What way to go.....

[8ball]

Cool diagram SHORTY, i dont have external steam source, but have been thinking about it the last month or so.
Is there any significant reason why the condenser is vertical or is it just for the ease of distilled honey getting to the other end of your condenser. The set up i use is a rbf with angled splash head(which broke on the weekend. spewin.) then my condenser(liebig) so my condenser sits at an angle of approx 20 - 25deg. The rbf is held above a solid hotplate with a adjustable flask clamp fitted to a camera tripod with legs cut off to only 150mm long which screw to work bench, this way i have full height to probably 650mm above bench, 360deg horizontal rotation and vertical adjustment from o - 110deg. Next time i'm set up i'll take a photo and see if i can get it posted. I am actually interested in seeing other setups either for the sake of simplicity or extravagence.

[SHORTY]

[8ball]

You want to put some legs on that table mate somebee will ask how its held up.

Whats the story with the condenser in the first diagram(vertical) as opposed to being 25-30deg horizontal in the second.

[biotechdude]

A vertical condenser is more efficient as it creates more 'pull' on the steam (containing goodies) because it is condensed faster and is 'separated' from the steaming zone better.

However, as meth-fb comes over really easy...the standard sloping condenser will be fine.  Swix has done both using a a U-shaped bend thingy for vertical condensing, as well as angled using a splashhead.  There was no difference in yield or ease, but the vertical worked a little faster; saving Swix maybe 5 mins!!.  Do whatever u have the equipment for...

[Osmium]

There's absolutely no need to generate steam externally as long as there is enough water in your boiling flask. You can easily distill 100g meth (maybe more) by distilling 1 liter of water.
You also should extract the water that came over, there is more good stuff in it.

[wareami]

those that steam distill. Very Impressive rigs and set-ups.
In attempts to get his feet wet however, Ibee's been picking the brains of the elders and researching ways to make the device as crudely and simply as possible. From all he's gathered so far, Ibee likes osmiums advice and confirms what Ibee's been told and will GO that way first. Maybe if time and space allow in the future, a steaming apparatti will be added later to work with ephedra.
Or maybe pick UP ware others failed with steam distilling pill matter.
Ibee doesn't like looking in his CrystalBall these days. He's afraid of seeing 12step    processes and sophisticated labware to get to the goodz!

[place]

How thick sould the PVC hoses be? From the differents flasks. Most of my rubber stoppers only have holes on 5-10mm.

rgs, place

[8ball]

How thick sould the PVC hoses be?

I dont think you will have a problem with hose that has a diameter of 5mm (inside diameter)

[SHORTY]

The reason for the different setups for the different condensers is that with the liebeg more steam will come into contact with the cold wall of the condenser if it is kept at an angle.  Since steam rises with it at an angle the steam tries to rise but hits the cold wall of the condenser.  The graham is more effective vertical because at an angle the condensate builds up in the coils.  Besides that the steam never gets past 1/3 the length of the coil without being condensed, using room temp water.

I use 5mm dia plastic tubing with 6mm glass in the stoppers.  Dip the hose in very hot water for a few seconds and it will slide right onto the glass tube.

Yes, i know that an external steam source is unnecessary.  However, i am not a very patient person and since the whole process of making meth requires a lot of patience, by the time i get to the end i prefer to get the same job done in half the time since i have done it both ways and the yeild and quality were the same.  The external steam also prevents any possible bumping from occuring.