Yes thank you I will do that instead but do you know the minimum length of copper tubing I will need?

[Cu pipe]

That depends on what you are trying to make for the still that you have.
I am guessing that you are making a condener for a reflux colum.
My Boka has about 10 feet, double wound ,plus a cold finger..

[T-Pee]

Exactly what are you wanting to do? All the details help.

tp

[smoken]

Lol. Damn! Of course freeze it what an idea. Honestly wish I had thought of that. The salt was a huge PITA to get out, involved alot of shaking and some how moisture got in so had to flush as well.

[Hound Dog]

Use one of these and you could be done in less than a half hour with no clean up, kinks or hassles. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 87&t=43955

Just sayin'.............

[just sayin]

I have never had a lot of trouble winding a quarter inch coil with an external spring bending tool. That being said my next coil will be water filled. Water is not compressible , bubbles are. I will boil water to remove dissolved gas. Chill the water and suck it into the tubing like a straw. Fold the tubing and clamp with a Vise-grip on both ends and coil over an appropriate diameter mandrel.

[just sayin]

Just posted...I already have the 1/4" copper tubing for my next coil. I am fascinated with Dad300's corrugated stainless coils. I will be trying Dad's method when I can source his tubing in longer lengths, neat material. It has been much used on the Polish forums for some time. Thanks for bringing it to HD, Dad.

[kencoinc1]

Would be much easier to fill with water, NO AIR, put the little caps back on the ends that it comes with when purchased and put it in the freezer over night and when its frozen if you wear some cheap cotton work gloves to do the bending you would be supprised how tight you can wind it without kinking, ya just have to work sort of quickly before it starts to melt, used this process many times with 1/4'' tube wrapped around 1/2'' pipe, good for making three layer worms for 3'' chambers

[badbird]

Last time I tried the ice technique I only got about 3 turns before the ice started to melt, maybe in winter things would be different.
Also tried the water filled tube sealed at both ends with dismal results, it should work but I think there is enough stretch in the wall tube over its entire length to allow a kink to form at the bend, that's my theory anyway so I'm sticking to salt.

To clear the salt just hook a fitting to one end of the coiled tube and attach to a garden hose turned on only slightly, check it the next morning and it should be clear, mine was.

[Maxximus Flavius]

I had really good luck with paraffin. Kinda the same idea as ice, but without the time contraints of melting.
filling with wax

resulting in this...

[kencoinc1]

Many many ways of doing it, idealy if one is lucky enough to posess a small metal turning lathe and different size mandrels its easy to turn some mighty fine looking coils with the right roller attachments that go where the work tool would be, worm is a worm, their all art in the end.

[kencoinc1]

And thats one fine looking coil !