Dimensions for the Magic flute

[olddog]

Since building this column, it seems to have developed a bit of interest from guys wishing to build a plated column, and I am getting a few PM's for details re: sizes etc, so I have done a basic drawing with the sizes for column height, plate gap, dephlagmater size etc. This is the way I built the column, other ideas have developed since from other members building a flute.

These are the dimensions for the column, which has a 4-2"reducer at the base to be able to attach to a keg.

Different ideas for the drip ring, like inverting the bottom reducer to centre the refluxing have developed since my original build.

With the 2"output from the dephlagmater I have used two 90 degree bends to direct the vapour down to my Graham condenser.
The build details can be seen in the posts by myself and Kentucky Shiner, and Jethro Bodine

Although this drawing is a bit basic, it will supply the dimensions needed, you can PM me if any more information is needed.


OD

[DOLIKEADRINK]

"Good on ya Olddog"

Thanks mate!!

CHEERS: DOLIKADRINK

[Kentucky shinner]

If you gonna build a flute make sure you bank account is in good shape.. The fittings here in the USA are extremely expensive. You will need about 2lb of lead free solder. lots of time and Oh ya MONEY>>.. I love it though I figure as much as I enjoy stillin this baby will be around till I retire...DIE... that is..dont think I'll every retire from stillin..
KS Just my 2 cents.. that about all I have left...

[DOLIKEADRINK]

If you gonna build a flute make sure your bank account is in good shape.. The fittings here in the USA are extremely expensive. You will need about 2lb of lead free solder. lots of time and Oh ya MONEY>>.. I love it though I figure as much as I enjoy stillin this baby will be around till I retire...DIE... that is..dont think I'll every retire from stillin..
KS Just my 2 cents.. that about all I have left...

G'Day KS
I have been watching your build very closley "very nice work" and great posts it has been most helpful,"thank you" Yer well the build bug has got me, "THE BLOODY THING IS NIPPING AT MY ANKLES" At this stage I think a plated column is about the best build around so recon i will have a crack at it! At the moment all I have is 2.7 mtrs of 4" that cost me less than 1 mtr of 2", I recon it will be about the end of the month or early next month before I save my bucks and buy what else I need for the build, that's cool though it will give you and JB time to build yours and with the detail you are posting it should be a lot easier for me.

CHEERS: DOLIKEADRINK
Keep up the good work

[olddog]

At the moment all I have is 2.7 mtrs of 4"

Why not sell some of your 4"to fund the rest of your build, you don't need that much for a flute.


OF

[Samohon]

Thanks OD, great to have the info in one place...

+1 KS on the bank account being healthy, that 4" aint cheap here in the UK....

[Kentucky shinner]

Thanks OD, great to have the info in one place...

+1 KS on the bank account being healthy, that 4" aint cheap here in the UK....

check the fitting prices also. over here they make the pipe seem cheap.

[LWTCS]

I of course did not do this particular build but I am in the 4" club.

Got a great deal on the tubing.

I wanted to kinda sorta track my expences,,,,,But by the time I got all the irrigation and my parrot sorted and all the other bits,,,,,,,I just wanted to duck my head in the sand.

Any body truely tracking the cost?

[Kentucky shinner]

this is what I have so far in my build and I have really been lucky on some of the stuff. If you had to buy all of this stuff new it would be 3 times as much. Here is what I have in mine so far.

copper pipe 3"-4"-2"--$80 got some real deals on the copper from friends
fittings needed $130 bought all but 4 of these off ebay at good prices
1 1/4" unions for sight glasses free- would normally be about $80.00
glass $3.00
solder $30.00
easy flange ferreul $11.00
copper plate $20.00
glass cutter bit. $6.00

$360.00 including the sight glasses. But not the small tubing for the plumbing I will ad that later, and about 24 hours work so far

[LWTCS]

70 bucks an hour for shop costs in my area. Thats $1680.00 in labor to date.

Hey,,,,,gotta keep the lights turned on.


In short,,,this is a 2k+or- build for a legit shop.

Might get it down if you could build 3 or 4 of em. Whew thats a lotta pennies.

[Kentucky shinner]

Ya and you have to remember alomst everything I have bought for this I have got used, or greatly reduced prices, and some free

[Samohon]

Been doin my sums on the 4" Flute and I get the materials alone to £668.00 (668.00 GBP = 1,032.13 USD), labour would be added...
Theres a company not far from me who make ambelic stills, Click Here.. for a look... Very nice... Not cheap, but affordable...

The output would never come close to the 4" flute though an thats what I'm going to build...
May have 1M of 4" tube if another customer takes the 2M, I'll know on Tuesday sept / 7th. Hope he takes it...
Have a guy who wants me to build him a 2" Bok, I'm makin that at the moment.

May build a couple of Boks an put them on Ebay...
If my neighbour here in Scotland can make an sell a still, then so can I...

Wonder what the law says about that...

[JethroBodine]

Just to get started,

10' of 4" copper $350 ( if I can sell off my extra this will only be $120)
50' of 3/4" copper $108
4"x2" reducer (2@) $160
10' of 2" copper $75
55 gallon boiler $225 (unmodified)
15 gallon worm bucket $85

Still need
4" ferral for boiler
2" couplings for lyne arm to bucket
2"x 3/4" adapter
stand and burner for boiler
worm stand
fittings for boiler and worm bucket
plate assembly

As KS has pointed out, wheeling and dealing can save some serious cake. Not a lot of industry in my area, so, off to the steel suppliers I go.

[LWTCS]

Heck,,,,,Boiler too??


Turn key outfit delivered would be some serious jack.

[JethroBodine]

One major(?) difference on mine is I'm going to be feeding the column through a 4" ferrull. No 2" reduction. I've been wondering if this means I should drill more holes in the plates to allow more flow. I really dont want the extra work of building variable plates, but, I do have some time available to me. I might mock some up this weekend. Dammit, I think I just talked myself into it.

[rad14701]

JethroBodine, the amount of vapor reaching the column is determined by the heat input, not any reducers in the vapor path... Reductions simply increase vapor speed and expansions decrease vapor speed... The volume of vapor remains the same, aside from a minor amount of parasitic reflux caused by the increased vapor density in reduced volumetric areas...

[JethroBodine]

Hey Rad, I didn't know if the increased velocity might be responsible for OD's bottom plate not filling. He's almost got me convinced to put windows in mine to find out. Curse your logic, Sir!

[LWTCS]

I didn't know if the increased velocity might be responsible for OD's bottom plate not filling.

If so, I wonder if an expansion chamber below the flute would take care of that?.......And boost his abv to the 95 mark

The world may never know

[ScottishBoy]

I didn't know if the increased velocity might be responsible for OD's bottom plate not filling.

If so, I wonder if an expansion chamber below the flute would take care of that?.......And boost his abv to the 95 mark

The world may never know

Sounds like a dare to me...

[Kentucky shinner]

[quote=

G'Day KS
I have been watching your build very closley "very nice work" and great posts it has been most helpful,"thank you" Yer well the build bug has got me, "THE BLOODY THING IS NIPPING AT MY ANKLES" At this stage I think a plated column is about the best build around so recon i will have a crack at it! At the moment all I have is 2.7 mtrs of 4" that cost me less than 1 mtr of 2", I recon it will be about the end of the month or early next month before I save my bucks and buy what else I need for the build, that's cool though it will give you and JB time to build yours and with the detail you are posting it should be a lot easier for me.

CHEERS: DOLIKEADRINK
Keep up the good work

Hey Thanks DOLIKEADRINK, some how I missed the post . Im glad you can take something from the build. That is the main reason I posted so many pics, I was in hopes that someone could watch and maybe have ideas to improve the design.
Thanks for the positive comments man,
KS

[guittarmaster]

OD,
The only thing I see missing is the type of copper to use.... K, M. L...... I would imagine M would be fine for everything... but it I wouldn't want make a super rad copper bomb!

thanks

GM

[olddog]

We don't have a choice of which type of copper here in OZ, any copper which is structurally sound will suffice.


OD

[guittarmaster]

OD,

got a free SS 19.5 L pony keg, one of the tall skinny ones. Do you think that could work for the column housing? It's a little wider than 4", but I'm thinking with a little welding this could be a beast, or do you think it could be too much diameter to put on top of a 15 gal keg boiler?

[olddog]

The bigger column requires more power , more vapor. how much bigger is this thing?


OD

[guittarmaster]

the diameter is 9.25 inches or 23.5 cm.... shame... i want to find a good use for this 1/6 barrel keg, but maybe this isn't it.

[olddog]

You could make a thump tower like LWTCS has built, with the downcomers it works similar to a bubble plate column.
When you build a perforated plate column you need enough vapor flow to support the plates otherwise the plates collapse and do not work. LWTCS's column has sealed chambers and is not supported by vapor flow.


OD

[LWTCS]

For your reference

[olddog]

You can use whatever you want, leibig, Graham, coil in bucket etc. its your choice.



OD

[olddog]

LWTCS has a dephlagmater and a Graham condenser on his rig, but it started with a leibig.


OD

[LWTCS]

Only built the graham cuz I was rolling in 4 inch at the time.

My triple wall liebig could handle most anything I threw at it.