first still design question

[yankee shiner]

I have been reading this site for a while now and finaly decided to get an account. I have learned quite a lot already and have started to gather parts for my first still. i am looking to use a 8 gallon milk can boiler with a 2" tri clamp. also a 3-4 gallon ss pot with holes cut into the lid for a thumper. i already have 10 feet of 1-1/4 pipe that i wanted to use for the tower and to run to the thumper. and from the thumper i have 3/4 to run out and for the worm. my question is would it be a problem if i use about a three inch piece of 2" just to come off the boiler then reduce it to the 1-1/4 for the rest of the tower and the run to the thumper? also would 3/4 be too big for use as a worm? bending it isnt a problem as i have access to a bender. i dont want to use 2 inch because i already have the 1-1/4 and figure it is large enough. any info on this would be a big help.

[Usge]

Welcome there Yankee Shiner. There are lots of ways to do this for a potstill. I think using 2" for your column, and the start of your lynearm would be a more common solution and a better place to start. What you want with the potstill is "flow"/volume. And while it may not seem like much, a .75" reduction in your pipe diameter is significant. You don't need to go "that' high with it if you are planning a pot to thumper setup. After the 2", you could use your 1-1/4 going "in" to your thumper. A more common size for this size still would be going from 2" to 1"...so using it here would be fine (remember, your thumper is a parasitic device that is driven by the boiler).

1/2" to 3/4" is fine for your worm. Just make "sure" that your worm has an even drop all the way. If you get a low spot in it..it will huff and spit and not run smoothly. Using 3 different anchor points vertically...make sure each time the rung goes around, it drops the same distance. There's lots of ways to accomplish this, but that'st he bottom line for you to keep in mind.

You'll want to look up how most people are sealing those pot lids for use as boiler/thumper. And I'd take a look too at some of the newer thumper designs/setups. There's a sticky in the potstill forum at the top that has a lot of info in it on thumpers, some of the caveats and issues that come with them, etc.. And make sure to check out member LWs thumper setup as well. I'm sure others will chime in, but I'd also take my design over to the potstill forum for more input/ideas. There's just so many different ways to accomplish this and we are all continually surprised by people's ingenuity. I think the main consideration here is safety so having others double check your work is a good thing.

[yankee shiner]

thanks so much. cant say enough good things about this site and the help from its great members. i guess ill go with the 2" then. and i will def post some on the pot still section. thanks again.