I think a lot of people either have never been on a tight budget or have forgotten what it was like starting out on one. I am a cheap bastard, My budget is usually whatever loose change I have and whatever I can scrounge. although I am very good at scrounging.
I started out on a 3 gallon pot that we use for regular cooking. I got a lid from a thrift store, soldered a connector to the lid, made a flake stand and did my first stilling. I ran it on the stove top and it was fine for beginning even though the stream may not have been completely consistent it didn't vary that much. It actually made some very good brandy. Once I knew I wanted to continue I upgraded to a 4 gallon thrift store pot that happened to fit the lid I already had, I soldered a copper fitting for an element to the pot, fabricated a liebig out of scrap copper (because flake stands suck) and built a controller. Eventually I moved on to a 15 gallon keg because in addition to being a cheap bastard I'm slightly lazy and it's simply easier to do one large batch as opposed to many small batches. Necessity may be the mother of invention but laziness is the father. I have also made and used a 1.5 liter pot still that actually worked well for gin but would suck to try to do any significant distilling from something less than 20% ABV.
I had less than $15 in my first still and it worked fine, although it was a lot of work to make a significant amount.
What I needed for my first still was
1/2 inch pipe and a few 90 degree fittings and a blanking cap which was soldered onto the lid.
3/4 inch pipe long nough to make a jacket for the liebig.
2ea 1/2" x 3/4" x 3/4" copper tee fittings.
some flexible hose (pieces of garden hose)
some hose clamps
a cheap pond pump ( I had one but the one I currently use was less than $20 and has been abused for years and still works)
a couple rolls of PTFE tape ( plumber's thread tape)
1 roll of lead free solder
flux for the solder
This a crappy cheap propane plumbers torch that I've had for a very long time. (
https://www.bernzomatic.com/Products/Ha ... ion/WK2201 ) Yes a better torch is easier to use but I make mine work and it works just fine and was the cheapest torch you can find. I've done all my soldering and annealing with this torch.
Something to cut the copper pipe with. I have pipe cutters but could do it with any number of saws, such as hack saw, saber saw, band saw, reciprocating saw or even a file, it all depends on what you have to work with and how much work your willing to do Vs how much you are willing to pay to make cuts. I would think a husband with woodworking tools could easily find a way to cut copper pipe, but maybe I shouldn't be thinking.
As far as I'm concerned that's it, that is the basic things absolutely needed to make a still but being a cheap bastard I find ways to make due. If your cheap you often have to be inventive.
Notice I didn't mention the stuff for a flake stand. That is because they suck, they are as expensive to make as a liebig and are hard to wind in a way to keep them going downhill so they tend to have low spots that can not only effect the way the still runs but also make them prone to corrosion and thus contaminating the likker you have worked so had to make. so I don't recommend using one.
I still have that 4 gallon pot it's actually a convenient size to be used in conjunction with the 15 gallon pot but I have made one significant upgrade. I upgraded it to 1.5" pipe. Why 1.5 and not 2? because it is about 1/3rd the price and works just fine for a pot still.
The reason to go with larger diameter is vapor speed and if it tried to puke it won't be as much of a problem.