Tried this with a few modifications and it worked.
https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/alhg-pressure.txt
smokemouth 04-11-00 No 108238
This is the experimental from the patent.
French Patent 844228
To 14 g phenylacetone dissolved in 50 g ether is added 15g 20% alcoholic methylamine solution, another 50g ether, 5g water and 2g activated aluminum. The mixture is put under a hydrogen pressure of 3 atm. The reaction is done when all the aluminum has been consumed. The aluminum hydroxide is removed by filtration and the filtrate is extracted with hydrochloric acid. By neutralising with alkalic solution 14 g of crude base is obtained. Distillation gives the pure
phenylisopropylmethylamine.
This is what bio did.........
13.4g P2P (100mm) + 4.7g MeNH2 (150mm) in 30ml Abs EtOH + 100ml 96% EtOH (to arrive at the water amount in the patent). + 4.0g Al(150mm)..2g for reaction..2g for pressure in situ was the theory which did NOT test out btw.
Started with 20PSI H2 pressure but was only able to develop 2 atm insitu (which is the EtOH pressure at 97deg.) in a 100deg water bath. This was partly due to technical problems with the H2 generator rig, so I just heated the whole shebang.
Anyway got 11.1g base product which ain't too shabby for a first run with numerous problems. Also did a nitromethane reduction in the same rig to get the MeNH2.