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You're super welcome, and thanks for your kind words. I know I didn't invent any of these ideas. I learned basically everything on this forum. I agonized over optimizing the design, though. And then there were a lot of hours of labor and explaining myself to my wife. I'm proud of all that.rumBum2 wrote:thanksforthebadmotivation
Check out this thread, very picture heavy of his beautiful still.thegreatstate wrote:Badmotivator, I'd love to see pictures of where this keg build is at if you get some time. What a beauty.
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That thread is a rathole! I know because I lived in it for a month. Hang tight, TGS, and I'll post a couple of pics tomorrow.Snackson wrote:Check out this thread, very picture heavy of his beautiful still.thegreatstate wrote:Badmotivator, I'd love to see pictures of where this keg build is at if you get some time. What a beauty.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... &start=330
. I am making a cabinet for mine too. All most don my last piece of the puzzle should come next week. Nice work bud
Oh, boy, get ready for some work my friend. I used sandpaper with incrementally finer grit, up to 2000, and then switched to a polisher (Harbor Freight 7 in. 10 Amp Heavy Duty Digital Variable Speed Polisher) with the stitched cotton buffing wheel and two different abrasive waxes.greybeard wrote:Didn't see it in your thread, but I curious what you did to get your keg to shine. I have cleaned mine up with 50 grit paper. Gave me a cleaner "brushed" finish. But would love to get mine shinning.
The minimum charge is probably 3 or 4 gallons since the elements are still covered below 2 gallons. I haven't yet had a project where it was even close to an issue.badmotivator wrote: My boiler's element location is a little unorthodox. I went up through the bottom of the keg and then bent the elements down to a flatter posture. I have a very low minimum charge, though probably not much less than a low-on-the-side orientation. I have been very happy with the results. The advantage is that the element guard and cord stuff is out of sight. The disadvantage is that there are two small wells that do not drain, but I find them easy to rinse them out.
There is a trick to bending copper-jacketed elements without breaking them: anneal with a torch, bend a little, repeat as needed.
How are you incrementally going through the grades of sanding paper? By hand, flapper wheel with an angle grinder, palm sander?Danespirit wrote:+1 Badmotivator.
That's the way I also get all my stainless shiny, I go all the way down to grid 3000, though.
I use emery cloth designed for wet polishing and the last pass is done with some dishwasher soap + water.
A stainless steel rotary brush for the drill or angle grinder smoothes out the last small scratches. NOTE it's essential it is genuine stainless..not mild steel..or the surface will be pitted with rust particles soon.
Then it's time for the buffing wheel and some wax.
One will get a mirror-like finish...but it takes some reeeeeeally hard effort to get there.
with all the customization. Hey, friend, I just caught this question. Sorry I let you dangle.uncle_jack wrote: ↑Sun Jan 17, 2021 11:02 am Badmotivator, amazing work! Hope you're still happy with ur build?
I plan on adding a 4 inch ferrule to my keg as filling and cleaning port and want to solder it, just the way you did with the 8 inch.
How did you heat the top of the keg? Should i try to heat evenly around the ferrule before adding the solder? Or is it better to start heating and soldering at some point on the ferrule, move a few inches forward and repeat heating and soldering?
Cheers!
Cashjon, I know this is a reply to an old post, but when soldering the solder flows to the flux. Flux the inside and outside and the solder will flow to both simultaneously. There won't be any of the voids you are concerned with. It sounds like you are assuming it just lays on top of the joint similar to a non penetrating fillet weld.Cashjon wrote: ↑Wed Mar 02, 2016 5:59 am I don't mean to be the only naysayer of the bunch but being a welder (weld pipe all day) I have one major concern, that is with not having a full penitration welds on the ferrule or soldering inside and out of the ferrule,? I have not got my new keg yet but the way I'm going to do it is to have the whole the same size as ferrule this way I can have a small gap and tig the ferrule in so as to have a full penetration root. (No exposed shell on keg and no exposed pipe or neck of ferrule inside) The reason I'm addressing this is because of bacteria, by not having a smooth transition inside then it leaves a place for liquids to sit and bacteria to grow. That is my only concern. You obviously have a great work ethic and are meticulous. The job is beautiful as many have said. Maybe I'm wrong and you do have no cracks and crevasses for bacteria to flourish. But if you just set the ferrules on the shell and soldered them then there is definitely a concern. sorry for being the only one to see a potential problem but bacteria is a major concern.
