Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

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

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Yummyrum
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Yummyrum »

Whow thats pretty impressive rain distiller :clap:
Have you needed to anneal the copper since you started or is this all done in one go?
Also was wondering what you used to form the shape ? Like a wooden bowl or something ?
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Rain Distillate
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

I cut a section off an oak tree (any hardwood will do) then with my broken POS wood chisel I carefully chiseled out an impression. I'll take a couple of pics of the tools I'm using. See YouTube video- raising a copper vessel-This and a few other videos is what I learned from.

Yes after the first complete passover I annealed once. I did not anneal the body section however. Thought it would make it more rigid... especially being work hardened, from giving the textured look I gave it.

Just finished soldering body section to the bottom cap. Will post pictures once the top is soldered on.
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

Finished assembling the onion last night. I have a lot of mini belt sanding to do lol.

Shes not the prettiest but god strike me down if she leaks lol
I will sand off excess solder however I built a very large lip of solder to hold the cap from sliding down inside (bottom soldered edge much wider). 4" packed column is a lot of weight on that shape and I wanted to be sure she wasn't going anywhere. Next- Sand, Polish and add 4" ferrules.
I will sand off excess solder however I built a very large lip of solder to hold the cap from sliding down inside (bottom soldered edge much wider). 4" packed column is a lot of weight on that shape and I wanted to be sure she wasn't going anywhere. Next- Sand, Polish and add 4" ferrules.

Where can I get acid to pickle the copper clean with locally? Must I submerge the copper in the acid?
Rain
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Swedish Pride
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Swedish Pride »

looks good lad

vinegar or citric acid works great for copper
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Tinner22 »

Vinegar works or go buy some sulphuric acid and dilute it some
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Tinner22 »

I clean my copper pot with star San it cleans and sterilizes the surface before brewing or distilling
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

Swedish Pride wrote:looks good lad

vinegar or citric acid works great for copper
How strong a solution? I do have one of them small containers of citric acid I bought from my local HBS.
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by StillerBoy »

A 20% phosphoric acid / hot water mix will clean her up nice..

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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by piperdave »

Just cleaned a bunch of badly tarnished and oxidized fluxed-up copper from soldering with 30 g (2 tbsp) of citric acid in about 4 - 5 liters of water. Worked real good. Not a scientific recipe so you could use that as a starting point to see how much you need to use. The water had a bluish tinge when I was done with it.
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Lyonsie »

Nice work. Citric acid solution is your best bet for copper. (i use sulphuric for stainless). Also in many chemist's you can buy Citric acid in 500g tubs. Works out cheaper than the hb store.
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Dunder or Backset works equally as well if you have any and is cheaper.
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

Saltbush Bill wrote:Dunder or Backset works equally as well if you have any and is cheaper.
I should have some backset tomorrow if everything goes as planned. 8)
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

Was donated a HUGE 21 inch diameter stump of hardwood today from the local lumber yard. Almost time to start chiseling out the impression and start pounding out my boiler.....this week's Harbor Freight magazine does have an English wheel for 3hundo though...makes me wonder :angel:
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

After an hour of chiseling on the circle impression I busted out the chainsaw to make a little faster headway. The log had a small split/rotted hole in the center and I was nervous it was rotted through. my worst fear came true. The deeper I got the worse it got. I ended up sticking something down into the center and it was rotted right through the sob. This was a big disappointment but it was free so I can't really complain about all the free fire wood I got now.

I might be able to make 2 mash paddles out of what I have.always making something I tell yuh. All well, back to square one......anyone got a phnumatic planishing hammer I could borrow? I'll pay shipping :wink: :ebiggrin:
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by bluc »

Look forward to watching this take shape :D
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

bluc wrote:Look forward to watching this take shape :D
:thumbup:
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

Debating on the column.
Now I know btu input is going to really factor my question. Using propane at the moment with forseen electric in the future. I bought a 0-30psi regulator and will be making my own burner out of black threaded pipe.

let me ask anyway.

I'd like to reuse my 3" shotgun for my new 4" dwv copper column with the use of a sanitary spool reducer.. if possible.
It's a 3" diameter shotgun about 6-8 inches in length with 5 - 1/2" pipes running through the center. If need be I could disassemble and add a couple new pipes to allow better takeoff? As of now I think my shotgun is over sized so I think it could handle more...I barely have to Crack my water to create reflux. I'm thinking something along the lines of 4 plates on a 36" column. If I can reuse the shotgun, could I leave my 3" sight glass right under my shotgun like I have it? Or will all this smaller diameter stuff end up screwing me? I figured I could sell off what I don't keep but if I could reuse some stuff off my current rig then heck...who don't like saving money.
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

Took me 6 months but I found the stump.15 man hours or so and I'm almost through the stump. Couple more hours and then I can start sanding away. Get her down to a fine finish and I can start banging copper. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sick of this stump lol. :sick:
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by just sayin »

Rain, I just discovered your post. You are amazing me! I haven't seen anyone tackle something like this in years, Pint's mini Vendome was amazing or all kinds of projects by Myles. Thank you for keeping "craftsmanship" alive in our craft! Early on you asked about patterns. I have always had a great fondness for the pot stills of Scotland. I would be searching there for a chummily form to emulate. I will be following your progress with baited breath.
Thank you for bring back true copper porn!!!
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by The Baker »

From time to time I think of prettying up the maybe four wash-copper inserts I have. They have been beat-up a fair bit...
Originally used for heating water (often to boil washing in them) they are twelve to fourteen gallons imperial, with a strong rim around the top.
Usually set into a brick or cast-iron frame, with a fire underneath.
Don't know how to send a picture but look up https://open.abc.net.au/explore/67303" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow and then choose ABC OPEN: The Copper....

And I thought of getting a stump but shaping it into a rounded top on which to beat out the lumps and bumps.

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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

Just wait until I post the pictures of the disks that I cut out to be shaped and raised. They're huge! :esurprised: I might need my helper to help me spin them while I hammer haha. But yes. This log has been discouraging to say the least. We work on it every monday. Its usually me doing most of the work due to me using the chainsaw. I think him showing up to work on it with me motivates me enough to chip away at it. I stare at the stupid thing taking up all this space in my garage and cannot muster the energy nor the desire to work on it. I don't mind putting time into something but I like to see progress or completion eventually and this log is just so dense it is taking so long to get to where it needs to be that its beyond discouraging. Not to mention now that my buddy has this many hours into it he insists he be here when I work on it haha. He can't wait to see it take shape too.
This log is so thick/dense that it over heated my chainsaw and melted the plastic! :evil: :thumbdown:

One more session of carving and I'll be sanding. I'll post pics of before and after the sand job on the stump.
Then I'll post pics of how big the disks are before I start banging away on them.

This shall be interesting!
Thanks for reading and stay tuned,
Rain
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

The Baker wrote:From time to time I think of prettying up the maybe four wash-copper inserts I have.
Don't know how to send a picture Geoff
TO UPLOAD A PICTURE
-Go To http://compressimage.toolur.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Click Upload Image
Choose Type F
Resize to W:800-H:600
Click Compress Image
Click Download Image and Save A Copy To Desktop
Go To HomeDistiller Post
Click Upload Attachment Tab
Click Choose File
Locate On Desktop Dropdown and Select Photo.
Wait Until File Loads On HD posts (only takes 2-3 seconds usually) and Click Add File.
Click Somewhere Inside Your Post and Then Find Where It Says Place Inline. Click.
You're Now Done! Click preview to see if it showed up on your post. If it didn't you did something wrong.
800-600 resize option will ALWAYS WORK!
The Baker wrote: And I thought of getting a stump but shaping it into a rounded top on which to beat out the lumps and bumps. Geoff
Pictures would help with any advice you may or may not be looking for. My neighbor said the same thing, about creating a convex shape instead of concave. Different banging methods from what I'm told. Banging blemishes and raising copper are different beasts all together. Either way I'll be happy once I have an all copper pot built that is larger than my current keg.
Hoped this helped.
Cheers
Rain
Last edited by Rain Distillate on Sat Aug 05, 2017 11:24 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by The Baker »

Thanks Rain and best wishes for your project.

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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

:thumbup:
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Yummyrum »

Good to see you getting that stump wittled down rain ....can't wait to see you start to form the dishes :thumbup:

LOL , maybe you could scale your pics to 800 x 600 .....being a bit blind I had to look twice , I thought you had posted a pic of a wok with chopsticks and a few chilli's in it :oops:
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

I changed it on the tutorial. I'll compress a new pic of the stump later.
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

This should be more visible :thumbup:
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Shine0n »

Much better pic RD, I'm with yummy on the wok. lol

Now you've got that log beat it's time to start beating some copper :ebiggrin:

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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

At a second glance the first pic did look like a wok lol
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Re: Sphere Shaped Turnip Still with 4" Column

Post by Rain Distillate »

Got my daughter to help
Got my daughter to help
And my son.
And my son.
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Finished Product. About 30 man hours later. I will bang copper on it once my blisters heal from work today. More pics to come.
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