Help with banjo camlock fittings

[metallover]

I just picked up a 2" camlock and I am having trouble trying to get the male end to mount to my barrell correctly. The inside diameter of the camlock is too thin so I dremeled down my barrell and did a really crappy job. I need to know a better way of attaching the camlock. The whole idea of this is to have a breech loading system, but it really isn't working out.

I am going to buy a new camlock piece and probably a new barrell because my C:B ratio will be all messed up now. What's the best way to fit these things one there? Pics would help.

[jonnyboy]

Generous amounts of epoxy.

[metallover]

I am starting to think I got the wrong part? I got one with male threads and I cut them off. I had to take away a LOT of the pipe. On pictures I see everywhere else it looks like they didn't have to take off much if anything off the pipe. When I gto done dremeling I had a very thin pipe.

EDIT: Do I need the 3" version? I have the 2"...

[starman]

The ID of a 2" male camlock fitting is slightly too small to allow a 1.5" pipe to slip through, but not by much. You had the right idea but you need to take your time and grind the inside carefully and evenly. Take a look at my potato barrel below:



You grind and you try it, then grind a little more then try it, until you can just slip it tightly in. If you have a drill press and a rotary sanding bit, the job will go faster than dremeling it.

On the pipe, sand a rough band around the barrel where you will mount the male camlock. This will allow the epoxy something to cling to when curing. Then when exopying, apply it to the roughed up band on the barrel and slide the male part up from the bottom so as to force the excess epoxy to the top. This should leave the sealing bottom edge free from epoxy lumps and ridges hardening there. This bottom surface being flat and dirt free is key to it sealing in the female camlock.

My potato barrel you see there works really well and makes loading potatos a no-brainer.

Edit: 2" camlocks for this setup.

[metallover]

Ok, so you use 2" camlocks and you dremeled the inside of the camlock. That sounds like a much better approach. I still might be able to salvage my camlock after all...

Thanks for the pics too.

[starman]

Ok, so you use 2" camlocks and you dremeled the inside of the camlock. That sounds like a much better approach. I still might be able to salvage my camlock after all...

Oh yes sorry, I didn't realize until now that you tried grinding down the barrel instead. It depends on how well the epoxy has cured on this one you have. They are only $8 or so...I would be inclined to just start with a new one.

You can also cut that top "hand screw" off of the male adapter like I did mine. It isn't necessary in this application and makes for a trim install.

[metallover]

The situation is looking up. I got the old piece off no problem using a 2" dia pipe as a slide hammer. The best tool I found is a 1" sanding thing with a bunch of replacement sanding heads. I can set up a drill in a vice or clamp it to a bench and I will have a ghetto drill press. I think this might just work out perfect.

[EphOph]

The camlock fittings I buy might have a slightly smaller inner diameter. To pass a 1.5" pipe through, I first run a 1 7/8" hole saw through and then finish it off with a dremel sanding bit. Takes me 10 minutes this way instead of an hour of doing it with the dremel only.

I didn't think epoxy could stick to polypropylene, so I use the female fittings with MPT PVC adapters to attach them to the barrel. Looks nice, but sure adds a lot of weight.

[metallover]

The camlock fittings I buy might have a slightly smaller inner diameter. To pass a 1.5" pipe through, I first run a 1 7/8" hole saw through and then finish it off with a dremel sanding bit. Takes me 10 minutes this way instead of an hour of doing it with the dremel only.

I didn't think epoxy could stick to polypropylene, so I use the female fittings with MPT PVC adapters to attach them to the barrel. Looks nice, but sure adds a lot of weight.

That's a good idea. I brought out my holesays, but didn't have or know the right size. I'll probably pick on of those up tomorrow and see if I can get it to work.

[starman]

The situation is looking up. I got the old piece off no problem using a 2" dia pipe as a slide hammer. The best tool I found is a 1" sanding thing with a bunch of replacement sanding heads. I can set up a drill in a vice or clamp it to a bench and I will have a ghetto drill press. I think this might just work out perfect.

You have exactly what you need...ghetto drill press should be fine for this application. Just take your time sanding. Use a circular motion around the inside of the coupler to sand it evenly. You may have to use 2 different depth settings of the sanding drum to get everything reamed out.

Be careful not to take too much, it will be too loose to use. And remember the camlock groove will "bottom out" to your sanding efforts first...don't want to break into that.

Edit: You really shouldn't need the holesaw. The poly will sand down pretty quickly although a little roughly. Be prepared to peel to poly residue out after the sanding.

[metallover]

I wonder if I could use the recipricating sander at school...

hmm I think I'll lay off the hole saw now because I tried out my drill and it was pretty fast and I am used to taking my time sanding down a few inches of pvc with a dremel for a couple hours...

I think someone should start up a spudgun company... Make all that suff like propane adapters, 2.5" pvc and fittings, along with correctly sized camlocks....

[starman]

I think someone should start up a spudgun company... Make all that suff like propane adapters, 2.5" pvc and fittings, along with correctly sized camlocks....

There are several around. One of them, BCarms, advertises in Spudfiles pages.

[metallover]

I got the sanding done tonight. It wasn't really that bad once I got the hang of it. I could probably do it in about 30-45 minutes if I did it again. It took me about and hour to 1:30. You can't tell by the pics but the barell does go all the way through.

I hope the pics aren't too big. When I try to put them on spudfiles it says they are too big, even though my camera is on the smallest size setting it can be on.

Haha their too small.