Brendan's 3" Pot Still

[Brendan]

I have posted pictures from my build of a 3" VM in the Reflux threads, but I also built a pot still head at the same time, so thought i'd split up the photos and put them here...

Here is my "lyne arm" i guess, just laid out planning how to put it together...

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A mock-up of what it should look like, just holding it together before any soldering...

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In the operating theatre...there's a lot of friggen $$$ in 3" connectors and various pieces in this thing! :roll:

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Piecing together my liebig condenser....from memory it's 1" over 3/4" I think...it's a very tight fit anyway...as seen in the picture, I wrapped some copper wire around the inner tube and soldered it in place to create some turbulence in the water flow...the whole thing is very long, and no doubt overkill, but I tend to overengineer things. I get scared that I spend all this money and it won't cool enough or something...my distillate now comes out cold :p

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Here is "Pistol Pete the Pot Still" once assembled...I hadn't polished him up at this stage, this is just connecting it up after soldering...the pic of the column in my reflux build thread is the only bloody photo I have of any of it looking half shiny...it's now all wrapped up in insulation material...I could always unwrap it and take photos? :handgestures-thumbdown:

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[Brendan]

This is a double up from my reflux thread, but incase you're only looking at this one, here is the boiler with element installed and wired, and wrapped in insulation material...

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And here's a final pic of Pistol Pete in action on a cleaning run (don't know why I was collecting in a bowl? But it was a vinegar run anyways)...I always collect in pyrex jugs...
The cooling water is supplied by a submersible pump at the bottom of a wheelie-bin full of water...

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I have quite a few more pics, but wanted to keep them down for the post...

[Brendan]

My VM part of the build...

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1446&p=18581#p18581