Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hey guys, I am a complete dunce as far as plumbing goes and I've been wrestling with this for a while; how in the name of all that is sacred do you get plumbing fittings to line up properly when you screw them together? I want to fit a gate valve to my product condenser but I cannot get it to face the way I want it to.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

OK, stop laughing now...

Thread tape :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Use some Teflon tape.

You want to build up enough tape so that you can get the thread tight enough so you can stop turning where you want the valve to finish.
A good way to achieve this is put a heap of tape on and then thread your fitting on so it cuts a thread into the tape.

Undo the thread, wrap a bit more tape and return the fitting.
Keep doing this till you have a really firm fit

Hemp is way more forgiving. :-B

Thanks for the tips chaps, I have been using teflon tape but clearly haven't been doing it right.

Never seen hemp plumbing tape before, I gather Bunnings don't sell it.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Food grade hydraulic sealant sticks are excellent as well.

Thanks, never seen those either!

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

FYI, this is specifically the stuff I use on water/air/hydraulics;

http://www.loctite.com.au/3320_AUE_HTML ... b=document

Triangle Going Sick wrote:FYI, this is specifically the stuff I use on water/air/hydraulics;

http://www.loctite.com.au/3320_AUE_HTML ... b=document

Hmm, is it safe to eat?

Dubious about using it on a still.

Sam. wrote:

Triangle Going Sick wrote:FYI, this is specifically the stuff I use on water/air/hydraulics;

http://www.loctite.com.au/3320_AUE_HTML ... b=document

Hmm, is it safe to eat?

Dubious about using it on a still.

Would be allright for the cooling side but after reading the specs on it I wouldn't be using it in the vapour path :-B

If you want to build it up a lot, get the pink tape not the white. Works heaps better.

Brilliant, thanks guys.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Sam. wrote:

Sam. wrote:

Triangle Going Sick wrote:FYI, this is specifically the stuff I use on water/air/hydraulics;

http://www.loctite.com.au/3320_AUE_HTML ... b=document

Hmm, is it safe to eat?

Dubious about using it on a still.

Would be allright for the cooling side but after reading the specs on it I wouldn't be using it in the vapour path :-B

:handgestures-thumbupleft: Agree with that, my use is industrial and I took it OP was using it on cooling line. It does have good sealing strength retention in ethanol FWIW.

There is a food grade version but I can't find it anywhere online.

Yep, definitely only for use in running cooling water to and from condensers.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

:text-+1: the pink plumbers tape.
Bunnings sells a huge roll for about eight bucks