Pipe union nuts, olives & ends.

[RRMBKParticipant @rrmbk]

Can anyone please point me in the direction of a table of the correct dimensions for the union nuts, end fittings and pipe olives etc for the various small pipe sizes that we use e.g 1/8, up to 3/8 .

I would also be interested in any articles on the manufacture of unions, union nuts, olives etc.

I have done a search through the indices but not come up with very much. ( probably my lack of understanding of search protocol!)

 

Many thanks

Brian K.

[RRMBKParticipant @rrmbk]

[Colin AbreyParticipant @colinabrey20074]

Brian,

 

There is an article in ME 15 Feb 1985 by N (Bill) Baily. He gives tables for the dimensions of the nuts & nipples for various pipe diameters.

 

Colin

[RRMBKParticipant @rrmbk]

Thank you very much indeed Colin, a very interesting article and provided me with just what I needed,

 

Kind regards

 

Brian K.

[David HaynesParticipant @davidhaynes53962]

Are similar details also to be found in one of the reference books, such as by Tubal Cain or Harold Hall? If not, I can get the M.E. from my society if necessary.

Dave

Edited By David Haynes on 04/02/2012 11:58:57

[RRMBKParticipant @rrmbk]

They are not in Tubal Cain’s Mod Eng handbook ( at least not in my ancient copy!) that was my first port of call as it is such a goldmine of information, Also I have “Screw Thread manual ” by F.J.Camm of 1942 with over 40 pages of thread & screw tables but it does not list anything similar. I suspect the thread system has been created by someone ( LBSC?) matching the appropriate sized M.E 40 or 32 tpi thread to the pipe / Union diameter rather than by scaling something that exists in full size.

Brian K.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Somewhere I have a 1940s ME with a table of suggested sizes of unions for various sizes of pipe. I followed them and they work OK, if a little big. I made a taper bit just for the job.

 

Neil

[Roger BestParticipant @rogerbest89007]

Did anyone find anything??

i will start a new thread.

R

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Buy a few fittings and measure them, however apart from a few specials, I usually buy the nuts and olives/ nipples.

Bob

[HOWARDTParticipant @howardt]

Fitting sizes
This is on the Super Simplex site. May be useful.

[John OlsenParticipant @johnolsen79199]

Here's a tip for anyone using commercial compression fittings on copper tube, which I guess would only be on larger locos, or on a steam launch like mine. They come with the wrong sort of olive, the ones meant for nylon tube, at least the ones I have bought generally did. It turns out these will sort of work on copper tube, at least for a while, but are likely to start leaking, usually in an awkward place to see. Of course I didn't know this at first!

The ones for nylon or plastic tube have a short taper on each end and then a step up to a larger diameter in the middle. The ones for copper have a longer taper at each end that meets in the middle.

If there is information in the 1940's ME about model size fittings, I probably have the issues here. I have some wartime ones, and a pretty complete collection from 1944 until covid started.

regards

John

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