Welding Tips and Tricks

Had a guy pop in my shop yesterday with a small welding job.
He had been to about everyone else in the area and they all begged off the job.
It was about 2 feet of 4" copper tubing and he wanted it welded to a .250" 304
stainless steel flange. I just happened to have a couple pounds of 70-30 copper/nickel filler
so, WTH cash is cash. The ole boy couldn't understand why I took the time to bolt the flange
down to my 1" thick welding table top. LOL. A root pass, a hot pass and let cool to room temp
got me a fast $200.00 and the old timer left happy.

Didn't dare ask what it was for but I do have a real good Idea what he's doing.
Thought about snapping a picture but he was packing heat and I didn't want to push the issue.

Gotta love those jobs....

I find most guys are scared of copper.

Ok, I'll bite... What do you figure he was making with it? And why the welded transition to SS instead of other options? (Can you even get sweat fittings that large?)

@Rick H,
No Idea on what he was making, but yes you can get sweat fittings for 4". We Silver solder Copper to Stainless all the time, but seldom do we weld it. A Silver soldered joint is stronger than what most Copper tubing is rated for so there's no need to weld it in most cases.

Len

My guess is it's a steam column for some type of distillation device if ya get my drift.

rake wrote:My guess is it's a steam column for some type of distillation device if ya get my drift.

Ah. I suspected as much, but couldn't picture the part.

Oh I forget I alcohol still is illegal in the states yeah??

Of the shelf item here in australia

Drifta-X wrote:Oh I forget I alcohol still is illegal in the states yeah??

Of the shelf item here in australia

Quite legal, off the shelf, but...

Home distillation is limited to something like five gallons per year, or else you're required to be a licenced distiller. The illegal moonshine trade is still quite common, though, and a steam column that size suggests more of a "5 gallons per day" production capacity, so I agree, I wouldn't have ask the (armed) fellow too many questions...

Steve S

Hey - that was'nt any of Shelby Stanga's cousins by any chance !

He did sort of look like the guy on the right!

rake wrote:He did sort of look like the guy on the right!

I think the guy on the right is "Popcorn" Sutton, who committed suicide after the BATF decided to press charges after he did "one last run" for a PBS documentary.

"Land of the free", indeed.

Well your more free than some counties including mine - but it seems like the ATF does'nt like to play fair - not since Ruby Ridge anyhow - a little " shine " was a normal " rural " pursuit ! - still it's always easier to chase guys for some minor matter than sort out all the drug dealers.

noddybrian wrote:Well your more free than some counties including mine - but it seems like the ATF does'nt like to play fair - not since Ruby Ridge anyhow - a little " shine " was a normal " rural " pursuit ! - still it's always easier to chase guys for some minor matter than sort out all the drug dealers.

True. The cops, like any other predators, go after the easy game. (Yes, I used "moderator privelege" to prevent a backlash from the PC Police. I'm sorry about that, for the same reason you said it in the first place.)

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:

rake wrote:He did sort of look like the guy on the right!

I think the guy on the right is "Popcorn" Sutton, who committed suicide after the BATF decided to press charges after he did "one last run" for a PBS documentary.

"Land of the free", indeed.

Actually Steve they gave him a pass on that run and all the shine was confiscated and destroyed.
It's the run he made the following year without any cameras that got him in trouble.

Out of interest, what if u where using a still to make your own ethenol fuel ?

Does the law still work the same way??

Beings as it's dang near the same thing, yes.
I've being told that people making there own biodiesel/waste fuels/etc, are supposed to pay a tax for each gallon.
Do many people do it? Hell no.
That would negate the savings of making your own fuel.

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

@ Otto - no worries - I expected it ! - just could'nt resist calling it how it is ! but if you lived where I do you'd understand.

Interesting on the fuel question - I run a diesel Toyota pick up on processed waste cooking oil - but that is becoming more difficult as there are so many regulations now they are classing the stuff as hazardous waste & making it very hard to get - they tried taxing it & the paper work was so difficult to administer for so little profit they gave up - we can make a limited amount if it's for our own personal use & not sold without registering or paying tax - I never investigated if it would be worthwhile trying to make a gas substitute - might look into that - but I doubt it's economic - even with fuel the price it is - I'm interested if only from the " prepper " perspective - canned goods etc are easy enough & I normally keep sufficient reloading stocks to not worry much as it's not like the wild west in the UK - but a renewable fuel source is a great idea - bit off topic I know - but if any members do produce fuel themselves I'm sure there would be plenty of interest - make a good new topic.

I *think* for homebrew ethanol fuel, permitting and taxes aside, you can have only so much on hand (like the 5-gallon home distillation whiskey limit) that has not been denatured. Once Methanol is added so it's unfit to drink, it's no longer "moonshine".

As an aside, when I built ethanol plants, during startup it was common practice to give each person on site who wanted it up to five gallons of 190-proof before denaturing. Not sure this was strictly legal (perhaps the 5 gallons per kept it legal), but it happened.

I'm tempted to google all the regulations, as I'm sure they've changed since I looked it up 30 years ago, but I'd hate the NSA to tell the BATF to keep an eye on me...

Steve S

rake wrote: Actually Steve they gave him a pass on that run and all the shine was confiscated and destroyed.
It's the run he made the following year without any cameras that got him in trouble.

Thanks... That makes much more sense than prosecuting for making a documentary.

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:

rake wrote: Actually Steve they gave him a pass on that run and all the shine was confiscated and destroyed.
It's the run he made the following year without any cameras that got him in trouble.

Thanks... That makes much more sense than prosecuting for making a documentary.

Steve S

Also diagnosed with cancer