StillSmart

Re: best copper tube for a coil

2013-06-03T14:37:43+00:00

My coil is a bit ugly, but it is 6 mm too. I took a slightly different approach and used two 6mm T's so I have a centre feed (straight bit of 6 mm) going into 2 parallel 6 mm coils.

Mine was salt filled and the inner coil was wrapped around a 15 mm tube, the outer was wrapped around a 35 mm tube. In the long run it is better to improvise a mandrel and just wind a double coil, then use paper to create the gap before winding the outer coil.

I have also made them in 1/4" brake tube which is easy to wind empty. You can do it in 8 mm, but it is harder to do.

Statistics: Posted by Myles — Mon Jun 03, 2013 2:37 pm

Re: best copper tube for a coil

2013-06-03T09:37:12+00:00

My 6mm coil, pictured below, runs silent and completely knocks down the vapours from my 2" column of my 50l boiler at full flow.

I've never had any 'flow resistence' problem and I think that would only occur if your coil was being fed from a pump with a fixed pressure that was too high for the coil. However, once your cooling water is coming from a tap you can control the pressure to the coil.

I reckon if my coil was half the size it is it would still knock down all the vapour in my VM column during full reflux.

I used 6mm tube because I wanted a twin coil to fit inside a 2" column. If you use 8mm tube you would only be able to fit a single coil, maybe with a cold finger, into a 2" column

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Mon Jun 03, 2013 9:37 am

Re: best copper tube for a coil

2013-06-03T08:25:46+00:00

Re-reading these posts its just occured to me that when I tried it my tube was 8mm. I can see that smaller tube should be easier to work with but do you not get problems with flow resistance

Statistics: Posted by Ian3266 — Mon Jun 03, 2013 8:25 am

Re: best copper tube for a coil

2013-05-05T06:30:12+00:00

I used a solid stainless steel rod as a mandrel for the inner coil and used gardening gloves, the kind with the rubber coating on the palms and fingers, to keep a good grip on the tubing. I think the secret is to keep good pressure on the copper tube as you use your thumbs to shape it onto the mandrel.

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sun May 05, 2013 6:30 am

Re: best copper tube for a coil

2013-05-04T11:20:50+00:00

I'm on mains, but I doubt I'd have any issue if on a pump, it's free flowing.

Statistics: Posted by Capt-Cudellez — Sat May 04, 2013 11:20 am

Re: best copper tube for a coil

2013-05-04T09:39:45+00:00

Really nice, Ive had a go twice before but wasnt very successful. I always seem to get the inner coil way too flat or of course kink it. Do you pump through it or use mains

Statistics: Posted by Ian3266 — Sat May 04, 2013 9:39 am

Re: best copper tube for a coil

2013-03-09T10:41:11+00:00

I also used 6mm, mine is just a single coil not a double like Adian's. I stuffed a scrubber in mine for a bit of turbulence since it was only a single winding.

Statistics: Posted by Capt-Cudellez — Sat Mar 09, 2013 10:41 am

Re: best copper tube for a coil

2013-03-09T08:57:12+00:00

This is mine...

and...

...I made this one out of 6mm tubing and it is the perfect size for a 2" or 54mm column.

Winding was relatively easy after I read this...Winding a Coil.pdf
Good luck with it

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sat Mar 09, 2013 8:57 am

best copper tube for a coil

2013-03-08T22:43:28+00:00

whats the best and workable size of copper for making a
coil,8mm,6mm or 3/16

Statistics: Posted by Magnu420 — Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:43 pm