My Weldless Build Using Strut

Williams 728
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Fantastic, thanks! I have BG14s, so the windshield will be separate, but that's probably easy enough when I make the HD run for piping.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
OK, I think have my parts list set up, although I'm going to do a slightly different style build than Rynolee - most of it is the same though!

I'm going to use a windshield from Brewers Hardware:

http://www.brewershardware.com/12-heat-shield-burner-mount.html
They have a rear vent, and say this about it:

The other new feature allows you to "unfold" the top 2" X 180º of the back half of the ring. One of the issues I've run into in R&D for stands and burner mounts is getting the exhaust gas to vent rather than collect under the kettle and choke the flame. It's a particular problem with these large burners. Mounting the heat shield lower or standing the kettle higher is one way to fix the issue, but then a lot of heat wash comes forward towards your valves, hoses and sensor wires. If you design your stand so the rear longitudinal support is 2" lower than the cross/kettle supports, the exhaust gas will naturally vent to the rear, allowing the burner to breathe better and keep the front cooler.
Click to expand...

So, I'm going to have the rear length piece a strut height (1 5/8") lower than the front to allow for venting and probably put a small strut piece back there to hold the kettle. I'm also going to use some leftover pieces to make diagonal heat shields that will totally prevent heat from coming out of the front of the stand. I think I've covered everything with this list, plus some extra fasteners for when I build and attach a control panel, maybe some plumbing to add water easier, etc. Anyway, here's the parts list if anyone's interested. I'm probably pulling the trigger this weekend and will update with pictures once I do the build.

YWamHE2.png

What did you all use to mount the pumps? I've been looking for that u-bracket I've seen on several pictures but was also just thinking about using pipe strap from HD.
 
We purchased a stainless steel U-Bolt which went around the pump and long enough to strap through the bottom of the strut. Worked perfectly!

You can see the bolt in the picture attached:

ImageUploadedByHome Brew1410645969.157321.jpg
 
Just finished mine! I'm just missing a few heat shields between the two halves and then a board to place the MT on top of.

Thanks for all the help guys. Should brew with it soon and I'll update with any lessons learned.

1412664003629.jpg
 
I forgot to post a picture of mine. So many different threads contributed to the finished product.

1412687180546.jpg
 
Zakit, care to share more specifics on this? I've been considering transitioning to a similar staggered setup becuase I use a cooler MT now as well. is the keggle below the Cooler the HLT or BK? curious to how you run that setup.
 
Sure thing! I'll get you more pics and specifications in the next two weeks or so. Have a wedding to go to and drink beers :) but I definitely will get you that info
 
That's cool. Trying to think and plan my next stages out before I commit. There's a bunch more $ involved in changes at this level.

Zakit24 said:
Sure thing! I'll get
you more pics and specifications in the next two weeks or so. Have a wedding to go to and drink beers :) but I definitely will get you that info
Click to expand...
 
I'm looking to build a strut stand but I don't want to use galvanized strut nor do I want to shell out for stainless strut. Has anyone found a good source for non-galvanized strut?
 
You can probably find "cad"plated strut, but it can have the same concerns potentially health wise.

Have you checked an electrical supply house, for bare strut?
 
Zinc poisoning, toxic fumes... you know; if you have no kids and are not in a neighborhood or have livestock than you might not care...

To burn off the galvanization you need a good strong torch to get the metal red hot and a be in a wide open, ventilated space. Google the welding forums if you want more details on what is considered appropriate in the commercial space, but it's not a garage.

Burning off the galvanized plating with the burner as set into the frame will burn off quite a bit; but not all, and there will still be areas on the rig that will continue to off gas slowly as the burner flame will only burn off the coating right at the burner area. I'm not trying to start a revolution here; to each their own, I just don't personally want galvanized. Unfortunately my only other option might be stainless... I'm looking around and will post back if I find a solution.

The best partial solution I've seen so far was the stainless for the top and the powder coated sides... sweet rig! nice job on that!
 
Has anyone used the green painted strut found at lowes or hd? How does it look after turning on the burners a few times?
 
I did mine with SS on top. Anything touching flames is SS, including the brackets. Everywhere else is galvanized. It added a few hundred to the build, but I personally think it's worth it in the long run. I don't like the idea of burning zinc.
 
Has anyone had issues with the THK-233 corner brackets? I purchased [8] and none of the brakes on the brackets are close to 90 degrees. It is making the assembly square impossible. Just curious if anyone else has run into this issue???

I love the material, but I can't get anywhere close to assembling the base level and square, which is a big issue for me. Are there any tricks to assembling this stuff that I might not be aware of? Thanks for any feedback or experience any of you may have...
 
Yea i had the same issue for a few of mine. It took a combination of tightening some at an angle and then bending a few of them. The bending can be difficult but I just attached one of the longer beams to the side that needed bending and push on it.
 
Zakit24 said:
Yea i had the same issue for a few of mine. It took a combination of tightening some at an angle and then bending a few of them. The bending can be difficult but I just attached one of the longer beams to the side that needed bending and push on it.
Click to expand...

I bet bending those is a chore (1/4 inch steel!), but I suppose that's what I'll have to try. Any pointers other than securing them well and using as much leverage as possible?
 
Another method I found useful was to get everything assembled for a section loosely and straight and then tighten each bolt one at a time while still keeping everything aligned. That way you can narrow it down to one joint that may need adjusting as apposed to several. It also helps the structure hold its own alignment
 
Zakit24 said:
Another method I found useful was to get everything assembled for a section loosely and straight and then tighten each bolt one at a time while still keeping everything aligned. That way you can narrow it down to one joint that may need adjusting as apposed to several. It also helps the structure hold its own alignment
Click to expand...

I actually did try this method as well, but the brackets (all of them) are so far out of square that the whole assembly slowly but surely pulls itself out of alignment with each bolt that I tightened (those 1/4" steel brackets just don't want to conform). I've tried clamps, etc, but nothing will hold it in square once everything is tightened down.

Looks like I'll have to spend time trying to bend all the brackets back into square and see how that goes.
 
Just thought I would bump this thread once again. So I have finnaly decided to do this build. I have gotten all the struts and cut to lenght. I have also ordered all the necssary parts from strut fittings,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,except and this part has me baffeled,,,,,, The strut nuts (thk-41-50) does not match up with the bolts (thk 450-50). I ordered them without looking twice at the sizes, but when I recieved them the diameter were just too small for the nuts. It seems that the nuts are 5/8ths and the bolts I recieved are 1/2 inch. Am I missing somthing here? I did not see a 5/8ths bolt on the websited. Everthing else seems to be in order though.

http://www.strutchannelfittings.com...UNC-FULL-THREAD-MARK-TH5-BOX-OF-50_p_271.html

Id like to get them from this website because they are cheaper than other places I have looked at.
 
johns said:
It seems that the nuts are 5/8ths and the bolts I recieved are 1/2 inch. Am I missing somthing here? I did not see a 5/8ths bolt on the websited. Everthing else seems to be in order though.
Click to expand...

I would contact them and find out if you can swap them out, and figure out what the parts you need are. I've heard they are really good.
 
Reaver said:
I would contact them and find out if you can swap them out, and figure out what the parts you need are. I've heard they are really good.
Click to expand...

Yea, I worte to them once before chistmas, and again today as a follow up. Still no word. Guess I will wait till the first before I go elsewhere and pay more than double. I would hate to do that though. More than one person on this thread has ordered the exact same thing and I have to wonder if they no longer sell this particular bolt, or changed the part number. I am not really understanding this.
 
Ok - I've spent the last 3-4 hours pouring through this - great stuff by the way - thanks to all the contributors. I have just a few questions that weren't obvious to me as I was reading through this.

a) I plan to do the capped pvc pipe w/vinegar or muratic acid to take the coating off. I read a lot about high temperature paint not working, but I don't recall reading if anyone tried painting it w/high temp paint AFTER removing the galvanization with acid or vinegar and if it worked and how it held up.

b) I have 3 banjo burners that I plan to mount and I plan to mount black pipe to the stand to feed all three burner and I will probably use the yellow flex gas lines from the black pipe to each burner. I have a 40lb propane tank that will feed the black pipe intake. I've seen were some guys used ball valves and others used a combination of ball valves and gate(or needle) valves by each burner, but what wasn't obvious to me is whether one of the original regulators was used at the intake side of the black pipe (or if it is even needed).

Thanks again
 
I bought one of these struts from home depot about a year ago and built a simple burner stand out of it not knowing there was huge range of fasteners available for them. I'd like to thank gifty74 for his OP and providing that information. Now I've got 60' of struts sitting in my shop along with goodie boxes full of various corner fasteners and bulk boxes of nuts and bolts. For a small fraction of the price of a manufactured brew stand you can have a stand of your own design that fits your specific needs, and can be broken down for moves or for adaptations.
 
Just bought a kit from Gifty. Thanks for all of the advice Steve. So I've taken all of the galvanization off of the pieces and fittings. Guys, early in this thread others talked about how dangerous this is - trust me, they were right. I used a 2 foot piece of 5" Sch 30 PVC with a cap on the end to create a container within which to put the smaller pieces. I used Muriatic Acid that I got from my local pool store. Filled the tube up to about half way, then using nitrite gloves and a special gripping tool, I slowly lowered one piece at a time into the bath. Go really really slow, as the reaction is a kin to a boil over and you do not want this stuff over flowing. If it gets to close to the top, lift the piece out wait a few seconds and lower it back down, repeat until the piece is submerged. I then did the same with a second piece. I only every 'bathed' two pieces at once. BTW, when I did this there was a 15 mph wind - looked like a witches brew of deadly fumes coming out of the top - BE CAREFUL like the guys before said. As for the fittings, I got a homer bucket and used it for all of the fittings as it has a lot of head space for the reaction. Now I read a lot about how to 'neutralize' the liquid when I was done. What I landed on was using a lime and water solution to 'neutralize' things and basically turn the solution into a salt. Then I could safely dispose of the liquid - I did not pour it down my sink. For the long pieces, I did the same but with a longer 3" section of PVC and propped it at a 45 degree angle. Now comes the painting, I'm planning on using the Rust-Oleum 2000 degree gray primer followed up by the black 2000 degree paint. I'm going to bake all of the parts (per the directions) in my oven. There is a Rust-Oleum you tube video out there about doing this in your oven. The long pieces are going to be tricky, maybe the bbq grill - or find a paint shop that has an oven. Sorry for the long winded post but I after reading all of the threads I never saw anyone that did this and what the results were afterwards and after a few uses. Stay tuned guys. I'll post pics when its done.
 
Just rolled my stand out for a wet, fire test since the re-configuration. Gravity to single tier. 2 pumps w/ switch box, added a 2nd burner (both cut and mounted for a good burner to kettle distance), new 15gal Spike Kettle. I found some adjustments I need to make. And there's a bunch of finishing to do (mount the CFC, splash guard for pump). But I can brew on this whenever the weather breaks!

 
Its not a problem to put the link to the business as long as your not the owner soliciting more business.
 
Ok guys - here are some initial pics of strut pieces after I de-galvanized them and then painted and then baked them according to the instructions by Rust-Oleum. I still have to de-galvanize the long pieces/ paint them and then I'm going to try to bake them by progressively sliding them through the grill. Once it's all together - probably a few more weeks, I'll post some more pics. I'm eager to see how well this paint works.

IMAG0169.jpg


IMAG0171.jpg
 

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