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Mk V Terpenator

Gray Wolf

A Posse ad Esse. From Possibility to realization.
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Hee, hee, hee, let's build some big honkers!

Here is the first manual prototype Mk V, delivered Friday and finished shakedown yesterday. The automated unit is in the background photo of the second picture, and is complete but for wiring and plumbing.

I took a number of field shots during shakedown, but alas it was dim and overcast, in the rain, and they all turned out too dark. More after I try again.

It takes about a minute to flood the two columns and about 30 minutes to get the pressure back to zero, not using pot or column heat.

We packed in 5 lbs of ostensibly spent material from a Brand X run, to do our initial cleaning run, and actually yielded quite a lot, which unfortunately will be tossed, because of the possibility of lubricating and cutting oil contamination.

So far I've built all of the beta test sleds at cost just to build them, and licensed Specialized Formulations to build the Mk IIIA using our manufacturing network.

I set up SkunkWurx and Trilett Industries to fabricate the more commercial Mk V for those interested, and am moving on to the Mk VI, which has a bank of columns and multiple collection pots.

PSI, who has built all of my automation electronics, as well as for others building Mk II Terpenators, is designing and burning a chip for subsequent automated designs, so as to avoid the added cost of a PLC. That will lower automation electronics costs and reduce the cabinet space required.

I'm working on a shoot out between pump choices, for the larger units and will report those results, as they are available.
 

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Momerath

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Absolutely wonderful! Hats off to you GW! :tiphat:

I am currently saving my pocket change to build one of these bad boys. I love running the MkIIIA, but it just doesn't cut it when trying to run larger volumes of material. This thing looks like a beast. Its gotta be satisfying pulling a half pound chunk of goodness outta that collection vessel. ;)

Any chance of including MkV operation in one of your classes? Or even dedicating an entire class to it? I would surely attend that one! The last class I was at was great fun and very informative.

Keep up the good work.
 

Gray Wolf

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Absolutely wonderful! Hats off to you GW! :tiphat:

I am currently saving my pocket change to build one of these bad boys. I love running the MkIIIA, but it just doesn't cut it when trying to run larger volumes of material. This thing looks like a beast. Its gotta be satisfying pulling a half pound chunk of goodness outta that collection vessel. ;)

Any chance of including MkV operation in one of your classes? Or even dedicating an entire class to it? I would surely attend that one! The last class I was at was great fun and very informative.

Keep up the good work.

I'm pretty sure we can fit in a Mk V class, but will have to schedule it carefully to use the beta prototype, as it has already gone through the proud new owners immediate work log and is moving to a friends backlog for the weekend.

He has the right attitude about beta testing and would probably be amenable.

We have some tweaking to do to maximize speed, including pump upgrades and column heat, but it already kicks ass in big chunks.

I understand that various other friends are also negotiating to use it, so it may do some traveling.

Good thang she is all stainless, with polyethylene and PVC shelves, because it has been raining here since it has been on line, for awhile in torrents, and her only protection has been a pop up tent.

I didn't make the automated beta prototype electronics enclosure a NEMA 4, but it looks like I should for the production models, so it can just be hosed off and can stand the rain.
 

Gray Wolf

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Any idea on a release date? Few months I would assume as it is the prototype. Good work though man, can't wait to get one.

Trilett is set up to build the manual models as we speak, but I would suggest waiting until the prototype has some mileage on it, to shake out any inherent flaws.

For instance, I already switched to higher pressure clamps and I'm not happy with the quality of the 2" valves as delivered. I have upgraded those to Dixon.

The valves worked OK after I tightened them up, but at these ghastly prices, I expect all valves to perform out of the box, so am most certainly not impressed with their premium valve quality.

The automated unit is probably 6 months away, as the beta unit hasn't even been completed.
 

Gray Wolf

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The Mk V is enough more complicated to build, as to limit the number of folks who could do it easily, so I set up Trilett to build complete units only. Anyone who could do it readily from a kit, could do it just as easily from my drawings.

As far as schedule, the principles are out for their annual Elk hunt, so it will be a couple of weeks before I can discuss firm fixed schedules with them. More info after that happens........
 

Momerath

Active member
It seems in order to get our hands on 12" x 12" spools, we gotta look to china. I have been trying to source some, because I really wanna build one of these bad boys. We are in a good position here with access to what seems like endless (what a problem, eh?;)) amounts of material to run, and this thing would make short work of it all. I have studied your plans and they are very straight-forward, the only problem we have been having is locating the parts to build it. I am sure in good time they will become available, but until then I guess we just have to drool over your guys' MkV :)
 

Gray Wolf

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It seems in order to get our hands on 12" x 12" spools, we gotta look to china. I have been trying to source some, because I really wanna build one of these bad boys. We are in a good position here with access to what seems like endless (what a problem, eh?;)) amounts of material to run, and this thing would make short work of it all. I have studied your plans and they are very straight-forward, the only problem we have been having is locating the parts to build it. I am sure in good time they will become available, but until then I guess we just have to drool over your guys' MkV :)

I actually talked Mike into ordering the original 12" spools and got 4 of the first 5, but not so easy after that. I supplied two bottoms and four columns to both of the test sleds, so I was instantly out.

I promised to build an automated unit for another associate and people kept grabbing the incoming 12" spools that I needed, so I put in a special order, and when the next shipment arrived, I got two more before they evaporated.

I had to do the same thing for the 10" spool, which I got for my rotary evaporator, that I haven't found time to complete.

No instant gratification, but I still got what I needed.
 

Gray Wolf

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Pretty confident I could handle the build, the idea of the kit is just so easy, but I see your point with the 5

If you are handy, it should be easy enough. Even if you have to do what I did, and that is take the machining and welding to someone else.

Besides building the 1 1/2" 16 ga square tubing frame, the only welding is on the lid, injection tee, and top cap. Everything else screws together.

Some table saw work on the plastic shelves and drilling here and there, but nothing to it really.

I did wreck two cheap tubing cutters on the 3/8" 304ss vent tubing and went through a few drill bits on the 304 frame, but otherwise it was duck soup.

The machine shop complained that the off center hole for the 1" half coupling gave them fits, because they didn't have the right size bit, so they interpolated it with a CNC mill.
 

Gray Wolf

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Picture of second Mk V run producing about 277 grams from about 5 lbs of mixed trim.
 

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Crooked8

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I cant even understand most of whats being discussed with this unit but i think i need to learn. What type of end product do you end up with? Dry brittle wax? Glass? Or decarboxylized taffy type stuff? If you dont mind gray wolf i might pm you i can see from here and other posts you're the bho go to. Im having struggles with my products inconsistency and i think i know the problem but id love to run my process by you. Im sure youll find many flaws lol
 
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