Hi, copper might make a seal but it will not flow into the machined groove like lead does. Regards, George.
I have some with plastic , lead , and copper. Copper is used on many oil drain plugs but I agree lead is what I think Primus and others designed the pump tube to use. The new nrv's for the nova use hdpe Jeff
Primus in the 30's won't have been designing with HDPE in mind. I'm going to be making lead washers - I like to use them for restoring old stoves that are only going to be occasional users. The rest get HDPE.
Copper is fine for drain plugs where you usually have a steel/steel connection and can apply sufficient force to deform the copper and make a good seal. The small brass threads we are dealing with are nowhere near as strong. You may get a good seal with a well finished annealed (softened) copper washer on some of the larger, more robust joints, but it's a lot safer to use lead. Dave.
I know what your saying Dave but copper works. I have several nrv's with it. It doesn't require much force. Like drain plugs it just needs to be snug not tight. Being a mechanic I know most are put on with far too much force. Aluminum would be worth a try too. HDPE works well though. Jeff
All right, all right... I'm convinced. I was hoping you guys could endorse the use of nitrile... but I guess I was wrong... To be honest, I once tried to melt some lead with a small kitchen torch, making an uniform piece and then hammer it against a block of steel to make a smal flat sheet, and then cut a washer from it... It worked perfectly. And it's a pretty easy job, although long and, for some, annoying. So, if you can't find lead sheet, you don't have more excuses to not make your own. Did it just once, because making nitrile washers was way more practical. But now I think I'll abandon nitrile for this use and start to favor lead (instead of plastic). I must confess I don't like plastic att all. Thanks for the opinion, Rafael
