Been away from the SPD side of things for a while and looking to get some info on what is meant by “Full Bore” systems? I see these use a swing arm vs a triple cow. What would be the pros and cons of that? I tried searching but didnt find much. TIA
Full bore is referring to the vapor pathway from boiling flask to vacuum pump being relatively unrestricted. This means no hoses on the cow or cold trap, it’s all glass to glass and for the most part the same diameter. This allows the vapor to travel along and condense where you want it to. Swing arms with various temperature condensers and traps to refine your cuts is my preference. I’m liking the look of the stainless steel ones that @AlexSiegel and @pdxcanna have designed:
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The term “full bore” is a remnant from the early days of short path distillation in cannabis. Back then (2016-2018?) there weren’t enough quality short path designs available and our industry fell into a rut of restricted short paths that used GL connectors and small hoses.
At the 2L size, GL connectors are not a major hindrance, though they are inconvenient. At the 5L and bigger size a wider tubing helps with multiple things that mostly boil down to faster pumping, which helps quickly reduce vacuum levels in the system. “Full bore” can also help the pump maintain low vacuum when boiling flask temperatures go up and a lot of vapor is coming off the flask.
The term full bore is a relic. It doesn’t represent anything other than an early mistake and an obvious correction.
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Thank you! That definitely helps clear things up a bit. I am currently looking at a USA Labs 5L “Full Bore” Turnkey Kit. Would it be advised to look into something a bit newer like the @AlexSiegel designed system? Thanks!
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I’d highly recommend looking at the stainless options we have! Feel free to message me here if you want any more information
The USA labs kit will absolutely work but I think the steel designs have enough benefits to make it worthwhile to go steel. Especially if it’s your first short-path, the steel will be much easier to setup perfectly and then avoid breaking.
The turn key price of one of my systems is almost identical to the USA labs last I checked. I do have a small lead time to get you a system but can also get you parts in a hurry if you need something now.
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I just graduated from the USALABs 5L swing arm setup to the Better Flange by @AlexSiegel. I will never look back to glass again. We quadrupled our distillation throughput by simply switching to the stainless system. It’s robust as hell and no chance of breaking the parts when they inevitably hit the concrete. I’ll be making a post soon with my experiences with the Better Flange. Long story short, it is SO worth it!
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Thanks for the reply! I will certainly be looking into this
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GL Connections fucking suck and they’re stupidly expensive for what they actually are.
KF25 FOREVER.
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