My 2" Boka LM/VM Project beginnings

[Scales82]

Hi Guys,

Ive been doing a LOT of research and I've pretty much finally come to a final design model for my still(s).

I want to initially make neutrals and after thats sorted I will have a pot for making my brown spirits and stripping runs.

I currently have a 50L keg boiler setup with a 3600w element. Later on that may be upgraded with a sight-glass and maybe a drain. but for now its just going to be a basic keg with an element.


As for the reflux head I am going with a standard boka 2" LM design with a product cooler on the 1/4" takeoff point. Pretty much identical to mullamulla's design here (thanks mate, im stealing your drawing for this post ;))

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1808

ALL CREDIT TO MULLAMULLA FOR THE PIC ^^^^

My idea will be pretty much the same, however I WONT have the main column modular and will keep it in one piece (for now).

What I want to do however, in the future... Is to put in a tee piece under the plates to add-in a gate valve to make it a LM/VM system. As I was reading that the LM can be a bit of a mission to use on still day and take many many many hours to do a run. This is okay for now, but in the future I would like to take advantage of the VM setup and get the best of both worlds.

Also, If I do decide to put in a tee piece, what size tee should I use? i see some designs with a 2" through the main column with a reducer to the side, and others that reduce the main column to 1"... all very confusing.

Does all this sound like a viable idea? Is there anything I would need to take into consideration before starting on the boka?? Id rather tackle the VM side of things later on as im just starting out (and the expense too). so I want my initial LM design to be able to accommodate my future expansion.



In addition. As I bought 2m of 2" pipe from Reece. I figured I would put .5m aside for the beginnings of a basic pot still as well. Would that be enough for a short tower inc the bends required to get onto a liebig? the rest of the pot still all looks pretty easy to do, its just my boka idea that is got my head in circles.

[Yummyrum]

Scales..you might need to get a controller for that element.
2" packed column will not be able to handle 3600 watts.Eirher that or upscate to 2.5" or 3" would be much better and allow a faster run time .

Regarding the VM .The ratio of column diameter to aperature (gate valve fully open ) determines thminimum Reflux ratio and therefore the maximum take off rate.Ideally if you had a 2" gate valve on a 2" column you woyld be as good as i gets ...but...2"ss gate valves are farkin expensive .
So if you reduce the column diameter at the tee off you can use a smaller cheaper gate valve and achieve the same result.


Having said that.Unless you intend to use your reflux still flat out as a stripper then it is not likely that you will running with a reflux ratio less than4:1 so that is why you will also see some where the rreducer is on the side of the tee just before the gate valve.

[Scales82]

Thanks yummyrum, Im still getting the hang of all this ratio business. Ill probably put a 2" tee in place with a reducer on the outcoming line. but as I say, thats later ;) It can stay LM for now. The leftover parts from this build will become a pot still before I even get to making the VM side, so that will be my primary stripping unit. Does that sound viable?

As far as i can tell the only modification I would have to make (apart from adding the tee) is to lengthen the 6mm takeoff pipe to accomidate the extra length in the column added by the tee. sound right?

Yeah Im building a 10000w controller with volt/amp meters etc, just forgot to mention it.

[Scales82]

Well now I've finished making my pot still and boiler (ill start another thread on that later) I started my LM boka today. The condenser was a bit of a mission, but after wasting several meters of tube. I finally came up with an awesome end product Im happy with. Now Im onto cutting the slots for the plates.

Has anyone noticed that the template for the slots doesnt wrap perfectly around a 2" pipe when printed? i have around 10-15mm overlap. has anyone else experienced that? Would love some assitance on that one, wouldnt mind getting those cuts done tonight.

anyway heres some pics!!!

Here it is after I finished lining up the end cap and putting the fittings etc on... so yeah, finished ;) Oh and before anyone points it out, there are vent holes in the endcap.



And here it is doing its first flow test, gets a decent flow rate through it, this is full pressure with the sprinklers out the front still running. so pretty happy with it.
Its a 200mm coil btw.

[bayshine]

looks shit hot scales :clap:

[Andy]

fantastic coil mate. should work a treat!

[Yummyrum]

Thats the shit Scales :handgestures-thumbupleft: ....good stuff .One of the nicest coils I've seen .

Regarding Templates, Never been into these things ..If I was cutting the slots, I'd clamp the pipe in a vice ,line the hack saw up with a mark on a wall at the right angle and just cut it by eye .

However ...If you want to do the template,you could print two .Do first cut with one then stick on the second and do that as if it was the first

[Scales82]

Thanks guys im pretty happy with the result. Ive seen some shocker examples and was expecting mine to come out the same. Guess I have better hand skills than I give myself credit for.

The template is this one here.

http://homedistiller.org/forum/download ... hp?id=7005

[Yummyrum]

Ah I think the problem is that we have OD pipe sizes in Aussie and they have ID pipe sizes

Thats why it overlaps...its for a slightly larger pipe diameter

[Scales82]

Ahhh righto I'll scale it

[SBB]

Has anyone noticed that the template for the slots doesnt wrap perfectly around a 2" pipe when printed?

Ive run into this problem before, or rather Stubby Drainer did back when he was buggering around with plate templates to build a 3 inch Bok, The answer from memory is as you have suggested, you need to scale them, but I cant remember how, was to long ago.

Oh and before anyone points it out, there are vent holes in the endcap.

:handgestures-thumbupleft: It didnt look like it from where I sit, I was about to.

so that will be my primary stripping unit. Does that sound viable?

Way to go :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[BackInBlack]

Onya Scales, gotta be happy with that :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Scales82]

Very happy mate ;)

Figured out the template guys, print scale the template in adobe reader to 93.5% will give the exact circumference needed for 2" pipe.

[Scales82]

Massive day in the shed today.
Finished putting plates into the column, what a mission. Had to re-try the solder 3 times. not fun. Got there in the end.

The rest was fairly straight forward, also made a product cooler too. All thats left is to solder that to the main column for support and put a union into the takeoff pipe to allow for better dissasembly. Oh and solder on a ferrule.

Anyway, PICS




After this point I got my game face on and stopped taking pictures and just got busy getting a fine coat of copper dust all over myself.
End product today

[Yummyrum]

Thanks for the heads up in the scaling factor ....guess thats why you are Scales :laughing-rolling:

That looks the job :handgestures-thumbupleft: .

Can I be a pedantic wanker ..

See all that pipe that comes out of your still before it goes into the valve ........the volume of all that will be your smear area if you are into absolute fine cuts .

IE stick the valve as close to the outlet as practical will reduce as much as possable the volume of mixed fractions . Now some may say if you are collecting in 300ml bottles ,you won't tell the difference ....and that is correct ...but if you want finer separation of early nasties then now's the time :-B

[Scales82]

No worries mate. Criticism noted and dismissed ;-) I'm not too worried about it.

[Sam.]

No worries mate. Criticism noted and dismissed ;-) I'm not too worried about it.

Errr, I would heed yummys advice, the less smearing the better :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Scales82]

It's too late to move the valve back anyway I don't have any more ferrules for the fitting. There really isn't a whole lot of excess tube anyway. Sorry if I came across douchey, very long day yesterday and I had a few beers after so really couldn't have cared less at the time.

[Scales82]

Well its all done!



One more with the hoses hooked up.


and posing next to the twin


Im really happy with my efforts, the entire build for both units and the boiler/electronics only took around 3 days TOTAL. amazing what a heap of fore-planning and research can produce.

As I said in the beginning, this will eventually be converted/upgraded to a VM with the simple addition of a 2" tee and valve etc. But Im leaving it as-is for now to get the hang of both the units before diving into that barrel head on.

Once I do fit the tee, it will provide a perfect opportunity to move the valve up a bit, Which is why I have that small service bend in the line there anyway.

Now, just have to give them both a nice clean up and vinegar run.

[Zak Griffin]

Nice work mate! You've got the best of both worlds there :)