Still

Description

Copper still consisting of two flattened hemispheres joined at a coved neck. Each hemisphere was hammered to shape probably in a mold. The coved neck is joined to the lower hemisphere by the characteristic open dovetail and brazed. The bottom half of the smaller diameter upper hemisphere fits into the top of the coved neck and is held with brass rivets and the juncture soldered. This juncture also dovetail joined. The upper half fits into the lower half and is held by copper rivets from outside and brass rivets from inside. A tapered copper tube is joined and riveted to the upper hemisphere and sealed by wiping molted lead over juncture. The copper tube was hammered to shape and joined with a brazed open dovetail sort of joint. The inside of neither hemisphere is tinned. Through the top of the still, a brass valve is soldered. Also a disk of copper with an iron eye secured to it is soldered to the top apparently to allow the still to be lifted off the still pan via some mechanical device, e.g. block and tackle. The diameter of the lower hemisphere is approximately 21", that of the upper, about 18".