Home Distiller

Didn't want to add this to the other tread, due to the number of pics.
This was done with 2" type K pipe. It is considerabley thicker than the stuff usually found at the box stores.

I used a forstner bit to drill a 2 1/8" hole through a block of 4 x 4. you could also use a hole saw and a piece of 2 x 4

After drilling, slice the block in half. The material removed when cutting gives the block good clamping action.

Aneal the end of the pipe.

After it cools, clamp it in the block with about 1/4" sticking out.

Start the flange with a ball-peen or simillar hammer.

finish off with the flat side.

Had some low spots, added a bit of solder, then file flat.

The finished flange, ready for the next project.

I suggest you try your initial flaring be done with a ball pein hammer instead of the seam head of your panel hammer, it will produce a smoother flaring with less area stress. Once the tube has been flared to about 45 degrees transfer to the square end of your curved base panel hammer.

Yes, the ball would have been a better choice for the start. (Was buried too far on the bench when I started)
The thick wall on this doesn't require any solder build-up for it to seal. With a thinner material, it may be needed.

Nice tutorial. Thanks.

Yes Hawke its a good progression from the original idea.

Use a easy made Jig, That's a real good idea you have there Hawke, I always tap mine around free hand, They split quite often, your Idea seems to give more control, I like that, Funny how the simple ideas always seem to be the best ones

Nice work Hawke.. you make it look very easy. I might give it a shot next time

Aces

Hey Hawke, from the pics it looks like you've been sneaking into my shop. I've got the same vice, the same body hammer set, and a similar drill press, and I made my flanges the same way, except I didn't make up a wood jig. I rested the edge of the pipe on the edge of the flat area on the back of the vice and worked the edge over a bit at a time. It worked out pretty good.

Also, rather than use that with a triclover fitting, that flange makes a great mating surface to solder the pipe to a stock pot lid or mixing bowl, which is what I did.

I also wanted to add a bit. If someone wants to solder this flange to stainless like I did, here's what I discovered to work well after several frustrating and failed attempts. This is actually easy. First tin the mating area of the stainless with solder. I used my electric soldering iron and soft silver solder for plumbing. Make sure to use flux that's good for stainless. Then set the flange in place and apply heat to the copper tubing up about an inch or two up from the flange. Be patient and wait. If you use a propane plumbing torch like I did, it'll take a minute or two. The copper will conduct the heat evenly to the stainleass mating surface and all the tinning will melt at once. Leave the torch flame in the same area to continue applying even heat to the flange. Add solder as needed around the flange to fill the joint and you're done. This makes a nice strong connection.

I've used that same general method for soldering copper to stainless before, Hack, and it sure worked better than other methods I'd tried... The trick is to not give the solder reason to lose its bond to the stainless due to excessive heat...

What works well is to tin both the stainless and copper, then you don't need near as much heat to make the bond.

I would just like to throw in my two cents. I reload ammunition and anneal the brass after several firings to keep the necks soft and prevent cracking. Annealing the copper before starting the flange and even once again, half way through would make the whole process a little easier and lessen the chance of cracking.
myerfire

Oh, sure. I get sat down at the computer after having just finished taking a 1.25" pice of pipe, sliding it inside a slightly larger piece of iron pipe, annealing the expossed end, flanging the copper over the iron pipe, checking the flat with a medium fine flat file, fitting it into my stainless steel sink basket, THINKING I'm pretty darned clever, and what do I find in my first click on the forum tonight, someone who did a MUCH cleaner job than I, with pics, and before I thought of it. Guess I'll just sit here and sip some humble shine.

Nice job. I love the smell of copper in the morning.

Actually, I learned that from watching my gramps. He was a 6th grade graduate, self taught machinist, plumber, mechanic and mechanical engineer.
The lathe in his shop was so big that the tool carridge had a seat that travelled with it. Wish I had access to it now.

Hawke wrote:Actually, I learned that from watching my gramps. He was a 6th grade graduate, self taught machinist, plumber, mechanic and mechanical engineer.
The lathe in his shop was so big that the tool carridge had a seat that travelled with it. Wish I had access to it now.

Nice one Hawke, I find it just amazing how much you can learn , have learn't, even in your very young years, to be able to do stuff that you have no hands on experience at or ever taught. Just by seeing it. Stuff we cannot not pass on. I also wish I had access to a worshop from my past. I still remember my Granpa dropping cut up gal sheet into sulphuric ? acid to make solder flux, never tried it but from memory it worked unreal.

cheers.

sulphuric ? acid

Probably hydrochloric acid - plumbers' spirits of salts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_chlor ... gical_flux" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Yeah you can buy the stuff at the pool shop.. Couple gallons will run around 14 bucks.. The problem with hydrochloric as a flux is when it heats up- the gas it gives off will rust anything around that's able to rust..

It cleans rust off parts pretty good (when cold) but you should coat everything with wd40 after.. Better to use electrolysis in a bucket if your going after rust removal.. Wear gloves too- You can make hydrogen gas by taking apart a battery and you'll find a metal rod coated with zinc inside.. Throw that into some acid and make a little Hindenburg..

Anyways found using ruby flux for steel was good for connecting a coupler to the keg top.. grind the top of the keg lip with a dremel to rough it up a bit so it's not so smooth.. I tacked some 308L (dc stick welding) on the inside to hold the copper in place and then used lots of flux with map gas.. Did the trick with plain silver solder without the expensive brazing