I probably should have, but I did..
This came up on eBay, and I had to buy it. Total impulse purchase.
I’m thinking of trying to desolder the two halves, reshape one into a cone, add 2” TC ferrules, and then solder them back together. Sure would be pretty if I can pull it off.
Or maybe just leave it a sphere. I don’t know enough about how things like copper onions work to know if the conical shape is important for flow reasons, or a byproduct of the way they’re made.
Learn from the past, live in the present, change the future.
That's what I'd do with the copper ball.
There's enough room for a shit load of caps and a dimroth defleg inside of the ball.
8" of bubble caps sounds kinda big for a keg sized still, but it would have a wide range of operation.
I figure it could work with anything between 1.5 and 5.5kw or more.
I haven't found the post yet, but somebody in the past did a "fu-manchu" that looks similar.
Last edited by shadylane on Sun Dec 10, 2023 6:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Things like that are why I avoid ebay.
Also, things like that make me mad I don't spend time on ebay.
Personally I'd run a lead test swab over it before I did anything else. Then being the lazy bastard I am, if there was no lead in the solder, I'd probably just slap a couple ferrules on it and run it as an onion. Otherwise if you have to take it apart, you might as well make it a fat plate section as suggested above.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
Is there any functional difference between a copper sphere and a copper onion, assuming the same surface area and same inlet and outlet diameters?
Regardless of what happens, I’ll take it apart and clean the old solder off. I’m trying to decide if there’s a good reason to go to the trouble of trying to reshape it, or just leave it a sphere.
Learn from the past, live in the present, change the future.
Steve Broady wrote: ↑Sat Dec 09, 2023 10:48 pm
I probably should have, but I did..
This came up on eBay, and I had to buy it. Total impulse purchase.
It's funny how ebay caters to our creative impulses in this hobby.
I found a roll of 16 oz copper ( 24 sq feet) and ended up getting it for $20 this last summer. Recently I found an old stainless can used for milking for $20 also. Every time I browse I see something that looks like I could use. I was looking at a copper bird bath to use as lid for a still.
Steve Broady wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2023 6:42 am
Is there any functional difference between a copper sphere and a copper onion, assuming the same surface area and same inlet and outlet diameters?
It's basically an expansion chamber, I've had no problem with the sphere.
And for anyone who is considering a copper ball ... here is where I got mine https://www.necopperworks.com/ I asked them about the use of lead solder and they said no. I ordered and then tested and found that they were honest about lead.
I keep having this crazy idea of using some copper welding studs and adding spikes to the inside and outside of the ball. The theory is that it would add surface area, and therefore increase passive reflux. It would also look a bit like a copper Sputnik, which would either be cool or a bit freakish. Or both. Any thoughts? Any benefit, aside from looks?
Learn from the past, live in the present, change the future.
Forget passive reflux. 90% of the time it works against what's needed.
On the hobby scale, the only time reflux is good is when it's raining down on plates or packing.
Vanes in the ball to start some rotation, then a cone on top so that the rotational speed increases as the vapor rises and the cross section decreases, causing centrifugal force to throw any entrained droplets to the walls to run back down into the pot.
NZChris wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2023 12:31 am
Vanes in the ball to start some rotation, then a cone on top so that the rotational speed increases as the vapor rises and the cross section decreases, causing centrifugal force to throw any entrained droplets to the walls to run back down into the pot.
Ok, now I'm seeing a glass coned section, with a vaned copper spinner mounted in it, so you could see the swirling. That would be some cool, (but likely utterly pointless) shit to have in the riser.
I've played with glass columns, balls and seen what happens.
There's nothing fancy, everything plays by the rules.
Ya don't have to be able to see what's happening, just run it slow, easy and conservatively.
shadylane wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 6:29 am
That's what I'd do with the copper ball.
There's enough room for a shit load of caps and a dimroth defleg inside of the ball.
8" of bubble caps sounds kinda big for a keg sized still, but it would have a wide range of operation.
I figure it could work with anything between 1.5 and 5.5kw or more.
I haven't found the post yet, but somebody in the past did a "fu-manchu" that looks similar.
That was PP's build.
And before that was the "BubbleBall".
