sight gauge

[ir3333]

hi all...lurking for awhile and decided to ask a simple question.
how did you make a home built sight glass for liquid levels in your pans
Al in Ontario

[maple flats]

Al in Ontario, First I want to welcome you aboard. I bought my pan with a sight gauge, but you could drill a hole in your pan (the best holes will be made if you use a Greenlee Punch. Then add a SS bulkhead fitting, or non lead brass, an elbow with a silicone seal ferrule fitting that can hold a site tube. The tube should be either heat resistant glass or plastic. I bought a replacement online for a spare but not from a maple company. Then you want a way to support the top of the tube to protect it from damage.
You could also solder a fitting on, but that is not like soldering copper. You would want a good soldering iron, some silver solder and some Sal Ammoniac to chemically clean it. Other options would be s flux made for SS. A torch is not a good choice for soldering SS.

[Zucker Lager]

check out this place for sight glass parts. They also have glass pre cut to size. We used to buy 3 foot lengths and cut them to size using a diamond wet saw typically used for ceramic tiles so if you can get one but want it cut you could DIY. They have the fittings also but like Flats says you only need the bottom one the top can stay open. Graingers also has sight glass fittings. Jay
https://www.boilersupplies.com/tubular-gauge-glass-glass-accessories/redline-tubular-glass/170

[ir3333]

tx guys...i was hoping to use a T at my draw off and a clear tubing column on a nipple. I'll
probably break a glass one....

[maple flats]

Yes the top stays open, I just think it a good idea to have some thing to hold the top from moving. Mine came (it came with the evaporator) the fitting and the sight tube, then near the open top it has a piece of SS that has a tab that fits into a proud slot welded to the pan and a hole in line with the tube so it slides down over the free end of the tube to help protect it from damage.