Return Slot on the Slant Plate of a Bokabob

[moe fishwater]

Greetings,

Just about to start building my reflux column and I realized . . . how the hell do you bent the notch in the return plate after it is soldered in? I'm sure the solution is staring me in the face. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Husker]

Hopefully, you have only soldered in the bottom plate. If you have put them both in, then it will be a little harder. If you have only put in the bottom, then you should be able to bend it down with a longish rod. Of course that is assuming that you have actually put a notch in it.

If you have a notch in it but both plates have been soldered in, then your best bet, is to try to go through the hole you have in there, for a takeoff port. Bend a very stiff steel rod, into a L shape, and work it into the tube, and use that to bend your tab.

If you have not cut any notch cuts, then you will have to figure out how to fabricate. I go no idea on that one You might try to think ahead, just a touch, while building.

H.

[moe fishwater]

Thanks.

[Usge]

Moe, hopefully you'll get it sorted out. The best way to do this...is before putting the bottom plate in first...anneal the copper tip/tang on the plate so that it bends easily. Clean it up (annealing will usually leave it covered in carbon) and then solder it in. Then, as Husker said...go in from the top with a piece of 1/4" hard copper tubing (or anything long enough and blunt enough to reach it)...and just push down on the tip. It should bend very easy. Then, solder in the top plate. There were instructions on the latest template to follow that procedure.

If you are doing this after the fact...lot harder. You might try and allen wrench (ie., it's "L" shaped and might find one to fit through the therm hole).

[moe fishwater]

Thanks fellas, I definitely looked before leaping. Good suggestions. Didn't think of heating the notch before soldering the plate in. Thanks, that'll be a big help!