Ss Hoppers A La Toledo For Making A Conical

[Yorg]

Hi Folks,
I am in the heat of research and construction for my HERMS, and mark 1 is almost complete.
However, I will be doing a welding course later this month, and a suitable project for mark 1.1 would be a SS Conical fermenter (or two).
In the States, Toledo make hoppers and lids, and you can see what someone has done with them here:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14855

He's done an amazing job, and I would like to do something similar.

1/ So where can I get the hopper, or even a cylinder and a cone to weld in Australia?
2/ And where can I get the fittings to weld on the bottom and sides for the dump and sample valves to attach?

Cheers all
Yorg.

 

[Chris]

Yorg,

Fill in your location and someone in your area may be able to help.
There has been a few threads over the years with people discussing this and some of them may have succeeded, I dont know. You probably need to talk to a proffessional SS Fabricator.
Is the welding course In Tig welding SS?? which is the least you will need to know, failing a 4 year apprenticeship.

All the best with it.

 

[browndog]

Yorg, I admire your enthusiasm, you rock! but being a sheet metal worker, I'd like to let you know a bit about TIG welding S/S, it is bloody difficult and your course is going have to pretty comprehensive to get you up to speed enough to do what you want to do. Hopefully you can con your instructor (with the promise of beers) to use your project as his teaching aid and get him to do most of the work, though I doubt it as TIG welding is one of the harder forms of welding and most courses are more focussed on the basic form like stick and MIG. Most Engineering shops should be able to roll you up the cylinders and cones you need to make your fermenter, ask for 304 S/S but be prepared to pay a pretty penny. Hope I don't sound too much like a dream squasher, just letting you know the way it is.


good luck

Browndog

 

[fraser_john]

Whilst I was living in the USA I bought my conical from Toledo Metal Spinning, the concial was only $87 then! However, once they figured out so many home brewers were buying their stuff they jacked the price right up and virtually made it not worth doing any more. I had my welding done by a small company north of Columbus (Ohio) and it was pretty cheap and a reasonably good job.

Conicals are good, especially for cleaning. But I am not sure its going to be worth your while trying to get something from TMS here in Australia. As discussed in an earlier response, it might be best to try and get a "project" done for your class. OR, something else I have heard done before, is find somewhere that offers advanced classes and send the instructor details on what you want and see if he will do it for the advanced class, you just pay for materials. A friend had the local trade college do his entire brick fence that way, using bricky trainees!

http://rims-brewing.tripod.com/rims_brewin...l_fermenter.htm

Good luck.

 

[Wal]

Hi Yorg,

These guys have the required fitting http://msstainless.com.au/.

Wal

 

[Yorg]

Well thanks guys.
A little deflating, but it all sounds like good honest advice, and useful links.
I'll keep working on it - and see where I get.
Maybe I'll just buy one but at $800, ouch.

Cheers,

Yorg

Incidentally, does anyone of you know of an engineering shop with some good blokes to talk to in Melbourne?

 

[Chris]

Maybe I'll just buy one but at $800, ouch.

If you had a SS fabricator make you a one off it would most likely cost more. But, you maybe able to weasel around it.
I was asked by LHBS a couple of years ago if I could make these up, but I worked out I couldn't undercut this price without undervalueing my skills.
But dont let me tell you cant do it, you most likely can with hard work.