Cheap Tri clamp issues

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Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby WTDist » Mon Aug 22, 2016 7:45 pm

Yea FSD ones are good, Ive had others that like to cross thread under pressure. Not fun taking them apart with a hack saw. brand new 2" cross threaded the other day sitting overnight. was good one day shit the next after sitting :naughty:

My FSD ones never do that
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Re: New 4" pot in the build

Postby TasSpirits » Mon Aug 22, 2016 7:50 pm

WTDist wrote:Yea FSD ones are good, Ive had others that like to cross thread under pressure. Not fun taking them apart with a hack saw. brand new 2" cross threaded the other day sitting overnight. was good one day shit the next after sitting :naughty:

My FSD ones never do that

Im curious, how does a triclamp cross thread? :think:
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Re: New 4" pot in the build

Postby WTDist » Mon Aug 22, 2016 8:02 pm

set up the pot in the post the other day to water test it for leaks. left it st over 2 nights. tried to get it off and the bugger was cross threaded. went on perfectly fine, did up tight with some multi grips no probs at all, perfectly actually. then was cross threaded when i tried to remove 2 mornings later. got maybe 4 or 5 turns before i couldnt go anymore but as soon as i tried to get it off i new :angry-banghead: . . its one with a hole in the nut so there is less grip on the nut to the bolt putting more pressure on the thread that is on it.

macs go all the way through with more thread length/ contact or something. the ones with hole in them have half i would say.

its like a nut that's twice as short as another has half the strength or something.
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Re: New 4" pot in the build

Postby TasSpirits » Mon Aug 22, 2016 8:58 pm

WTDist wrote:set up the pot in the post the other day to water test it for leaks. left it st over 2 nights. tried to get it off and the bugger was cross threaded. went on perfectly fine, did up tight with some multi grips no probs at all, perfectly actually. then was cross threaded when i tried to remove 2 mornings later. got maybe 4 or 5 turns before i couldnt go anymore but as soon as i tried to get it off i new :angry-banghead: . . its one with a hole in the nut so there is less grip on the nut to the bolt putting more pressure on the thread that is on it.

macs go all the way through with more thread length/ contact or something. the ones with hole in them have half i would say.

its like a nut that's twice as short as another has half the strength or something.

Some thing went wrong with last post, I dont get the threaded bit, a tri clover does not have a threaded section, does it? :think:
Last edited by rumdidlydum on Tue Aug 23, 2016 6:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Removed double post
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Re: New 4" pot in the build

Postby Zak Griffin » Mon Aug 22, 2016 9:37 pm

There is a thread on the clamp to close it up...
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Re: New 4" pot in the build

Postby TasSpirits » Mon Aug 22, 2016 9:47 pm

:violence-smack: :violence-smack: :violence-smack: OK I get it now.
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Re: New 4" pot in the build

Postby WTDist » Mon Aug 22, 2016 10:34 pm

lol, a bolt swinging on a pin then a funny (guess wingnut type thing) nut to tighten it up. the nut fucked up. if you look in the potstill post of mine from yesterday you will see a hole in the nut to make it easier to put something in to turn but this takes half of the nuts thread as its a gaping hole in half the nuts body.

I use multi grips anyway so the hole is useless to me. Never again. :violence-smack:

word of advice people. get a solid nut triclamp from FSD, not one with a hole in it others may sell

Sorry for the thread hyjack, just realised :?
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Re: Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby EziTasting » Tue Aug 23, 2016 7:11 am

I'm sorry for your misfortune, but I've never used anything but my fingers to tighten our tri-clamps... We have no leaks so I'm wondering why you'd need to use Multi-grips?!?

Should I be using something to tighten out clamps more than what we are doing currently?
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Re: Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby Magnus » Tue Aug 23, 2016 7:44 am

EziTasting wrote:I'm sorry for your misfortune, but I've never used anything but my fingers to tighten our tri-clamps... We have no leaks so I'm wondering why you'd need to use Multi-grips?!?

Should I be using something to tighten out clamps more than what we are doing currently?


I've only ever used my fingers to tighten them as well..... I have a mixture of cheep clamps from china and FSD clamps, they all work well and do the job finger tight.
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Re: Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby Zak Griffin » Tue Aug 23, 2016 7:54 am

I had one flange on my pot that needed a bit of a tweak with my leatherman to get a good seal, but you definitely shouldn't need to hit them with multigrips!
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Re: Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby WTDist » Tue Aug 23, 2016 8:31 am

Its just the tool i use to grab them with, could use anything really, a spanner too. i tighten with fingers then give them a few more turns untill it gets too much resistance. Easy flanges wouldnt be as easy as ferrules to tighten on.
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Re: Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby Zak Griffin » Tue Aug 23, 2016 9:46 am

If your flanges are flat and seals are good you should only need finger tight + half a turn...
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Re: Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby WTDist » Tue Aug 23, 2016 11:10 am

Just went over a 4" flange i was going to replace from a bad seal, was leaking. turns out i needed to shave a few 1/2mm spots off from a ridge not shaved down enough on the silicone seal :angry-banghead:

on A plus it means no ripping the flange apart to put a new one on :D

still had to do it finger tight then about 4 turns, could have done more. only got these seals as they were only ones in stock anywhere but ill tell ya never again :naughty:

Havent got any for my still yet thankfully, been waiting till i get my elements ferrules and stuff from mac. Everything on and around the thumper will be SS ferrules on mine
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Re: Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby Kenster » Tue Aug 23, 2016 11:43 pm

WT, just a thought, maybe, just maybe, you stuffed up the thread BECAUSE u used multis... surely, if the faces are seated correctly, the clamp should work effectively with just a finger tight tweek. Sure the thread wasnt stripped... not crossed.?
i do admit i had an issue once, with aligning the faces and seal and couldnt get the clamp on, but that was just misalignment.
all i ever use are the 'cheapies', and they do seem quite robust.
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Re: Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby WTDist » Wed Aug 24, 2016 9:00 am

Ken are you doing up easy flanges made from copper rings or ferrules?

either way, i was building for many years and we used to do bolts up tight with spanners and stuff, more than what these can handle but i guess Stainless steel isnt as good as high tensile steel which is what i replaced the nut/bolt/washer with for under $1.50

On my bubbler im going to use couplings and 2" ferrules from the blockhead to the parrot. Im over it. The thumpers going to have 4" ferrules from boiler to first 4" plate.

Would be good if someone sold seals with no ridge on any side, just a smooth 'Easy Flange Seal'. i would pay an extra $1 just for the ease of not cutting a ridge off. thats probably most of the problem getting a seal flat with the flange.
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Re: Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby EziTasting » Wed Aug 24, 2016 9:44 am

Can you not leave the ridge on? I had expected it would squash down and therefore give a better deal?!?!?
Not sure, just asking...
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Re: Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby Zak Griffin » Wed Aug 24, 2016 9:59 am

The ridge doesn't really squash down, and because its only a mm or two wide you'd need a dead flat flange surface to get a seal.
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Re: Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby WTDist » Wed Aug 24, 2016 10:42 am

yea zac is right.

i had a 4" not sealing but when i went back and took a few spots that were 1/2mm or less off and gave it a light sand to smooth it oput it sealed next go. Gotta be careful with a Stanly knife blade too. easy to cut the ridge off, easy to cut the seal in half also. Would be great if someone brought them out already smooth. Would be worth paying the few$$ extra for a good seal.

I like the soft custom EPDM seals of macs. thinking of using those on my bubbler. Im wondering how hard it will be to cut the ridge off without stuffing it up for the easy flange joins.
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Re: Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby EziTasting » Wed Aug 24, 2016 12:44 pm

Ok, what about those 'baking sheets' or what ever some guys here were using as seals! You'd have to cut them out yourself but I'd imagine that would be easier than trimming off a ridge...!?!?

My wife has a 'Cricket' cutter - for cutting paper shapes and the like, she can also add-in custom shapes to be cut. It's very precise! Get a baking sheet and stick it to one of their adhesive cutting underlays and it essentially works like a printer just that it cuts instead of printing... Seek out the local ladies arts and craft group...? Don't know if that would work?
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Re: Cheap Tri clamp issues

Postby WTDist » Wed Aug 24, 2016 12:51 pm

a decent silicone baking sheet will cost too much.
the $4 or so ones yo can buy are not just silicone. they have fillers and crap in them making them unsafe. Looked into this long time ago. got hammered on HD for even mentioning using silicone lol

Its aways said that its up to the drinker what risk they are willing to take and that is one i will not take. worst case scenario is you can wrap some good PTFE tape around them a few times to make the seal thicker and spongier. did have someone teed up for some seals but didnt go through with it, another mob was a rip off. could revisit maybe the idea maybe :think:

PFTE from what i have researched has a better resistance to alcohols than silicone and EPDM

I see macs 8" custom EPDM aren't on the site anymore so i may use cardboard or cork sheet (cut to seal shape) wrapped in heavy duty PTFE for my thumper.
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