R. G. Griswold

Distilled water is being used for so many purposes, especially in the dark room, that every worker in this line should have a still with which he may provide himself with a liberal quantity of pure water. The following description tells how to make a very cheap but efficient still. It may be operated in any manner that best suits the convenience of the operator, and if placed on the rear of a stove will work continuously all day without much attention, and with no cost of fuel as the cook stove generally runs for the entire day, whether meals are being cooked or not.

Make the boiler out of a common milk can that has a taper-fitted lid or stopper. Melt the handle off the lid and punch a hole in the centre large enough to admit the end of a 3/8" block tin pipe. In soldering this pipe in place great care will have to be exercised as the tin pipe will readily melt with a hot soldering iron. A piece of wet cotton put inside the tube at the point of soldering will sometimes prevent this accident. The taper of the lid will generally shut the boiler tight enough as the steam pressure is very low, but if too much escapes, slip a rubber band around the lower end of the taper and then insert in the neck. This will make a steam tight gasket.

The condenser may be made from a large size tomato can that has had the ragged edge melted off. Two 1/4" brass tubes are soldered to its sides, one for the inlet through which the cooling water is poured and the other an outlet which carries away the hot water from the top to a pail or other receptable on the floor.

The condensing worm is made of 3/8" block tin pipe, such as druggists use in their soda fountains, as this does not dissolve in the condensing water; neither does it corrode. About four feet will be amply sufficient and it may be rolled around an ordinary bottle to give it the coil shape. The end is passed through a hole in the bottom of the can and soldered there. If the end is nicely shaved off to make a lip as shown, the water will drop off and into a receptable without spattering or running around the end of the tube.

Of course it would be better, to make the cans of copper, tin lined as they would never rust, which the tin will quickly do. This rust, however, has no effect upon the purity of the water as none of it passes over, and the cans are so cheap that they may be readily replaced when rusted through. The supply of cooling water may be supplied through a small rubber tube from a bucket overhead, using a small tube as a siphon. This still will be found very efficient, and withan ordinary Bunsen burner under the boiler will give about two gallons of water per day.