the wall of plumbing ? . . looking for quality brass slip nuts and fully pipe threaded strainers

archibald tuttle

is there a site as comprehensive as the wall is on steam and hydronics that deals with plumbing . . . and/or despite the low frequency of plumbing posts here maybe a few folks still remember the other side. used to have a mainstream connection to buy solid brass basket strainers that had an actual cut pipe thread rather than some imitation version of a cast thread that barely holds slip nuts nevermind throwing some tape on it and threading a female adapater on directly. and there were solid brass slip nuts to go with that were deep enough to catch more than a half thread and a heavy lower boss with flats and threads that had been cut carefully and deeply so the nut didn't go on and then slip off the threads as you brought to fully hand tight.

looking for manufacturers/models that fit and not to be disloyal but if there is a website where guys obsess about this kind of stuff the way we do about every btu in every heating job would be handy for these occasional quesitons.

thanks,

brian

icesailor

The Conundrum.

In the race to the bottom of cheap, ZMAC nuts are the word. So few are willing to pay for quality that there is no market.

Wolverine Brass still sells the quality stuff along with the "In-Demand" junk. I used to save solid brass sink nuts to use over on commercial jobs like restaurants. Architects specify 17 gauge brass. Try buying anything thicker than 20 gauge. You're lucky to get 24 gauge that squashes with a tubing cutter.

If you buy a faucet and it comes with a drain, the drain is probably polished stainless steel with a high ferric iron content. Try a magnet on it. Then, it attracts iron out of the water, and stains the porcelain around it. Making the installer look like a hack for buying cheap faucets.

The local supply houses can get the good stuff on "special order". You can get the good stuff from Wolverine Brass.

They even sell chromed brass escutcheons that won't all rust out from moisture under toilets. Or stainless steel ones.

Or, you could a couple of years ago. They used to sell the really quality old stuff until a command decision was made to move out of Michigan down into the Confederacy to take advantage of their "Right To Work" for less laws and things slowly moved South, farther than they already were.

But if you're looking for 17 GA. chrome/brass scratch thread double threaded 14" tailpieces (so you can get two longer than the 5" ones that come with the faucet), it's a place to look.

They really sell some rather bomb proof faucets that they sell repair parts for. Even really old ones.

http://www.wolverinebrass.com/