What to use for connecting preheater drain pan to copper drain

[renaissanceman]

107821078310784In working on redesigning my set up this year for my new 6' Smoky Lake Hybrid pan. I'm working on the preheater after designing the firebox and draft. I am trying 10 runs of 1/2 inch copper runs 32 inches long. I'm looking for a better way to connect the stainless pan I had to drain condensation away to the copper pipe. With the Rube Goldberg connector I had of a 1/2 inch copper threaded end poking through the stainless and an electrical conduit nut to fasten plus a couple of washers. The condensation had to be 1/2 inch deep for anything to drain but most just evaporated because of the heat next to the stack. Maybe it's no big deal because the point was to keep the condensation out of the boil, but I have heard of people using the hot water for useful purposes and thought it would be nice. I also had problems finding washers that could stand the heat. I'm going to try head gasket material and cut out some washers/gaskets. Any one know a better way to join this? or anything that would be a more flush connection? I don't know if something can be soldered or welded. (I will find a better support for the preheater than the present cookie sheet in the pic.) Thanks

[Sugarmaker]

For the preheater to work for you, the will need the hood to be a good fit on the rear pan. Look to a local fab shop to weld a stainless steel 'half coupling" to the bottom of your drip tray at least 1/2 NPT thd. That will be flush, drain all the condensate and then allow you hook your drain pipe. And yes you should get several gallons of hot water from the preheater.
Regards,
Chris

[Zucker Lager]

I'm a retired pipefitter if I was making this connection I would do exactly what Chris said. Any mechanical bulkhead fitting will stick up above the bottom of the pan trapping condensate there so a half coupling tig welded or silver soldered to the pan bottom will give you a dry drain pan. Careful if you braze the fitting on the thinner pan material can warp easily. You can also join stainless using soft solder if its not going to be subject to very high heat in that case clean the parts very good and use a solder like "Staybright" (Amazon) and a flux that is stainless steel compatible like Ottey's liquid flux (Menards for that). Jay

[renaissanceman]

Thanks guys. I'm taking it in tomorrow to the welding shop. I hope to close that back four foot area to fit tight with a box of sheet metal.