StillSmart

Okay, it's distressing and exciting at the same time to take a pipe cutter to the Boka head to add a 2" equal tee for a lower VM take-off. I am just waiting for the fittings. To my 36" packed column, I will add an 18" packed extension that will be placed between the multi-head and the longer column. At either end of the smaller extension, centering rings with a 1" hole will be friction-fitted.

This should speed up the heart run.

Okay, I did it after following the soldering advice given in my other thread. As would be my luck, the reflux head combined with the original LM component slightly leans within the 2" equal tee for the VM after having been soldered. Sadly, there was not enough pipe to abut the stop within the tee which otherwise would have prevented the slight lean. I believe it is just an unfortunate aesthetic issue that does not affect function.

I followed Samohen's diagram as found on HD.

Did you manage to complete the joint without disturbing the slant plate ?

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Keystone wrote:As would be my luck, the reflux head combined with the original LM component slightly leans within the 2" equal tee for the VM after having been soldered. Sadly, there was not enough pipe to abut the stop within the tee which otherwise would have prevented the slight lean. I believe it is just an unfortunate aesthetic issue that does not affect function.

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It should be fine, as long as the packed section is plumb then it will work. As you probably know already, its really important to have the column plumb.

Are the collars going to be removable or are they going to be soldered in place?
I had issues with my collars and my column would flood, others have gotten them to work and seen huge improvements in performance, so I might give it another go one day.

This is my VM/LM combo that I'm currently running

Capt-Cudellez wrote:------------------------

Keystone wrote:As would be my luck, the reflux head combined with the original LM component slightly leans within the 2" equal tee for the VM after having been soldered. Sadly, there was not enough pipe to abut the stop within the tee which otherwise would have prevented the slight lean. I believe it is just an unfortunate aesthetic issue that does not affect function.

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It should be fine, as long as the packed section is plumb then it will work. As you probably know already, its really important to have the column plumb.

Are the collars going to be removable or are they going to be soldered in place?
I had issues with my collars and my column would flood, other have gotten them to work and seem huge improvements in performance, so I might give it another go one day.

This is my VM/LM combo that I'm currently running

The lean may throw off the reported 1 ounce collection volume a little bit. Yes, I was thinking the same way that, so long as the packed column is plumb, operation should be fine. In retrospect, I should have placed a suitable wedge under the tee to help keep it straight as the pipe was resting in the jaws of the bench vise. Hopefully, it will work just fine.

As for the collars or centering rings, I have a set of copper sheet samples of varying thickness which I bought originally for the thickest sheet to make the boka plates per a suggestion at HD. I then used the next thickest plate as a base for my parrot. Of the remaining sheets, I will use the thinnest sheet to make a removable collar.

I am going to follow a diagram from HookLine which places one collar just below the VM tee and another just one-third of the way down the packed column. I have read a lot of positive reports on these collars as well.

Nice combo. Is the VM take-off centered between the boka plates?

YHB wrote:Did you manage to complete the joint without disturbing the slant plate ?

Yes, I used two cold rags, water bottle and bench vise to get the job done.

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Keystone wrote:Nice combo. Is the VM take-off centered between the boka plates?

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Yes, if you click the pic you'll get a full size photo. Having the take off there the top plate acts as a bit of a choke to help divert vapour to the VM take off. The bottom plate also has a "tongue" cut in it to divert the reflux to the centre of the packing.

Please let me know if there are any EXIF issues in the piccies below.

Keystone wrote:Please let me know if there are any EXIF issues in the piccies below.

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You are below the Radar with these.

It's looking good, the leaning tower of pizza affect is only noticeable if you know about it.
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YHB wrote:

Keystone wrote:Please let me know if there are any EXIF issues in the piccies below.

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You are below the Radar with these.

It's looking good, the leaning tower of pizza affect is only noticeable if you know about it.
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YHB,

Thanks for the confirm and the soldering tips! I am at the point where I am fixing my house's plumbing as issues arise.

There has been no further progress on the build aside from ordering some Nitra pneumatic push-connects for the cooling lines and some other copper bits. I have otherwise kept busy by oaking the rum and doing the first of three all-grain batches of 100% Golden Promise at 8% to go in a no-chill cube.

Everything is soldered except for the fitting to hold the thermometer. Using the wet rag trick made soldering the reducing tees on the condenser much less frustrating. I still have to make the centering rings and the 18" extension, though.

And I wonder whether I need the second thermo port in addition to the one below the top slant plate?

Keystone wrote:And I wonder whether I need the second thermo port in addition to the one below the top slant plate?

Where were you thinking of putting it? I wouldn't bother personally. The one thermo will give you all the info you need.

I've ran a mid column and one in the output, they both behaved the same. The actual temps they read we're slightly different, but you don't run it on the temp, just looking for a 0.1oC change.

Thanks CC. I am mostly done. Hopefully, I will have time to finish next weekend.

Below are a few pics.