2" triclamp WELDLESS bulkheads on blichmann

i havent seen anyone post a 2" weldless heating system so i thought id show off what i did on my Kal clone

only used 2 punches to do all three of the kettles a 13/16 for the 1/2" stuff and the 1 7/8" for the big triclamp. i origanlly was working on morebeer kettles but merry chirstmas i got to up size/grade my set up! i hated cleaning the boil element when it was thread, now seems like itll be a quick task.

http://stilldragon.com/index.php/2-triclamp-weldless-bulkhead-fitting.html
http://stilldragon.com/index.php/element-guard-kit.html










(this was after water testing but the only one i have of the hole)


the fit is perfect nice and tight

Silly question @Browningbuck , how are you using the element kit?
My element is curvy, I was told a 2" TC adapter would work so I just ordered two the other day.

Is that a temp probe right next to your heating element?

yes it isit doesnt hurt being that close accurate to 1* of any measurement taken else where during the boil

@hello help me out here im not sure what you mean? i take these


and stick them in these

I'm LOLing for some randomly childish reason.

I have these elements assembled as you see them as they're on my table:


And soon will have these which fits onto the element side where the hex is (2" TC adapter):


And hope to fit them through these:

Then will need to attach with this and this:


So basically, I'm halfway thinking I do not need the element kit. Right? But do I have the configuration correct? I was going to order the weldless stuff from Still Dragon today.

yes the laughter is deserved the sophomoric joke was implied

hmmmmm.... i hear waveys have a hard time in them but i could be wrong i use straight i dont care if its ribbed for the kettles pleasure

1.5" id

The guy who built the elements for me said the 2" TC adapter would work, so my assumption was that it would definitely fit in. I'm halfway up a creek if that isn't the case. He's been right about everything though and he knows his stuff.

I think I'll have to wait for the adapter to come. I just don't know if the bulkhead is all I need or more than I need. yanno?

i have to say, my elements on TCs have been the best modification to the "kal design" that i have done

I spoke with Larry with Still Dragon. I just ordered an element kit and the bulkhead, a clamp and gaskets. We'll see what happens. If I have this all right then I'll make a second order. I'll end up paying $14 for shipping twice, but at least I won't have to worry about dropping $160 on everything and it being all wrong.
I'm glad you posted this thread, even though I've turned it into a personal ****show!

Browningbuck said:

i have to say, my elements on TCs have been the best modification to the "kal design" that i have done

Click to expand...

Hi Browningbuck,
There may be a bit of clamping in the vise (or vise grips) needed to squeeze the wavy element where it folds back on to it's self. But it is totally doable without damaging the element. Lots of SD customers have already done so with no issues that I am aware of.

Having said that, the straight elements that fold back work just fine. I am not at all clear if the difference in performance is measurable at the hobby scale?

Happy to answer any questions that I can.
Cheers
Larry

Hi Hello,
Please be reminded that we do have a 30 day no questions asked money back guarantee.

Thank you for your business.

Cheers
Larry

SmaugDragon said:

Hi Hello,
Please be reminded that we do have a 30 day no questions asked money back guarantee.

Thank you for your business.

Cheers
Larry

Click to expand...

Damnit! I should have ordered both then! haha you've been great man. Thanks for dealing with my batty questions.

i dealt with Ari never heard of larry

Larry, Ari, Jeff and Dianne.

Cheers

how did i not see that kit before?! THOSE ARE AWESOME!

possibly because i dont think anyone else had done it yet? i searched for a long while before doing it. but now that i have, i couldnt be happier! i think i have 4 or so brew days through the system and i LOVE being able to pull the elements for quick cleaning. no leaks, no issues, seems to be a complete success.

You should share that with Kal... His design was pretty much the cat's meow for a long time. But this would be a really nice solution to use as well as pairing with Still Dragon's or Bobby M's (BrewHardware.com) Element to 1.5" Ferrul Brew Pod.

Obviously they are more expensive then what Kal has, but the ability to remove the element for cleaning, and for cleaning inside the ferrule is unmatched. Thats why I had my kettle welded with 1.5" TC fitting

yes ive shared with Kal, i think hes waiting for the system to prove itself over time
http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27791

@Browningbuck for the 1 7/8 punch, is that a conduit punch or radio? I haven't wired mine using the element enclosure, I'm intimidated, but I need to do it soon. Larry gave me some instructions over e-mail a while back, hopefully I don't F it up.

@hello
thats a radio 1 7/8" wiring up is super simple. i crimped and soldered (then heat shrinked the as much as i could

then just bolted them up inside the housing

Is soldering a must after crimping or is it done just to be safe?

personally i think its a must. when you go to assemble this together youll understand why. also thats 30 amps in a tight tight little case, quality heat shrink i think is a must as well.

If you are using a bottom of the barrel crimper with the cheapest vinyl insulated terminals then maybe soldering would help. If you have a good crimper, soldering can compromise a proper crimp. In fact properly crimped connections are superior to soldered ones, and they are designed that way.

There are thousands of these " Element Guard Kits" in use with no issues.
I like your added measure but soldering is not at all a requisite.
If crimped correctly and the leads are cut to length correctly (and they do appear to be) there should be little to no real pressure on the connection.

Cheers

I picked up one of these and am excited about the potential for easy cleaning without welding. However, I have a couple questions. First, I'm curious about that notch in the cover plate for the element guard:



What's the point of it? How do you prevent water from getting in? Is there a preferred way to plug the hole?

Second, the 2000w stainless steel element I picked up at brewhardware touches the weldless bulkhead slightly. Is that going to be a problem?




Thanks for the help.

The slot is to allow liquid to drain in case of a leak.

The element touching is not an issue, but they can be gently bent so it doesn't touch.

Thanks for the info. Further question on bending the element slightly: I can squeeze it such that the folded end touches the other side of the element, however, it springs back into the original place. Should I clamp it for a while?

Sorry to take the thread offtopic.

Can someone link to a cheap punch able to make the appropriate sized hole for this bulkhead? The only 1-7/8" punch I can find on amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010B8HZ8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 seems too expensive to only cut one hole @ $135

Bought my Greenlee on eBay for $55.

sorry i just sold my two punches to do this set up for $100 shipped. but knockouts come and go pretty quick here
http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=14&sid=3a0e7d9c9919c150ee7278d768fbc7d8