8 inch shotgun questions

[SmokyMtn]

First the why? I'm not happy with my flake stand having to turn off and on the water. The diameter is due to I want a freestanding shotgun. With distillate exiting out the side, much like a flake stand.

I would make it out of copper sheeting. 24" to 30" tall, haven't really thought about number or size of tubes. Something that large would be happy with half 1/2 or 3/4 I would think. The bottom would have a funnel shape draining into an 90 elbow. Then from the 90 exit out the side.

There isn't much talk of how to run/operate a shotgun. All I have found is basic principle and everyone loves them. I did read that stillstirring preferred the exit water temp to be around 120°.

Could I set and forget the water inlet? Without having to monkey with it the whole time I'm running.

Is a shotgun as sensitive with temperature gradient as a worm?

Will I have any trouble running something this large?

I don't like the idea of a condenser hanging in mid air. Or building a support arm hold the weight. Seems a freestanding design would be better. It seems to me an 8" shotgun would stand on it's own easier than 2".