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tbird355

What is this?

tbird355
10 years ago

Anybody know what this is? I need to get some more and don't know what it's called and if it's electrical or plumbing or what. Looks like a bushing. Threads on the outside. No threads on the inside. Two notches to use to tighten and loosen.

Comments (12)

  • klem1
    10 years ago

    It is the male portion of a pipe coupling. Plumbing but probibly not available without buying complete coupling.

  • homebound
    10 years ago

    Without knowing what is was, how did you know you needed more of them? Art project or something? Just curious.

  • tbird355
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here's where I found and it and why I need more.

    We have some installed landscape lights that came with the property. Here's a link to them.

    http://www.kimlighting.com/products/louvered_body

    They come with a 1/2" x 12" stem to mount them on. The original installer must have thought the 1/2" stem looked too small around for the size of the light and decided instead to use 2" rigid electrical conduit. They do look much better with the larger stem. The point of attachment on the fixture itself is 1/2" female pipe thread.

    To attach the 1/2" female fitting to the 2" stem, the following parts were used: (1) 1/2" short nipple, (2) 1"x1/2" rigid conduit bushing, (3) 1" union, (4) 2" union and (5) the part pictured above. See attached picture.

    We're installing some new lights and want them to look the same. I can easily find the first 4 components. It's the 5th one I can't locate. I don't even know what it is to be able to do some google searches. It really looks like a rigid conduit bushing except that the inside is not threaded and it has the 2 notches, presumably to tighten and loosen it.
    That's the story and I'm still trying to figure out what it is and where to get them.

  • snoonyb
    10 years ago

    And you've "elected" not to visit an elect. and plumbing suppliers, other than the big boxes, because?

  • tbird355
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Non sequitur.

  • homebound
    10 years ago

    He's asking whether you've gone to a real electrical and/or plumbing supply to solve this. (If not, why not?)

    I'd try these terms: reducer, adaptor, conduit reducer, conduit bushing, etc.

    It looks like that part is not visible when assembled, so it would not need to be identical...only function as such. In fact, if a similar one is threaded on the inside, and it still fits, I'd use it.

  • tbird355
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Sarcasm aside, I did go to the local electrical and plumbing supply houses. Also asked some local electricians and plumbers. They are stumped too.

    The lights were installed in 1984 and so this component is at least 30 years old.

    I suspect someone over at the Electrical Wiring forum is right. The inside threads were drilled out of a rigid conduit bushing.

    The part is definitely not visible when assembled. Unless someone comes up with the answer, the plan is to use a 2" x 1 1/4" rigid conduit bushing as the inside threads will not get in the way or affect the assembly.

  • homebound
    10 years ago

    You don't seem to appreciate the good intentions of the posters in this or the other forum. That's unfortunate for you since I have managed to solve this little riddle. Cheers.

  • klem1
    10 years ago

    Hold on there! I don't know how I missed it the first time but in the secound picture you posted,I see the patent #s.
    Look very carfully and tilt the pic until light hits at the right angle and there it is , Rube Goldberg 1933

  • tbird355
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for everyone's feedback. We came up with a different way to achieve the same goal with fewer parts.

  • kudzu9
    10 years ago

    Glad it worked out for you. I hope you appreciate that some of the people who were responding to your post were not trying to give you a hard time but were simply trying to move you in that direction.

  • tbird355
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Yes, these forums are always helpful. Thanks to fellow forum members joefixit2 and bus_driver about drilling out the center of a rigid bushing as that turned out to be what the original electrician did when he installed these. Question answered.