OK to Epoxy Barbs?

Cheesy Peas · Sep 26, 2003

Is it ok to epoxy in plastic barbs into the top of my homemade block im gonna be making? The blocks top will be made of tufnol, which is kinda like really hard plastic. I was thinkinh, drill holes for the barbs with a hole saw a mm of so bigger than the thread, put some Silicon RTV onto the threads, then epoxy the barb in from the outside.

Will this hold? has anyone done it before?

Surreal · Sep 26, 2003

I suggest goop. Plumbers goop from Lowes and such. I used it to seal my danner pumps. It hardens like the dickens. Goop truely is worth getting and trying out on some scrap.

K1ll1nT1m3 · Sep 26, 2003

It should work. But it will probably ( all most 100% sure ) be weaker then a threaded connection. As long as you rough up the metal where the epoxy is making contact, it should make a decent bond. As long as there is no big stress on that connection it should stay sealed. Threaded would be better though. There is just much more contact area. If you get a good epoxy seal, you probably wont need to use silicon though. I think it would be better to use epoxy all the way into the block ( unless you are using some thing in the water that will eat at the epoxy )

Cheesy Peas · Sep 26, 2003

i would buy a tap for it but the prices over here for a 1/2 bspt tap are insane, its about £24+ for 1 tap, about $40. and for the number of times im gonna use it, its stupid really.
Ill probably make the hole as close to the size of the barb as posible, then cover the barb thread with epoxy and force it into the top of the block (hole pretty much same size as thread).

Well, now its time to get some copper.

Oh yeh, 1/2" thickness is ok for the base of the block isnt it? Im gona try and do a WW clone.

Cheers
Kieron.

humdinger · Sep 26, 2003

If you have a spare barb and bit of plastic maybe you could drill a slightly smaller hole in the test piece then heat up the barb end and push it in that way? Just a theory to test if you have spare bits

K1ll1nT1m3 · Sep 26, 2003

To be sure, put another ring of epoxy around the outside on top, once the epoxy in the threads has dried. Yep, keep the holes fairly tight. 1/2 inch block sounds good to me. A good thing to do, rough up the inside of the holes too ( copper block ones ). Anyware the epoxy is going to make contact. Keep me posted. I wanna try one with a real thin base. Good luck.

K1ll1nT1m3 · Sep 26, 2003

Heating up the barb wouldnt make a good enough bond. It probably would be worse. Havent tried it though. The epoxy filling in the threads on the barb is a good thing. If you smashed the threads, there would be a slick bonding area then.

JFettig · Sep 26, 2003

Epoxy is not the choice sealant, try plumbers or marine GOOP. thats some good stuff. Itll hold really well.

Epoxy will absorb water over time, it gets soft and will probably loose connection and leak over time.

Jon

K1ll1nT1m3 · Sep 27, 2003

Sounds good to me. Thanks

Cheesy Peas · Sep 27, 2003

but the epoxy shouldnt be exposed to the water really.

Hmm, ill see if i can borrow a tap of someone, or get a machine shop to do it for me.

cheers for the advice guys, you probably saved me from drowning my system lol.

OK to Epoxy Barbs?

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