StillSmart

Said by YHB on another thread to do with fitting a column to the boiler lid:

Go with what you feel comfortable with, by the time you need another there will be a hobby standard. As I said we are working on it.

Column to lid does seem awkward to diy. Perhaps we could have a group buy of a fitting made to our own design in SS? Plenty of cnc machines around.

It's in hand - trust me.

For those who don't know - Stilldragon has range of Modular Stainless Stills, starting of with a basic Pot Head and going up to -well the sky is the limit. Previously they have been designed for Keg Boilers and did not have an adapter for t500 / Stock pot lids etc.

I know the adaptors are coming, if they are coming quick enough for you, I do not know.

I have stopped making Pot Heads for people - I cannot make them to a hobby standard in copper for what Stilldragon are making them for in Stainless Steel to profesional standards. If anybody asks me now to make them one, I simply refer them here

If you get a group buy organised then give Stilldragon a shout as well, I know they will do specials if you want.

For those who have not seen the website - start here.

http://www.stilldragon.com

try configurations/2"/pot - the starter Pot Still is 185 US Dollars

I am led to believe that they will have a presence in the UK shortly. (a couple of months I am told)

Toodlepip.

YHB wrote:I am led to believe that they will have a presence in the UK shortly. (a couple of months I am told)

Very interesting! I'll await details.

AM

Thanks, I had a good read of their forum but the main site seems to be a no go, clicking configurations did nowt.

I really like where they're coming from. Trouble is, of course, that the further they drop down into the hobby side of the market, the more they're going to get snarled up answering the same questions over and over. iow, people spending thousands of dollars on a still will tend to know about distilling but some noobs looking to spend say £400 on a hobby still will be wanting £1k or more worth of support.

I do have some experience in a loosely related field, ie. newbie wandering into what can be regarded as a complicated subject and ime, the way to go is to remove as many options from the newbie as possible. No choices: Do this, do that and make sure xyz happens or else. Gives them the 'Ronseal Experience'. They do exactly what the tin says they should do and they get exactly what the tin says they will get.

YHB wrote:I know the adaptors are coming, if they are coming quick enough for you, I do not know.

A great adaptor for the T500 could be made from 2x 2" tri-clamp fittings welded together like this


If you were then able to put a 1.5 BSP female thread inside the lower ferule it would work perfectly with the T500 lid and existing fitting. The 2" tri-clamp fits amazingly well on the lid and gives a nice ridge for aligning the seal.

Or you can do it with a 2" ferrule onto a 1.5" half socket, but you could only use a flat gasket.

Capt'n

Thanks for the input, looking at something similar but this is neat.

This is good because, as you say, it matches the 1.1/2" BSPP "nut" supplied with the T500, but I am still looking for an alternative to this T500 nut for people who have not got that particular boiler.

The best off the shelf item I can see is a short 1.1/2" parallel nipple and a stainless steel back nut.

I have search quite a few times to find the supplier of the stainless nuts supplied with the T500 but have drawn a blank so far.

I will keep on looking.

YHB wrote:I have search quite a few times to find the supplier of the stainless nuts supplied with the T500 but have drawn a blank so far.

I will keep on looking.

Annoying you seem to be able to buy them in oz but not here
http://www.westbrew.com.au/showProduct/Stills+and+Distillation/T500+Accesories/770136

Inspired by YHBs build, I'm tempted to have a go at working copper and I'm thinking of splitting some 54mm pipe and soldering it up to be just under 2" external diameter. That can be soldered/brazed to the lid and the column simply push fits onto it. A little bit of flour paste to seal it which isn't exactly professional but should work.