How you pack your column
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 4:53 pm
Looking for discussion on how you pack a column with copper or SS mesh or scrubbies. As in what is your technique? The idea of not to tight but tight enough is pretty subjective and I have been unable to find a description of "how" to pack a column that will result in consistent packing throughout the column height and width.
Do you use a broom handle and ram it in?
Do you just keep shoving more scrubbies in by hand until they start to come out the other end?
Do you have a formula used to determine how much packing? Ie so many ounces of copper for every inch of column height and diameter.
I have a 2" copper packed column that is 45" tall. Initially not being sure how to get the packing done I just started rolling up a bunch of copper mesh and shoving it down the column. But it didn't seem to be very consistent and it was getting tighter the more I shoved in. When almost done I accidentally dropped the column on one end. Suddenly the column was only 1/2 full again. The mesh had slipped together and compressed under its own weight. Gave me an idea so I emptied the column and started to make loose fitting rolls and thumped the bottom of the column on the floor. This caused the copper to compress down at the bottom. I just kept adding more copper mesh and thumping the column on the floor from about 8 - 10 inches above the floor until the column was full. The copper reached its own level of compression and seems to work fine.
Look forward to hearing how you do this.
Do you use a broom handle and ram it in?
Do you just keep shoving more scrubbies in by hand until they start to come out the other end?
Do you have a formula used to determine how much packing? Ie so many ounces of copper for every inch of column height and diameter.
I have a 2" copper packed column that is 45" tall. Initially not being sure how to get the packing done I just started rolling up a bunch of copper mesh and shoving it down the column. But it didn't seem to be very consistent and it was getting tighter the more I shoved in. When almost done I accidentally dropped the column on one end. Suddenly the column was only 1/2 full again. The mesh had slipped together and compressed under its own weight. Gave me an idea so I emptied the column and started to make loose fitting rolls and thumped the bottom of the column on the floor. This caused the copper to compress down at the bottom. I just kept adding more copper mesh and thumping the column on the floor from about 8 - 10 inches above the floor until the column was full. The copper reached its own level of compression and seems to work fine.
Look forward to hearing how you do this.