Dan's Flute x2, 4" x 5 plate 42" column

[dan]

Here are a few more.....

-Dan

[HDNB]

Bee-yoootiful build, the craftsmanship and attention to detail is outstanding. I'd love to attempt a build like this...would it be rude to ask if there is a design plan/layout/blueprint available somewhere/somehow? ...if i try something this complex i'd like to know it will actually function on completion...like Rockefeller said, there's no money in pioneering.

[Bruster]

Dan...So what is the trick to drilling the plates without breaking 10 bits per plate, In struggling here lol

[dan]

HDNB - I have been asked many times if I have a set of plans or instructions for building my version of a "Magic Flute" which was originally conceived and built by OD or OldDog on this forum. I do not have any plans. All of my inspiration has come from this web forum and suggestions by its members. There are many drawings available in the various threads for the different components needed to make a fractionating reflux distillation column. There are many different plate designs i.e. number of holes, size of holes, location or pattern of holes, bubble caps, down comers, size of down comers, weirs, etc., etc., etc. The possibilities and design differences are many to say the least not to mention the skill levels of the individuals actually reading this forum and not just scanning the threads for pictures. If you have a specific question just ask..... BUT please do your own homework first because I do have a real job and family and my time is limited. This is just a hobby for me as it should be for most people on this forum.

Bruster - The trick to drilling copper plates is the drill bit, speed, pressure, and lubrication. Start with a high quality "jobber type" drill bit and expect to pay about $1.00 per bit. Use a medium to slow speed and use light pressure and lots of drill lubrication (I use LPS #2). I use a pecking method of up-down, up-down, up-down to clear the cuttings from the bit. I only drill one plate at a time after I have center punched my hole pattern onto the plate. Bits will break so wear eye protection because they will shatter and send very sharp shards flying at high speeds. I can sometimes get three plates drilled with one bit when I am on a roll.... Good luck.

-Dan

[Halfbaked]

Dan, If you just did one 4 inch still at a time how many hours would it take you? Have you ever thought of making a video and charging for it. I would buy one to see all the artwork that goes into it. If that was not something you wanted to do if you made utube vids would be even better. Make 1 for shotgun, 1 for deflag, 1 for the tree, 1 for plates etc etc. Obviously not have your pic in it.

[dan]

HB- I made one video of soft soldering sight glasses onto the column body and I may do a few more but it takes a cameraman to make it happen unless I rig up my GoPro..... Hmmmm, maybe. I would say it is taking between 60 to 80 hours to build just one because I am so anal. I can't stand the look of sloppy solder and need to clean it up wherever possible.

-Dan

[HDNB]

yep, laziness on my part.
I spend too much time looking at pix and different ideas and start thinking for myself... and that usually when the problems start...
That's why I'd like to find the document that lays it all out, so i could just go out to the shop and start makin stuff. less thinking, more working.

[Copperjohn]

Dan,
Why did you decide to go from a 3 inch final condenser in your first builds to a 2 inch final condenser in this build? Also, where did you get your thermometers? Looks fantastic as usual.

[Halfbaked]

Dan 60-80 hrs is a little more than I expected but it really doesn't shock me. If you would have said twice that I wouldn't have been shocked. You are not only making something useful its artwork. It would be something I would like to put in my living room as artwork.

[emptyglass]

Good stuff Dan. Looking good. Have you given one a run yet?

[dan]

CJ-
I decided to make the final product condenser out of 2" to avoid the additional fittings and to make it more accessable for cleaning. On my first column builds the vapor takeoff plate all the way through the connection for the parrot is one piece. Now I have it broken into three pieces with two clamps so that it can be taken apart very easily and cleaned or inspected for green corrosion spots. This also makes it a bit more flexible if I wanted to add a gin basket to the vapor path. This new 2" condenser still has the same amount of cooling capacity because it is longer than the previous one. My thermometers came from a local instrument supply company @ about $30.00 each and are made by Wika in Georgia. They are very accurate and read in both C and F

HB-
Everything except my wife,kids and dog are for sale at the right price.....

EG-
Just getting the plate tree assemblies put together and then a few proofing parrots and I will be getting them through a cleaning run. If there is ever a next time I think I will stick to building one at a time. Just knowing that I have to do a particular step five times is very challenging.

Thank you guys for all of the encouragement and compliments!

-Dan

[dan]

A few pictures of the first plate tree...

[dan]

one more....

[dan]

Here are a couple pictures of how I set up my perforated plate and down comer before I solder the two together. The plate is upside down and the top of the downcomer is 3/4" above the surface of the plate. before I solder the down comer to the plates I chuck up all five plates to my drill and do a final sizing for fit in the column body. I do this by spinning all five plates against a piece of sand paper placed on the flat hard surface of the table saw in the picture. When the five plates will barely squeeze into the column they are then ready to build into a plate tree. doing this step after the down comer is soldered on would be very difficult.

-Dan

[bigal2286]

That is some shine-e copper! Great work and thanks for sharing so many pics and details. Can't wait to hear how she (they) run

[dan]

So Bruster asked how I will be supporting my plate tree inside the column. Instead of using three pins I decided one would be enough and here are the pictures of how I did it in two sets of five pictures.....

-Dan

[dan]

Here is the sequence....

Measure tree placement in the column
Center punch and drill hole
test fit a piece of 10 gage copper wire
flux wire and place in hole
Solder in place
File to surface and sand flush
1/16" nub on the inside of column
Done - repeat four more times

-Dan

[dan]

Also finished all five Dephlegmaters today..... The two on the right are still warm from all the love I gave them!!

[dan]

First one done...

-Dan

[dan]

more...

[bigal2286]

That looks great. I like the parrot and your vent after the product condenser seems simpler than most. Very nice. How do you run your water lines? Two pumps or in series?

[dan]

Bigal-

I will be using a garden hose and city water for cooling. One water line that splits into two with separate valves to control input flow. Does not take that much water to keep everything cool. Glad you like it!
-Dan

[dan]

Second still done! Cleaning runs tomorrow if the weather holds out and there is no rain.....
-Dan

[emptyglass]

Looks good Dan, I like the extra touch on the parrot bracket.

Did you have any issues with the columns pulling out of shape after soldering the window mounts on?

Your downcomers should work sweet!

[dan]

EG -

I have not had any problems with heat distortion when soldering the sight glasses to the column body. I think for a couple different reasons, this time I used type "L" copper pipe which has a very thick wall and I am only using soft solder which melts at a much lower temperature. I posted a link to a video I made of soldering the sight glasses to the column body a while back. Here it is the link.... http://youtu.be/wdWvWTxVswg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow I also make sure that I heat the column evenly all the way to the end and not just stopping at the last sight glass. My plate trees are very tight to the point you need hearing protection when sliding them in. you get all the credit for the downcomer design!! I can't wait for the rain to stop so I can run one of them! I will post another video when I do...

Cheers, Dan

[emptyglass]

I used to have a hell of a time with warpage using silver solder, I even made a swage to drive through the column to bring them back into round. When I ran out of a big stock of silver solder I switched to soft silver bearing solder and didn't need to swage them again.
It was your plates in your original flute that made me try different hole patterns, so we're even

If its of any help, I used a bit of cooking oil to lube the column to stop that toe curling screech. It comes out in the first sacrificial run. Stops that fingernails down a blackboard effect.

EDIT; hope we get to see another cool vid!

[dan]

EG-

This one is for you big guy...... Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/VT_-HznhHXw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

-Dan

[Hound Dog]

Rockin' Dan!!!

[LWTCS]

Excellant

[emptyglass]

Top stuff Dan!

Engineering and performance, great!