Yes, "the master plan" is bogus. There has been only one article published ever on the one-step reduction of an aliphatic carboxylic acid to a methyl group, and that uses Et3SiH and B(C6F5)3 - nothing for hobby chemists. The article in question can be read here: Post 194986 (https://www.thevespiary.org/talk/index.php?topic=12508.msg19498600#msg19498600)
(Rhodium: "First published direct reduction of COOH to CH3", Serious Chemistry)
I think these could be interesting homemade hydrogenation vessels and they come in SS http://www.hcti.com/vessels/index.htm (http://www.hcti.com/vessels/index.htm)
I have a question for those familiar with hydrogenations: It has been suggested that using SS soda kegs as hydrogenators would be a good idea, but is it dangerous to have a vessel that has a volume that is far greater than that of the reactants? If yes, do you just compensate with more solvent? I seem to recall reading somewhere that it is dangerous to have catalysts such as platinum black get splashed somewhere in the hydrogenator where it then dries because of insuffincient shaking or stirring. Also, with pro hydrogenators (Parr etc) how do they prevent catalyst from getting splashed up into the lines that supply the hydrogen? -zero