Questions about disabling plates

[Big Stogie]

So it looks like I will make a 5 plate 4” column. I was going to make it modular 3+2 in two sections but now I’m thinking that ball valves to disable the plates might be better. So do I disable the paste with a ball valve just above the plate or just below? Looking at pictures it’s hard to tell. Also where do you return the liquid? To another plate or to the boiler?
Thanks
B.S.

[Bushman]

Downcomers for returning liquid to lower plates. Commercially what I've seen is they rotate the plates with a handle 90 degrees to disable the plate.

[raketemensch]

If you dig around a bit you can find a thread on a second flute design that OD came up with which had these bypasses that Bushman mentioned.

[Bushman]

I think this is the thread you want.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 17&t=34348

[raketemensch]

I can't seem to find it anywhere, but at one point olddog came out with a redesigned flute, kind of a Model 2 or something, that had hinged plates. I know it's linked somewhere in the flute talk thread, but it's up to about 3million pages now, and very difficult to find stuff in.

Edit: This might be it:

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 17&t=20947

[Big Stogie]

It appears the the plates are disabled from just above the plate so we will go that way and she how it goes