Here is my wooden, all electric rig - https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/dual-element-5-gallon-batch-120v-build-419598/
Show Me Your Wood Brew Sculpture/Rig
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Rcole
Well-Known Member
Jeebas- looks good. Reminds me of my own setup.Jeebas said:
spointon
Member
I have drawn a lot of inspiration from this thread, so thanks everyone! My stand itself is basically done, but I will still sand the whole thing down, add some pegboard and hooks on the back, add my pump and CF chiller, etc. I will post again when it is completely done...
That's a quality first post, nice stand!
dlaramie08
Well-Known Member
First use!
spointon
Member
Thanks! I am overhauling my garage brewery with a larger kettle, pump, and CF chiller so I figured it was time to put my wood shop to good use and build a brew stand.
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
Nice rig! I see a lot of people using bolts (lag screws?) on wood brew stands. I was trying to figure how necessary this is. You appear to have quite a bit of "woodworking" knowledge, or at least tools, so I was wondering if you or others might be able to provide insight on why using these fasteners vs other traditional wood joinery methods. Is it just so it can be taken apart easily? Or is their truly a structural benefit. Or just a time thing?
groundchuck
Well-Known Member
I happen to really love your set up. Very similar to mine. I also was wondering about the lag bolt attachment method. Did you have a bunch laying around that you wanted to put to use? I used deck screws and it's pretty darn solid.
Great looking set up
My set up:
spointon
Member
I happen to really love your set up. Very similar to mine. I also was wondering about the lag bolt attachment method. Did you have a bunch laying around that you wanted to put to use? I used deck screws and it's pretty darn solid.
Great looking set up
My set up:
In response to the questions about fasteners... I briefly debated doing something fancy like mortise and tenon joinery but ultimately I decided to reserve that stuff for furniture applications. This is a working piece of equipment that will no doubt get scratched on occasion, get liquid spilled on it, develop stains etc. The more time I labored over building it, the more I would get upset when it gets unavoidable damage.
As for fastener types, IMHO lag screws and carriage bolts are a lot stronger than wood/deck screws, which makes me feel better since I may have upwards of a couple hundred pounds on this thing at certain times. Between those two, I prefer using lag screws with washers and pre-drilled holes. I feel they stay tight over time better than carriage bolts that may need to be re-tightened occasionally.
Also, since this will be in a high humidity environment (especially winter, when the garage door is closed or mostly closed and I have a 2 hour boil going on a barleywine) I wanted fasteners that would resist rust. Most deck screws I have used do rust over time, unless you spring for the stainless steel ones, in which case it may have been cheaper to go with the lag screws.
wilserbrewer
BIAB Expert Tailor
While I agree with the above, I like the big beefy look of the lag bolts and screws, but structurally I also feel that a 3 1/2 deck screw is also more than adequate!
To each his own...
To each his own...
LandoLincoln
Well-Known Member
I built my 3-tier outdoor stand using 3.5" deck screws and everything is still holding up rock-solid. I tested my rig by standing on top of it and jumping up and down on it and trying to wiggle it from side to side. It didn't go anywhere.
I used the swing set I built for my daughter as a baseline design for construction. It used lag bolts, washers, and nuts at all the major structural junctions and survived Katrina, so I wanted my brewstand to be that solid since I knew I was going to have a couple hundred pounds on it potentially between all the vessels. I don't trust deck screws for that. I plan to use them on my mill station, but that's not going to be bearing that much weight.
I don't think that's wood??
Conan
Well-Known Member
Ironwood.
But that's just his stage name.
That's just a keg holder, he brews on that lovely fence...
Seriously though rbwduece, I wish I had a mig welder so I could do something similar. But I've been convinced that I should do another stand in wood first to iron out the inevitable 'kinks' in design.
ssgross
Well-Known Member
brew stand is actually 3 moveable piececs.
deck screws vs. lag bolts...
I would rather use joist hangers, hurricane straps, and appropriate sized screws than have to drill numerous holes to accommodate all those lags. Drilling obviously removes wood which in turn lessens the structural integrity of said wood. Also, that outdoor playset some one mentioned is most likely made of cedar which is a completely different wood than the pine or fir most of you guys are building with. All I know is that, is on this site, overkill /overdone/ overbuilt is the norm... next people will be making rigs out of poured concrete with rebar.
I would rather use joist hangers, hurricane straps, and appropriate sized screws than have to drill numerous holes to accommodate all those lags. Drilling obviously removes wood which in turn lessens the structural integrity of said wood. Also, that outdoor playset some one mentioned is most likely made of cedar which is a completely different wood than the pine or fir most of you guys are building with. All I know is that, is on this site, overkill /overdone/ overbuilt is the norm... next people will be making rigs out of poured concrete with rebar.
Don't know about rigs out of concrete, but it's only a matter of time before someone ferments in concrete!
http://www.concretewinetanks.com/
That is an interesting idea. It means more hardware, cuts, etc, but it also gives a big mobility bonus. How has it been in use? Do you find it annoying that pieces move around more or have you enjoyed the flexibility?
ssgross
Well-Known Member
each piece has lockable casters so they don't move around if I don't want them to. I also had metal plates to bolt the pieces together if needed, but I was so pleased with the locking casters that I took the bolts and plates back to lowes.
I was really pleased with how the ceramic tiles worked with the propane burners.
I can't speak for everyone, but I can get about four crown bolt junctions for the cost of a single joist hanger. I also wouldn't say "all those lags" in my case since I tried to be quite strategic in my use of crown bolts, washers, and nuts vs. deck screws.
That wood that is lost is replaced by zinc-plated steel. And how much bigger is the hole when considering the aggregate size of an adequate number of deck screws to give the same result?
No, it was pressure-treated pine. Granted, they were also 4x4s, which is why I didn't sink them as deeply on the brewstand.
Well, I did consider Durock for the deck under the burners at one point, so guilty as charged I suppose.
dlaramie08
Well-Known Member
rbwduece said:
That's what she said.
not trying to be a dick... but, the wood isn't "replaced" by the lag, you've destroyed the integrity by "breaking" the grain, which is where the strength lies. All the lag does is exert a downward pressure on the reduced mass of the wood at the bottom of the hole you drilled. In other words, if you drilled a hole in the flat of a 2x4 and stuck your lag through, all the wood that supports it is only 2" thick. A screw, on the other hand, doesn't remove any material, it wedges itself IN the grain (where all the strength is) and is held by all the friction points on threads.
But, I will say, the lag heads do look cool.
mgrennie
Member
Here's mine in progress, recycled from my boat rack that Sandy took out.
I originally was going to have it single tier with 2 burners and a table spot, but decided to go with a 2 tier, so will be shortening it.
I used lag bolts, because I bought a box when I built the boat rack.
I originally was going to have it single tier with 2 burners and a table spot, but decided to go with a 2 tier, so will be shortening it.
I used lag bolts, because I bought a box when I built the boat rack.
You do realize the ultimate result of this sort of phrase generally, right?
You realize that screws break the grain, just as much, if not more, right? Drilling a hole for a crown bolt, two washers, and a nut will generally not cause a split along the grain since that material is 'lost'. I have seen deck screws split an inch either way. That doesn't go away. With a crown bolt, the wood isn't replaced, but the space is. With a screw, that wood still has to go somewhere. It usually expands to the sides as a split. That's why I use crown bolts and not lag screws (despite the fact that a lag screw would work the same as a smaller size but higher number of deck screws).
Well, except for the aforementioned splits that they cause from the sideways pressure they exert on the grain.
I really couldn't care less for coolness or looks from that perspective. All I can tell you is that the structures I've built hold over time and under adverse conditions. YMMV. Admittedly, that's anecdotal evidence, but I don't see much empirical evidence to the contrary being provided in return.But, I will say, the lag heads do look cool.
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