Chinese double-wall still, ordering and setup

[MtRainier]

I intend for this to be a reference for distillers who are thinking about ordering a fancy still from alibaba and importing it themselves. It can also be a reference for why stills purchased online from local sellers are much more expensive than the same or similar hardware you might find online at alibaba or aliexpress.

If it's allowed I'll post hardware costs as well as all of the extra ones I discovered after starting the process of getting it to me. The combined costs of packing, shipping, freight filings, freight forwarding, port fees, tariffs, customs bonds, and final delivery ended up being just slightly more about the initial hardware.

The hardware, when it arrived, was a nice set, and appears to have been well designed, but it will take a bunch of finishing, cleaning, and a few extra hardware bits to actually use it.

Here's what was delivered to my driveway after spending about 2 months on ships, going through the Panama Canal, arriving in New York, then traveling to Baltimore:

IMG_20190325_113001.jpg

I opened the lid like it was a "major award" from Christmas Story with my crowbar and it was well packed for the trip:

IMG_20190325_113116.jpg

As I unwrapped it, I noticed that the bubble plates are really thick copper and seem clean and well built at least:

IMG_20190325_124008.jpg

Here it is for the first "dry fit". Most of the bits seem to be there:

IMG_20190326_073316.jpg

More later. If anyone wants closer pics or details, pm or post up here. I can break down total pricing on it if it's useful.