Starting a 100 gallon boiler build today

[mash rookie]

Parts are cut and heading for the local sheet metal shop this morning to roll up. 14 gauge copper sheet 36 x 96" rolled to 30” diameter with a conical top. It will be hand copper riveted and soldered. This is a spec build that will be offered for sale on the commercial ADI site with a six inch column.
Pictures to follow.

[Durace11]

Nice, yes yes yus pics plzzz

[myles]

100 gallons!! A bit big for home use, but as you say it is destined for ADI so that is OK.

Have you a schematic? Just curious what sort of profile you are looking at. Column over boiler, side mounted, etc etc. It is always nice to see shiny copper.

(On that size are you thinking of brazing or just going for a decent width riveted overlap with soft solder?)

[ThrownOlive]

Sounds pretty rad. Excited to see your pictures!

[mash rookie]

100 gallons!! A bit big for home use, but as you say it is destined for ADI so that is OK.

Have you a schematic? Just curious what sort of profile you are looking at. Column over boiler, side mounted, etc etc. It is always nice to see shiny copper.

(On that size are you thinking of brazing or just going for a decent width riveted overlap with soft solder?)

One inch lap. Rivited and soft soldered. I could hard solder the joint edge before drilling, riveting and soft soldering. The rivets are mostly for show. Four inch stainless ferule on top and one four inch on the side of the cone for filling and sight glass. I am planning a maze type TIGd stainless steam / bain marie insert.
I just got back from dropping the copper sheets off. I annealed the cone piece for them. After bringing it up to 950 degrees in my oven I washed over it with a big oxy /propane torch until it showed color.

[mash rookie]

I finally got this baby rolled up. After leaving my copper at one shop for a week with no projected finish date I found another shop that could roll the big sheet. Nobody had a small enough roller for the top. I had to build a power roll machine to roll the top. I will post a picture of that too. I annealed the top piece in my big oven. Rivits work well but have to be annealed to be soft enough. Cell phone pics. Sorry.

[ipee7ABV]

mmmmm coper porn

[mash rookie]

A couple more pictures.
I riveted and soldered the top last night and today. I got about one half of the notches cut before my hands died. I cut a perfect circle of 3/4" plywood for use as my shaping jig. After all notching is done I will re-anneal the outer edge and pound it down around the plywood. Top and bottom will be sized this way. Once completed the cylinder will be clamped around them before soldering and riveting.
Here is the power roller I had to build to roll the top. three 1-1/2" black pipes, 6 garage door bearings, scap steel and an 18 rpm gear reduction motor I had laying aroung.

[Copper Thumper]

MORE!!!!

[pfshine]

man that is lookin great so far. love the roller.

[TimJ]

That is just freeking awesome!

[cooperville]

+1 o the freeking awesome MR what a cool project what are you going to be heating her up with ??

[NY Chris]

Awesome build!!!
Mash ROOKIE??? Might need a new handle after this one.
Good luck with the build.
Thanks for sharing the pics.

[mash rookie]

More pics. Four inch column ferrule and four inch port next. My rivit gun is an air palm nailer. The backer for the round head was drilled than smoothed with a die grinder.

[mash rookie]

More pics. Top is close to being ready to fit cylinder.

[Digital_Plasma]

I don't like it. Not ONE bit! ( Envy is a BAD thing envy is a BAD thing! )
Best you put it on a plane for Denmark and I'll dispose of it..... yes dispose...

[cooperville]

This thing is turning out to be a real head turner i love the rivet technique and wow that is going to shine something bad
Its pretty big for a hobby boiler MR what will you be running through this mostly
keep those pics coming

[mash rookie]

I will never run it myself. Only leak test it with water. Once complete without the bottom installed I will offer it for sale on ADI. I will install the bottom with what ever heating system is required for the customer.

[mash rookie]

Stirring the big boiler pot with a lousy cell pic. It is all riveted and soldered. My shop guy has his work cut out for him getting it back to a shine. I was a little rougher on it than I wanted. He is going to come in tomorrow to shine her up. It was more work than anticipated. It will still need a bottom and heat system installed as well as drain ports, Leg stiffeners and unforeseen BS.
I will post some nice detail pictures next week. Starting a Micro Distillery? I can build it!

[HolyBear]

That's gonna make a micro distillery customer very proud!!! I bet you'll be proud too once his change hits yer pocket. You've obviously invested allot in it, make it worth yer while...

[Bushman]

I've got to get down and see your build, might be in the area for New Year's Eve, are you going to be around?

[mash rookie]

I should be around amigo. no major plans. Give me a heads up.

[mash rookie]

Here you go. Top half is done. Check out those rivets. hmm cool beans. My guy started polishing up my work yesterday. I put quite a few scratches in it wrestling it around. Once fully polished I will take pics for the commercial site. Wish me luck.

[Bushman]

Not sure I'm coming down after all but don't sell it before I can see it or at least give me a heads up and I might make a special trip down.

[Dan P.]

I don't know how I missed this thread- Awesome, thanks for sharing!

[myles]

I will never run it myself. Only leak test it with water. Once complete without the bottom installed I will offer it for sale on ADI. I will install the bottom with what ever heating system is required for the customer.

That is very nice indeed. Once you put it on ADI please post a link here so I can see what happens to it. That would be the heart of a nice micro-distillery.

[mash rookie]

Thank you for the kind words Myles. I have had a little trouble getting posted up there but should have that solved soon. I will post a link. Here is a picture with the 8 plate glass column on it.
It easily hit 93-94% at a gallon an hour when testing. That would work nice for a Micro distillery fermenting 6-8% washes. 100 gallons = 6-8 hours plus heat up.

[gleamingthecube]

Egads that is a beauty! Let us know where this ends up. Might be a road trip in order.

[singlemaltluv]

My hat off to you MM that there is a great looking build. I love looking at your build threads.

[thecroweater]

very nice , makes my 100 gal leaky copper boiler look pretty agricultural