12AX7 - 12-8-2008 at 15:17
http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/Images/Condenser.jpg
Of all things, mom found the flask at a sale for mere pennies and gave it to me for my birthday this week. 
So I whipped up a condenser and still head to stick on it, because I just love working copper that much.
Tim
ordenblitz - 12-8-2008 at 15:52
What a deal. Unfortunately, I could never get my mother properly trained to identify useful laboratory items at garage sales from the crap.
"No ma... I said, Rotovap not rototiller"
Klute - 12-8-2008 at 17:19
Very nice! Looks like clean soldering there!
Maybe you should try making a receiver adaptor out of copper tubing too to avoid any evaporation of your distillate?
kclo4 - 12-8-2008 at 20:20
Nice craftsmanship 12AX7! What are you going to use it for first? 
It is a 6 Liter flask?
12AX7 - 12-8-2008 at 20:33
Thanks, I do enjoy copperwork. Lead-free solder on the joints, which isn't too bad on strength (which is nice because the water connections are just
butt joints!), and fills those ugly gaps that fortunately, you cannot see.
For my first act, I took some moldy old wine and mead, about a liter total (up to the first mark, if that is in fact a liter) and heated it up.
http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/Images/Condenser3.jpg
Here's a drip falling back from the head...
http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/Images/Condenser.wmv
In total I collected about 300 ml of various spirits, mostly of a fruity brandy sort of odor, as one would expect. The first 30 ml came over
greenish, probably from crud on the copper. It burned reasonably well, leaving little residue (>50%?). Much of the distillate (~200ml) I
collected at a reasonably rapid rate, high heat I would say and about 1 drip per second. The middle stuff was crystal clear except for some
particulates.
Tim
DerAlte - 12-8-2008 at 21:24
You may not take measurements, 12AX7, but you are a craftsman! What leadless solder did you use on those joints?
Regards,
Der Alte
undead_alchemist - 14-8-2008 at 12:02
Nice Job,
Good Solders to use,
lead free Silver bearing
Example, Silver Solder (45% Silver), or Silfos 15
But you need Mapp gas to work with it.
12AX7 - 14-8-2008 at 18:45
Yeah, a shame I'm out of silver solder. Much preferrable for the water connection joints, one of which I already broke, leveraging against the still
head connection (which is a threaded joint). If I had some, the still head would be good for, well, more than the 430°F melting point of this soft
solder! The fluxless stuff (I believe it contains phosphorous) is beautiful to use with copper.
I'd "need MAPP" to work with it anyway, copper is conductive assed stuff! Fortunately I have propane burners more than powerful enough for this kind
of work. Hah, the same burner I used to solder this apparatus I also used to heat the still pot, you can see just the tip in the third picture
(linked above).
Tim
DerAlte - 14-8-2008 at 21:04
12AX7, you didn't tell us what your 'lead-free' was. I agree that silver solder is the sweetest solder, it flows like a charm, and I thought your neat
joints were made that way. AFAIK the only solders that are lead-free are Sn/Ag or Sn/Sb. Are there others?
Regards,
Der Alte
12AX7 - 15-8-2008 at 00:51
It says tin with 0.25-1% Ag, 3-5% Cu. I would prefer high Ag, as I recall they are stronger, but this was on the shelf, can't complain.