StillSmart

That looks good Brian. What kind of glue did you use?

ant wrote:That looks good Brian. What kind of glue did you use?

Contact adhesive. Time will tell.

This week I started playing with the copper bits for the first of the bubblers.

I had this fantasy that I could hold the copper in my left hand and file it with my right. All that happened was my left hand seized up with cramp. As the week went on it took less time each day for my hand to look like a chickens foot and I did not make much progress.

So today I went and had a trawl round the local hardware shops, and found a miniature bench vice for less than four quid. Best money ever spent I am back in business.

Still plodding away.

This is the Mark 2 prototype, and it is getting close.

The AMCAP-35







The closure plate at the bottom of the internal tube is not there yet, as is the deflector plate to save the condensate dropping down to the next level. I am still working with the minimum cost tools, this bubble cap was made with a hacksaw blade and a set of needle files. It is working out very cheap, as long as you ignore the bill for the new table top, I finally got the last of the glue off it, then cracked it - bugger.

Just woken up from my winter snooze.

Looking good Brian. I am amazed you manage so much with so little.

Any more news?

It's been a while, a few people have dropped me PM's and I have been bad mannered not to answer them - sorry for that.

I have been doing bits and pieces on the build when I could. I am half way there, 4 tees to go.

Click for a larger image.





If you are interested then there are more details here. http://visionstills.org/index.php/board,14.0.html

The images are hosted on site run by Lloyd who was the founder of Stilldragon and was responsible for the development of the many innovations that we are now taking for granted.

If anyone is interested in the site then it may be worth registering, it is a new site but looks promising, Lloyd knows the Crystal Dragon,Baby Dragon, Dashes, Bubble Tees, Torpedo's etc. etc. like no one else. If you want to know how to get the best out of your kit then he is the one to ask. If you are thinking of buying in the future then the new shop will be open soon and should be very interesting.

Brian,YOU KNOW that I don't need to mention how good it is to see you post here again,your presence here has been sorely missed for a while now.
It is also good to see that your build is almost there,your build quality and attention to detail is,IMHO only matched by Myles.
The fact that it caused me to spill a drink on the keyboard,(possibly for the first time since your last post)and certain keys are now unresponsive,I will put down to my own clumsiness,and is small potatoes,and digging a mouse out of a cupboard has made all work,for now.
I do hope that old potatoes are not re-heated in this thread.
But it really is a pleasure to see you back.

Robert.

Hi Brian

Nice to hear from you again, I remember you helped me loads when I joined and got started, the new build looks good, copper workmanship at its finest if I was you I would stop at 4 plates and call it a good job, I run some Rum using 6 x 2.5" bubble caps but it was too much, I lost loads of flavour and had a very narrow ABV range to find my hearts in. I'm going back down to 4 plates for flavoured runs from now on, and just use a packed section on top for neutral.

Anavrin wrote:I run some Rum using 6 x 2.5" bubble caps but it was too much, I lost loads of flavour

The 8 plates are intended for future attempts at a vodka.

From what I understand for flavoured washes, most people appear to use the plates with reflux to compress the heads and leave the flavour in the boiler. Once the heads are gone they then reduce or stop the reflux and run the hearts out with reducing ABV as you would expect from a Pot Still and pull the flavour over that way.

I basically did that with my Bok / Pot still set up and it worked quite well. Hoping for even better with this one.

Brian I've long been fascinated and impressed with the thought and detail you put into crafting your stills. May you continue for a long time, cheers.

YHB wrote:
From what I understand for flavoured washes, most people appear to use the plates with reflux to compress the heads and leave the flavour in the boiler. Once the heads are gone they then reduce or stop the reflux and run the hearts out with reducing ABV as you would expect from a Pot Still and pull the flavour over that way.

See, that's why I've missed you Brian, you always explain things so simply and I'm left thinking, why didn't I think of that in the first place!!

It's another "Pleasant Valley Sunday".
And I for one am not sorry.
That song title may mean something to an oldie or two here.
To me it simply means that we can expect another helpful post from YHB.
Here's hoping.

Robert

Oh,and the laptop forgave the high (ha!) quality spirit spilled on it last night,and continues to do it's allotted tasks.
Win win situation happening here!

Good to see you back Brian.

I started off this thread by saying it would take months, perhaps I should have said years.

Just to prove I am still working on it.









Dephlag to finish and its nearly there

It looks impressive, for sure!

Robert.

Wow its beautiful well done that man.
Its absolutely fantastic.
When I pluck the courage up I will buy a baby
Crystal dragon to fit on my grainfather.