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My Boiler Build

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  • @Kapea said: BTW - your new boiler is an absolute beauty FloridaCracker!

    Wait until you see it with a shine and a 5" SD column on it. Hopefully by next week!

  • =D>

    That's a serious garage!

  • Yeah, we had a separate wire brought in from the pole when we had it built.

  • Knocked out the buffing yesterday and got the column temporarily mounted. Really happy with the way that it turned out. I think I will name it "Cyclops".

    Will start with the wiring this weekend if I can get a few spare minutes.

    Hey Moonshine, I need a little help with the sideways pictures. Thanks. Done

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  • That's a serious setup. I'm a bit jealous :)
    What's the 2" spool with the hose barbs(?) all over it for?

  • Sweet sweet shine.. in more ways than one.

    Can I ask what is your poison for SS polish/ buff kit - I have some refurb to do on SS304 tanks myself.

    What do y'all use to cut, buff polish etc

  • Now this brings new meaning to the term "out of control" hobbyist - I bow to you sir @FloridaCracker

  • Looks great mate, i inserted your pics in your post but will have to wait for moonshine to do the orientation.

    To insert get your cursor two rows down from your writing with a double enter and hover over the little pic box where you've uploaded. It will give you two options, inset or delete. click on insert and then leave another double space for the next one.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • @jacksonbrown said: That's a serious setup. I'm a bit jealous :)
    What's the 2" spool with the hose barbs(?) all over it for?

    That was my first "column" built in 1998. Filled with raschig rings and the barbs were for cooling water to help with reflux. Not sure if it actually refluxed anything but at the time I didn't know shit. I need to include a picture of that first boiler with the other two.

    @Curators_Reserve said: Sweet sweet shine.. in more ways than one.

    Can I ask what is your poison for SS polish/ buff kit - I have some refurb to do on SS304 tanks myself.

    What do y'all use to cut, buff polish etc

    The first thing I used were Gator grit pads that fit on a 4" high speed grinder. I used the fine but they still put some serious scratch/swirls into the surface. Time over entire tank with the pads was about 1 1/2 hours. Next came wet sanding with 400 grit sandpaper to get rid of the pad scratches. Time for that was about 3 hours (no high speed grinder just low speed elbow grease). I then moved to 800 grit to remove 400 scratches and so on. After 800 was 1500 followed by 2000. By this time it was pretty shiny but with just a little haze. I then buffed with an adjustable buffer using a 7" wool pad and some polishing rouge. For the first pass I went about half speed, for the last pass, full blast without the rouge. Probably about 15 hours total of sanding and buffing but I couldn't have a dull boiler under that beautiful column.

    It isn't perfect and I will readily admit that the front half is shinier than the back half LOL.

    My wife didn't see it until it was done and the column was mounted. Her response, and I quote "Holy Fucking Shit, you are going to jail".

  • @FloridaCracker said: My wife didn't see it until it was done and the column was mounted. Her response, and I quote "Holy Fucking Shit, you are going to jail".

    :))

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • @Unsensibel said: I'm not an electrician but this could work?

    image

    Started the wiring process and can't get my head around the diagram. I will have 2 120v lines going to the element and the diagram only shows one. Also it shows that the element would be before the SSR. That would mean I would have to run a line (lines?) to the element and then back to the SSR? Two cords to each element?

    I am installing a cooling fan as well.

    How should this be wired into the system? I would prefer that it be on whenever any of the elements are on and not temp driven.

  • OK, I think I have this figured out. One of the hot legs goes straight to the element from the breaker and the other one goes to and from the SSR. I looked at my single element controller and that is how it is wired.

  • yes, one leg directly to hot and the others through the SSR... I would put a circuit breaker on each of the 6 legs.. I use 3 of the Eaton double pole units:

    WMZS2B30 SUPPLEMENTARY PROTECTOR 2 POLE 30A B CURVE

  • Mike, I have 3 dedicated 30A breakers in my garage panel that I added for this setup, one breaker per element. Should I add more?

    Also, my fan is supposed to run on 120 but the wires look pretty small for that. How would you wire it for constant power when the elements are on? It is more of a redundancy thing as I have the 3 SSRs connected to the 75A heatsink.

  • If you fry an SSR ever, add 'supplementary protectors'... they will (hopefully) trip before a 40A SSR...

    to clarify, you have 3 double pole breakers, correct?

    for the box with internal SSR/heatsink, I have a thermostatically controlled fan, with the sensor in the heatsink, and for the box with the heatsink on top, I do not have a fan...

    I would say that you can power the controller with 120 (1 leg to neutral and one to a power leg), so put the fan on the same toggle switch as that...

    order of power up would be circuit breakers then toggle switch... that way circuit breakers are not switching under a load..

  • Yes, they are double pole breakers. What kind of switch would you recommend? I am guessing one per element, correct.

  • Just re-read your post and think that it is ONE switch for the controller which controls all of the elements.

    All of my electrical classes were 20+ years ago and it is very apparent.

  • Your boiler is looking awesome mate.

  • @FloridaCracker said: Just re-read your post and think that it is ONE switch for the controller which controls all of the elements.

    All of my electrical classes were 20+ years ago and it is very apparent.

    Yes, toggle switch, like this one from home depot.

    One terminal to hot, one terminal to the Auber and to the fan... maybe put a 2A fuse or breaker in.

  • honestly, that is the sexiest $200 boiler I've seen!

    better cut those legs down so you can add more plates!!

  • Looking most excellent Florida

  • OK, I got everything pretty much wired in and the elements all come on but the Auber somehow isn't getting the signal to the SSRs. It shows that it is sending a signal but the elements are all full blast. I have it in distilling mode with the ability to change the power output with the knob and the blinking light indicates that it thinks it is sending and changing the signal. Somehow the controller isn't getting the signal to the SSRs.

    Still messing with it, I'm sure it is something stupid but I think I have it wired according to the last diagram. The volt/ammeter is working perfectly with all 3 wires going through the coil. with all 3 breakers on it shows 66A going through it. 23 with just one and 45 with two. When I turn the knob on the controller the controller changes but the elements don't.

  • Florida . Know little about you problem but it least it confirms the discussion about running three wires through the CT and that it works.

  • THAT part I can confirm. That coil isn't very big and the 3 lines pretty much filled it up. I was really nervous about flipping those breakers for the first time. Just knew that I was going to release the magic smoke but somehow I didn't. I've definitely had a lot of help from the guys here.

  • remember, the controller is defaulted to use 100% to start( 'dout' is the setting for power of preheat, or what they call the 'acceleration phase'), then when you reach the programmed 'dAst' temp (170 is default), it goes to the knob...

    in other words:

    When you first turn the controller, it is at 100%, not what the knob and display show, that is by design. when it gets to 170, it goes to the knob.

  • Looking at the directions, you can override or cancel that initial warm up phase and go 100% manual. I thought that I had set it to that setting but will doublecheck .

  • to use manually only, I think you would set dAst to a temp below room temp, and it would immediately go to the knob...

    Also, make sure it is in 'distill' mode, not 'mash' mode...

  • @CothermanDistilling said: to use manually only, I think you would set dAst to a temp below room temp, and it would immediately go to the knob...

    Also, make sure it is in 'distill' mode, not 'mash' mode...

    Yes. The instructions say to set it to "0" but I am still getting full blast. It is in distill mode because the mash light isn't lit and the "P" is on the left. I will dick with it tomorrow when I get home but if anyone has any suggestions, I would welcome them.

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