Grinding Slots in Copper Tube for Collection Manifold

[Moonpile]

So I used a grinder to cut a lot of slots in copper tube for my new collection manifold, but the slots seem a bit wider than others I've seen. Am I going to have problems with this?

http://picasaweb.google.com/justin.cann/MoonpileSBeerPix/photo#5168362281046800242

(Anyone else have trouble embedding pix from Picassa?)

In case anyone's interested: I created a little jig with some 2x4 parts and a holesaw, which ensured that the grinder would make consistent cuts about half way through. Nailed it to a stump in my backyard because the pipe was too long for the workbench in my shed. In this picture, I was standing off to the left, straddling the pipe and swiping the grinder across the pipe to make a slot. Then I'd advance the pipe, swipe again, and so on.

 

[Bobby_M]

How wide is the wheel? 1/16" is the thinnest that I know of but I think you have a 1/8".

 

[Moonpile]

How wide is the wheel? 1/16" is the thinnest that I know of but I think you have a 1/8".

I would say it's 1/8". Went through 2 and a half of them slotting about 110" of pipe.

 

[bradsul]

Those slots look pretty wide, I think you'll get an awful lot of husks into your kettle. If you can't get the wheel Bobby_M mentions you might want to just go with a hack saw. It won't take long to cut slots in copper.

 

[Bobby_M]

The downer is the money you spent on the copper already.

 

[Moonpile]

So am I doomed to failure with this rig, or is it worth trying?

 

[bradsul]

You're already invested for time and money, I would at least give it a try. I doubt that copper would be much good for anything else now anyway.

 

[FlyingHorse]

I'd try it. As long as you're not completely shredding your husks during the crush, you should still ger a good filter bed...just might take a little longer. And I'd make sure the slots are facing the bottom of the MLT.

 

[mazdamike]

Ok first get a spring binder for copper tubeing. Then rotate the pipe to the left or right (slots on side) and bent the tube in same direction. This should cause all the slots to close most of the way up.

 

[Moonpile]

Ok first get a spring binder for copper tubeing. Then rotate the pipe to the left or right (slots on side) and bent the tube in same direction. This should cause all the slots to close most of the way up.

I'm having problems finding a picture of a "spring binder" to envision what you're suggesting. Any pix?

The finished tubing needs to be straight. I can see how twisting it might close up the slots and leave it straight, and I can see how bending it would close up the slots, but it wouldn't be straight.

 

[Moonpile]

Ok, I'm just going to wait to see if there's anyone who actually has used a mani made with an 1/8" cutoff wheel. Did it work or did it fail?

 

[conpewter]

I don't have that kind of manifold but could you get a supply line for a washing machine and take off the stainless braid and put it around your manifold?

 

[Orfy]

I think he meant spring bender.

OP piccy no clicky.

 

[BrewBeemer]

I would make a jig like a radial arm saw or something to hold a Dremel motor and use one of these blades, seems the fine tooth looks best.

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-Sets-Circular...7351467QQihZ019QQcategoryZ34087QQcmdZViewItem

 

[mazdamike]

U are correct sir. I have a bad finger to brain disconnect.

 

[Moonpile]

I think he meant spring bender.

Well, if this new manifold fails in my rectangular cooler, I'll get one of those benders and make a circular copper mani out of it for use in a keggle.

One of my brewing buddies pointed out that if this new manifold fails to adequately stop particulate, we can run out into a long nylon grain bag. So I'll be trying to use this next time (which sadly won't be until Mar 9!).

 

[Moonpile]

So we brewed with this manifold last weekend. It worked but I think those slots are just a little bit too big. We vorlaufed five gallons or so and could still see chunks of husk and grain in there, so we ran off through a long nylon grain bag. The bag didn't actually catch a whole lot of stuff, but I'm sure we should be glad it wasn't in the kettle.

I guess I'm going to remake it with a thinner wheel on my grinder. The other option would be to cover the copper tubes with S/S braid, but that would probably be more expensive than just buying another $13 tube and a few thin wheels.

On the plus (?) side we drained the mash and the batch sparge about as fast as the cooler would drain if it were just full of water.

 

[CEMaine]

I would make a jig like a radial arm saw or something to hold a Dremel motor and use one of these blades, seems the fine tooth looks best.

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-Sets-Circular...7351467QQihZ019QQcategoryZ34087QQcmdZViewItem

Seems dangerous trying to use a toothed cutter like that. Soft copper should be no match for the standard dremel cutter head.

http://www.mytoolstore.com/dremel/ezaccs.html

 

[CEMaine]

So am I doomed to failure with this rig, or is it worth trying?

The cooper always has scrap value. Not sure of exact figures but, if people will steal it like they are, it must be pretty good.

 

[Gnome]

Go to H Depot and get a paper thin cut off wheel for your grinder. It will cut 1/16" slots, wort clears in a quart or two.

 

[Moonpile]

Go to H Depot and get a paper thin cut off wheel for your grinder. It will cut 1/16" slots, wort clears in a quart or two.

Actually, I was just at Home Depot yesterday buying stuff for a room I'm finishing up. I also got another 1/2" copper tube. Looked at the cut off wheels and the thinnest they had was 1mm, which I'm pretty sure is what I used the first go around. Maybe I was making the slot wider by not holding the grinder still?

 

[Gnome]

The one I used reads 2mm, so you should be fine. Good Luck.

 

[JoePolvino]

Try using a sawz-all. I did this to my manifold:

It cut effortlessly through the copper and the joints. This fits in a 5 gallon round igloo.

 

[springer]

I used a hacksaw Copper is very soft and it took all of about 10 minutes to do. I was going to us a 48QT Coleman cooler but went with the 10 gallon Igloo from HD ..