Sporacles 4 inch plate build

[Sporacle]

So a bit more progress, sight glass mounts have been brazed on, starting to get the hang of it, I started with 55% silver brazing rods and I find that the 15% silver run just as well. Obviously in the hands of a more skilled operator the difference would be noticeable but I can't pick it.

The 15% rods are a bit under half the price.
I'm starting to get the hang of pushing the liquid with the torch a bit better.

Prep is key, clean and clean again. Make sure your fit up is spot on and that you mask off with white out (saves heaps on clean up time)

Having a break over Xmas, have a good one

[Sporacle]

Set up for brazing the ferrules on, they are fractionally oversize.
A cut down section of half inch packs out the gap nicely

[Stonecutter]

Looking great Sporacle! Beads look tight from here. Dude that feeling of putting your first run through this thing is going to be AWESOME eh!

[Sporacle]

I'm a bit all over the shop with my build order at the moment.
Waiting on a bit more pipe so I can cut my last plates and make the lid for my head.
So I've started my downcomers.
They are 3/4 with a flair 20mm bath depth and a 1 inch cap that will be fitted a little differently.
I heated the 3/4 to red hot then placed a 10mm half inch drive socket into the pipe and tapped gently with a block and hammer

[Saltbush Bill]

No need to keep it red hot.....heat till red then dump in water....it will be soft.
Nice flare job anyway.

[Sporacle]

I think the hardest bit is finding a 10mm socket Salty

[Sporacle]

Deflagameter is done, I think this is a shiny as I get
Edit. The inlet and outlet pipes are close together in this photo, internally there is a 90 and short section of half inch that extends the inlet and outlet to within about 5mm of the top and bottom plate

[EricTheRed]

Pic of the inside?

Nice shine:D

[Sporacle]

Pic of the inside?

Nice shine:D

Heres the ones earlier in the thread prior to ferrules, honestly got a bit of cleaning up to do before I do the completed inside shot.
The protruding tubes are on the downside

[Saltbush Bill]

Deflagameter is done, I think this is a shiny as I get

If you can build one of those and it doesn't leak then your soldering apprenticeship is over......your officially a still builder.

[Sporacle]

So I've got to get the oxy back to my mate so I've started on the head a bit early.
CCSC in Oz do a really nice head that I wanted to copy.
I decided to cap mine with a section of two Inc that has been split.
This will see how far my set out and fitting skills have come
There is a fair bit of fit up to do yet but the basic premise seems to be coming along

[Sporacle]

So I've got the still head fitted up, will need a final trim after brazing.
The angle cuts on the two inch as shown in the last post are critical, you need to template the 4 inch to get the angles correct otherwise the inch flared pipe will cover the 4 inch but the pipe will not work at the joint.

[Stonecutter]

Sporacle it’s amazing to see this coming along so quickly. You’re obviously putting in major time and effort.
Keep up the good work man

[Sporacle]

Still head is finished and nearly leak free, got a small patch to do on the ferrule.
Still needs a final polish.
So three plates to drill, make and fit downcomers, one ferrule to fit and 4 sightglasses to make.

[Steve Broady]

Man, that looks awesome! I can’t wait to see it finished and running.

[bcook608]

Amazing work! Can't wait to see it all clean and dressed up!

[Sporacle]

3/4 inch flared downcomer with 1 inch blank cap, bath depth set at 20mm

[tiramisu]

that is a fuqton of copper. very nice.

[Sporacle]

Paying penance to the "Distilling Gods"

[Saltbush Bill]

You going to drill again from the other side to get rid of burrs?.....double penance.

[Sporacle]

Yep, love the other side it's so much faster

[Sporacle]

All done, leak free.
This is the before a couple of hours on the die grinder.
Just got 4 sightglasses to make

[Saltbush Bill]

Just got 4 sightglasses to make

Why would you go to that trouble in this day and age .....call Punkin ....SD ...Au.....he sells them for SFA compared to the drama of doing your own.
Still running the ones he sold me 11-12 years back .....cost me a couple of bucks each.

[Sporacle]

Just got 4 sightglasses to make

Why would you go to that trouble in this day and age .....call Punkin ....SD ...Au.....he sells them for SFA compared to the drama of doing your own.
Still running the ones he sold me 11-12 years back .....cost me a couple of bucks each.

48 bucks plus shipping, 48 bucks gets me my sockets for my 80l keg and some , got a sheet of glass from an old window, a circle jig for my plasma cutter that will take a glass cutter and time.
Plus I'm tight

[Saltbush Bill]

Thought Id seen tight .......but nothing going up that fishes clacker......is the old window pyrex?
Having said that , I'm pretty sure Yummy might have cut his own.

[Sporacle]

Nah I'm not that tight Salt, just like learning how to do stuff myself.
If I didn't I would have bought a 4 incher from MT.
Glass is not pyrex, see how we go

[Yummyrum]

Correct Salty
My “window glass “ windows are still going strong in both my VM and Plated still .

viewtopic.php?p=7381808&sid=1e5284feed3 ... f#p7381808


Olddog also made his windows out of window glass IIRC .

[Sporacle]

Correct Salty
My “window glass “ windows are still going strong in both my VM and Plated still .

viewtopic.php?p=7381808&sid=1e5284feed3 ... f#p7381808


Olddog also made his windows out of window glass IIRC .

Thanks Yummy, 3 down and 1 to go, I found the trick was to only use the glass cutter to square off the lens, then just nibbled with a set of small pliers and crushed small sections at a time.
Found a place in Brisvegas that has the Borro lenses for half the price of SD, got to go up for a course next month so I will pick up a set then.
Good to know I can make them though

[tiramisu]

You are making me want to spend money on a couple of sheets of copper.
I have absolutely no need to do so but that looks like a wonderful project.

[PuckJunkie76]

Very cool build!