All,
I recently purchased some quick disconnect ABS plastic DC fittings from Woodcraft. As you know, these are male/female tapered fittings that, with a push and slight twist, should lock together until you twist them off. I find that the male and female components do not have the same taper and, therefore, do not stay together as well as they should. An email from Woodcraft customer service says that they do not either specify or manufacturer these fittings but only buy them from a supplier that probably provides the same fittings to a lot of other outlets. They also said that they have receive few complaints about them but would pass my comments on to the manufacturer.
Have any of you experienced the same problem? If so, I encourage you to write a letter or email to the supplier complaining about them. With enough complaints, maybe the manufacturer will correct the problem.
If any of you have plastic tapered fittings that do fit properly, would you let me know where you got them? I don’t want to order from another company just to receive the same fittings.
Thanks for your help,
Bill
Replies
I never knew there was a male component, the only ones I have are the tapered female fixture. What fits inside really, really well is an ABS blast gate. Expensive way to go, but it works.
Forestgirl,
Two of the components I purchased from Woodcraft are ABS quick connect blast gates. Both sides are male. I also purchased female fittings for the flexhose to connect to the blast gates. Terrible fit. only the smallest part of the male taper makes contact inside the female fitting. They will fall off with the slightest tug on the hose. I also have male quick connect adapters attached to a couple of machines. Same problem. Since yours seem to fit well I wonder if they are by a different manufacturer. Where did you purchase them?
Bill
I'm not sure, either a local store (DSC, Inc. in Poulsbo), or Woodcraft. Long-shot it might have been Rockler. I'll try to remember tomorrow to see if I can find a manuf'r name on them. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Mine are the same way and I've just lived with it and tried not to bump them. It is irritating. Mine came from Woodstock International. I've thought about sticking them on the lathe and turning a longer taper.
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You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. Jack London
Don,
I have a pair from Jet that I picked up at my local hardware store. They seem to work just fine.
-Jerry
Clearly the fit would embarrass a neophyte machinist.
That said, they seem to do as they should do, I've not had one come apart in use. The fit to blast gate is better, no question. Given my set up (one DC, which I connect to different tools, they are WONDERFUL, whatever their shortcomings)
Ed,
Yeh. That's the reason I got the quick connects also. I move things around a bit. They do work well if you can keep them together. Do you recall where you got yours? Have you complained to the company?
Bill
Woodcraft.
As to complaints - I try to take Lord Balfour's contention to heart. "Nothing matters very much; in fact very few things matter at all."
Hell, they work. They work really well connecting to the blast gates. The only tenuous connection is to the one for my bandsaw, which is a 4x4x2 'Y' connector, and it's never come apart in use.
If it were me I'd use some 120 grit paper that will fit approximately 1/2 way around the circumference and do so hand lapping! Show that male part he is NOT the boss.
May take a bit of work but sure you can get a fit!
Will,
I have done a little of that but I've really got better things to do and wouldn't have to if they were properly made. I'll fiddle with them little by little until they are acceptable.
Thanks,
Bill
and wouldn't have to if they were properly made.
I hear you.. Seems as if everything you purchase these days you have to!
I think I have found a simple effective solution to the DC fittings that won't stay together. To sumarize, the 4"quick connect (tapered) fittings I purchsed from Woodcraft did not have matching tapers on the male and female fittings. Consequently, when pushed together, they would wobble a little and come apart with the slightest bump or tug. To fix the problem, I heated the female fittings with a heat gun being careful not to get it so hot that it would melt or burn but hot enough so that when pushed firmly onto the male fitting it would strech a little; usually going on about 1/8" farther than before. I left the two parts together until completely cool. At that point, they were pretty well stuck together and took a little coaxing to get them apart. However, the tapers are now the same and they stay together as they should. I hope you find this useful.
Bill
Bill,
Sounds like a good solution to a problem which shouldn't exist in the first place. Thanks for sharing.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Excellent, Bilyo, thanks for the report!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I'll second bilyo's method, have used a heat gun to do this several times and it's pretty easy. Works like a charm. Great for fitting a quick connect onto a machine's steel DC outlet. Be warned, once it cools it will be a bugger to get off.
P.
"Be warned, once it cools it will be a bugger to get off." I wonder if you sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray, it might help. Will report if/when I try this. I've been using blast-gates where things connect, gets kinda expensive, not airtight, and probably loses some air flow, so might give it a whirl.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
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