Mk III Terpenator

[flatslabs]

You could run it passive with modification, but not straight out of the box. An MK3 is designed for a bottom flood and active recovery, so you would need some rigging for your solvent tank to flood from the top, but passive recovery is easy enough.

The 6x12 collection pot works fine, its just not as much surface area and makes your extractions take way longer so I could never recommend it to anyone.

You also need a vacuum pump even if you run passive recovery, but you probably already have one.

 

[pharmco]

Basic Terp MKIII copy, with a lid from Terpp Extractors, an RG6000 & recovery tank from Amazon, hoses from discounthydraulichose, parts from Glacier and a scale a I got in an auction on ebay, ran me roughly 1650.

I've spent roughly 500-1000 in upgrades, but the basic system was useful for a time.

 

[A6 Grower]

Why do you want a bigger tube? Id just stay with that sized tube and just run multiple columns into your small recovery pot. Ive ran 4-6 tubes(180-200g each) into a single 6x6 before, Id recommend a 6x12 to give you more head room to keep oil mist out of your pump. If you go with a bigger column just get the MK4 with the bigger bottom as when you use more solvent to fully extract that column your going to be waiting forever to recover that 5+lbs out of that small pot, versus doing a few little tubes one after another and only recovering at max 2.5lbs at a time. Much quicker.

At the end of my last pass i empty out the liquid in line into the machine by closing the tank valve and opening the ball valves at the machine end. Then when its down to -10 i close off the column take the liquid line off put a new column on and use the liquid line port to vac just the column down. Put the liquid line from the tank back on after its fully vacced, barley tighten the hose, open the tank and use the butane from the tank to bleed out most of the air in the line by just barley unscrewing it until it shoots some liquid butane out, then tighten it and get back to running!

 

[hellraizer30]

Why do you want a bigger tube? Id just stay with that sized tube and just run multiple columns into your small recovery pot. Ive ran 4-6 tubes(180-200g each) into a single 6x6 before, Id recommend a 6x12 to give you more head room to keep oil mist out of your pump. If you go with a bigger column just get the MK4 with the bigger bottom as when you use more solvent to fully extract that column your going to be waiting forever to recover that 5+lbs out of that small pot, versus doing a few little tubes one after another and only recovering at max 2.5lbs at a time. Much quicker.

At the end of my last pass i empty out the liquid in line into the machine by closing the tank valve and opening the ball valves at the machine end. Then when its down to -10 i close off the column take the liquid line off put a new column on and use the liquid line port to vac just the column down. Put the liquid line from the tank back on after its fully vacced, barley tighten the hose, open the tank and use the butane from the tank to bleed out most of the air in the line by just barley unscrewing it until it shoots some liquid butane out, then tighten it and get back to running!

Im trying to avoid running like that, as guaging extraction % per run is void. The sheer volume of material is almost to much for the mk3 but future plans are already in play for a secound mk3

I understand in alot of peoples scenario's this is ok but not in my circle of friends.

Thanks everybody and i will throw up pics as things come together in the next few weeks.

 

[A6 Grower]

All im saying is the only way to be efficient with the 6x6 bottom is to run multiple tubes, when you start using more butane then 2 or 3 lbs at a time youll shoot yourself in the foot having a 6x12. Your talking to someone who would regularly run 12+ tubes in a day(3 or 4 at a time depending on materials quality) on a 6x6 mkiii. Ive tried using a 6x12 and bigger columns for less work but the recovery rate was stupid slow. When you get a 12x12 its like nothing in the world can slow you down except how many ovens you have. Now if i have more then 400g to process it goes into the big machine, i dont run more then 2 columns in my mkii with a 6x12 bottom now days.

How is the percent void when doing this? Weigh each column and add them up at the end when you pour out, weigh the oil and do some math....

 

[hellraizer30]

@A6 Grower dude im seeing the light! I sat back a read your post and i see your point!

I dont see the 12x12 option on there site, might be a custom option?

 

[Hydrosun]

I didn't feel it was necessary.

What is connected to the ball valve coming off the 12" lid??? If it is a vacuum or recovery pump there may be issues with the dip tube spitting liquid close to the inbound port on the 12".

I like the look of your machine.

 

[Roji]

What is connected to the ball valve coming off the 12" lid??? If it is a vacuum or recovery pump there may be issues with the dip tube spitting liquid close to the inbound port on the 12".

I like the look of your machine.

If that turns out to be the case I'll be losing the 6 inch spool or extending that dip tube. Can't wait to fire it up.

 

[GratefulOne]

If that turns out to be the case I'll be losing the 6 inch spool or extending that dip tube. Can't wait to fire it up.

I am setting up the same idea you are using. My thought to extend the dip tube was a stiff PTFE hose pushed over the end of the welded in the lid.

 

[Hydrosun]

I am setting up the same idea you are using. My thought to extend the dip tube was a stiff PTFE hose pushed over the end of the welded in the lid.

And hose clamped with a SS hose clamp

 

[GratefulOne]

And hose clamped with a SS hose clamp

I was thinking no clamp. Just use a stiff PTFE hose that is a size small. Heat the end with a heat gun and force it over the stainless dip tube. Not sure it will stay on but I see no forces acting to remove it.

 

[Hydrosun]

I was thinking no clamp. Just use a stiff PTFE hose that is a size small. Heat the end with a heat gun and force it over the stainless dip tube. Not sure it will stay on but I see no forces acting to remove it.

no forces? The oil shoots out that dip tube at the pressure of your solvent tank, then sits in the pressure of your collection pot, then is sucked down to full vacuum several times a day.

A hose clamp costs less than a dollar. Finding that your extension fell off and you sucked a shit ton of oil into your Appion, VERY Pricey!

 

[GratefulOne]

Not a lot of force acting to remove the plastic tube extension. The oil/butane only has the force of friction moving down the tube to pull it off. The pressure difference when you open the dump valve would provide some true but not tons if the valve is cracked slowly.

I am think a hose small enough it has to be heated a streached to get it on and then it is still a fight.

For the cost and ease of a clamp it is not a bad idea.

My over all idea is so you can switch back to a small pot by removing the PTFE hose.

 

[Hydrosun]

Not a lot of force acting to remove the plastic tube extension. The oil/butane only has the force of friction moving down the tube to pull it off. The pressure difference when you open the dump valve would provide some true but not tons if the valve is cracked slowly.

I am think a hose small enough it has to be heated a streached to get it on and then it is still a fight.

For the cost and ease of a clamp it is not a bad idea.

My over all idea is so you can switch back to a small pot by removing the PTFE hose.

If you are going to put it on and take it off then a clamp is even more important. Your heated and streched hose will eventually lose its friction, but the pressure of the oil and recover pumps as well as gravity will always be working to pull off the hose.

Hose clamp on a properly sized hose is my suggestion. I have seen many deformed hose ends on my vacuum lines, and they require hose clamps for me to maintain a vacuum. Not the exact same application, but I now use hose clamps on all my barbed fittings.

 

[hellraizer30]

Went ahead and ordered a MKIII yesterday i decided to pass on the
450 upgrade and just get a extra 6x6 spool to stack. So i got 6 x 12
With a 220 column, i slso ordered another 220 column and everything short of the recovery pump and recovery tank.

Do to lack of funds xmas and new years plus this purchase running this active for the first few runs wont be a option... So im going to do it passive till i can afford all the other goodies.

Just a progress update gunna be a few weeks before i even see it in my mail.

Have a great new years folks

 

[A6 Grower]

I found passive works better if you do top down with the MKIII. Just put you reducer with the butane in valves ontop of your column.

 

[athomewithkyle]

Do you need to buy different size columns for different size runs?

 

[Gray Wolf]

All im saying is the only way to be efficient with the 6x6 bottom is to run multiple tubes, when you start using more butane then 2 or 3 lbs at a time youll shoot yourself in the foot having a 6x12. Your talking to someone who would regularly run 12+ tubes in a day(3 or 4 at a time depending on materials quality) on a 6x6 mkiii. Ive tried using a 6x12 and bigger columns for less work but the recovery rate was stupid slow. When you get a 12x12 its like nothing in the world can slow you down except how many ovens you have. Now if i have more then 400g to process it goes into the big machine, i dont run more then 2 columns in my mkii with a 6x12 bottom now days.

How is the percent void when doing this? Weigh each column and add them up at the end when you pour out, weigh the oil and do some math....

To the point, the butane molecules can only escape the pool from the surface. The more surface area and shallower the puddle, the faster the purge.

The molecules are excited above their boiling point, and are charging around looking for a way out, but spend more time crashing into the bottom and sides of the cylinder with a small surface area and deep pool, than they do at the open top surface, where escape is actually possible.

 

[Gray Wolf]

On the subject of dip tubes, I would definitely extend my dip tube if I was going to put a Mk III lid on a deeper spool. When you dump it in mid air, with the air stream flowing up, some of the lighter droplets will follow the air stream,

 

[Hydrosun]

Went ahead and ordered a MKIII yesterday i decided to pass on the
450 upgrade and just get a extra 6x6 spool to stack. So i got 6 x 12
With a 220 column, i slso ordered another 220 column and everything short of the recovery pump and recovery tank.

Do to lack of funds xmas and new years plus this purchase running this active for the first few runs wont be a option... So im going to do it passive till i can afford all the other goodies.

Just a progress update gunna be a few weeks before i even see it in my mail.

Have a great new years folks

I too have two 6" spools, but never connect them. Instead, I pull the system to -15 to -20 and remove the lit, swap out 6" spool and run a new column.

Empty the old 6" spool onto your parchment paper / shelves and place in vac oven.