1-3/4" Pipe Fittings - these might work

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edma194
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1-3/4" Pipe Fittings - these might work

Post by edma194 »

I've been looking for 1-3/4" pipe fittings that could be used in various ways on the way and bench tubes. Looking at specs for a variety of them online I saw all sorts of figures on diameters and pipe sizes fittings would work with. Sched 40 pipe has well defined ODs for different materials but the specs for fittings indicate they have to accommodate some variation there. 1-1/2" pipe should be very close to 1-3/4" as seen with 1-1/2" EMT conduit, but those fittings often have IDs as much as 2", and I wanted something that would fit snugly and support a decent load if needed.

The other day looking for stuff at the Lowes that wasn't there despite what they said on their website I noticed a 1-1/4" galvanized Tee fitting had something very close to 1-3/4" ID. I grabbed one to take home and pulled out a piece of way tube to find it wouldn't quite go into the fitting, but the casting was rough, and the galvanizing layer quite thick. I took a file and deburred the edges of the piece, then ground the interior with a sanding drum. It didn't take much to allow the way tube to fit snugly in the Tee bracket without removing all of the zinc coating.

This Tee fitting is what I picked up: https://www.lowes.com/pd/SteelTek-1-1-4 ... /999930886

They didn't have one of these heavier Tees with 2 set screws on the cross bar but I'll look for one at another Lowes to try out, I think I'd generally want this model: https://www.lowes.com/pd/SteelTek-1-1-4 ... /999930886
Ed from Rhode Island

510 PowerPro Double Tilt:Greenie PowerPro Drill Press:500 Sanding Shorty w/Belt&Strip Sanders
Super Sawsmith 2000:Scroll Saw w/Stand:Joint-Matic:Power Station:Power Stand:Bandsaw:Joiner:Jigsaw
1961 Goldie:1960 Sawsmith RAS:10ER
DLB
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Location: Joshua Texas

Re: 1-3/4" Pipe Fittings - these might work

Post by DLB »

Both links were for the same part.(?) I previously found SteelTek to have some decent specifications on their own web site. Examples: https://www.steel-tek.com/products_1

- David
edma194
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Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 4:08 pm

Re: 1-3/4" Pipe Fittings - these might work

Post by edma194 »

Link to the larger Tee: https://www.lowes.com/pd/SteelTek-1-1-4 ... /999930894

The specs are nominal. I was happy to see these at the store because I'd been through the process of ordering pieces only to find out they were way off in size. The spec shows the 1-1/4" fittings for use with 1.660 OD pipe. That means it's wider than that but by no specific amount. SteelTek is inexpensive though, so parts this close will do the job for me. I don't know how well those fat set screws will work, kinda wonder why they're so big, maybe more contact surface works better on softer pipe. I needed my largest Allen wrench for those screws.
Ed from Rhode Island

510 PowerPro Double Tilt:Greenie PowerPro Drill Press:500 Sanding Shorty w/Belt&Strip Sanders
Super Sawsmith 2000:Scroll Saw w/Stand:Joint-Matic:Power Station:Power Stand:Bandsaw:Joiner:Jigsaw
1961 Goldie:1960 Sawsmith RAS:10ER
edma194
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Posts: 1875
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 4:08 pm

Re: 1-3/4" Pipe Fittings - these might work

Post by edma194 »

For a while I wanted to try out horizontal way tubes for the table carriage on my drill press so these brackets made it easy to try out. I didn't get any of the large Ts yet, but I think these are working well enough. The set screws are 5/8"-11, they seem to hold but I may put shaft collars below the brackets for more support. The second one I bought took more time to grind out than the first one, there's no real quality control with these cheap brackets, but the shape opposite the screws conforms to the tubes well.

First pic below. The table is rock solid mounted this way. I put the carriage on with the controls on the right side. The crank can be on either side I think but the locking mechanism can't be reversed. I may leave the carriage like this and reverse the table top. I have to try out the different configurations of the carriage, table top, and table legs. Note that I left a 500 carriage on the uprights for use with the hydraulic headstock lifter. I had a 34" length of 1-7/8" inch way tube left from the original configuration so I cut that in half for the new bench tubes. I think with the table top turned around the right way I'll have enough travel along the way tubes. More changes to come but I had to put the drill press back together for now.

side view.jpg
side view.jpg (179.56 KiB) Viewed 442 times
Front view showing the new way tubes mounted in a tie bar locked on the left side casting.

front 2.jpg
front 2.jpg (148.51 KiB) Viewed 440 times
Rear view showing the brackets

rear 1.jpg
rear 1.jpg (168.29 KiB) Viewed 440 times
Ed from Rhode Island

510 PowerPro Double Tilt:Greenie PowerPro Drill Press:500 Sanding Shorty w/Belt&Strip Sanders
Super Sawsmith 2000:Scroll Saw w/Stand:Joint-Matic:Power Station:Power Stand:Bandsaw:Joiner:Jigsaw
1961 Goldie:1960 Sawsmith RAS:10ER
edma194
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Posts: 1875
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 4:08 pm

Re: 1-3/4" Pipe Fittings - these might work

Post by edma194 »

The new horizontal way tubes have made the entire base much more solid. The table locks in very well and is very sturdy. I was able to lift on the front of the table and tilt the whole machine back on the legs without any noticeable play. However in setting it back down I noticed the uprights flexed forward from the weight of the momentum of the headstock. The headstock is pretty low right now also, it's likely to stay at least 6" higher up most of the time and flex more. That will allow vibration to move the spindle relative to the table, something I want to eliminate. Right now I'm thinking about using a single post behind the uprights connected to them through some kind arm that would attach to the tie bar on top and something on the bottom, perhaps a modified tie bar. The regular side locking screw keeps the tilt casting holding the uprights solidly down in place, there's no movement there, but I think a couple of bolts between the casting parts would take some load off that locking screw and the tilt casting. So I could integrate that with a bracket to hold the new post on the bottom instead of another tie bar. No time now though, other projects to finish first.
Ed from Rhode Island

510 PowerPro Double Tilt:Greenie PowerPro Drill Press:500 Sanding Shorty w/Belt&Strip Sanders
Super Sawsmith 2000:Scroll Saw w/Stand:Joint-Matic:Power Station:Power Stand:Bandsaw:Joiner:Jigsaw
1961 Goldie:1960 Sawsmith RAS:10ER
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