Ferrule fit

Simple pot still distillation and construction with or without a thumper.

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tag1260
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Ferrule fit

Post by tag1260 »

I have a 2" ferrule and there is a little bit of slop, about .020" total ( pipe ID 2.005", ferrule OD 1.984") , in the fit to the column tube. Can I shim this with so brass? Cannot find any copper to use but have brass here. OR can I get by with that much and just solder it? Thanks
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Steve Broady
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Re: Ferrule fit

Post by Steve Broady »

What’s the column made of? If it’s copper, you can shrink the OD a little. Use a tubing cutter with a full blade, and watch the diameter after a few turns.
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tag1260
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Re: Ferrule fit

Post by tag1260 »

My column is copper but I'm not exactly following you. Do you start to make a cut? What's a full blade?
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Knife_man
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Re: Ferrule fit

Post by Knife_man »

I have a cutter with a blade I deliberately blunted and rounded off so that instead of cutting it creates a internal ridge .... great for making press fit thermonitor ports.

2 or 3 of those ridges should take up that slack to hold it in place and solder should be able to bridge that.
Last edited by Knife_man on Thu Jan 26, 2023 10:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Steve Broady
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Re: Ferrule fit

Post by Steve Broady »

Dull blade… sorry, I really should not trust my phone for anything.
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Knife_man
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Re: Ferrule fit

Post by Knife_man »

Just re read your post .... never seen a tubing cutter that big . Though I daresay they do exist I'm referring to the type with a wheel that you spin round and round the pipe.
Like this one

https://www.jtmplumbing.co.uk/tools-sun ... nkQAvD_BwE.

If you have one large enough for your 2" getting a new blade and having a blunt one is a good idea. I use mine on almost every build.
tag1260
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Re: Ferrule fit

Post by tag1260 »

Makes more sense now. If I only had a pipe cutter that big.
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Steve Broady
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Re: Ferrule fit

Post by Steve Broady »

Can you sacrifice a very short section of the column length? Cut a ring off, snip out a segment, and you have a nice copper filler for the gap.

To answer your question, I imagine you could use brass, but that’s up to you. Even if it’s not lead free, how much lead do you think you could leach out over time? I’m not saying it’s a great idea, but realistically it’s probably fine. Me personally, I’d just use a little piece of copper and know it’s done right.
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tag1260
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Re: Ferrule fit

Post by tag1260 »

A piece of this column would be too thick to fill the gap. I'm probably just going to try to solder it as is. The seller said nobody seems to have any problem with it so I'll try it.

Most of us are old enough to have drunken water from lead soldered pipes, ate from aluminum pots, and used (and maybe even stuck them in our mouths) lead sinkers or shot.
(on the other hand, maybe that's why I weigh so much!!!!!)
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Yummyrum
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Re: Ferrule fit

Post by Yummyrum »

Pretty sure Stillerboy posted a pic a few days ago .
He bent several bits of wire over the ferrule to evenly space it then soldered it on no worries .

Personally , I can’t see any problem using shim brass . It will all be coated in solder anyway .
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squigglefunk
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Re: Ferrule fit

Post by squigglefunk »

I have used a thin solid copper wire hoop as a shim between a stainless ferrule and a copper part that didn't quite fit together. Worked perfectly and has held up fine.
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