Home Distiller

Looks like i have read every single section in the New B section and a ton of threads for the last 3 weeks and have decided on the Bokakob as a still design. Got out of work early today and went to the scrap yard. Bought my copper for 4.78 a pound. picked up a 5ft 2" pipe, 20 ft of 3/8 tubing, and some plates for under $45. I was so eyeing that awesome 3" pipe in the bin but stuck with the 2"
Plans are to build a versatile unit that will allow me to change out the packing length from 3 ft to 1.5 ft. 1st project will be to make that double coil condenser, Hardest part 1st . I'll be setting my plates 3/4" apart and will do my best to get the take off super smooth and will go with the pointed version on the bottom plate.
I'd start tonight but need to chill a bit to get my head straight before i start the coil.

I almost forgot also building a 16" finger on the outlet as a screw on option.

Good luck

I've just finished winding my first double coil too. Not super difficult, but be sure to take your time.

I am not sure you will be able to fit a double wound 3/8 tubing coil inside a 2" pipe. Might be able to do it if you roll on a 1/2" mandrel but that's going to be a tight wind and prone to kinking. 1/4" tubing would be easier to fit. Or, you could snag some of that 3" pipe and use that for your condenser section. You'd need a 2" to 3" reducer above the plates which would increase your cost a tad.

Braz wrote:I am not sure you will be able to fit a double wound 3/8 tubing coil inside a 2" pipe. Might be able to do it if you roll on a 1/2" mandrel but that's going to be a tight wind and prone to kinking. 1/4" tubing would be easier to fit. Or, you could snag some of that 3" pipe and use that for your condenser section. You'd need a 2" to 3" reducer above the plates which would increase your cost a tad.

Ya i realized i had 3/8 stuck in my head even though i read 1/4" in many places for weeks. To many designs were swimming around in my head and i was copper drunk at the recycling center. . That's OK I'll play around making a single coil with it and just buy some 1/4" later today. could have been worse or should i say will be worse

For a double helix condenser you'll need 1/4"... Attempting to wind 3/8" around a 1/2" or even a 3/4" mandrel would be difficult at best, if not impossible... Remember, your mandrel needs to be at least three times the diameter of the tubing being wound around it... That means 3/8" would require a 1.125" mandrel, but might wind around 1" with some practice...

I noticed you said you were going with 3/4" spacing between plates? I thought I read somewhere that a 1" spacing was better? I could be wrong? Maybe someone more in the know can chime in? But I would rather you know before you build. So you can double check it.

I may have bounced on a earlier version. can defiantly do 1 inch. Bigger would stop any chocking from happening not sure you could get to big, i think, as they are designed to route the condensation towards the outlet. (i could be incorrect though) Tried to do that double coil today, man is that hard to do. I noticed i got the utility 1/4" vs refrigeration 1/4" could not find a wall thickness so went with the utility as it was more in the budget and i didn't need 50ft. Seems to flatten alot which is not the way it looked in the picks. 2 attempts later i think i will resort to a single coil just have it longer 9-10" vs the 6" double.
Thought i would be able to find the 2" connections at HDepot but not at mine at least Will have to look a bit harder.

Got 2 single coils now one using the 1/4" and the other 3/8" both wound around a 1 1/4" mandrel.
Here's a pic of them sorry SOB's

The bottom coil will do, would be good with a 1/2" tube straight down the middle to fill up the center hole and take the bottom end back to the top for the outlet.
Next hard part is the soldering. A big gas torch is most useful for the soldering and also for annealing the copper; for example you could heat that 1/4" coil till it all glows a deep red, cool it (quenching in water will leave it cleaner), and you can put it back on the mandrel and tighten up the coils with your bare hands. Being annealed the copper will be very soft and bendy.

Hey Clodev, go check at Lowe's they have a lot more fittings and different sizes than depot does. also check e-bay there was some selling all kinds of fittings cheap. Good to see ya movin forward. Have fun be safe.

Ayay wrote:The bottom coil will do, would be good with a 1/2" tube straight down the middle to fill up the center hole and take the bottom end back to the top for the outlet.
Next hard part is the soldering. A big gas torch is most useful for the soldering and also for annealing the copper; for example you could heat that 1/4" coil till it all glows a deep red, cool it (quenching in water will leave it cleaner), and you can put it back on the mandrel and tighten up the coils with your bare hands. Being annealed the copper will be very soft and bendy.

Excellent idea, that would allow me some length to attach the 1/2" pipe in the center with 1/2x 1/2 elbow and 1/2 x 1/4 elbow

Started a new post but for those of you who have posted on this one here is attempt #2 looks like. Much better. Still made a knuckle head and used sugar instead of salt. Sugar stick like an SOB gonna take awhile to get it out.

Hey I noticed on the other thread you were looking at Home Depot for 2" fittings. Something I have found. Lowes carries more of the bigger stuff. But only in certain stores. Stores in areas with more new housing around them don't carry much in the way of copper. The stores in areas with older homes do. I have yet to find 2" at a home depot. I service 10 of them around me. And have checked each of them. Out of 10 Lowes stores 2 had 2" stuff.

Suggest visiting Plumbing Supply Companies where the local Plumbers in your area purchase their plumbing supplies. Real plumbers don’t screw around buying their stuff from Lowe’s or Home Depot.

Regards,
Coaster

i will check lowes this weekend prairiepiss if i can't find it at lowes i will take coasters advise and go to a plumbing supply company.

Coaster wrote:Suggest visiting Plumbing Supply Companies where the local Plumbers in your area purchase their plumbing supplies. Real plumbers don’t screw around buying their stuff from Lowe’s or Home Depot.

Regards,
Coaster

Last I checked I'm not a real plumber. This is a great suggestion. With one flaw. Most plumbing supply houses in my area are only open 8 to 5. Those happen to be the same hours I work. So its kinda hard for me to buy from them. I do have one as a customer. But they can't sell to cash customers. And generally those supply houses charge more then Lowes or Home Depot.

But if you are in need. You do what you need to do.

If you have a lowes or homedepot that is convenient to you...sometimes you can order online and have it delivered for pickup at your local store.

excellent to also know thank you USGE. i just found the plate template and getting ready to cut the slots tonight.

i Guess the pic was removed here is a different view of the double coil that i did.

I got to work on the Boka today and made my 2 plates and soldered them in ( I suck at soldering but got it done) and made a 20" jacket (forgot the name) for the distillant coming out. used 2-1/2 to 3/4 adapters and filed out the stop to make a nice pretty jacket with the 1/2 pipe running straight through and to small holes predrilled for the water.

2/3rds the way just need a pot for it and the 2" fitting. Than the test runs

Prairiepiss wrote:...But they can't sell to cash customers. And generally those supply houses charge more then Lowes or Home Depot....

Those supply houses are owned by the plumbers who get special rates. If you try to do-it-yourself they will punish you. General hardware stores are generally cheaper.

Ayay wrote:

Prairiepiss wrote:...But they can't sell to cash customers. And generally those supply houses charge more then Lowes or Home Depot....

Those supply houses are owned by the plumbers who get special rates. If you try to do-it-yourself they will punish you. General hardware stores are generally cheaper.

I was just raped by one of those plumbing supply places. I looked at HD/Lowes for a 2" T. Could not find one. Went to a plumbing supply place in town they had one for $48.. The next day I found a different Lowes and "viola"!!! $22
I tell you that I will only set foot in there 1 more time...To return the T and get my money back.

Ayay wrote:Those supply houses are owned by the plumbers who get special rates. If you try to do-it-yourself they will punish you. General hardware stores are generally cheaper.

Never heard of such a thing around here (US)... The reason they don't sell to the public has to do with sales tax... As long as you sell wholesale, to businesses with tax numbers, you don't have to collect and pay sales tax... But as soon as you sell to one member of the general public you have to charge, track, and pay, sales tax... And those suppliers who sell to both charge roughly 30% less to wholesales so they can add markup when billing their customers, while the common public gets less or no discount and pays sales tax...

But I digress... Felt some drift happening there for a moment...