Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

A few weeks ago I mentioned the idea of soldering the end cap for the element guard onto the base of the elements itself. Here's a run-down of what I did for those looking for an effective and permanent solution :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Here's the pieces from Mac's custom element guard (minus the 32mm piece of pipe)


When sliding the 50mm end cap over the thread side of the base, I found that I lost too much on the thread and was not able to screw it into the socket in the boiler well enough...it would leak even done up as tight as I could get it, and there was a fair bit of wobble still in the element at this point.


Because the method shown in the previous photo, holds the 50mm cap against the socket...using it on the back of the element base would require it to be fixed permanently...and step in soft soldering an element :D

I gave both surfaces a good clean and roughing up with some emery paper, I wanted it to stick real well so I could get the heat in and out quickly


Once soldered, it will go together with the reducer with 2x screw/nut assemblys, one of which will be used to earth the guard


Fluxed up the contact surfaces


Apply a light heat to the very side of the copper to avoid burning the flux. I also used the little Bernzo pencil tip torch for this to achieve a slow, soft heat up of the element base. Notice in this pic that I have used some steel wire to hold the end cap in place on the base. The element is being held in a bench vice.

After soldering, looks a mess but solder flowed nicely and didn't apply too much heat to the area



After a cleanup, nice and neat...



Looking in at the terminals...



The end cap will then be fixed with the use of 32mm pipe, and a cable gland installed at the back of the end cap to keep the cable steady and prevent easy twisting


Then it just screws into the welded socket in the boiler nicely with that extra bit of thread now available, and looks tidy too :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Great stuff Brendan, no chance of leakage into the guard there :clap:

Cheers.

I just have a question about these element guards.

I made one a while back, but what I was finding was that I needed to reconnect the element everytime otherwise, if it was connected, when you screw it in the wires would eventually twist and snap. Am I just retarded, or do you guys also have to reconnect it everytime?

KB, when I wind mine in, I turn the whole cable with it so that this doesn't happen. This is very detrimental to the cable! :p

A solution to his which I am implementing, is to make the cable very short out of the element with a plug on it, then use an extension to that.

Brendan wrote:KB, when I wind mine in, I turn the whole cable with it so that this doesn't happen. This is very detrimental to the cable! :p

A solution to his which I am implementing, is to make the cable very short out of the element with a plug on it, then use an extension to that.

Yeah good idea mate i like the idea of not having to have a power lead permantly connected to the boiler. ;-)