sight glasses

Vapor, Liquid or Cooling Management. Flutes, plates, etc.

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sabu386
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sight glasses

Post by sabu386 »

I was on this sight about 8 or 10 years ago and found it very helpful. Made a turkey fryer still with a wet cooling coil and a 1/4 beer keg with 2 inch copper and a shotgun condenser. The beer keg stuff was modular to be able to move it to a 15 gal beer keg I owned but had not set up yet. I built a flute from 4 inch copper with 6 preferated plates. Built the shotgun defrageameter with lots of pipes by mistake but i guess there cannot be too much cooling. Now the important part. I used copper triclamp ferrels for the sight glasses and bought pyrex glass made to fit sight glasses that attached with multiple socket head screws to another type of sight glass. I had intended to use 2 inch triclamps with the included silicone o-rings. Internet was full of this method at the time. Now I can not find any reference to this on the internet at all. Went back to some old still dragon literature and pics of this method are there so I did not imagine it. Why did this method disappear. Is it dangerous. Is another method better and safer. Tell me what you think or even better what you know. I have a lot of very nice copper work and I really do not want to de solder and resolder different sight glasses but it can be done if it has to be done. Thanks for your time.
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Salt Must Flow
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Re: sight glasses

Post by Salt Must Flow »

I suspect you don't see that style these days because you can use Tri-Clamp Sight Glass Diopters which allows you to see more of the bubble caps than a round plate in the front.
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Windy City
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Re: sight glasses

Post by Windy City »

Check out Still Dragon
https://stilldragon.com/2-brass-sight-glass-kit.html
These are the two inch units, they also have them in three inch.
They bolt up right on a tri-clamp ferrule.
Still Dragon also sells just the borcilite glass
https://stilldragon.com/2-sight-glass-lens.html
Hope this helps
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Twisted Brick
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Re: sight glasses

Post by Twisted Brick »

Windy City wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 2:08 pm
Still Dragon also sells just the borcilite glass
Early on I bought a Still Dragon 3" borosilicate replacement glass and after wrapping the rim in PTFE tape just tri-clamped it to my tee and it worked a treat.
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acfixer69
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Re: sight glasses

Post by acfixer69 »

I bought the still dragon 2" borosilicate glasses. Was the first shipment back 10 or 11 tears ago and attached with ptfe tape and tri-clamped. Worked great and are still working fine today. No need for more viewing area I can see all I need to with them.
ecir54
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Re: sight glasses

Post by ecir54 »

bought one of these recently works good, just changed the gasket to a teflon one,

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acfixer69
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Re: sight glasses

Post by acfixer69 »

ecir54 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 4:22 pm bought one of these recently works good, just changed the gasket to a teflon one,

You will need a special clamp for that.
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Re: sight glasses

Post by ecir54 »

? it is affixed to a another ferrule and uses standard tri clover clamp, see video in ad.
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acfixer69
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Re: sight glasses

Post by acfixer69 »

ecir54 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 5:27 pm ? it is affixed to a another ferrule and uses standard tri clover clamp, see video in ad.
Nope one ferrule sweat to column glass wrapped in PTFE and tri-clamp to hold all together. It is too thick to use second ferrule. Did a bevel on the glass years ago but wasn't needed.
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Re: sight glasses

Post by ecir54 »

Will send a pic if you like geez

Watch the video in the ad.
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acfixer69
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Re: sight glasses

Post by acfixer69 »

ecir54 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 6:47 pm Will send a pic if you like geez

Watch the video in the ad.
What ad?
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Re: sight glasses

Post by ecir54 »

the one that you replied to in my post. yo been drinking, lol.
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acfixer69
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Re: sight glasses

Post by acfixer69 »

ecir54 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 6:59 pm the one that you replied to in my post. yo been drinking, lol.
Don't go to posted ads here as i get blasted with spam. And ya I've been drinking what's your point ? The OP was the intent of information you post was just side step to the old idea of site glasses
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Re: sight glasses

Post by ecir54 »

it is a link to amazon, lol.

maybe you shouldn't have replied to my post which was a reply to the op where he asked Is another method better and safer. I have the still dragon and the one i posted. slante
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acfixer69
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Re: sight glasses

Post by acfixer69 »

ecir54 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 7:21 pm it is a link to amazon, lol.

maybe you shouldn't have replied to my post which was a reply to the op where he asked Is another method better and safer. I have the still dragon and the one i posted. slante
If your happy with a 40$ Half a window NOT APPROVED good for you and go with it. Just not here.
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SaltyStaves
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Re: sight glasses

Post by SaltyStaves »

It looks perfectly kosher to me. Once you replace the included gasket with PTFE and get a standard tri-clover clamp, it is good to go.
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Re: sight glasses

Post by ecir54 »

acfixer69 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 7:33 pm
ecir54 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 7:21 pm it is a link to amazon, lol.

maybe you shouldn't have replied to my post which was a reply to the op where he asked Is another method better and safer. I have the still dragon and the one i posted. slante
If your happy with a 40$ Half a window NOT APPROVED good for you and go with it. Just not here.
bless ya heart, cheers
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acfixer69
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Re: sight glasses

Post by acfixer69 »

ecir54 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 7:48 pm
acfixer69 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 7:33 pm
ecir54 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 7:21 pm it is a link to amazon, lol.

maybe you shouldn't have replied to my post which was a reply to the op where he asked Is another method better and safer. I have the still dragon and the one i posted. slante
If your happy with a 40$ Half a window NOT APPROVED good for you and go with it. Just not here.
bless ya heart, cheers
I can only hope you can fine the time to post something useful some day.
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Re: sight glasses

Post by Setsumi »

To the op. If the triclamp glasses served you well and the ferrules still well soldered/leak free, just stick to them. Hell, even if they leak a bit I would just fix it.
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: sight glasses

Post by Saltbush Bill »

acfixer69 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 6:56 pmWhat ad?
Can't say I blame you for missing that AC, took me a while searching the page, scroll way down the bottom.
ecir54 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 6:59 pm yo been drinking, lol.
Imagine that huh? someone on a distilling forum drinking.
Whole thing looks overly complicated and the glass is crazy thick, in short over kill for a 2 inch window..........Ive run the same standard 2 inch Still Dragon site glasses for 11 years now and never a problem with one.
Once you get into the bigger sized sight glasses they become more " fragile" when you tighten them" that's been my experience anyway.
If they make those things in 3, 4 and 6 Inch then Id buy one if I needed a larger size than 2 inch.
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squigglefunk
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Re: sight glasses

Post by squigglefunk »

ecir54 wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 4:22 pm bought one of these recently works good, just changed the gasket to a teflon one,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SL1WR7R?re ... tails&th=1
:thumbup:
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