Home Distiller

Hi all
I am in the process of designing my mini boka still using a preserving boiler.
I will post it in the build section as I have many questions to ask.

What I was hoping to do was build a 2" slanted plate design.
I was hoping to solder a small section to the lid of the boiler and than have 2 sections of column, and the condenser (for ease of storage)
so that a few joins.

I looked at buying triclamp but they are hugely expensive. so I looked at making my own flanges. Looks good but I have no workshop.
Then I looked at threaded couplers and saw these

http://www.jtmplumbing.co.uk/pipe-fitti ... ale-pp6083" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

if I used some ftfe on the threads would this work?

I would be so muche easier and cheaper if it did (which means it wont LOL)

It would be more time consuming than tri clamps, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. The biggest problem would probably be the fragility of copper threads. I would get a thread file and chase them from time to time. Also try using liquid teflon. It might seal better than tape. It certainly would save a lot of money.

EDIT: It looks like the appropriate thread file could be $26. (I didn't look for bargains.) So you'd have to figure how many tri clamps you can buy for that. http://www.icscuttingtools.com/catalog/page_359B.pdf

To be hones its not the cost of the thread file as such, more my fear of not being able to create my own tri clamp flange.

If I can manage to create the flange myself then great.

If I had to buy them pre made then the threaded option would be much better .

I am in the situation where time is precious and costly. so, much as I want to (try to ) make it all myself, I have to be realistic with my time and skills

I shall investigate more

Stringman preserving boiler sounds like a pressure cooker.

gaskets, and seals are an issue and if its aluminum it's not recommended.

Skow69; do you know what the carrier agent is that is used in liquid Teflon ?

Pretty sure its a cheap stainless steel item ( mor like a 30l drink urn) and it is German jah??
reslly sorry about that too little sleep, too much wine, too much good cider
Gaskets and seals WONT be a problem
I post one problem at a time so I can fix one problem at a time.
I know everyone is helping but I hat the people that ask 30 questions and expect other people to help them on 30 answers.
I plod through 1 at a time, so often I have answered questions already or the next batch aren't important yet. so when people answwr 3 questions in advance it just huts my head.
My engineering background has to me to do no more and no less that was asked- I can neither disappoint or irritate (so long as I do well on my task)

cob wrote:Skow69; do you know what the carrier agent is that is used in liquid Teflon ?

I do not. And I won't bother to make the point that, if applied properly, it would never make contact with vapor.

Rules is rules.

I would use normal ptfe tape for it. That's what ptfe tape is made for originally, to seal threads. I don't think you have to use each time new tape and one roll costs here 1€. I have connected a few times a 1" threaded gate valve to a VM, it worked perfectly.

But anyway, perhaps triclamps are cheaper all in all.
I have simple copper fittings without clamps or threads. Probably the cheapest solution.

I use a 2 inch threaded fitting to attach my column to my pot-lid. Teflon tape seals it quite well. I have to crank it down pretty tight to make a perfect seal, but it works just fine.

skow69 wrote:

cob wrote:Skow69; do you know what the carrier agent is that is used in liquid Teflon ?

I do not. And I won't bother to make the point that, if applied properly, it would never make contact with vapor.

Rules is rules.

interesting I could not find a single MSDS for liquid PTFE that DID NOT contain some warning.

avoid skin contact, do not inhale, not for use in confined space, flammable.

so if you actually know of a liquid PTFE product that is safe to use could be

that you should BOTHER posting a safe product name with it's MSDS so that others

don't use a toxic product.

"Rules is rules " what is the meaning of this ?

Just like I said in the last reply, I do not actually know of a liquid PTFE product that is safe to use. I was mistaken and I should have never mentioned it. Thank you for correcting me before any serious harm was done.

stringman wrote:To be hones its not the cost of the thread file as such, more my fear of not being able to create my own tri clamp flange.

If I can manage to create the flange myself then great.

If I had to buy them pre made then the threaded option would be much better .

I am in the situation where time is precious and costly. so, much as I want to (try to ) make it all myself, I have to be realistic with my time and skills

If this is the only still you will ever make then go the Threaded copper fitting ......it will solder on in a jiffy .
If there is any possibility that you will have other still heads then I beg you to go tri-clamp . I am still using the first still components because they are tri-clamp and I can interchange bits . It is the default distillers coupling and by using something else , you are making future problems for yourself .

Have faith in yourself . The very first dealings I had with copper was to pound out a huge flange over 4 inches in diameter to couple my 2" column to my boiler lid . It was a complete success .
Making a 2" tri-clamp flange after that was a doddle .
Now days I can't be bothered making flanges , I just buy them and solder them on .
Seriously , the price of tri-clamps and flanges is nothing in the big picture ..... and as you say time is precious .

If you want copper triclamps that are as easy to solder on , there are these https://www.stilldragon.eu/en/ferrules/ ... opper.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
or lead free brass ones are cheaper https://www.stilldragon.eu/en/ferrules/ ... brass.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Good luck with the build

cob wrote:Stringman preserving boiler sounds like a pressure cooker.

gaskets, and seals are an issue and if its aluminum it's not recommended.

Skow69; do you know what the carrier agent is that is used in liquid Teflon ?

Its not a pressure cooker at all.
Its more like a large hot water urn with a heater below.
the lid fits it the container so I am hoping some pfte tape and flour paste will do the job

Yummyrum wrote:

stringman wrote:To be hones its not the cost of the thread file as such, more my fear of not being able to create my own tri clamp flange.

If I can manage to create the flange myself then great.

If I had to buy them pre made then the threaded option would be much better .

I am in the situation where time is precious and costly. so, much as I want to (try to ) make it all myself, I have to be realistic with my time and skills

If this is the only still you will ever make then go the Threaded copper fitting ......it will solder on in a jiffy .
If there is any possibility that you will have other still heads then I beg you to go tri-clamp . I am still using the first still components because they are tri-clamp and I can interchange bits . It is the default distillers coupling and by using something else , you are making future problems for yourself .

Have faith in yourself . The very first dealings I had with copper was to pound out a huge flange over 4 inches in diameter to couple my 2" column to my boiler lid . It was a complete success .
Making a 2" tri-clamp flange after that was a doddle .

Flange.jpg

Now days I can't be bothered making flanges , I just buy them and solder them on .
Seriously , the price of tri-clamps and flanges is nothing in the big picture ..... and as you say time is precious .

If you want copper triclamps that are as easy to solder on , there are these https://www.stilldragon.eu/en/ferrules/ ... opper.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
or lead free brass ones are cheaper https://www.stilldragon.eu/en/ferrules/ ... brass.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Good luck with the build

Wow that flange looks great how did you manage to make a 4" flange? That's exactly what I need.
I'm a bit confused by your opening comment about it being the only still I make ( it probably will be) because the whole idea of screwed ends is that I can take them apart and rebuild them are you saying that its not a good idea to re use the connectors- I would seal them with pfte each time