Cutting Stainless Steel

[darrell.wallace]

Hi guys,

I am new to all grain brewing and have started setting up my equipment. i have a mash tun and a boil kettle but i am looking to make a false bottom for my mash tun. i have a sheet of stainless that i would like to cut to fit and shape for the bottom of my mash tun.

What is the best way to cut stainless, as i have found that even drilling stainless can be difficult (i have tried to drill holes to allow to wort to drain and keep a grain bed)

If i dont find an easy way i may just have to buy a pre-made falsie instead

Any advice would be much appreciated.

darrell

 

[yardy]

what shape is the tun ?

what is the material thickness ?

what size is the sheet ?

what tools do you have ?

shouldn't be too hard if the the tun is rectangular to make a false bottom.

cheers
yard

 

[Simon W]

Gonna be drilling lots of holes!
Shears are the easiest and neatest(for straight cuts), a power nibbler will work. Neither of which are standard shed tools tho...
A good pair of tin-snips and some muscle will work. Did that myself with some woven stainless, had to sharpen the snips twice and took a bit of bark off my knuckles!

 

[dr K]

stainless "work hardens", the heat you generate from trying to cut it with a drill or a grinder makes it harder so you have to work harder and guess what, more heat, more harder and so on !!
stainless might be pretty but to do much with it you need good tools (which I for example do not have) and experience, which I certainly do not have and importantly patience which is a word I do not understand.!!
Buy one already fabricated or invest in good snips (which will set you $60 + anyway), a lot of elbow grease and some relaxation tapes.

K

 

[recharge]

Hi guys,

I am new to all grain brewing and have started setting up my equipment. i have a mash tun and a boil kettle but i am looking to make a false bottom for my mash tun. i have a sheet of stainless that i would like to cut to fit and shape for the bottom of my mash tun.

What is the best way to cut stainless, as i have found that even drilling stainless can be difficult (i have tried to drill holes to allow to wort to drain and keep a grain bed)

If i dont find an easy way i may just have to buy a pre-made falsie instead

Any advice would be much appreciated.

darrell

Trust me you don't wanna drill that many holes in stainless. But to answer your question, best way to cut it is with a plasma or an angle grinder with a 1mm blade.
Do yourself a favour and buy one.

Regards

Rich

 

[homebrewworld.com]

Hi
You say any advise would be appreciated, so i will give you mine.

I spent about 3 days a few summers ago, drilling each and every hole inc (counter-sinking the reverse side) of my false bottom ( alluminium ) and i can say it was one of the most mind challenging projects i have undertaken or more precise the most STUPID things i have done in my life !
35-40 Deg C in the garage, drilling hole after god dam hole for best of three days ! while justifying each and every hole.

I mentioned to Mel at ESB in Syd a week later ' oh i have the false bottom sorted now, 3 days work' though !

He says , ' you know we have them ready to go off the shelf ' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Much better efficiency than your 3 day effort !





NO affil ect, just common sense
Advise
BUY ONE !

 

[darrell.wallace]

Thanks for the reply's!!!

I am now thinking that i will buy a false bottom and save the stainless for when i start to set up for kegging and i can make a splash back and a drip tray (or attempt to anyway) it should be much less cutting and drilling than making a falsie.

Again, thanks for the reply's it is great to have a place to get good information from people who have been there, done that.

Darrell

 

[darrell.wallace]

what shape is the tun ?

what is the material thickness ?

what size is the sheet ?

what tools do you have ?

shouldn't be too hard if the the tun is rectangular to make a false bottom.

cheers
yard

It is a rectangular tun and measures 900mm by 450mm

The stainless is 1.5mm thick and the sheet is about 1.5m by 1.1m in length and width.

I have a good angle grinder and some decent tin snips but that is about it as far as metal working tools.

Thanks

Darrell

 

[haysie]

Hi
You say any advise would be appreciated, so i will give you mine.

I spent about 3 days a few summers ago, drilling each and every hole inc (counter-sinking the reverse side) of my false bottom ( alluminium ) and i can say it was one of the most mind challenging projects i have undertaken or more precise the most STUPID things i have done in my life !
35-40 Deg C in the garage, drilling hole after god dam hole for best of three days ! while justifying each and every hole.

I mentioned to Mel at ESB in Syd a week later ' oh i have the false bottom sorted now, 3 days work' though !

He says , ' you know we have them ready to go off the shelf ' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Much better efficiency than your 3 day effort !


NO affil ect, just common sense
Advise
BUY ONE !

CLASSIC
and it all makes sense,

 

[crozdog]

It is a rectangular tun and measures 900mm by 450mm
Darrell

I have a tun of similar dimensions but went the braid route. Cheap, easy & I get better than 75% efficiency. I was going to make a false bottom, but the price of predrilled ( I didn't want to do a homebrewworld.com :lol: ) sheet stainless put me off. try the braid, many folk here use it successfully. You can always investigate a FB later

 

[geoff_tewierik]

It is a rectangular tun and measures 900mm by 450mm

The Beer Belly Falsie may be just what you want.

No affiliation and all that guff.

Cheers,

GT

 

[darrell.wallace]

The Beer Belly Falsie may be just what you want.

No affiliation and all that guff.

Cheers,

GT

Thanks,

I have found the beer belly one and am considering my options. i am going to go and have a look at briad tomorrow and decide hat i am to do!

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Thanks,

I have found the beer belly one and am considering my options. i am going to go and have a look at briad tomorrow and decide hat i am to do!

Have a talk with Domonsura "Beer Belly". He has made some great stuff for us brewers. I am sure that he would make a false bottom to suite whatever esky you have.

You can only ask him..... B)

Support the guys that brew who make brew gear for brewers... :beer:

 

[Tony]

I made mine with SS mesh and cut out a SS ring with a plasma and spot welded it all around

works great

cheers

 

[Jazman]

were are u nird as I am A Sheetmetal Worker and best to pay some some play to cut it on a Guillotine as 1.6 s/s is dam hard with Shears(need heavy duty) forget snips too hard......unles u had a metal circular saw with the right blade that would be easy..but i would pay some to cut for for if ur in Sa Send me a Pm I may be able to help u out

 

[Pumpy]

Jeese Tony you are worse than me at dragging out those same old photos

Pumpy

 

[browndog]

were are u nird as I am A Sheetmetal Worker and best to pay some some play to cut it on a Guillotine as 1.6 s/s is dam hard with Shears(need heavy duty) forget snips too hard......unles u had a metal circular saw with the right blade that would be easy..but i would pay some to cut for for if ur in Sa Send me a Pm I may be able to help u out

Jazman, I'd be dissapointed with any Sheetie that would try cut that stuff in a gillo mate.

cheers

Browndog

 

[darrell.wallace]

were are u nird as I am A Sheetmetal Worker and best to pay some some play to cut it on a Guillotine as 1.6 s/s is dam hard with Shears(need heavy duty) forget snips too hard......unles u had a metal circular saw with the right blade that would be easy..but i would pay some to cut for for if ur in Sa Send me a Pm I may be able to help u out

I am in canberra, and i have only just moved here recently so i do not know to many people yet.

I have just joined the local brew club (which reportedly very active and helpful) so i may find some people who will be able to help out.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Jazman]

or if u know some one with a plasma be good

Off topic

Browndog maybe u should learn more about metal, guillotines are designed to cut a lot heavier stuff than that how do u think most factories cut steel... i can can 3mm G450 high ten.steel easy with works Guillos