Saturday 3 March 2007

Condenser assembley.

The next phase of the condenser is to make the water jacket.

This afternoon I went to three different DIY shops (Hardware stores for the US readers) looking for 3 inch plastic pipe and end caps. The pipe was easy, its used for drain pipe on guttering. The end caps were impossible; who would want to seal a drain pipe!?!


So the solution I have come up with is to use slightly narrower pipe (I have had to tighten the coil I made yesterday) and use part of a sink "U" bend plastic molding for caps.




I have drilled and fitted brass connectors in one end cap (this will be the bottom end where the cold water feeds in and the liquid Methanol drains out of the coil) and one fitting in the other (top) for the water to exit again. Near the top of the pipe I have drilled a hole for the top of the coil to exit and attached a fitting there to connect to the processor.


The caps are jointed to the pipe body with "no more nails" adhesive. If that fails I have some "plumber's mate" that sets on contact with water....


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