Brew stand paint advice

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ElDuderino

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So I've finally got my little two burner brew stand welded up (my first major welding project with my little 120v clarke stick welder). Here is a picture:
BrewRig11.JPG

I will post a google sketch up image with measurements in case anyone is interested in using/modifying what I've done.

My question is how are people applying paint to their rigs? I bought some high temperature stove paint and the can recommended not to prime, which makes sense since the primer I have is only rated for 200F and the stove paint is rated for 1200F or so. I sanded it all down to remove any rust marks and I will wipe it real well with alcohol or something to remove any residual oil before painting. Has anyone used this paint and what kind of results did you have? I am open to any suggestions, as I don't have a lot of experience applying finishes to bare metal.

-Jeff
 
Not knowing what I was doing either... I applied high heat primer (2 coats) then high temp paint from bLowes. Other than early scratches I've had little to no issues.

I do think I'll need to hit a few areas with the flap disk and primer/paint. Mainly where my keggles drag across the paint...
 
I used high temp engine paint for the auto store. Worked great and should hold up for you. You can also use BBQ grill paint too.

Please post updted pics of the stand when you get done. Looks great so far :)
 
I used high temp engine paint for the auto store. Worked great and should hold up for you. You can also use BBQ grill paint too.

Please post updted pics of the stand when you get done. Looks great so far :)

I would recommend some of the high heat ceramic paints available today. They are good to better than 1200*F but they are also not cheap.

http://www.hightempenginepaint.com/
 
I used high temp engine paint for the auto store. Worked great and should hold up for you. You can also use BBQ grill paint too.

Did you prime before painting? The stove paint I got from Lowes suggested not to use primer, but I question how well this will adhere. I guess I could do a test...

I'll definitely post more pics when it's done as well as a drawing with some measurements. Most of the stands I've seen posted are designed to hold three vessels and use a pump or gravity feed. I wanted something smaller so I don't have to lift too far and I'm also trying to keep things simple (no pumps or pids)... I wanted to be able to heat water and boil the first half of my runnings. I am also thinking of trying a double brew day to see if it only adds a couple hours. If so, it would make sense for me as I don't get to brew as often as I'd like (who does?). The burner I bought from Bayou Classic Depot worked great heat-wise but required me to lay a metal grill on top to support my keggle.
 
I guess you have about 12" in height and about 48" in length? With 2" tubing you should have about .030" deflection in the tubing. That will be a very solid stand.

If, you will be lifting the kettle back on to the stand after the mash since you wont have any pumps, I think there might be a height issue for you in running from the MLT to the boil kettle.

I am interested in the actual dimensions and your plan of attack here.
 
I drew this sketch up together last night -- It gives the dimensions:
BrewStandDimensions.png

Do you know of a good online source for figuring out deflection? I am new to working with metal, so it isn't really intuitive yet. I used 1 1/2" .065. It's my first real project using a $30 (+$40 shipping) clark stick welder I got off of ebay. I've seen your welds, so I hope you don't look too closely at mine :) In any case, it does feel really solid!

You are right about running from the MLT. I currently lift the keggle up about 24" so I can drain the runnings. May be I will get a pump eventually... Just one more thing to clean.
 
I did prime with auto paint primer. I did have some blistering around the bruner itself but I assume that would be expected since the burner ispushing 150,000 BTUs. Either way is works for me but that's just me.

Picture001-1.jpg
 
What program did you sue to draw up the design? I'm looking for a FREE design program to help me draw up my Brutus look a like. Any ideas?

Google sketch up. There is 2 versions. One is free and the other you can upgrade too for a small fee. I have the free version and it is nice.
 
I drew this sketch up together last night -- It gives the dimensions:
BrewStandDimensions.png

Do you know of a good online source for figuring out deflection? I am new to working with metal, so it isn't really intuitive yet. I used 1 1/2" .065. It's my first real project using a $30 (+$40 shipping) clark stick welder I got off of ebay. I've seen your welds, so I hope you don't look too closely at mine :) In any case, it does feel really solid!

You are right about running from the MLT. I currently lift the keggle up about 24" so I can drain the runnings. May be I will get a pump eventually... Just one more thing to clean.

It looks great.

No I don't know of a source for deflection calcs. Just guessing. Even with the 1 1/2" tube it should be about .020" - .030"

Sorry folks I have gotten a little off topic.:eek:

As too the paint, I really can't say. I left my current setup raw steel. It has rusted a little bit but not bad for about 5 years un protected. I was going to use stove paint but never got around to it.
 
I used a tough epoxy on my base rack and used hi-temp (no primer) on my burner racks. I personally prefer powder coating the main frame and only using hi-temp paint on the burner racks. I'm constantly chipping paint on my rig removing 1.5" tri-clamps, fittings, pipes, etc... I lightly re-coat at maintenance periods to cover up the chips. Powder coating is tougher than paint but more difficult to touch up if you do chip it. If I ever decide re-paint my entire rack, I'll send it out to be powder coated.
 
What program did you sue to draw up the design? I'm looking for a FREE design program to help me draw up my Brutus look a like. Any ideas?

I learned about google sketch up here when someone used it to lay out an insulation cutting pattern for making a fermentation chiller. It is an amazing program. It took me a couple of nights of messing around to figure it out, but there are a lot of videos google produced to step you through the important features. It is a lot easier to read than napkin drawings... Although it takes a lot less time to work through ideas on paper until you come pretty close to a final design.

I wish there was a free library for pipes. It takes FOREVER to create them from scratch if you include bends.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to look for a high temp primer this week. I'll do a test with high temp paint (no primer) also to see how it sticks to some bare metal.

I've thought about powder coating it, but it isn't that much a work of art and I would cry more if I dinged it up. I'd rather be able to spray another coat on from time to time if needed.
 
You should really look in to powder coating. I do this for a "partial" living because it's some really bad ass stuff. They have super abrasion resistant coatings now. you should get a quote from someone local.
 
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