Sealing up big fittings....

Timco

5" & 6". I have a few drips.

What's the best way to prep tape and dope the big fittings??

Danny Scully

I use monster tape and megalock, in that order. If you want to go further, use monster tape, wick, and megalock, in that order. If you want to go even further, substitute megalock with blue block.

Timco

Danny Scully said:

I use monster tape and megalock, in that order. If you want to go further, use monster tape, wick, and megalock, in that order. If you want to go even further, substitute megalock with blue block.

Mega lock? Never heard of it. Is it a dope? Wick? Never heard of that either, lol.

347

Timco, I once worked with an "old timer". When he had leak's on large steam fittings, he used to caulk them in place with newspaper and a fine screwdriver. I works everytime, I have also done it once or twice over the years. Good luck.

Timco

Well as far as Wick goes, I'm about to go John Wick on these threads.....

EzzyT

Lamp wick and permabond is what I use on 5" & up.

Timco

I have a bundle of hemp strands I'm tempted to use. I'll check one more place for wick. Found blue block.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Dope the inside with Rectorseal TRUE BLUE. Put Teflon tape and a little TRUE BLUE on the pipe

Read the can of dope, Some brands including true blue tells you to dope the inside of anything larger than 1 1/4".

I don't always do it but 2 1/2 & up I do. Don't like takin the big stuff back apart.

& I stay away from bushings their leakers (if I can)

JUGHNE

Occasionally I read the can labels, some say to stir the contents first. There was at least one case where it made a difference. FWIW

EBEBRATT-Ed

@JUGHNE suppose the MFG. can't control how long it sits on the shelf.

True Blue is my go to dope. Very seldom have an leaks with it, but everyone has their favorite.

My only complaint, It is HELL to get off your hands!!

Timco

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

@JUGHNE suppose the MFG. can't control how long it sits on the shelf.

True Blue is my go to dope. Very seldom have an leaks with it, but everyone has their favorite.

My only complaint, It is HELL to get off your hands!!

Blue block

MilanD

For what it's worth, the guys I saw work on our boiler use regular white teflon tape 6-7 turns, then teflon dope, then a couple of more turns of white tape on top of the dope. No leaks.

Abracadabra

Extra heavy duty latex gloves when working with trueblue unless you can deal with the mess it leaves behind.

PinkTavo

@Timco....off topic, but a safety side note from your picture. Everyone should remove rings (and frankly watches) when on the job. I lost my ring finger in 1988...coming down off of an extension ladder when it caught on the lower part of the extension on the "I" shape cross-section. 1 month off work.

Have trouble getting change out of my pocket with my left hand (left pocket was always change, right pocket keys). Typing speed down by 10%. Great conversation piece at parties, but I don't recommend it.

Electrician came up to me after a job site meeting...raised his hand and called me "brother". He lost his by sliding his hand along a wall above a metal door frame, ring caught on the corner of the frame as he stepped off the bottom rung of the step ladder. Boom.

jumper

5" & 6" is too big for me. So I would first try to seal without disassembly. Anyone here have success with whatever goop?
Hardware stores sell wet patch in caulking tubes.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@Timco , hahaha looks like my hands yesterday!!!!!!!!

I always try using gloves but seldom can find any that fit and they become to difficult to put on and off so I end up not using them.

MilanD

> @PinkTavo said:
> @Timco....off topic, but a safety side note from your picture. Everyone should remove rings (and frankly watches) when on the job. I lost my ring finger in 1988...coming down off of an extension ladder when it caught on the lower part of the extension on the "I" shape cross-section. 1 month off work.
>
> Have trouble getting change out of my pocket with my left hand (left pocket was always change, right pocket keys). Typing speed down by 10%. Great conversation piece at parties, but I don't recommend it.
>
> Electrician came up to me after a job site meeting...raised his hand and called me "brother". He lost his by sliding his hand along a wall above a metal door frame, ring caught on the corner of the frame as he stepped off the bottom rung of the step ladder. Boom.

Oh, bummer, @PinkTavo! Thanks for sharing this story and sorry for your injury.

Speak of freak accidents: one of my cousins, a while back, an electrician, always carried a small tester screw driver in his shirt pocket. Pockets. on the dress and work shirts are always on the left side. Car accident. Tester went through his heart, killed him on the spot. Corroner basically said he would have lived if not for the tester in his pocket... I never carry anything in my shirt or coat pockets, including pens or pencils, or spare glasses.

SeanBeans

@EzzyT what type of lamp wick do you buy? looking to try but all I'm seeing is 2" wide sections

EzzyT

Your in NJ? Which supplyhouses you deal with?

SeanBeans

or is candle wick the same thing?

EzzyT

Some call it lampwick some call it candlewick same thing

SeanBeans

General plumbing supply.. east brunswick supoly is close to the shop