What is swagelok?

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Max_micklitsch
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What is swagelok?

Post by Max_micklitsch »

I recently joined the fusor.net forums, and have only just begun my journey to fusion. But, i recently learned that my father is on a first name basis and has been playing poker with the C.E.O. of swagelok for the past 2 years. His company has also been doing business with them for as long as i can remember. Is there any way that this could help me on my way to fusion? Are there any parts swagelok makes that i could ask my dad to inquire about a discount or something like that. The C.E.O. (his name escapes me right now...) Is well aware of my interest in fusion and has expressed willingness to help. What should i ask him?
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Richard Hull
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Re: What is swagelok?

Post by Richard Hull »

Swagelock couplings are typically used for gas port entry and gas plumbing line connections at the amateur level. Pros tend to use VCR fittings at 4 times the price. Swagelock also makes some valves for gas lines and thimble metering valves as well.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
ian_krase
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Re: What is swagelok?

Post by ian_krase »

Swagelok is a company that makes tube fittings, pipe fittings (these are NOT the same thing), and valves. Many of their products are useful for fusors!

However, they're fairly expensive. Some of their products have imitations that are much cheaper and just as good -- "A-lok", "Yor-Lok", "Let-Lock", and "Ham-Let" fittings are all compatible with Swagelok, not that Swagelok will admit this.


Nupro and Cajon are either other brands that Swagelok uses, or companies that Swagelok owns.


What we normally refer to as a "swagelok fitting" is this:

Image

These exist in sizes from tiny to fairly large, but the most common sizes are probably 1/4 inch and 1/8 inch. These are night and day better than the normal "compression fittings" you buy at the hardware store, there is simply no comparison even though they use a similar principle.

If you buy the (somewhat cheaper) brass Swagelok fittings in 1/8 inch, you can then buy 1/8 inch copper "refrigeration tubing" at the hardware store (they'll often sell it by the foot) and use it to plumb your fusor's gas inlet. This tubing is easy to bend by hand with no tools. I love it.

Swagelok fittings will seal vacuum tight the first time you connect them. The second and third and etc time they probably will, but it's not guaranteed. Sealants may help you along...



Swagelok also makes Ultratorr fittings:
Image

These use an O-ring to seal. This means they can be infinitely disconnected and re-connected, and it also means that they can seal to glass or ceramic tubing which is useful to make DIY feedthroughs.

You can also kinda hack normal swagelok fittings into a cheap substitute for Ultratorr fittings.



Swagelok also makes many valves suitable for gas service, including the kind of micrometer needle valve that is very practical for controlling deuterium flow into a fusor. You probably can't afford to buy these new, but they are widely available on Ebay.

Here's a picture of my gas flow inlet -- you can see at least four swagelok fittings in the picture (though most of these are actually the imitation kind.) There is another swagelok fitting (a real one this time) connecting the thin copper tube into my chamber.
IMG_20181214_233553.jpg

The most common kind of Swagelock fitting in the semiconductor and vacuum industry seems to be the VCR fitting. THese are a lot like teeny tiny Conflat flanges -- with a single nut and threaded "bolt" rather than a flange of bolt holes, and 1/4 or 1/2 inch in diameter rather than 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. They are a metal-to-metal seal using a disposable metal gasket. Since VCR fittings are so expensive, and since they require specialized welding to attach them to tubing, you rarely see them used on the Fusor Forums. However, they are one of the most common fittings to find on your valves.
ian_krase
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Re: What is swagelok?

Post by ian_krase »

Swagelok stuff is expensive enough that a mere *discount* isn't enough to gain you that much.

If you can get Swagelok parts cheaply, though, you could make your entire gas inlet line using them.
Rex Allers
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Re: What is swagelok?

Post by Rex Allers »

Good stuff from Ian.

A probably good valve for controlling the flow into a fusor (D2) is...

The S-series here...
[Home -- Toolbox -- Product Catalog -- Valves -- Metering]
https://www.swagelok.com/downloads/webc ... 01-142.pdf

I looked tonight. Finding your way around their "modern" website is pretty unpleasant unless you already pretty much know what you want. I hate this trend on the internet.

For overview, the "catalog" is maybe better than their useless search function.
https://www.swagelok.com/en/toolbox/product-catalog

As Ian has documented, lots of good vacuum plumbing pieces, but hard to find cheap. Patience on ebay has worked for me for some of this.
Rex Allers
ian_krase
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Re: What is swagelok?

Post by ian_krase »

Oddly, all of the Swagelock valves I bought on Ebay were pretty cheap.

I have an SS-BMG which is pretty nice as a metering valve, it has a full bellows seal.




Interesting fact: there are some swagelok "stores" / warehouses / showroom type places, and some of these places will gladly sell you Swagelok parts in the middle of the night.
Rex Allers
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Re: What is swagelok?

Post by Rex Allers »

Here's some good learning stuff from Lesker about vacuum technology.

"Lesker Tech Archives"
https://www.lesker.com/leskertech/leske ... anding.cfm

(I didn't find my way there from the top of their pages. Fortunately I saved a link that still works.)

I had some other stuff saved as pdf's from Lesker that were catalog-style sections of products with lots of good information and pictures.
like:
"Section 1 - Flanges, Fittings, & Components" (~30 Mb)
and
"Section 2 - Valves" (~8 Mb)
up to
"Section 17 - Technical Information" (2.5 Mb)

Looking on lesker.com pages tonight, I can't find my way to that stuff. Anyone know if it is still available somewhere on their pages now?

I hate that the good, clean, clear information is getting harder and harder to find on the web tubes.
Rex Allers
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