sight glass on airline drain?

I am trying to cobble together a poor boy's air dryer. This is an old old project for me. I scrounged most of a roll of 5/8" copper tubing back about

1985 and I've been hauling it around ever since. It's survived many moves, two house purchases and one complete marriage, never used. However, I *knew* I would do this someday. I met up with Scott Logan once and bought one of his last "Aridifier" air filter units once. I hauled it out last night and looked at the drain plumbing. Hmm. I looked at the paperwork and saw this graphic of an airline drain:

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This looks really cool to me. Not only that, but I have nearly everything I need to make it. Except the sight glass. Anyone know how such a sight glass might be made (or purchased) and installed on a biggish pipe nipple like the one in the picture?

I got the copper tubing manipulated into a reasonable 20" coil, vertical axis, with the ends sticking straight up. I also scrubbed all the years of oxide off the outside of the tubing, figuring it would lower the thermal resistance (that's what they say to do on the copper arms of my spot welder so I figure it would help here too). I used the Armstrong copper tubing polisher my mom gave me along with a couple of pads of 0000 steel wool. Today my arm is kind of sore, but I have a thing that looks like a weird tuba down in my basement, and it's SHINY.

Today I'm going to cut off the bottom of a black plastic drum and the copper coil should fit nicely in there. Pix if it works, eternal misery if it doesn't .. this is all in support of getting my plasma cutter working. I bought one and haven't dared cut with it because there's so much water in my air, sigh.

Grant Erwin in soggy W. Washington

Reply to
Grant Erwin
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"Grant Erwin" wrote: (clip)one complete marriage, never used.(clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ What a shame.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

Look up gauge glass at McMaster-Carr web site, page 465 of the catalog. Lots of gauge glasses to pick from, not very expensive at all. Lane

Reply to
Lane

McMaster Carr has something like that tube. Item 1138K52, or 5071K61 for a bigger one, but pricey. Or for one that looks just like what's in your picture,

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For a cheap option you might be able to get a few screw-in plug-style sight glasses and place them at various heights. Or just one up high for "Time to drain" or "not time to drain." Not as cool, though.

Reply to
B.B.

Go to a place that sells supplies for HVAC guys. Here in the NE lots of old houses still have old steam radiator heating systems. those sight glass tubes are on them so you know when to refill the boiler. A boiler supply place will have those valves with the fittings for the glass tube. Around here you can usually find them in your local plumbers boneyard pile.

Reply to
clavius.a

Use two hose connectors, and a piece of transparent hose.

Kristian Ukkonen.

Reply to
Kristian Ukkonen

Since this is RCM, I would go to Boeing Surplus and buy a piece of aluminum about 3/4 or 1 inch thick and maybe 1.5 wide and as long as you want the sight gage. Mill a groove in it and cover it with some lexan also from Boeing Surplus. Attach the lexan with screws. Who says that sight gages have to be round or a glass tube.

Dan

Grant Erw>

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everything

Reply to
dcaster

Make real sure that whatever you use is rated at a higher pressure that you will be using. Don't know what heating system sightglasses are rated at but I suspect that it is not 150#. It'd be bad news to have the sightglass blow out in your face!

Reply to
GMasterman

The Tube-Makers' Union. Also, all tubes must be priced at $330. (:

Reply to
B.B.

Steam boilers are rated for 15 psi.

Tony

Reply to
Tony

Except for the ones which are rated much, much higher than that:

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-- Jeff R.

Reply to
Jeff R.

Depends on the length-I've run borosilicate higher than that....

Reply to
Rick

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Reply to
Rick

Hum - call a large type plumbing house or plummer - In chemical labs and hospitals.... they install glass pipe for both inlet and soiled liquids. Acids don't eat glass.

Notice on the picture - there is a iron bar that is parallel to the glass so flexing or elongation doesn't break the sight glass.

Keep us posted - moving from a rain forest to a rain checkerboard (same amount every month). Martin

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

Grant, McMaster-Carr (

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carries some, search for sight gauges. Paul

Reply to
Pswski

I knew that going in, Paul. My diapers just couldn't handle the pricing! - GWE

Reply to
Grant Erwin

Oh, you're looking for the entire assembly.

Try

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They are only rated for 125 psi though. They sell a 1/2in pipe one rates for 200psi, but it is about twice as much.

They are a good company. My building is heated with a steam boiler dating to the Eisenhower administration, so I've had occasion to use them a few times.

Paul K. Dickman

Reply to
pkdickman

Grant-Try a glass blower. Someplace that makes arc lamps. There used to be one in the Seattle area. They would have pure quartz glass tube. It is very strong. Maybe they would sell you a piece. Also, try a glassblowers supply. ERS

Reply to
Eric R Snow

If I was trying to do it on the cheap I'd probably just make an acrylic window by slotting the pipe and forming the sheet to the correct radius....

Reply to
Rick

Reply to
Grant Erwin

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