Antique Pot Still

Simple pot still distillation and construction with or without a thumper.

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Bushman
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Antique Pot Still

Post by Bushman »

I am so close to going back tomorrow and buying this antique still as it is one of the most unique one's I have ever seen. They want $250. for it and it said with a condenser coil. I went to the lady at the antique store and said I don't see a coil or flake stand. She called the owner up and found out where it was. The first picture is of the 5 gallon still but I did not see the coil at this point.
image.jpg
The object next to the still was actually the coil. It is on a spring loaded hinge to open and has two coils. One is for water in and out the other is for hooking up the still too it. It is also open at the top.
image.jpg
The close up below shows the double coil and I am not sure what the open perferated holes (almost looks like a heating element) at the bottom of the container which doesn't make sense.
image.jpg
I believe the only thing missing is a line from the lyne arm to the coil.
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Grappa-Gringo
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by Grappa-Gringo »

That's a center piece that will start up conversations!!!
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Truckinbutch
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by Truckinbutch »

Pretty cool if you want to invest in history . Out of reach for me right now . Looks good . If it blows up your skirt I'd say go for it .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
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raketemensch
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by raketemensch »

That coil and case is amazing. That's some serious craftsmanship right there.
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Kegg_jam
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by Kegg_jam »

How much extra for the anvil?
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Bushman
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by Bushman »

raketemensch wrote:That coil and case is amazing. That's some serious craftsmanship right there.
My thoughts exactly. Not sure how it completely worksl as I think it might be missing the line from the lyne arm to the coil. Looks like the connection at the lyne arm is a smaller compression fitting and going into the coil looks to have threads. Also not completely sure how the cooling system works as I don't think the water going into the coil would be enough to condense the vapor but not sure the container is air tight to hold water as well. I would never use it but would want it hooked up and functional. I would also want to be able to explain how unique it is and how it works.

Kegg_jam I put the anvil there to hold the door open for the picture as the door is on a spring.
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raketemensch
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by raketemensch »

Maybe you could fire it up, distill water, and market it as Bushman's Lead Water.
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Kegg_jam
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by Kegg_jam »

Bushman wrote: Kegg_jam I put the anvil there to hold the door open for the picture as the door is on a spring.
Yeah, but one could always use a good anvil. And you would be dropping 250 bucks..... Think about it.
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by cranky »

That is a cool setup.
I don't know if the coil was actually intended for use with the pot but if you google "antique hot water heater" you will see lots of examples of these water heaters. Somebody might have gotten inventive and adapted it for use with the still, after all it is a ready made flake stand.

Here's one example
http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/pages/ ... -tank.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by Bushman »

Good call Cranky, I said in my original post that that bottom looked like a heating system which didn't make sense for a cooling system. I am wondering if someone put it together later and never actually used it. As I mentioned in the last post I am not sure how it could be effective.
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by Truckinbutch »

I saw many of those gas fired water heater coils pressed into service as condensers when I was a kid . Possessing one that wasn't heating your bath water was enough to send you to jail if the MAN came alooking .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by goose eye »

Ole boys never seen one. Fireplace only thang around back then.
Don't look to hard to modify it. Use burner under kettle.
won't much gas round back in the hills.

So I'm tole
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by Truckinbutch »

goose eye wrote:Ole boys never seen one. Fireplace only thang around back then.
Don't look to hard to modify it. Use burner under kettle.
won't much gas round back in the hills.

So I'm tole
Had free gas here from a shallow low pressure well here . Lots more in the area . Ole boys took advantage of what was available . Part of the reason I found out my name wasn't 'Get Wood'.
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by Bushman »

I all but talked myself out of buying it for display but you guys have me second guessing myself. The antique store is about 20 minutes out from the condo in the mountains where I am at.

Truckinbutch you are hilarious.
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by cranky »

If you go back make sure you ask for a discount, a lot of places will do a standard 10% off.
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by Bushman »

cranky wrote:If you go back make sure you ask for a discount, a lot of places will do a standard 10% off.
That was already in my mind. I think it's missing the pipe connecting the lyne arm to the coil thus that would be my reasoning for the discount.
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bearriver
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by bearriver »

Very nice Bushman. It would be awesome to get a small wall hanger like that one for display purposes.

I would make a point that the still doesn't have all the necessary or original parts, and is missing a story. It may bump the owner a few pennies.
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by Bushman »

bearriver wrote:Very nice Bushman. It would be awesome to get a small wall hanger like that one for display purposes.

I would make a point that the still doesn't have all the necessary or original parts, and is missing a story. It may bump the owner a few pennies.
:thumbup: If I get it I would try to find an older looking pipe to finish it off without it looking like a replacement part.
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by raketemensch »

Bushman wrote:
bearriver wrote:Very nice Bushman. It would be awesome to get a small wall hanger like that one for display purposes.

I would make a point that the still doesn't have all the necessary or original parts, and is missing a story. It may bump the owner a few pennies.
:thumbup: If I get it I would try to find an older looking pipe to finish it off without it looking like a replacement part.
Lord, parts of my pot still look older than that already.

I guess that coil is basically the predecessor to finned baseboard. Kinda cool to see.
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by cranky »

A lot will depend on what the seller had to pay for it and how long it has been there. I'm guessing that sort of thing doesn't move real quickly in an antique mall so it may have been there for quite some time. Most places can give a 10% discount without calling the seller, anything more than that and they will have to call and negotiate but a lot of sellers are willing to negotiate, after all they have to pay rent and someone standing there with cash in hand helps pay that rent. Some sellers won't budge regardless of reasoning simply because they payed too much for something. I'm guessing that this seller has some wiggle room for a discount, but I could be wrong, after all I was wrong once, and haven't been auctioning much lately.
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by FreeMountainHermit »

Bushman, I'm seeing a chimney stack I'll go out on a limb and say it's an early alcohol/kerosene fired domestic coil/hot water heater as I can see fittings on the side for water in/ water out.

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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by Sambo_Jones »

The unit on the right is deffenatly a water heater. When I was a kid my grandfather had one at the hunting cabin.
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by S-Cackalacky »

Bush, are you sure those two items are even related to each other. The coil thing, that others here are identifying as a water heater, appears to NOT be altered in any way to be used as a flake stand. Also a little suspicious that the piece that would typically connect the two is missing. Could be that the dealer just paired the two up to make it more salable.
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by Bushman »

I have decided against buying it. Although it looks like the inner coil where the product is suppose to come out has been altered in design to accomodate it, in my estimation who ever combined the two I don't think it could have ever condensed. The flakestand as you call it was not sealed so was basically just a stand with 2 coils. The coils could have been removed and altered probably and they were very cool but I would have bought it for it''s authenticity which I think it was lacking. Thank you all for your input and helping me make this decision.
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by thecroweater »

Yep got to agree, coils like that would be used but not in that casing. First time I've seen a flash as Micheal Jackson gas one (you'd think if you could get gas you'd get power) but I've seen stacks of wood chip heaters that look a damn lot like that with generally round firebox under it. I reckon someone heard that you could use these coils so threw them in together :thumbup:
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Re: Antique Pot Still

Post by shadylane »

I've got the same antique water heater, but the sheet metal isn't in nearly as good off shape.
If your thinking about using it as a worm condenser be warned.
There's two copper coils with bronze looking fittings connecting them in parallel, the fittings probably can't be used.
I'd bet good money they have an unacceptable amount of lead.
The copper coils probably don't have any more lead than average for the time period.
So use at your own discretion.
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