Heya Corey, I ended up doing the handles differently on subsequent ones I sold. I now leave the skirt/ring at the back - makes it much easier to pick up and tip out for washing etc, ... with the skirt removed at the back it was actually more difficult to swing around. Definitely needs the skirt cut away in the front to facilitate cutting and welding the 4" ferrule. Happy Distilling!
If I was over there I'd sell it too you! LOL Been selling bits and pieces, different still components over the last year to fund my hobby, this is the first entire still I've had for sale in my country. Slowly working toward that small craft distillery we've talked about. :o)
Umm ok, sure Kev', I don't want to come across as telling Grandma how to suck eggs tho' - I can tell you how I set up for welding thin/fine jobs. I'm no ticketed welder, don't have any of my cert's or stamps but I've spent a bit of time on a TIG off and on doing small/fine components over the years for prototyping. For what it's worth ... Most important thing before I fire up the TIG is I spend a lot of time making sure my parts match as best I can. You can easily gap fill with welding unlike soldering but if you get the contours of your parts to match within a mm or so you have saved yourself a whole bunch of time and grief to start with. I always grind a fine arris on the edge of slightly thicker parts like legs and ferrules to get better penetration same as I would with a heavy job (although I don't want to blow right thru' the vessel). ... welding thin wall vessels/stainless sheet steel or small mechanism parts, I use a very thin electrode - (about a 1.6mm diameter) Thoriated tip and I run the TIG quite low - about 30-45amps or so depending on material thickness. I try and have as little electrode exposed as possible but sometimes it needs to extend quite a way outside the ceramic gas shield to reach the job. Also use a fine filler rod - 1.6mm stainless filler. I run Argon gas - not Argoshield mixture. I'll concentrate my heat on the edge of the heavier walled part - ie; legs or ferrules and "wash" my weld pool down onto my vessel/thin wall to try and avoid complete penetration thru' the vessel (can't always be avoided). I also keep my handpiece/electrode very low, sometimes almost tangential (but not quite) to the work surface to avoid blasting thru' it or getting sugaring on the inside/backface, (again, can't always be avoided). Passivating the result with hydrofluoric acid gel, washing that off and then lightly buffing it up afterwards, also helps make it look like I know what I'm doing. LOL Any of that helpful ?
Angry Parrot Distillery actually yes. I've been using an 80 20 mix and I think having my tip to far exposed and to large. Granted I do way more mig welding. I got some scraps to start practicing so I can do those other kegs and didn't want to go through all the problems I had on the first one.
The legs make it look a little angry - I don't know what that's about, but I got the distinct feeling that it was about to run at the camera.
That's how I did the one I got. Love the way you did the Handel's look great!..🍻
Heya Corey, I ended up doing the handles differently on subsequent ones I sold.
I now leave the skirt/ring at the back - makes it much easier to pick up and tip out for washing etc, ... with the skirt removed at the back it was actually more difficult to swing around.
Definitely needs the skirt cut away in the front to facilitate cutting and welding the 4" ferrule.
Happy Distilling!
Thanks for the timely video, I just did the legs on my keg this weekend! your help was invaluable!
Hey thanks - glad I could be of help! :)
Nice work.
Thanks Kev' ! :)
I'd buy it off you if I wasn't over here
If I was over there I'd sell it too you! LOL
Been selling bits and pieces, different still components over the last year to fund my hobby, this is the first entire still I've had for sale in my country.
Slowly working toward that small craft distillery we've talked about. :o)
No prob your welds look way better than mine. Any tips
Umm ok, sure Kev', I don't want to come across as telling Grandma how to suck eggs tho' - I can tell you how I set up for welding thin/fine jobs.
I'm no ticketed welder, don't have any of my cert's or stamps but I've spent a bit of time on a TIG off and on doing small/fine components over the years for prototyping.
For what it's worth ...
Most important thing before I fire up the TIG is I spend a lot of time making sure my parts match as best I can.
You can easily gap fill with welding unlike soldering but if you get the contours of your parts to match within a mm or so you have saved yourself a whole bunch of time and grief to start with.
I always grind a fine arris on the edge of slightly thicker parts like legs and ferrules to get better penetration same as I would with a heavy job (although I don't want to blow right thru' the vessel).
... welding thin wall vessels/stainless sheet steel or small mechanism parts, I use a very thin electrode - (about a 1.6mm diameter) Thoriated tip and I run the TIG quite low - about 30-45amps or so depending on material thickness.
I try and have as little electrode exposed as possible but sometimes it needs to extend quite a way outside the ceramic gas shield to reach the job.
Also use a fine filler rod - 1.6mm stainless filler.
I run Argon gas - not Argoshield mixture.
I'll concentrate my heat on the edge of the heavier walled part - ie; legs or ferrules and "wash" my weld pool down onto my vessel/thin wall to try and avoid complete penetration thru' the vessel (can't always be avoided).
I also keep my handpiece/electrode very low, sometimes almost tangential (but not quite) to the work surface to avoid blasting thru' it or getting sugaring on the inside/backface, (again, can't always be avoided).
Passivating the result with hydrofluoric acid gel, washing that off and then lightly buffing it up afterwards, also helps make it look like I know what I'm doing. LOL
Any of that helpful ?
Angry Parrot Distillery actually yes. I've been using an 80 20 mix and I think having my tip to far exposed and to large. Granted I do way more mig welding. I got some scraps to start practicing so I can do those other kegs and didn't want to go through all the problems I had on the first one.