Home Distiller

I don't have an indoor workshop, so when I'm working on a project it's usually on a makeshift table using sawhorses and a table top I made out of 2x4s and 1/2" particle board. I also have to set it up on the side of my house away from the dogs, especially when I'm using materials that may be toxic. Every thing I do is done using hand tools, and my eyes are not as good as they used to be. I'm also limited as to when I can do the work, since I don't tolerate 110+ degree heat as well as I used to.

As a result, some of my finished products are not necessarily perfectly square or level. Also since I use tri-clamp connectors for everything, getting exactly the right length for a given product is a challenge.

My latest project is a sight level for my electric keg boiler, so I can prevent the liquid level from getting too low and causing the 5500W element from burning out.

To that end, I bought a 300mm (about 12") sightglass from aliexpress. Naturally the sightglass is just that much off to allow a fit using standard length spools.

I happened to have some tri-clamp ferrules that can be silver-soldered to 1/2" copper pipe, and I also had some 1/2" CSST. After some careful checking, I determined that the CSST would just fit inside the ferrules.

I cut the CSST to length using a stainless steel tubing cutter, used some 400 grit sandpaper to rough up the CSST and the inside of the ferrules, cleaned it all up with some acetone, and was ready to silver solder.

I wrapped some 1/16" silver solder around several of the CCST valleys, shoved the CSST into the ferrule, moistened the whole thing with Sta-Brite liquid flux, positioned the CSST and ferrule so that the ferrule was hanging off the end of my work bench, and applied heat to the lowest part of the ferrule until the solder just started to flow. I then added a little more silver solder to the top of the ferrule and let it flow down into the interior of the ferrule. The result looks like this:



I still need to verify that the joints are liquid and gas tight, but the results look promising.

Now if things don't exactly match up, I have a little "wiggle-room" to get things mated up.

Like it! A good work around to a problem. Got a pic of the level glass in on your boiler?

You might also fill the CSST valleys with a bit of copper wire if you're not getting a positive seal with just the solder.

I'm a devout solderer cuz I'm too stubborn to learn how to weld, so I always love a good stainless soldering project.

What kind of solder are you using? Something relatively low silver I'd guess, maybe a 4-8%?

High silver content is what ive always used.... and the right flux.
The flux you use or can buy seems to vary country to country a bit.

the right flux is key.
I've used lead free plumbers solder exclusively and for me it works fine, no leaks caused by stress on joints.

Has anyone soldered CSST to a copper fitting? I have 1/2" CSST which is 0.76" OD (19 mm)

A 5/8" ID copper tube has an OD of 0.75 . It looks like a slip fitting for 5/8" will be the closest match.

I want to build a removable preheater coil to place in a stock pot and would like a 90 degree ell between the CSST and the tri clamp.

I've soldered brass hose barbs inside of csst for my product condenser (long story as to why I needed to) but the only trick was to not heat the csst. It's so thin that if the flame touched it the flux was burnt instantly. Heat only the copper, let it heat the solder which will heat the csst and you should be fine.

Thanks elbono!

elbono wrote: ↑Thu Oct 20, 2022 1:16 pm I've soldered brass hose barbs inside of csst for my product condenser (long story as to why I needed to) but the only trick was to not heat the csst. It's so thin that if the flame touched it the flux was burnt instantly. Heat only the copper, let it heat the solder which will heat the csst and you should be fine.

Can you give a little more info on the brass barbs? What kind of fitting, inside or outside of the csst, etc. I need to do the same on my dimroth. Right now I just hose clamp the tubing over the csst where I've added some jb weld to fill the grooves.

Barnstorm wrote: ↑Thu Oct 20, 2022 2:09 pm
Can you give a little more info on the brass barbs? What kind of fitting, inside or outside of the csst, etc. I need to do the same on my dimroth. Right now I just hose clamp the tubing over the csst where I've added some jb weld to fill the grooves.

Gory details here sounds like you're in a situation similar to the one I had. I was using rtv on the csst, pushing tubing over it, hose clamps on that constant aggro with leaks.

If you're making a dimroth that whole thread will probably be interesting.