Laboratory Still - Three Columns

[memetic]

Check out this still I just got for free from a laboratory that was shutting down and donating equipment. They were going to trash it if no one took it, so of course I had to save it.

The still was used to distill water for the lab. With some mods, I can get this to work as a small still. It looks super cool, but practically, it is not an ideal still for what I need. This is something I can mount on some nice stone with copper, or stainless steel hardware to hold it together and then put in my office, or kitchen, for show and use for fun with guests.

I am going to attach my (copper) management systems to it and make use of the glass column, condensing coil and the electric boiler.

[Yummyrum]

Nice score.
Its most likely a continuous water distiller . Unfortunately they are pretty wasteful of water ....IE , you have to have the tap running reasonably fast to get a dribble of distiller water out of it .

I use one at work and have another one at home I found at the tip .I cleaned up all the scale buildup from the glassware and painted to housing . Never ended up finishing it off but I reakon they make a nice display piece even if never use them .

[kimbodious]

They use the cooling water as the feed for the boilers. There is a level control in the boilers that releases the excess feed. Now if you had your wash in a large vessel with a sump pump to circulate the wash through the still and collect the excess feed from the boilers, you would have a beaut little still for stripping runs. Depends how it is configured you could have vapour loss issues (not a problem when it is just steam on a water still).

[memetic]

Yeah guys I was totally lucky getting this thing! It is like an art piece (to me anyway).

You were correct about the tap water feeding into it. From the water main, then went thru a water filter, then into the still, then down the drain. Running continuously like you said.

That is a good idea about running it as a stripper. I was just trying to think of anything, so I could use it. I knew you guys would have some bright ideas.

I feel like I get 50-60% bonus points for just having the thing and 100%+++ if I can actually use it too!

Thanks!