Lightning Bolt Beer Tap Manifold

Work started on the two lightning bolt tap manifolds with 30 taps each, for:  N3 Tap House.
Design work on the project started from a sketch made the day of the phone call from Buck from Thirst aid in Denver CO.

I had three weeks to design and build two 30 tap manifolds, now the clock has started, something like 18 days. Thirst Aid is so busy, if I didn't deliver the manifolds by the 16th of May then the install would be pushed from early June to late September. 

Picking up the 5052 Aluminium freshly water jet. As you can see they didn't consider protecting the material with cardboard or a pallet, just drag it across the forks. needless to say the material was found to have scratches and this is something you have to work with if you are forced to use new suppliers.

The 6" sheared pieces of  3/16 material had to be machined to the correct angle prior to welding.  The two mating pieces will be welded from the inside, the inside edges above in the lower image will be welded in the inside also, these require no mitered edges. 

The long process of forming the 3/16 elements to match the face plate of the manifold, then the aligning and clamping prior to TIG welding the Aluminium.

Milling the top spreaders of the manifold as a group prior to mitering, fit, and welding.

The first of the two manifolds in the process of fitting and forming the top covers.

Milling the angle for a piece of the second manifold.

Tack welding of the elements, then the process of TIG welding the entire inside of the enclosure. 

Backing up the outside of the weld to seal seam to be TIG welded. This eliminates contaminates to enter the weld area protected by Argon Gas.

View of the inside, and the continuous welds down both sides of the 13 and 1/2 foot manifold.

First manifold lightly polished with only #3 rouge. 

Side view of the soft polish of the surface.

two 13+ foot 30 tap manifolds ready to pack up.

Delivery to: Thirst Aid for the install of the tap faucets, and coolant lines. Infamous Buck pictured at left.