Make 1" NPT releaser holes 1 1/4" and 1 1/2"

[Sunday Rock Maple]

Hi guys --- need some advise on changing the holes going into a releaser manifold.

Will a hole saw work or do I need a solid bit?

I think the needed hole sizes would be 1 1/2" for the 1 1/4" thread and 1 3/4" for the 1 1/2" thread -- is that right?

Also, will regular metal pipe threads tap their own way into the plastic wall of the releaser or do I need to invest in regular pipe thread taps?

Thanks,

Brian

[Bucket Head]

I could'nt tell you what exact size hole to drill without a drill guide or the pipe in front me to measure, but I would go with a bit instead of a holesaw. Most (all?) holesaws wobble a bit so you never get a perfectly round hole, or exactly the diameter the saw is marked. I would also reccomend a pipe tap for threading the holes. The plastic your working with is pretty hard so I doubt you would be able to just screw something into and it make good, sealable threads. I used to help a buddy of mine that had a pool maintnance business and we repaired or replaced a lot of owner-destroyed threads, and we had the best luck running a tap in the plastic first. Maybe some others on here will share what worked for them if they attempted this modification. Good luck.

Steve

[500592]

You can't use a hole saw it will be a disaster also you need to have pipe taps for it to work well check around to see if you can borrow someones cause they are like fifty bucks a piece. Good luck.

[lew]

500592,

I don't see why a hole saw would be a disaster. I have bored 1 new hole through the top of the manifold with a hole saw, then tapped it with a 1 1/4" thread tap. I have also expanded the 1 inch holes on that already exist to 1 1/4 inch holes with a hole saw. the trick with using the hole saw on a hole that already exists and you want to make bigger is having a guide. that is what the drill bit iin the center of the hole saw bit is used for, it keeps the hole saw cutting in the same place and not bouncing around when you are getting the hole started, which would be a disaster. what I did was to place a 1 inch steel pipe plug in the hole to be enlarged, the type of plug that has a square head on it that does not go out beyond the threads, screwed in tightly. Then I removed the drill bit from the hole saw. The hole saw is put into the drill chuck using the part that normally clamps onto the bit as the bit. If that makes sense. For my hole saws that requires a 1/2 inch chuck. then I start drilling the hole using the 1 inch pipe plug as a guide. Has worked slicker than snot each time I have used it. I have not tried it on 1 1/2 inch, only 1 1/4 inch. I would want to test itout on a scrap piece of shedule 40. As far as using a pipe tap, Definitely use one. The pipe tap will cut material out and make new threads. If you try to make the pipe cut its own threads, it won't. It will press new threads into the plastic, this pressure could possibly make a crack between your new hole and an existing hole in the manifold amking for a disaster.

[Brent]

Unless you have sap backing up in the mainline, I wouldn't bother. Just put a reducer on the end of the hose. The flow loss of the air going through isn't much of an issue because, well, it's a vacuum ... there's not much air there.

[vtmapleman]

I had a 1 1/4" main line coming into my releaser that only had 1" holes. I was leary on enlarging a hole so I took a 1 1/4 x1" x 1" reducing tee and connected the tee to two 1" holes.

[Sunday Rock Maple]

Thanks for the feedbck --- sounds like I need to get a tap or go with the dual 1".