Cheap ss weldless bulkhead idea.

Hey everyone,

I have been looking on proflowdynamics website for some time now and there prices keep pushing me towards trying this for a cheap weldless bulkhead and I wanted to see what peoples thoughts were on this. Maybe i'm just crazy.

- First the 1/2inch 3-piece ball valve is $15 which is the best price I have seen around and its 316 ss http://store.proflowdynamics.com/modules/store/3-piece-Ball-Valve_P212081C12074.cfm They also have 2-piece for $11.15

- Next they have a hex nipple or a close nipple for 4.00 for the hex - http://store.proflowdynamics.com/modules/store/Hex-Nipple_P378209C12074.cfm
and $3.50 for the close http://store.proflowdynamics.com/modules/store/Close-Nipple_P497292C12074.cfm

- Silicone washers for $0.75 a piece http://store.proflowdynamics.com/modules/store/3-4-Food-Grade-Gasket_P132975C12074.cfm

-1/2 inch locknut for $0.76 http://store.proflowdynamics.com/modules/store/1-2-Lock-Nut_P378303C12074.cfm

- or a coupling - http://store.proflowdynamics.com/modules/store/1-2-Coupling-Machined_P450145C12074.cfm

Now the only thing I think is missing would be washers which are important.
If someone has a link to a cheap place to find those. we are looking at $25.81 shipped for a three piece weldless bulkhead all 316 stainless steel.

I am planning on buying a lot of weldless fitting for my electric brewery build so I am trying to find the cheapest and best way to do this. If Anyone knows of a place to find cheap ss washer that might make this something. Plus I have a 10% off coupon for the website that once I get the all clear from there marketing department ill be willing to share.
What do you guys think?

Thanks, Jacob

 

Personally I would just buy from Bobby (http://www.brewhardware.com/valves/59-weldless-bulkhead).

 

Honestly, I'd go with Bobby_M or bargainfittings.com too.

You get everything you need in one place. No issues with getting the wrong parts, or finding you can't get the right size washer or gasket. Everything is in the kit and everything works and it's designed for brewing.

 

I bought a bunch of camlocks and my chugger pump from pro flow dynamics and had great service. I also have bought items like tubing and stainless fittings from BobbyM. Go with whoever had the best price.

 

I just cant justify spending 35 or more dollars on a weldless ball valve. Plus I want at 3-piece which will be even more. If I needed 1 that would be one thing but I want 9. So spending 315 dollars just for fittings seems insane to me. There has to be a better and cheaper way to do and do it right. Ill take the risk that a 6 or 7 dollars worth of hardware might not work to effectlivly seal in order to save my
Self 150 in the long run and possibly have better valves out of it too.

Anyone have any ideas on this? Thanks guys on the links ill keep them as backups but till then I want to see if this will work.

Im about to order the parts just need to figure iut the washer situation. I just emailed proflow for a suggestion on a washer that will fit snuggly onto there nipples.

 

The kit I linked to is $12. Where are you getting $35 from? Buy the weldless kits from Bobby and if you find a valve somewhere else purchase it from there.

 

I was including the price of the valve as well. Ill get those if this doesn't work out. I emailed the sales people at proflow and they are fitting washers they have now and said they will give me an estimate and let me know. so I might be getting them for around 8 bucks a piece plus the 10% off my order. He offered to send me test washer as well. Great company.

 

Just got 3 different washers sizes .5 , 0.533, and 0.62 sent to me to test for sizing against the nipples I ordered. So all the parts are on there way and if it works ill post pics of my findings. Im around 10 dollars after shipping costs. We will see. If anything, for the electric brewery builds out there like mine this may be the way to go bulk will be very reasonable.

 

are those ID measurements? they certainly wont fit over a 1/2" nipple.
are you going with 1/4" or 3/8" bulkheads for this build?

 

Yeah they are. I am doing 1/2 inch. What size will fit over?

Idk why they sent me the .5 and .53 but I think the .62 one will fit over the nipples. What size should I request? These are for text fittings so I would like to contact them as soon as possible to change the size.

 

7/8" ID will fit over the nipple and nipple threads
13/16" ID will catch the last thread or so and won't slide over the nipple

if you need a lot of thread available go 7/8", if you need just a locknut or to shorten the nipple go 13/16"

 

Thank's I just emailed them

 

I needed 7/8th inch ID washers to go over my 1/2 ID pipe nipple. They were a PITA to find, but Fastenal had them.

Edit: Amanda beat me to it.

 

I am ordering from albanycountyfasteners.com as well for washers while I talk with the people over at proflow. They are working with me before I order 25 if everything with the washers over at proflow doesn't pan out. Good backup plan plus real nice people. plus free shipping for orders 15 bucks and over.

 

I just talked with a sales rep at proflow and he is working on getting washers on the site and he sent me a picture of how it fits. I put in an order with them and he is going to throw one in to let me test it out. If it all works out he will have tons of them made and put them on the site. Ill let you guys know my findings. With the 10% off that's been going around you can get these pretty cheap.

heres the pictures.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gf9mxgl43itexsv/bulkhead.JPG

What do you guys think? ill let you know how well it seals when I receive my package.

 

Got my order in and took an old aluminum fryer turkey pot that I used when I first started brewing and punched a hole in it and made the most simple bulkhead I could come up with and had great success. Put it through a 60 minute boil and it didn't leak a drop. The sales rep at proflow is going to be putting these washers on the site pretty soon. So to emulate the setup I have its going to cost you no more than 6.50 for the whole setup. plus if you enter proflow10 you get 10% off of your order.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/pp1y7x6w94ws6cz/EBdFs0wvhB
Pardon the nasty pot. didn't get a chance to wipe it off after my brew.

 

your setup needs two locknuts and has no provision to connect anything inside the pot. it would be ok if all you want is a drain.
the standard setup has more versatility.

 

I know, the salesman at proflow only sent me 1 washer to test fit. I figured that when he sent them to me I would receive two. I just sent back my notes to him(what you said was included). The reason I went ahead and tested it with what I had was because I wanted to see if the hardware (mostly the gasket on the inside) will hold water and not leak. Which it did hold water. I have a coupling for a female input on the inside. I am just waiting for the washers I ordered to come in to use it.

 

How far on the nipple do those locknuts thread? Up to about the middle? Could you post a pic of just the nut threaded on the nipple as far as it'll go? Curious as i've bought a few that only thread a tiny bit & dont want to order these with the same results. Thanks

 

When I get home from work later ill test it and take some pictures.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/wrn2hflb8l0thv3/wMkrs7k17o

It goes on almost half way. Idk how far youd want it to go. If you look at the last picture I used a coupler. It doesnt go much further maybe a turn more at most. The reason for this is the nipples diameter gets wider the further in you get. So I dont think anything will go much further than that.

 

Thanks

 

Just for the record, the $0.76 locknut from ProFlowDynamics doesn't have the inner groove for an O-ring but works fine with a silicone washer.

The fittings I have got from ProFlowDynamics have been high quality and at $15 the 3 piece valve is a bargain.

 

The nipples are a tapered thread. That nut looks pretty wide and if its not threading all the way on it is also a npt tapered thread. you need a 1/2" straight pipe thread locknut

 

Doesnt look like a coupling will thread on after the lockbut

 

The ProFloDynamics locknuts are NPT.

 

after trying to reinvent the wheel for a week, I think the OP would be better off buying the right bulkhead parts parts from bargainfittings or bobby-m and if they are cheaper, the valves from ProFloDynamics.

 

Haha I havent spent more than twenty-five dollars. Proflow keeps sending me things to try out and keep. Im working with a sales rep and is going to have washers manufactured for the site. Right now I have 2 3-piece ball valves, one two piece, 3 nipples, male and femal camlock coupler, washers, gaskets and 2 couplers. Im doing pretty well haha.

 

It is a bargain, I really like the silicone washers they have too. Washers should be listed hopefully in next 8 weeks ( they have to manufacture them) I have been constantly emailing a sales rep sending him pictures comparisons on od and thickness and we came up with some specs that he is going to try to have manufactured. He is shooting for less than a dollar a piece as well.

 

Deleted

 

Wait. You found a bug in their system and decided to exploit it then brag about it? Stay classy.

 

I emailed them after I realized that it is most likely a bug and not a promotion that I was unaware of. They seem to have free giveaway and deals. I have been speaking to them quite a lot and grown fond of the company. You are right. Just got caught up in the excitement of saving money.

 

That's a lot of time and effort to save $10.

 

It turned into helping a sales rep fit washers and see which sizes were best fits to help them out.

To bobby: talked to the sales rep and we worked it out. I told him exactly what happened and they are fixing it so its not repeatable. Plus giving them the money for the difference on one of the discounts to level things out even though they were just going to accept it as it was. Good company. Never had the intent of screwing anyone over. Just got excited and was thinking maybe this is just a thing they do and wanted to share my findings. It wasnt haha but its all taken care of.

 

I think it's easier to go with Bobby M. He explains all his fitting and uses precisely on his site. Which is a big help if you know nothing about fittings. Plus I prefer to give my money to someone like him who is helping ppl brew better beer.

 

I should clarify that my posting into this thread really wasn't about trying to earn the OP's business. The DIY spirit will never be broken by practicalities or consideration of R&D time. I'm all for trying something new. That being said, I've screwed around parts like this for so long and have tested plenty of versions and I stand behind what I sell as a working configuration. That assurance yields a slightly higher price than the sum of the parts and I'm fine with people seeking out cheaper alternatives.

The tricky thing is that all of these Chinese manufactured parts have variable tolerances that make it nearly impossible to pull from different sources and have the end assembly be consistent. For example, you see that Proflow ended up with a lot of NPT threaded locknuts by mistake. It's happened to me too (they went to the scrapyard) and I got a credit for the difference.

I'll end with a PSA. Bulkheads that put the gasket behind a loose SS washer are pure garbage. Don't make them. Don't buy them. I'm convinced that half the places selling these things have never installed and leak tested.

 

I am 100% a diy'er and always will be. What you said at the end is right. I have bought various bulkheads and non of them have been the quality ive expected (especially for the price they charge.) So i said to myself id rather spend just as much and get to toy around a bit and probably get a just as good if not better end result. It worked. But it was a hassle.