Pipe coolers--any suggestions?

[Darin Anderson]

Now that it is starting to warm up in Idaho--we are very interested in finding a solution to cool the pipes.

Can anyone give me suggestions on what ones work well and who makes them--or what ones to stay away from.

Appreciate the information.

D

[Brian Gingras]

the very simple approach is a stainless tub, a yoke to rest the pipe on, and a bucket to pour water over the pipe back into the tub. Get fancy and add a foot switch and a pump if you want.

[Dave Hilty]

I did essentially what Brian suggests but in case you want a little more detail, here's some more:

I worked with as much found junk as I could. An old steel rack/table on wheels lets me move it around the shop. Didn't have a steel pan so I found an old darkroom tub (yes plastic) about 30" x 18" x 7" deep. I didn't have but one yoke bearing so I mounted that at one end & beat some copper 1" pipe into shape to form a nice U at the other end. These are mounted to the table high enough so the blowpipe clears the tub by 2-3".

Got a smaller plastic storage tub to half fill with water that would fit under the darkroom tub. Its on a shelf at the bottom of the table. Plastic tubing is (plumber's goop) sealed to a hole in the bottom of the darkroom tub to drain back into the water tub below. I drilled 1/16th" holes in 3/4" copper pipe to make a spritzer with the holes aimed at the blowpipe above. This piece is mounted in the darkroom tub (I made holes in the tub to pass this pipe through and goop-sealed those holes. One end is fed from plastic hose that comes up from below and the other end is capped.

I bought a cheap 12V. bilge pump from West Marine that feeds the plastic hose running up to the infeed of the copper spritzer. I put a cheap pvc gate valve in the line so I could regulate the height of the spray coming up to the pipe needing cooling. I had an old 12V motorcycle battery that serves as the power for the bilge pump. Only have to charge it every few weeks or so. I managed to squeeze the battery along side the lower water tub. Lastly I fashioned a foot pedal switch by mounting a small micro-switch to a piece of 1x4x6 wood with some rubber feet glued to the bottom. I used some scrap sheet galvanized steel to create a foot pedal that will spring back so it only sprays while your foot is on the pedal.

The nice part is that its low voltage & portable. Total investment was bargain basement. Its ugly but it certainly beats pouring water over the pipe from a bucket.

[Holly Wallace]

There are a bzillion ways of making a pipe cooler from Cadillac to Kia. Check out other studios and equipment builders web sites to get some ideas. Definitely get a pump so you can focus on the hot glass and not on pouring the water. You can get a simple and cheap one at the Home Depot type stores that are for higher volume water fountains. Just put it on a brick in a tub of water so it reaches high enough to cool the pipe, add pipe yoke and chill.

[Ben Solwitz]

Personally I would recommend against something that sprays water at the pipe as it tends to bounce off and get all over the place, potentially on your glass. The best design I've seen uses a pump to fill a reservoir that the pipe sits in when it is in the chiller, which drains slowly back into the larger reservoir when the pump is off. This also provides a much larger contact area for chilling than a design with sprayers.

[Eben Horton]

build a small stand with a table to fit a small tupper ware container. Then buy a small freezer :) You can figure out the rest.

[David Patchen]

This is part of the one at Public Glass. It's built on a beer keg with the top cut off. The rest is welded angle iron and a pump. Very effective and simple.

[Holly Wallace]

Yes, Public Glass' pipe cooler is the Cadillac version.

[Scott Novota]

Well that is just fancy.


Scott.
.

[Ken Peterson]

My theory is:

It's all about complete submersion. I use a pump to pour water into a piece of 2" angle iron.

I use large hose (.5")cause with the constant action and the angle iron rusting the small stuff tends to get clogged. Large pump is unnecessary, just a middle of the road fountain pump works well.

There are about a million ways to solve this, maybe attach a happy fluffy bunny made of glass to the top of it for added visual stimulation.

[Patrick Casanova]

Mine is built from a piece of pipe with a section cut out. Plates were welded on each end. I used old metal roller skate wheels as rollers for the pipe. Two stop collars were welded to the top edge to hold a piece of copper pipe with holes drilled into it in a staggered pattern. I used a cheap valve to control the flow. For water pressure I use a fountain pump rigged up to a foot switch plugged into a "GFR" outlet. See pictures... This pipe cooler is 14 or 15 years old and still works great. Every once in a while I need to ream out the holes in the copper pipe.

[Jay Holden]

Yes, Public Glass' pipe cooler is the Cadillac version.

If Public Glass has the Cadillac version then Steuben's is the Rolls Royce version. All stainless steel and copper with pumped and iced water. Running production the pipes get super hot.
Jay.