It should be looked at in great detail. The material must be accessible for processing, practical in use and necessarily inert - not reacting with alcohol and its compounds. Also of great importance is the thermal conductivity of the material, which directly affects the rate of cooling of hot vapors. There are several types of materials to choose from, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Copper tube

The most popular material for the manufacture of the moonshine still coil is copper. It has a high thermal conductivity and is a very soft metal that bends easily. Coiling a copper tube into a coil does not require preheating, unless the bending radius is less than five nominal diameters of the tube itself. On the other hand, such coils are not chemically neutral, although copper itself does not react with alcohol. Upon contact with oxygen, a thin coating of copper oxide forms on the surface of the copper tube, which inevitably gets into the distillation product, albeit in very small doses.

Stainless steel

Corrosion-resistant steel produces a cleaner end product, but is more difficult to process. If a coil made of softer metal can be bent, as they say, with bare hands, then a gas burner, a pipe bender or a special radial template will be required to process a stainless tube. In addition, stainless steel coils are the heaviest.

Glass serpentine

Glass is the least commonly used material for the moonshine coil, although it ensures the absolute purity of alcohol after distillation. It is necessary to bend glass only in a special glass-blowing workshop, otherwise places of local stress will necessarily appear in the bent tube, which will lead to spontaneous destruction of the coil even without mechanical or thermal effects. In addition, glass has a significant drawback when connecting the coil to other elements of the apparatus: it cannot be threaded or a tight tightening collar can be installed on it.

Nylon or polyethylene pipe

A good alternative when choosing a material for a moonshine cooler can be a tube used for installing underfloor heating systems. The main advantage of such a material is its cheapness and ease of processing, although it must be carried out with extreme caution. Nylon and polyethylene tubes are considered chemically neutral and do not come into contact with most known solvents. The main disadvantage of these tubes is their high elasticity, due to which the coil does not hold its shape well, so it is fixed to the frame, most often a wire one.

During construction, repair and installation works, pipes are used for laying sewers, gas pipelines, water pipes, ventilation, sewerage, etc. Depending on the place of operation, pipes of different materials, different thicknesses, diameters and lengths are used. In this case, it is not always possible to use a knee or adapters. In such cases, you have to bend the pipe, as a result, it can be damaged or even ruined. Since a material such as stainless steel has sufficient strength, has a long service life and is not affected by moisture, it is often used during installation work. Therefore, in this article we will analyze how to bend a stainless steel pipe.

The process of bending metal products can be divided into two types. Temperature, when the workpiece or part of it is heated or cooled, followed by bending. Mechanical, when the workpiece is affected with a certain force, using special devices or bending it manually. It is worth noting that stainless steel is a relatively technological material and there are usually no difficulties during operation.

Stainless steel pipes must not be bent with preheating (eg gas burner or blowtorch).

Bending as a negative factor

Pipe bending is a negative factor for performance. There are various disadvantages depending on the material, bending angle, bending device and method, internal diameter and thickness of the material. Negative consequences include:

• change in the bending radius during operation under the influence of thermal expansion or contraction and mechanical stress, as a result of which a springy effect is observed;
• reducing the thickness of the outer wall at the bend;
• the appearance of sharp kinks or folds in the form of an accordion on the inner wall of the bend;
• ovalization - a change in the shape of the pipe and the appearance of an oval lumen;
• increase the impact of corrosion on the inner and outer wall of the bend.

When a substance passes through the inner cavity of the pipe, special pressure falls on the outer wall, therefore, when installing in places with the flow of liquids at high pressures, it is recommended to use an elbow, thickening or a pipe with thicker walls. The resulting ovalization also negatively affects the pipes during the rapid movement of the fluid flow. In such places, there is a narrowing along one axis and expansion along the other, which, in turn, also increases the pressure on the outer wall of the bend. You also need to take into account ovalization when laying pipes in narrow places, since its width increases at the bend.

There are two ways to prevent ovalization and maintain a round shape during cold bending. First, support the walls from the inside using an internal stop. Second, to support the walls both from the inside and outside, using an internal and external limiter. Sand, rubber, water, resins or fusible materials carefully compacted into the pipe can serve as an internal limiter. The main thing is to securely close the openings of the pipe so that when the pressure increases during bending, the filler does not fall out. If possible, it is recommended to seal the pipe openings tightly.

With the second method, the integrity is slightly higher, but this requires special mechanical elements or tanks, which are usually used in the industrial production of pipes. If you use a stiffer and harder inner filling, a more round shape of the lumen will remain, so they are used more often. But when using elastic fillers, the outer side is less stretchable.

Bending methods

In production where stainless steel pipes have to be bent, cold bending is usually used because of the higher cost-effectiveness, and in cases where hot bending is necessary, it is often more profitable to simply immediately pour the desired shape. Therefore, cold bending methods are given below, especially since most technologies do not differ much from the hot method.

Bending with two supports

The workpiece is placed between two supports in such a way that the first support holds, and the second is the carrier. When exposed to a screw or hydraulic press or jack, a bend occurs beyond the second support. In this way, pipes with a diameter of up to 350 millimeters can be bent. The equipment is quite simple and can be used directly at the installation site.

rolling

This method is used when you need to get a ring or a spiral from a pipe of small diameter. The workpiece with the help of mechanical fasteners and a pusher moves through the rotating rollers, after which it acquires the necessary curvature.

Bending by rolling

In this case, the workpiece is fixed and rolled out in certain places with the help of special balls. A similar process can occur both from the outside - wrapping, and from the inside - rolling. As a result, the pipe acquires a triangular shape with rounded edges.

Winding bending

This method has become widespread in industrial production due to its relative simplicity with low energy consumption and high-quality output. In this case, internal filling is used, most often it is a metal rope with a diameter smaller by 0.1–0.5 mm than the inner diameter of the workpiece. The rope, when bent, can leave a mark on the inner surface of the pipe, therefore, cables made of thin woven metal fibers of non-hard metal grades are used. Also, this method requires a lubricant between the rope and the inner surface, which is usually machine oil or an anti-corrosion soap emulsion. It is possible to bend pipes with a diameter of 10 to 425 millimeters in different planes. Therefore, with large diameters, the cable is not used, and, if possible, is replaced by a loose or liquid substance.

Bending with rolling

The method consists in the fact that a rolling roller moves around a roller or support of the required dimensions, a workpiece lies between them and a bend is obtained. In a similar way, you can work with pipes with a diameter of up to 150 millimeters with thick walls.

The popularity of copper pipes in the installation of heating and water supply systems is understandable - they are durable, flexible, and resistant to corrosion. But the layout of apartments often forces you to change the shape of the existing blank. At home, this is not so easy to do, but there are several ways. How to bend a copper tube at the right angle? You will learn about this from this material.

The physical properties of the material largely determine the features of working with copper. Due to plasticity, the workpiece at the bend can decrease in diameter or even break. But you can deform the copper pipe manually. Methods for improving bending strength will be described later.

The second feature of copper pipes is the need to heat them for deformation. Of course, thin-walled workpieces are easy to deal with without a soldering iron or gas burner, but it is better to warm up thickened elements (where there will be a bend) to make your work easier.

The third feature of bending copper pipes at home is the mandatory use of compensating elements. This is necessary to minimize the appearance of "corrugation" (waviness) on the inner wall of the tube. Examples would be sand, a steel spring, sometimes ice. Now we will analyze the well-known methods of how to bend a copper tube at home.

Bending methods

Methods for shaping a copper pipe into a curved shape are conventionally divided into two categories:

• industrial;
• household.

Industrial flexible tubing refers to the use of special equipment - pipe benders. The most common are hydraulic and mechanical (manual). The former make it possible to minimize the physical efforts of a person, have interchangeable nozzles for selecting a suitable bend diameter, and are used for overall copper tubes. The latter are compact, work due to the muscular strength of a person, and also have replaceable nozzles in the form of a semicircle.

When repairing or installing copper pipelines, a pipe bender is not always at hand. Therefore, users manage with improvised means.

Household methods for bending copper tubes

These methods are distinguished by applicability in a limited space, that is, an ordinary apartment. Overall equipment is not needed, bending the copper billet will turn out not much slower. Among the methods of bending copper tubes are:

1. Spring. Allows you to bend a metal pipe at any angle. A spring is used, the length of which is equal to the length of the pipe. When bending forms of large diameter, it is placed inside the workpiece so that it rests against the walls; smaller diameter - worn outside. If it is required to deform a small section of the product, the spring is pushed to the place of the intended bend.

How is copper pipe bending done with a spring? The sequence of actions is as follows:

• place the spring outside/inside the tube;
• heat the bend (or the entire pipe) with a blowtorch or gas burner;
• when the surface changes color to a darker one, proceed to bending;
• after deformation, leave the workpiece to cool completely in natural conditions;
• remove the spring.

To get the product of the desired shape, you can use metal round objects as templates (for example, car rims, other pipes, etc.).

1. Sand. Here again, a heating element and clean, sifted, completely dry sand are required. The sequence is:

• one of the ends of the copper pipe is clogged with a wooden plug (using a wooden or rubber hammer!);
• the pipe cavity is filled with sand, while the workpiece is periodically tapped with a wooden plug on the surface (table, floor);
• having filled the product completely, put on the same plug from the other end;
• act with a blowtorch or gas burner on the intended place of the pipe bend, rotating the workpiece for uniform heating;
• press one end of the pipe to the support, and gently bend the other in the right direction;
• allow the deformed part to cool (in natural conditions or pour over with water).

The method is good in that if the pipe is unevenly bent, it is permissible to straighten it - tap the place where the deformation went badly with a hammer. After the tube has cooled, the plugs are removed from it, sand is poured out, washed and used for its intended purpose.

If bending is performed in winter, it is allowed to fill the internal cavity with ice. However, this is undesirable - when bent, it can crack, and the fragments will damage the inner surface of the tube. Although, if there are no special requirements for the latter, it is worth taking the method into service.

Complicated bending of copper pipes

It happens that you need to bend the workpiece of a non-standard profile. For example, not round, but square. The spring method is not applicable here. It remains to use sand, a mallet, plugs and two supports. A pipe is placed on the latter, then it is heated, then the bend is tapped with a hammer until the proper shape is given.

What to do if you need to bend the tube into a spiral? It's simple - you just need to find a cylindrical template with a diameter equal to the required one. The copper billet warms up slightly, then bends. This will create an even spiral.

There are several ways to get bent copper pipe. Each is good in its own way, but there are points that are always important to consider, regardless of the chosen method of deformation.

1. The main requirement for the user when working is accuracy and attentiveness. Sudden movements will lead to excessive deformation of the pipe walls and their complete rupture.
2. Parts made of annealed copper are easiest to bend, so it takes a minimum of time to heat them up.
3. If the bend is not made where necessary, you can reheat the workpiece and bend the product back. However, no one guarantees that the shape of the tube will be the same.
4. When the surface is overheated, the metal may simply begin to melt. It is unacceptable. The user must closely follow the process from start to finish.

Manual bending of large-sized copper pipes is impossible at home - you can't do without industrial pipe benders with a hydraulic drive. Small blanks for the installation of a heating system or water supply bend easily, and with minimal effort. Even a person with no experience can figure out how to bend a copper tube at home if he is careful. Do you know other ways to work? Share with readers your experience in discussing the material.

With a strong desire and in the absence of the necessary improvised materials, a system for turning mash into moonshine can be built without a coil. However, it is useless to expect more or less normal performance and acceptable quality of the resulting drink from such a device. Good moonshine is obtained only when alcohol vapor passes through a condenser with a properly organized cooling system. In this case, the material for the manufacture of the moonshine still coil, the diameter of the tube, size, wall thickness, and the location of the refrigerator in space are of importance.

What's better? buy a ready-to-use distiller or try to assemble it yourself? The first option is more reliable and easier, the second? more profitable. In addition, in practice, the manufacture of a coil (condenser) for moonshine is not as difficult as it looks in theory.

Geometric dimensions

Length, diameter, thickness of the tube? parameters that primarily affect the rate of condensate formation and distillation of an alcohol-containing liquid. The larger the area of ​​contact of the vapors with the cooling surface, the faster the process proceeds. The thinner the walls of the coil, the higher its thermal conductivity and, consequently, the higher the condensing capacity.

So, it is better to choose a larger length and diameter (internal section) of the tube, but what about the wall thickness? slightly less. However, such a decision will not be entirely correct. A tube that is too long will increase the flow resistance in the vapor path, causing the transfer rate to automatically slow down.

To achieve optimal balance, it is recommended to make a coil from a tube 1.5-2 m long. This means that this should be its size before curling, and not the length of the finished coil. Optimal dimensions of the internal diameter of the capacitor? 8-12 mm.

Thin walls. One side? ok, on the other hand? not really. The fact is that during the curling process they are easy to damage, and the life of a fragile structure is shorter. In addition, the thermal conductivity of a coil with thin walls at the moment of contact between two media (steam and condensate) drops sharply, regardless of the diameter of the tube and the material of its manufacture.

What, in this case, should be the wall thickness of the moonshine cooler? The most suitable size is 0.9-1.1 mm, no more and no less.

Production material

Important characteristics of the material for the manufacture of the coil? good thermal conductivity, non-toxic composition, no reaction when in contact with alcohol vapor. These requirements are met by copper, aluminum, brass, food grade stainless steel, silver, glass. The degree of thermal conductivity most often
used metals and alloys in decreasing order:

• silver? 429 W/(m K);
• copper? 382-390 W/(m K);
• aluminum? 202-236 W/(m K);
• brass? 97-110 W/(m K);
• stainless steel? 20 W/(m K).

Stainless steel for the manufacture of the coil is not suitable for any, but only for food. In addition, during processing, welding, the composition of the alloy changes and it is not known how after that the metal will react to contact with an aggressive environment, which is an alcohol-containing liquid.

Aluminum tubes are also a good option, but they are inferior to copper and brass tubes in terms of service life. Silver? metal is expensive. It is not advisable to use it in the manufacture of a home-made distiller.

Thus, it is most practical to make a coil for a moonshine still made of copper. This material is not difficult to obtain, it has a sufficiently high thermal conductivity, is easy to process, and does not emit toxins when in contact with alcohol.

Glass? the material is non-toxic, with sufficient thermal conductivity, 1-1.15 W / (m? K). But at home, it is not possible to make a coil out of it. Therefore, a glass capacitor is best and easiest to buy at a laboratory equipment store.

Location in the scheme

Depending on the model and configuration of the moonshine still, the refrigerator can be located in the general scheme horizontally, vertically or at an angle. The most rational option for home brewing? vertical connection of the capacitor. In this case, the liquid flows down the tube by gravity, without interfering with the movement of steam.

Let us clarify that vertical coolers are ascending and descending. It is more practical to use a descending system in which steam enters the refrigerator from above. In ascending
In the coils, the vapors of the distilled distillate are fed from the bottom up, which creates additional resistance to the movement of condensate.

Cooling system

During the operation of the moonshine still, the coil must be constantly cooled. Cooling can be air, but in this case it will be necessary to make a complex structure with a cooler, fan, etc. You can use ice or snow as a cooler, which also requires additional effort and material costs in the manufacture of the coil cooling system. In addition, getting a large amount of ice or snow is not always possible.

The easiest way is to cool the coil with water. It should be noted that water cooling systems are closed and open. In an open system, water circulates constantly, in a closed system, cooling is carried out by a certain amount of water, which is poured into the tank before the moonshine is distilled.

Advantage of closed systems? simple design. But at the same time, the tank needs to be made sufficiently large in volume. In addition, water in contact with the warm walls of the coil quickly heats up, so that after a short time the distillation of the distillate has to be stopped.

Open cooling systems are more convenient to use. Firstly, do they cool a coil of any material and any diameter much more efficiently? the output of the distillate will always be cold. Secondly, the body of the refrigerator with an open cooling system can be made compact, which makes assembly, operation and storage of the unit more comfortable.

An indispensable condition for the organization of a water cooling system for the condenser of a moonshine still? counterflow or reflux mode. This means that water must enter the vertical tank from below and exit from above. In order for the cooling to be uniform, the water flow must be directed towards the movement of the distillate through the coil tube.

Manufacturing technology

The dimensions, material, diameter of the coil tube were mentioned above. Now you need to decide how to make a case for the refrigerator of the moonshine still.

It is most convenient to use sewer pipes made of plastic, metal-plastic under the tank. They are easy to get, easy process, install fittings for water inlet / outlet, provide connection through adapters with a distillation cube or dry steamer. What is the optimal size for such a pipe? 75-80 mm.

The sequence of manufacturing a moonshine cooler:

1. The cavity of the tube for the coil is filled with any bulk material so that the metal does not flatten during the curling process.
2. The ends of the tube are clamped, soldered or plugged with wooden pegs.
3. Carefully wind the tube around any solid cylindrical object with a cross section of 35 mm. Spacing between coils? approximately 12 mm.
4. The spirally wound tube is freed from the filler, washed with water.
5. 2 holes are cut out on the cooler body, a branch pipe (fitting) is installed in them for supplying and draining water. Holes for fittings should be located at the level of the spiral part of the coil.
6. The coil is installed inside the body, in 2-3 places the tube is attached to the inner surface of the walls with superglue.
7. The ends of the body are covered with round sheets of tin and glued around the perimeter with the same superglue. The remaining voids are filled with paper.
8. The sealing of the ends of the refrigerator, the places of connection to the body of the fittings are sealed with epoxy resin with silver.

After a day (compound hardening time), a home-made condenser with a flow-through cooling system will be ready for use. The capacity of a refrigerator of this design, depending on the heating power, is on average 3-4 liters of distillate per hour.

Copper products are often used in the construction of heating and plumbing communications. Strong, flexible copper products are popular for their resistance to corrosion. When organizing a pipeline, it often becomes necessary to bend a copper pipe: to do this correctly, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic bending methods.

Features of the use of copper

When it comes to organizing a heating or plumbing system, you can hardly think of anything better than a copper tube. This material is in excellent contact with liquids of different temperatures, so it can be used equally well for both plumbing and heating. Features of copper products include:

• versatility: in addition to the listed areas of application, the arrangement of underfloor heating, as well as ventilation systems, are distinguished;
• copper products are used wherever liquid is used;
• resistance to rotting, corrosion: water is not exposed to the reproduction of the fungus and does not bloom;
• plasticity: subject to certain temperatures, the copper pipe lends itself perfectly to bending;
• wide temperature range: liquid temperatures from -100 to +250 degrees can be used inside the water pipe.

Copper products are represented by a wide variety of diameters

If you install copper products on the water supply, then the water from it will not have a metallic taste. This is another feature of the material, which is complemented by pleasant decorative qualities: a copper pipeline can be designed in a retro style.

What properties should a pipe have when bending

The ability to bend is determined by the physical properties of a given material. Due to its plasticity, the workpiece can easily be deformed, as well as break at the bend, so when bending yourself, you should adhere to the established temperatures and do everything gradually.

Part of the material is offered to the buyer already folded in large windings

The main condition for bending is heating. Some thin-walled copper tubing can often be bent without the use of a gas torch or soldering station. A large number of copper products have thick walls, so heating is indispensable here. Several conditions for bending products:

• temperature - copper cannot be heated above 1083 degrees: at such indicators, the material begins to melt, this deforms the product;
• the presence of a compensating element - sand, a spring, other substances and objects can be used as a compensator;
• gradual process.

In the absence of a compensator, the chances of deformation increase dramatically. Sand or spring inside a small diameter product will prevent it from becoming irregular or corrugated.

The need to bend pipes during repair work: advantages

Bent pipes are common in the implementation of installation and repair work of plumbing, heating systems. Craftsmen often choose the bending method themselves, preferring it to standard welding. The need to bend metal arises when you need to bypass a small area on a wall or floor with obstacles. In order not to use fittings, not to wind the threads for connections, and also not to leave welds, bending can be used.

Before you bend your own copper tube, it is better to learn about the benefits of their use:

• reduction in labor intensity;
• increase in hydroaerodynamic characteristics of pipe passages;
• reduction in the amount of additional material;
• better sealing;
• attractive appearance.

The need for bending is due to the desire to give the pipeline strength and integrity.

Pipework with bent copper is free from the risk of breakage and leakage, as happens if connectors were used instead of bending. The bending point is not subjected to friction, loads and other influences, so the chances of integrity damage are minimized.

We bend a copper pipe at home: a selection of methods

You can bend a copper pipe without involving plumbers. There are proven, effective methods for this. Masters use metal springs, river sand, bend pipes into a spiral, and also use a pipe bender.

Spring use

The first thing to do is pick up the spring. For bending large diameter copper pipe, you should choose a strong metal spring made of thick wire with frequent turns. Several features of bending with a spring:

• a metal spring is inserted inside;
• it is better that the length of the spring matches the length of the pipe;
• if the spring is shorter, a wire must be inserted into it so that it can be easily removed later;
• as a tool for heating, you can use a blowtorch or a gas burner;
• the heating element is substituted for the bend, as soon as the pipe changes color, it means that it can be bent.

The metal spring acts as a compensating element for the copper material

The compensator in the form of a spring will not allow the product to deform. If you need to bend a thin tube, the spring is selected with a diameter larger than the product itself. The pipe is inserted inside the spring, then the procedure is repeated.

Sand application

For manual bending, you can use river sand, it will be a good compensator. It is better to work in a spacious room or on the street, as it will take a lot of space. Of the materials, a metal cork is useful - it will serve as a plug at one end of the product. A piece of wood with the right diameter will act as a bending circle. The procedure looks like this:

1. The pipe is closed on one side with a plug.
2. Sand is poured inside the product.
3. Copper is heated with a lamp or burner.
4. The product becomes plastic, therefore, in order not to deform it, rounded wood is used and a bend is made on it.

The main thing is to follow the technology of bending the material and do everything according to the rules

Using such a simple, but effective method, you can bend a copper tube yourself without a pipe bender.

Spiral Method

Self bending of the spiral causes difficulties. Here it is no longer possible to limit ourselves to the use of sand or a metal spring: another technique comes to the rescue. In order to bend the spiral you will need:

• rubber mallet;
• two supports;
• bulk material, such as sand: ice can also be used in the cold season;
• heating tool.

Due to its properties, copper material is ductile when heated.

The cavity is covered with sand or filled with ice. You can also pre-pour water inside and freeze it. Then the ends are placed on supports and the bends are heated. While copper becomes ductile, it is given the desired shape with a mallet.

Pipe bending with pipe bender

A special tool helps in situations where folk methods are powerless. A pipe bender is a tool that fixes one end of a pipe by bending it to a predetermined diameter. There are no deformations during such work, everything goes quickly and clearly. Pipe benders can be steel, lever and electric. To bend a copper tube with a hand tool, follow these steps:

1. The required bending angle is selected: the parameters are indicated on the surface of the levers.
2. One end of the workpiece is fixed.
3. Bending is in progress.

A modern tool will help in a matter of time to make the necessary form of copper

This method is suitable for bending thin copper pipes, so if you have to work with a large diameter, it is better to use a hydraulic pipe bender. For large-scale and industrial work, electric tools are used.

Faced with flexible copper for the first time, any person at home can have difficulties. Masters advise to adhere to the rules:

• use springs for bending copper thin pipes 6 mm of foreign production;
• if the coil is bent by hand, it is worthwhile to exercise special care and smoothness of movements: sharp maneuvers will lead to severe deformation of the heated product;
• if the pipe being bent is made of annealed copper, it will take less time to bend it;
• reheating of the product is allowed in case of the initial incorrect execution of the turn;
• it is impossible to bend large-sized elements at home: an industrial tool is needed here.

Some craftsmen recommend using a lubricant when bending. This option is not suitable for beginners, as there is a risk of heating at high temperatures. To avoid difficulties, it is worth exercising extreme care and caution when working.

The technique of bending copper pipes is useful for self-arrangement of communications. Graceful turns and bends will prevent the loss of integrity of products, as well as protect against leaks. The application of the proposed methods will help in a short time to make a smooth and beautiful bend.