Dominator's Multicultural Bubbler

by **Dominator** » Tue Aug 20, 2013 9:45 am

Is it just me or does everyone get this excited when a box of 'Vegetable Pastry Margarine' arrives addressed from 'A Mac' of WA.

20130820_090141(2).jpg

Unfortunately as I am recovering from a very recent operation and this is not your typical Mac4, it could be a little while before it is operational. :teasing-nutkick:

So in the wise words of our leader...

images (1).jpg

No wait, I mean...

images (2).jpg

by **bayshine** » Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:27 pm

well :whistle:

by **Andy** » Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:59 pm

by **Dominator** » Sun Sep 08, 2013 6:35 am

Part of the wait was for me to move house so I would have enough room to set the still up. We moved yesterday so I now have the mammoth task of sorting out my shed while my boiler is with a mate getting a 4in ferrule and 3in fill port fitted. Then...

by **Dominator** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:19 am

Ladies and gentlemen, we have progress.
I got my boiler back from my mate who welded in a 4" ferrule and 3" SSG fill port. He has done a fantastic job, TIG wellded inside and out so I think I owe him a few favours now. :))
This morning I mounted my bits and pieces to see how it will look. It is a semi modular mix of copper and stainless, hence the multicultural. SG's for the top and bottom plates and a blind column with a plate tree so I can change between 3-5 perf plates. It has been built with cost in mind however I am hoping the SG's will help make it easy to run.

Yes, I know its on the piss a little bit, the ends of my copper column mustn't be square. I will have to fix that at some point.

I also have a 500mm packed section for neutral runs. I have not decided wether to fill it with scrubbers or scoria.

I still have to make my down comers and the plate tree but I will hopefully get them done today and with some luck the cleaning run and its maiden rum voyage later this week.

by **Kimbo** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:23 am

Thats looking great Dom :clap: :clap: :clap:

by **Dominator** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:24 am

Oh and I have to thank Mrs Mac for putting an extra SG in with my order cause I broke one. :angry-banghead:

by **JayD** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:26 am

very nice... :handgestures-thumbupleft:

by **dogbreath vodka** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:38 am

Nice one mate...
Now start stillin' we need to see the results.
:handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:

DBV

by **BackyardBrewer** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 10:16 am

Good looking copper / SS Hybrid mate!

by **Sam.** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 8:33 pm

Looking good Dom, just need to polish that copper to match the stainless :handgestures-thumbupleft:

by **Dominator** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 5:00 am

Yeah, I will get to the polishing when I am happy with the setup. I got the plate tree made yesterday and I am really not happy with how loose it is inside the column, so I think I will cut the copper column in half and go full modular.

by **Dominator** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 7:51 am

Got my DC's etc done yesterday. So she was all ready to go.
Went out to the shed this morning, very, very excited to do a cleaning run then make some rum, only to find this...

I am currently getting off narcotic pain killers and am dealing with withdrawls which include insomnia and very sensitive emotions. When I found this I actually nearly cried. :crying-blue:

Now I am really hanging out for mac's custom seals to arrive so I can get them and some new sight glasses. :angry-banghead: FML

by **dogbreath vodka** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 8:01 am

Dominator wrote:I am currently getting off narcotic pain killers and am dealing with withdrawls which include insomnia and very sensitive emotions. When I found this I actually nearly cried. :crying-blue:

Tell the truth you shed tears..... I bloody well would have. :teasing-neener: :teasing-neener: :D

DBV

by **ticknaylor** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 8:31 am

I never had sight glasses do that I think thats been way over tighten mate ease up a bit just enough to seal it :handgestures-thumbupleft:

by **Aussiedownunder01** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 8:42 am

I always carry a spare glass of all the sizes I have

by **Dominator** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 9:43 am

Aussiedownunder01 wrote:I always carry a spare glass of all the sizes I have

Yep, I am gonna get a few spare now.

by **Dominator** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 10:12 am

I decided to do the vinegar run regardless as it does not matter if it leaks.

ticknaylor wrote:I never had sight glasses do that I think thats been way over tighten mate ease up a bit just enough to seal it :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Yeah I think your right there tick. Once the heat reached the top plate that SG cracked too. :crying-blue:

Other things I noticed, the bottom SG would not clear, it remained foggy, i am guessing that is because of the busted glass, at 2400w the top plate would not fully load (I could not see what the other plates were doing but I assume they were the same) it was bubbling but would not fill up to the DC height, is this just because it was water/vinegar and it needs more heat input?

Other than that today has benn completely shit. :violin:

by **MacStill** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 10:24 am

You wont get much action during a vinegar run, the fogging is due to the lack of alcohol ;-)

If you've got a bit of scrap copper you could cut a couple of discs to see you through until you get replacement lenses, dont let such minor issues ruin your weekend ;-)

Another thing you can do is trim one of the ridges off the seal to make it thinner, so the glass fits to a flat surface, just use a really sharp stanley knife blade to shave the ridge off but watch your fingers 8-}

Linno has been using the same sight glasses for nearly a year now, he's never broken one, and pulls his rig apart after every run.

by **Bushy** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 11:56 am

MacStill wrote:Linno has been using the same sight glasses for nearly a year now, he's never broken one, and pulls his rig apart after every run.

Now that right there is dedication. ^:)^
I find the tri-clamps are really loose when the rigs cold and have fallen victim to tweakin em up, when it's cold, and then glass has cracked during run. Lesson learned. Check em when she starts to heat up. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Reckon yr right about the seals Mac. The gap on that clamp is a bit large. Better send him a couple of extra seals just in case.......you know