Illuminating Plates

[crow]

A short fall I noticed with plated stills is the difficulty in seeing what is going on in the plates . peering though slight glasses with a torch , light reflecting back , got to be a better way . :idea: Right lets say ya have a 4" column with say 2" sight glasses right leave that there for a sec . Now larger refrigeration systems have a 3/4 sight glass to monitor lub and gas , these lenses are magnifying glass with a threaded retainer to hold them tight to a seat and seal . So if this fitting was modified to have a thread also on the outside one could screw ss (or anything reflective) cap on that with a LED light inserted . Then drill a 3/4" hole in the column opposite the 2" sight glass and fit the 3/4 lense assembly , plug in ya little 6 or 12 volt (transformer required) LED's and hey presto no more checking this port and that port as you can see everything thats happening all the time . Thoughts ppl

[MacStill]

3" peepers and no lights required, no squinting either :D

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[crow]

yes but those mods would be a lot of work for existing builds or say a smaller column say 2 1/2" with 2" or smaller peepers

[MacStill]

Why would you build a bubbler that small?

If you're going to build one build it out of at least 3" and put 2.5" peepers in it, and even if you had existing 2" in your column it would be less work to replace with larger than what you're trying to explain :?

[crow]

Why would you build a bubbler that small

Ha I don't thinking 6" but with the largest available pre made lenses at 3" I could find I have the same problem

[R-sole]

3" lenses work fine on six inch stills.
You can buy kits with leds for all sizes of sightglass.

[crow]

You can buy kits with leds for all sizes of sightglass.

Damn it ya hell ya mean someones already though of and designed this . man Its so hard to be innovative when ppl copy ya before ya even think of it :angry-banghead: :laughing-rolling:

[emptyglass]

Now you got me thinking bloke...

Get some of those LED strips the home boys all have under their nissans, wrap that around the bottom of the boiler and hey,presto! street rod still.

But only blue or red, not the green ones..... :teasing-tease:

Just use a torch mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[MacStill]

I got 12v electric blue lights in my voltage controller.... :D

[emptyglass]

Pimp it up man!

I gotta get me some bling

I'm thinking 80's old school, sorry, old skool, graphic EQ, and auto reverse tape deck with fully lit sliders.

I just couldn't handle that modern MP4 shit hanging off my still. No... I'm not having no I still. Or android still, thats just plain wrong.

Sorry CE, just shit stirrin.

[crow]

Ok peeps so what yaz a saying yes it would work but so what who the fuck cares :roll: Fuck thought I had the next new miraculous cure . Anyway dudes ifen ya just after flashin lights and bling that wont really improve ya stillin they brought one out for yaz , ya can even get em cheap on ebay , they callin it the Turo 500 . :laughing-rolling: Jest kidding turbo gang

[emptyglass]

Well, hows this crow.
I made my column when the main question was do you need peepers at all? No one dared a guess back then that size might good. I was concerened about how to do it good fast and cheap. So I'm stuck with the 2" ones I installed on this still.

I have to use a torch. But I have installed led lighting on some of my 7.25" gauge model trains in the past. I had thought of swaging a disc of glass in a copper fitting , 1/4" to 1/2" in size, depending on glass size I can find, and solderd that to the back of my column. Install high intensity leds, with resistors on each (ohm value to match led voltage), parralelled and a momentary switch. Run a 12V transformer to it.
Want to check? press button, look as needed, release button, pick drink up.

But then, I thought, why not just make a jig/stand/mounts so they can sit attached in some fasion to the triclamps and shine through the existing peepers. No need to put heat to the column that way. No need for extra holes/work.

Now the stills powered up, might as well add a docking station for an I phone.

[crow]

Or.... just make another with bigger peeps and flog that one off cheap , hell I'll even help ya find a buyer :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

[emptyglass]

I reckon it would do a nice rum or fig rakia....

[crow]

Aw jeez did ya think I meant me :whistle: bet it bloody would to and a tad higher ABV than this pot I'd hazard a guess

[MacStill]

peepers are pretty yes, but by no means are they mandatory.... half a dozen runs without them and you'd be making just as good gear as anyone who has them ;-)

As long as you built it the same as many of the proven working models it would work just fine, you have a thermometer and a parrot to guide you :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[crow]

Yes I'd like to own one yesterday but I think It will be many more tomorrows before I do and I guess my shit box still make just about as good a stuff for 10 times the work :roll:

[MR-E]

Yes I'd like to own one yesterday but I think It will be many more tomorrows before I do and I guess my shit box still make just about as good a stuff for 10 times the work :roll:

Are you thinking of building one :?: go on, you know you want to. :teasing-poke:

[MacStill]

Yes I'd like to own one yesterday but I think It will be many more tomorrows before I do and I guess my shit box still make just about as good a stuff for 10 times the work :roll:

Are you thinking of building one :?: go on, you know you want to. :teasing-poke:

I doubt he's got the skills or understanding too :teasing-neener:

There! that should do it :laughing-rolling:

[crow]

edit posted at the same time
Time : none
Money : less than time
metal working skills : some
soldering skills : see money
working knowledge : somewhere between time and M.W.Skills