Thermal test chamber for edge of space testing.

Step 2 Turn your coil..

Start by dry-fitting all of the fittings, ensuring all the threads line up and have the correct gender and size so you can get up to the diameter of the small end of the funnel.

Next, it's time to make the coil. Copper pipe is stiff and can kink very easily. Kinks are not desired. Using a large cylindrical object of some kind (I used 4" diameter PVC pipe), 'turn' the copper pipe around the object to get a nearly perfect coil without any kinks. This requires much hand/arm/upper body strength, and may require a helper or two, depending on the wall thickness of your copper coil. It's important to leave extra at each end of the coil for connecting adapters and allowing for venting from the other end of the coil. You should end up with something that looks like the below photo.

Next, install all of the fittings on the end of the copper pipe to adapt it up to a larger size. Caution, the press fittings on the copper pipe are a pain to install, and it can be tricky to get a good fit. Don't over tighten the press fittings, or the threads will fail. It will still be somewhat 'loose' on the fitting, but should be water and air tight. Compression fittings are not designed to be load bearing, so don't stress the system too much or it will break or kink.

We created a reservoir by using a 2 foot length of 1/2" pipe; this extends the after the fittings. don't install this section of pipe until you've completed your lid..