Complete reflux still build...

[abbigss]

Hi,

This seems to be a great still, encouraging the newbies (like me) for building a still. Great job..

But i still have some questions:

1- There seems to be 2 copper coils on pic 1 and 3... Where is the second coil used ? Did i miss something?
2- Why there isn't a thermometer on your still ? Isnt it a must?

And the most crucial point for me is:

3- I cannot exactly clarify in my mind, how the "tee" is working.. The pictures are not clear to understand. Will the "T" look upside or downside before soldering the main pipes? Can anyone explain this tee mechanism exactly?

abbigss

[shifty]

Hey mate. welcome aboard..
Re read the post and get back to me. Im sure most of the answers your after are in there. If not ill do my best..
Cheers....

[drinka]

I still don't understand the tee bit either. Does the outlet pipe get soldered to one side of the tee???

[JethroBodine]

drinka, here are some pics from my build.

Hope they help.

This cup gets soldered into the bottom of the condensor.

View from above

Ready for assembly.

Sorry for the fuzzy pics. I think the camera might have been drinking.

[abbigss]

Jethrobodine,

Thanks for photos, now its ok for me.

Do you have any more photos with the outlet pipe soldered to the tee?

[JethroBodine]

abbigss, I have some pics of the cup soldered to the condensor tube, but the takeoff doesn't attach to the tee, it only goes in far enough to collect the goodies that are puddling around the bottom of the cup. I drilled my takeoff hole perpendicular to the top of the tee( just seemed like the right thing to do).

Matching outlet holes

Cup soldered in with takeoff tube installed

Shifty, thanks again. I should be running my cleaning runs soon( for the LM head anyway, and am working out the designs to make this a trully universal( just for the fun of it) LM, CM, VM and HM( heat management, or pot still ).

[HookLine]

Heat Management is usually referred to as Power Management (PM).

[shifty]

Hey JethroBodine,
Cheers for posting up those other pix. Makes it a lot clearer to others..
Good work and good luck with it...

[abbigss]

Now I feel ready to build my first reflux still..

When i was looking around the copper shops in Turkey, i found an interesting type of copper tube... they've been made for easy coiling and many dimensions are available..( i plan to use 5 mm tube for the coil)

does it make any negative (or positive) effects on cooling the vapour? what u think about it?

gunes.jpg (10.04 KiB) Viewed 5100 times

[HookLine]

Nice. But how will the coolant in the inner star shaped tube come into contact with the heat exchange surface (the outer cylinder)?

[abbigss]

well it wont.... maybe it can be an extra cooler for the hot water flowing in the outside cyclinders... just thinking...

[HookLine]

just thinking...

Thinking is good. New ideas are good.

[drinka]

Thanks for the pics jethrobodine. Sure makes it clearer to me now. What sort of solder did you use?

[JethroBodine]

abbiigss, LOVE those tubes! If you could find some star shaped adapters, you could run the vapor on the outside tubes and the coolant down the middle( as part of a condensor, sort of a ready made leibig). MMMM, shiney copper....

drinka, I use silver bearing solder( Flo-temp) with a water soluble, lead free flux( Bernzomatic). Kinda' stiff and hard to get used to, but a plumber friend of mine said that it was strong and wouldn't leach into the vapors. I haven't noticed any pitting or corrosion, yet.

Hookline, I kinda got carried away with the alphabet soup

[irish_moonshiner]

Nice still
I was just wondering how effective that ball valve is at accurately controling the output flow?? Im very near completion of my LM still and thought a needle valve was necessary but if a ball valve works fine I could save myself some money??
Thanks in advance.

[shifty]

Nice still
I was just wondering how effective that ball valve is at accurately controling the output flow?? Im very near completion of my LM still and thought a needle valve was necessary but if a ball valve works fine I could save myself some money??
Thanks in advance.

I actually don't like my ball valve at all. It's too hard to control. If i were you id look for an alternative..
Just my opinion...

[Kentucky shinner]

I am thinking about building this column but I have a couple of questions. Are you pleased with the production of this column? where would you place your temp gauge?

[shifty]

I am thinking about building this column but I have a couple of questions. Are you pleased with the production of this column? where would you place your temp gauge?

Hey mate
Im happy with the production of the column only because i know no better! This is the only type i have, apart from a pot still....

The temp gauge should be as close to the take off as possible. Mine is just under the tee section...

I think it works quite well and im very happy with the results so far....

[Kentucky shinner]

how did you mount the T section to both sections of the column. I see you used a cap to place the T in but I dont see how you conected it to the main part of the column.

[shifty]

The Tee section is the same diameter as the column shaft. In this case it is butt joined and soldered..
A better idea would be to use a sleeve joint..
Cheers...

[Samohon]

Thats a nice build shifty. Hope shes easy to drive for ya....

[jackson98]

that look good to me i just got two questions, first did you put just one set of coils in(just in the condensing section, none in the lower..) second did you pack the lower section. i am new to it(never built a still but always wanted to) and was looking at building the same thing as you. You also said you were adding a temp gauge below the tee right? how hard was it to build? thanks

[shifty]

that look good to me i just got two questions, first did you put just one set of coils in(just in the condensing section, none in the lower..) second did you pack the lower section. i am new to it(never built a still but always wanted to) and was looking at building the same thing as you. You also said you were adding a temp gauge below the tee right? how hard was it to build? thanks

Just one coil mate. The other one you see in the shot was a failed first attempt.
I did pack the lower section with stainless pot scrubbers....
As for the temp gauge, all i did was drill the hole and poke it in....
As far as still's go, id say this one is pretty easy...

[jackson98]

how did you create your cup? did you get a end cap and drill a home and solder the tee in?

[still crazy]

Nice still
I was just wondering how effective that ball valve is at accurately controling the output flow?? Im very near completion of my LM still and thought a needle valve was necessary but if a ball valve works fine I could save myself some money??
Thanks in advance.

I actually don't like my ball valve at all. It's too hard to control. If i were you id look for an alternative..
Just my opinion...

Remove the handle from the ball Valve and replace it with a longer one. This will give you more control as the long arm can be set to more precise angles.

[Geezer]

I built a column very similar. 2" pipe. Having trouble finding a way to connect it to my pot. I welded a pressure cooker to my 15 gallon keg. The lid has a very slight dome. I have looked at many pictures on here. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[bokakob]

http://homedistiller.org/image/drawing_ ... ups_TC.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
and
http://homedistiller.org/image/drawing_ ... ups_TC.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
cheers