Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Vapor, Liquid or Cooling Management. Flutes, plates, etc.

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lordmango
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by lordmango »

Hi!

I'm concidering making one of these columns. Only difference is that my condenser is being made out of 3/8'' instead of 1/4.
The copper pipe I'm going to use for the column itself is going to be about 24inches high and 1.6 inch (42mm) wide.

The boiler I'm making is pretty small compared to what you guys are used to I guess, since it's only about 6 gallons.

Now comes the thing I'm not quite sure about: How many watts should the heating-element I'm going to solder in be on? I've heard alot of guys saying I should have at least 1000W, some even say I should have at least 2000W, but I'm not sure about this. Anyone have another opinion?

Greets, LordMango.
The Baker
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by The Baker »

So THAT's what a Dremel tool is!

I wonder of you can get them in Australia; I could give one to my son as a present.

Who knows what I (!!) could do with it!
The Baker
Austin Nichols
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by Austin Nichols »

The Baker wrote:So THAT's what a Dremel tool is!

I wonder of you can get them in Australia; I could give one to my son as a present.

Who knows what I (!!) could do with it!
Your local Bunnings will have them, or most other hardware stores.

Cheers.
Usge
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by Usge »

Just wanted to follow up with couple more observations since my build.....definitely....use smaller 1/4" (OD) tube for temp probe side. I used 1/4 (nominal) cause that's what I had. But, it requires somekind of fitting plug to snug the temp probe, keep it oriented properly and stop it from leaking. The 1/4 OD tube is just about perfect for most temp probes....fits like a sleeve. And it's just close enough to be able to seal it with a few wraps of teflon tape. If you're like me, and used this larger tubing...I used a reducer to go from 1/4" to 1/8" nominal (that's 1/4 OD). And then I filed the fitting stop out..and pushed a 1/4 OD tube down through the middle and soldered it in so just the tip of the therm probe was exposed. That made it easy to seal it up.

Another tip if you plan on using this design in potstill mode: It came to my attention "after" I built this...that if you intend to run one of these in potstill mode, it may require a little extra attention on the take off side.... particularly if you've used 1/4 OD tube for the take off as most commonly indicated for these builds. Basically, because of the additional flow-rate when running in potstill mode...it tends to flood the plate because the small tubing (and valves) can't flow enough to keep up with higher flow-rates and it backs up, floods the plate and overflows back into the pot...giving more reflux than you probably want/intend. The solution to that is to run larger diameter tube, 1/4 (nominal) at a minimum, and additionally to perhaps have a way to remove the valve and attach straight tubing (or tubing with liebig). You could also use even larger (3/8 or 1/2") tube and valves to start with to get more flow, but I would guess that might be at the expense of some of the finer control that the smaller tube/valve gives when running in reflux mode. (I'll let others who run these on their boka's chime in to tell of their experience on whether that makes a difference or not). If your intend is to always run in reflux mode...the original design of 1/4" OD tube for take off/valve is fine. But, if you intend to have the option to do strip runs or run in potstill mode, you might want to adjust these plans for a larger OD take off.
Eth&All
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by Eth&All »

Well, well, well! After being away from this group for 5 years+-, I was so happy to see that folks are STILL using my PDF template (or some variation of) to build Bokakob's great little still. I read some posts where a few builders were a bit confused by how to use the templates, so I'll check in periodically to see if there are any questions or any way I can help.
I originally drew that in ArcView (GIS software - not CAD) and it served my purposes. I didn't get Alex's approval, but sure he didn't mind as long as folks were building his design. Just for the record: Alex did not do the drawings. If anyone would like to get a copy of the Arcview 3.2 project (.apr) that the PDF was generated from...I can probably accomodate them. I should have put another page in the PDF that explained some things...
Take care and I'm so happy to see someone get some use from the template.

I believe that my coil winding instructions are still around here someplace in this forum as well (I know they're on the main homedistiller.org page). There's more notes for that too.

Eth&All
(was surprised to see my login info was still good after all this time!)
duracell
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by duracell »

Anyone else have opinions about substituting a 3/8" take off for the original 1/4" take off that most use?
Austin Nichols
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by Austin Nichols »

xoltri wrote:Anyone else have opinions about substituting a 3/8" take off for the original 1/4" take off that most use?
When I built my first boka I did, but only so I could run it flat out as a pot still for stripping runs, I felt that 1/4 might restrict the flow and cause unwanted reflux in stripping/pot still mode.

As long as you got a good quality needle valve it will be fine with a 3/8 take off.

HTH 8)
rad14701
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by rad14701 »

xoltri wrote:Anyone else have opinions about substituting a 3/8" take off for the original 1/4" take off that most use?
With my LM column I need to remove the 1/4" needle valve and replace it with a straight through connector for pot still stripping mode... If I don't I end up with enough reflux to pull ~80% for almost the entire run and lose most of the flavor...
duracell
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by duracell »

Thanks, I decided to go 3/8" for the takeoff and I bought this needle valve:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0285676795" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
(Parker 3/8" Stainless Steel Needle Valve 4Z-V6LN-SS)

I'll need some stainless npt to compression adapters but I think it should work, and it was only $27 shipped compared to over $130 local. This one should work, right?
Usge
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by Usge »

Eth&All wrote:Well, well, well! After being away from this group for 5 years+-, I was so happy to see that folks are STILL using my PDF template (or some variation of) to build Bokakob's great little still. I read some posts where a few builders were a bit confused by how to use the templates, so I'll check in periodically to see if there are any questions or any way I can help.
I originally drew that in ArcView (GIS software - not CAD) and it served my purposes. I didn't get Alex's approval, but sure he didn't mind as long as folks were building his design. Just for the record: Alex did not do the drawings. If anyone would like to get a copy of the Arcview 3.2 project (.apr) that the PDF was generated from...I can probably accomodate them. I should have put another page in the PDF that explained some things...
Take care and I'm so happy to see someone get some use from the template.

I believe that my coil winding instructions are still around here someplace in this forum as well (I know they're on the main homedistiller.org page). There's more notes for that too.

Eth&All
(was surprised to see my login info was still good after all this time!)
It was a great help to have your original template in building my first boka. I was having trouble getting it taped up on my tube properly, measuring out the gap between, overlap, etc. So, I just made a one piece version so it would be easier to wrap/tape it in one shot. It helped me visual what was needed to do. A great help. Thank you!! :)
Usge
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by Usge »

xoltri wrote:Thanks, I decided to go 3/8" for the takeoff and I bought this needle valve:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0285676795" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
(Parker 3/8" Stainless Steel Needle Valve 4Z-V6LN-SS)

I'll need some stainless npt to compression adapters but I think it should work, and it was only $27 shipped compared to over $130 local. This one should work, right?
If it's threaded, you can get copper threaded ends to solder on your 3/8" copper tubing and screw both ends into the valve..rather than using compression fittings/adapters. The threads probably a little more reliable if you are going to be taking it on and off.
duracell
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by duracell »

Usge wrote: If it's threaded, you can get copper threaded ends to solder on your 3/8" copper tubing and screw both ends into the valve..rather than using compression fittings/adapters. The threads probably a little more reliable if you are going to be taking it on and off.
Thanks, good tip, should save me some money.
Pooyan
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by Pooyan »

xoltri wrote:Thanks, I decided to go 3/8" for the takeoff and I bought this needle valve:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0285676795" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
(Parker 3/8" Stainless Steel Needle Valve 4Z-V6LN-SS)
Hmmm, i think you have ordered a 4F-V6LN-SS Parker valve if i take a close look at the photo, meaning a 1/4" female NPT instead of the 3/8" you wanted, the 3/8" valve partnumbers are starting with a 6.
Please doublecheck with the Ebay seller....

see Parker's spec sheet http://www.parker.com/literature/Instru ... s_2010.pdf
duracell
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by duracell »

Pooyan wrote:
Hmmm, i think you have ordered a 4F-V6LN-SS Parker valve if i take a close look at the photo, meaning a 1/4" female NPT instead of the 3/8" you wanted, the 3/8" valve partnumbers are starting with a 6.
Please doublecheck with the Ebay seller....

see Parker's spec sheet http://www.parker.com/literature/Instru ... s_2010.pdf
Hey thanks for the catch, you've potentially saved me a couple weeks of shipping back and forth. I pointed out the error to the seller and he has another one that is in-fact 3/8 so hopefully he agrees to correct his error and switch it out.
duracell
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by duracell »

The seller was quick to refund my money so I bought this one instead. It has the proper compression connectors on it which is nice.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0306745866" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Whitey Swagelok 3/8" SS Needle Valve SS-1KS6
duracell
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by duracell »

Another question, I built my coil this evening. It's 6" long double helix using 1/4" copper. Did a test and the flow rate is around 1.6L / min. Is this sufficient?
Pooyan
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by Pooyan »

That flowrate will do xoltri, a minimum flow of 1L / min. is required, with the 1,6L / min. you are safe...
If i do a stripping run with my bok the flowrate lies mostly around 0,4L / min. using tapwater.
Glad to hear it worked out with the valve...
duracell
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by duracell »

I'm glad my coil has a good bit of headroom. When I was coiling it the tube flattened more than I would've liked but I figured I'd continue on and see how it turned out anyway.
knightt
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by knightt »

My New Still!

Before I start I want to think this community for such great info. Building this still would have been completely impossible without you! Thank you again, and for such great information up here.

So here we go. This is my second attempt at building a still. First attempt was a pot still and I tried to do it on a budget. cut some corners and the still does not wok. Can't get it to seal. I figure its a write off. $200 bucks down the drain.

This time I figure I would build a bok. Followed he plans loosely (they were loose plans to begin with)
DSCF6076.jpg
DSCF6076.jpg (14.52 KiB) Viewed 19852 times
I went for a keg as the boiler. I found a 1500 watt 110V element to place inside the keg. Drilled a 1 1/4 inch hole in the outside to fit the burner through. I have the 1" copper female on order and it should arrive this Thursday. For the electrical controls, I priced a 1500w dimmer at $170 dollars..... So I ended up cannibalizing an old fridge and taking the "dimmer" for one of the elements and mounting it int a box. I also kept the light that tells you when the element is on :) So, it lights up when the boiler is on!

I did something slightly unconventional and made a slate face plate to mount the electrical into. It looks great and will look even better after I hone the edges and seal it. I was not ale to use use a regular electrical box because there was no enough room to mount all the hardware. I ended up using a stove box where there is more room. I wanted to use a outside plastic box, but was concerned about the thickness not allowing the copper female to catch the threads inside the keg. I hope the "dimmer" ends up working. I tested it a little but have not done a real run with it yet. It appears to work well, even though it was designed for 220volts. I just hope the temp will go low enough. When drilling the 1 1/4" hole through the electrical box, I took care to choose a place that had minimal punch outs so that the gasket would have something to seal against. It limited the places where I could place it, but it ended up working very well.

I used the triclamp to attach the still to the keg. Really good idea. It was actually much cheaper than all the hardware for copper threads down here. ($24 for the male of the 2" copper alone) I had never soldered stainless to copper before and purchased a mapp set to do it. What a mistake. After 4 attempts and using up all my silver solder I tried again with propane. Worked like a charm. I think the heat was igniting the flux too quickly and then the solder would not take. Perhaps I need "high temp" acid flux or something, but it did not work at all. Big waste of $60 bucks. + probably $10 of silver solder. Just use propane. even on the 2" no big deal. Real easy, while, perhaps a little harder than copper to copper, but still easy :)

I also made the "mistake" of ordering a "short" furrule. My still is a little off square because of it. It did not fit the 2" copper as well as it did in the video I watched here on the site. It was a little loose, but tight enough to make a solder joint. I will order the "long" furrule from now on. Considering the price of the units, in the future I would replace all the copper threading with triclamps. It would be cheaper and the triclamps are so much nicer. no Teflon tape to worry about and no worry of any kind of leaks. I ordered the teflon gasket to go along with the triclamp. The guy said that teflon was not necessary except in highly corrosive environments. I read somewhere in these forums that only teflon should be used but really doubt the accuracy of this statement. Why not food grade EPDM or Silicone? Temp wise they are both ok. Both approved for food grade applications. http://www.stpats.com/gindex.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow says teflon is overkill for beer or wine making. Anyhow. moving on. Price was 30cents difference. Why not teflon? It took a while to source the triclamps and parts. Ended up purchasing them from http://www.stainlessprocess.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow. They had it shipped to me and I got it in a couple of days!

Keg I got from the beer store (Canada) Just went in and asked for an empty keg. The guy called me when there was a 58L returned. I payed the $50 deposit fee and was off with the keg! Removing the hardware out of the keg was a bit of an ordeal. I had no idea how to do it and jammed screwdrivers into it to try to turn it. Sprayed beer everywhere.... For thouse of you who want to know, turn the keg on its side, use a screwdriver to release the pressure. Then find a small slot screwdriver, there is a slip of metal that holds the inside hardware in place. Pry it out until you can get a pair if pliers on it and pull the metal ring out. The hardware will now just come out. You can even re-insert it later if you like :)

The coils are double helix coils. They measure 6.5 long and sit 8" into the still. It was my first attempt as making one of these. I think I made he coils a little tight. I pulled them out a little, but at first they were all touching. There is aprox 15' of tube in the coil. I purchased 20' of the stuff. The rest of it sits on the outside of the still with very little left over. As soon as I get my scrubs, I plan on stuffing the 1" hole in the middle with scrubs. If I were to do it again, I would have started with 1 1/4" pole or 1 1/2" pole. The copper tubing "flattens" down to max 1/8" so, there would have been plenty of space, then I would be able to fit more copper scrubs in the middle. This should work just fine though.
DSCF6086.jpg
DSCF6086.jpg (26.23 KiB) Viewed 19852 times
There is a 1/4" hole in the to of the test cap for breathing; even though it is not soldered on. I soldered the cold in onto the alc out pipe as a secondary cooling. It means that in order to remove the cooling coils from the rest of the still, there is one of 3 compression fitting that needs to be loosened. I could not find quick connect fitting for 1/4" as that would have been ideal. I attached 1/4 " hoses onto the bottom of the water ins and outs with a hose thread adapter on the water in. I think I will get a hose connector to standard faucet converter so I can easy use the still in the kitchen (or any bathroom etc.)

The Still stands 59 1/2" tall + 24" height of the keg. The Reflux chamber is 50" and 46" of that could be filled with scrubs. I am wondering if it would be worth while soldering a little cross hair of copper wire across the bottom of the reflux chamber. I am hesitant if I will keep all my scrubs or if they will fall out :(

I used 3/8 " pipe for the alc out spout and 1/4 for everything else. I noted that not all 1/4" OD has the same ID. (see picture) the thermometer fits very nicely in the smaller ID and is very loose in the larger ID. So, I used the smaller ID for the thermometer holder and the larger ID for everything else. I had a 1/4" valve sitting around from my last attempt at building a still, so I installed it on the cold in tube. I know its not necessary, but heard one person say they like it and eah, I had the valve sitting there, so why not?

I specifically made the dimensions of the keg so the alc out spout would align with a large vessel on a kitchen counter. I wanted minimal space between the bottom of the spout and large collection vessel. One of my oversights was that my cord from my thermometer is not long enough to allow the digital base to sit on the counter. :( I would need to drop the height a min of 3-4" in order for it to work. Its space that a triclamp instead of expensive copper threading would have afforded me. I don't know what the smart solution to my issue is now, but oah well, it could just dangle, or put a bucket up side down on the counter or some thing to get an elevated surface.
DSCF6074.jpg
DSCF6074.jpg (15.04 KiB) Viewed 19852 times
I have my first wash started. Sitting in the pail in the pic.

Still have to fasten the element into the keg, Might do some more prettying of the outside of the still. I used some heavy sand paper and made scratches. I also have excess solder drips from my many attempts to solder the stainless (when I didn't know what I was doing) Sealing the face plate would be nice, honing the edges to make it round and we are all set. It would have been much easier to just get a blank face plate and drilled holes into it instead of using slate... Obviously. Done some good internal cleaning, but still have to do water, vinager, alc cleaning run.

I also plan on building a case for it all. It would be nice to have a place to hold some teflon tape for the copper threads, the extra teflon gasket I ordered, thermometer, and all the parts for the still.

Any questions please ask.


View Album Of Still Lots of pics here of things I have talked about along with may close up shots.
W.S.C.beachman
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by W.S.C.beachman »

I'm getting gitty!!! I will be starting my Bok in the next couple weeks....hopefully!!! I was looking for needle valves and this is what I came across at Lows.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_73313-104-LFA14 ... le%2Bvalve" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Do you think this will work? My issue is that it says "Polyethelene" I really like the needle valve Xoltri bought, but it looks like it is no longer available and the next one up is like $60 plus. LOL
axle1960
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by axle1960 »

W.S.C.beachman wrote:I'm getting gitty!!! I will be starting my Bok in the next couple weeks....hopefully!!! I was looking for needle valves and this is what I came across at Lows.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_73313-104-LFA14 ... le%2Bvalve" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Do you think this will work? My issue is that it says "Polyethelene" I really like the needle valve Xoltri bought, but it looks like it is no longer available and the next one up is like $60 plus. LOL
The polyethelene they are talking about would be the "plastic" line that this valve was designed to hook up to. You can just see the little piece that slips in the tube to stop it from being crushed by the ferrel went the nut is tightened down. As long as the ferrel will slip over your copper tube, it will work and you don't need the little insert.

Axle
He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.
Kiwi-lembic
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by Kiwi-lembic »

beautiful work ..lovely still ...well done ..it seams a legend this unit
W.S.C.beachman
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by W.S.C.beachman »

Thanks Axle,
Yah that's what I will use then, looks like I better get started on the rest of the condenser. I have 3/8 copper tubing that needs coiled and put in the slats to direct my condensation to the needle valve and back down the center of the packing.
HeadCase
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by HeadCase »

Hey All, I was looking at the templates that Pikluk posted in the OP and found them to be a little too small for the 2" or 1.5" that was shown. Doing research I found the Wiki had another template for the 2" that had a few other details listed. The templates are pretty much the same but I found the Wiki provided ones to be a bit more informative.

So with the 2" I rescaled and resaved the pdf as a resize. So there is the original (for 2") and the resize (for now 1.5"). The Resize still has 2" written in the text but is printable to be at the size of 1.5".

I had to pull the original into Acrobat and print scale to 77% to make the dimensions work. There is a major difference though, the gap between the slant plates has also shrunk by 77% so you may need to fidget with it a bit, however is is still between 0.25" and 0.75" which is the typical range that people are putting their gaps at.

Original:
BokaTemplate_rev.pdf
(45.69 KiB) Downloaded 2603 times
Resized (Rescaled to 77% of original):
BokaTemplate_1.5-Resize.pdf
(34.32 KiB) Downloaded 1654 times
My reasons for this? I simply needed a 1.5" template and the one provided didn't fit properly. And I liked the other template vs the OP templates.
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stilly_bugger
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Re:

Post by stilly_bugger »

duds2u wrote:Every time I see those copper threaded unions I get jealous. Just can't find them here in Oz
I know this was mentioned ages ago, and I'm not sure if someone has already replied with this answer or not (from memory they haven't), but here's a 2" brass equivalent that is readily available in Australia:
adaptor.jpg
adaptor2.jpg
From memory the male adaptor cost $11AUD retail and the female $15AUD (Aug '11).
knightt
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by knightt »

I live with the consequences of using these threadings. Using 2 stainless ferrules, a triclamp and a tefflon gasket is a much slicker way to go. Faster to undo, no tools required for tightening and releasing, better chance of making a positive seal, position the pipes in any of the 360degrees (rather than the two needing to stop where the threading does). No repacing tape when re-threading. Parts become interchangeable. Make a 2' or 8' column, or have a separate column un-packed and ready to interchange. or split the pipe into 2 sections and only use half of it sometimes. Or pack them with different items. The cost is also comparable (I think a little cheaper in my case).

You can also solder it all together. No welding or brazing needed. They are harder to find, but can be ordered of ebay. I get mine from http://www.stainlessprocess.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow which is a local company but do ship. Surely every area in the world hads a need for food processing, so there is bound to be one in your area as well.

First time I did it I ordered "short" ferrules, which turned out to be a mistake as there was a very small amount of play which when I soldered it all together was slightly noticeable over the 5' of pipe. The "long" ferrule would have made for a much straighter connection, so I order long from now on.

Stainless is harder to solder than say copper to copper. I found that its a breeze if you get it very clean (no finger prints) and make sure your flux does not ignite before you are established flow. This for me meant using propane rather than mapp gas, so the high temps of mapp do not ignite the flux.

Just got myself outfitted with brazing gear (mapp gas, brazing rods and brazing flux) It costs much more to outfit yourself with brazing ($200 for the brazing rods alone, compared with $20 for high quality silver solder) but the rods are 15% silver which is much more silver and the final product is stronger. Not that I have had any issues with my soldered joints.

For me, ferrules over threading. :clap:
troubadeer
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by troubadeer »

Do you have any idea what purity you're getting? It's the primary factor that is holding me back from trying it
troubadeer
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by troubadeer »

Hey,
Congrats on the still. On your collector plates, why did you have that piece sticking out? It looks like some sort of drip edge?

Any idea on the purity you get out? I'm going to attempt mine

Thanks
Prairiepiss
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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by Prairiepiss »

You mite go check out the wiki page for the boka. It covers the build pretty good.
http://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.php/Boka_Refl ... w_To_Build" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
It'snotsocoldnow.

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Re: Bokakob 2" mini-still column

Post by Braz »

troubadeer wrote:Do you have any idea what purity you're getting? It's the primary factor that is holding me back from trying it
Depending on how you run it, a Boka slant plate will give you 93-95%.
Braz
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