BBQ thermometer mounting

[fatfrank]

I have been reading this and the other forum for a while and since I was forced to register to this forum I thought I may as well go ahead and become an active member.

I am mounting some BBQ thermometers on a home made BBQ pit and was wondering how is the best way to do so. I am using a 1/2" merchant coupling welded to the door to mount the thermometers. I screwed the thermometer into the coupling and marked the top side so I won't have the thermometer upside down after welding the coupling in place. I then removed the thermometer and inserted a 1/2 inch plug in the coupling and welded it to the door. I guess the coupling expanded or possibly contracted (I didn't count the number of turns initially) during the heating and cooling and the thermometer when inserted isn't in the correct orientation.

Can someone give me some tips on the best way to get this corrected. Or should I just put a bunch of teflon thread on the thermometer when installing to get the thermometer upright.

Tanks for the reply, I'm a hobby welder with a HH175.

[fla jim]

If the threads are 1/2" NPT. Being as thats a tapered thread, you could use a 1/2" pipe tap and thread the socket a little deeper until it has the right orientation

[fatfrank]

Hey Jim,

Thanks for the response, for some reason I didn't think you could buy the taps for NPT threads, but I checked HF and they had them. I have 3 or possibly 4 more to weld on, does anyone have any more tips to get the others welded on in the correct orientation?

[Franz]

Just a suggestion, use electrical couplings for rigid conduit, they have a straight thread. If you really want to do it up, weld a 1/4-20 nut to the outside of the coupling, and drill thru the nut & coupling with a #6 drill and then line tap it for a set screw. That way, you can lock the thermometer in any position with the set screw.
Rather than teflon tape, I'd recommend NeverSeize on threads since it's virtually assured you will eventually replace the thermometer.
Course, if you want to be real cool at the cookoff, use a Rayteck infrared thermometer while you sit back and partake of liquid refreshment.

[fatfrank]

Say Franz,

Sounds like you may be a veteran at the BBQ competition. I didn't realize that New Yorkers even knew what BBQ is :). I think I would be better off using the raytech to shoot the beer in the cooler and make sure its at optimum drinking temp, because that is really the most important thing at a cookoff anyway.

[Franz]

I'm gettin real good at the sit back and observe part of the competition, and I can reach out a good distance with that Rayteck.
Beer, well, I swore off beer when I worked at Genesee Brewery back in the 60s, and got the "things you can get fired for" lecture.
You're fairly well right bout NooYawkers not knowin damn abut BarBQue, but there's shutloads of them who will assure ya they are experts, mostly cause they know just who to call to haul over their trailer mounted oil tank and cater one. Fortunately, there's a good number of Rednecks around Hilton, who all know you canlive among Noo Yawkers, but ya can't live with em.

[cutter]

Originally posted by fatfrank
I have been reading this and the other forum for a while and since I was forced to register to this forum I thought I may as well go ahead and become an active member.

Tanks for the reply, I'm a hobby welder with a HH175.

Just curious - what do you mean "forced to register"?
And where are you located (evidently not in NY )?

[fatfrank]

Cutter,
Seems like when I first started visiting this site, I tried to look at and attached photo of something and I got a prompt that said I had to register to view the photo. Who knows, maybe I'm thinking of some other site. I live in Wichita Falls, TX.

[cutter]

Originally posted by fatfrank
Cutter,
Seems like when I first started visiting this site, I tried to look at and attached photo of something and I got a prompt that said I had to register to view the photo. Who knows, maybe I'm thinking of some other site. I live in Wichita Falls, TX.

Oh yeah, I remember now - lady friend wanted to look at something & said she had
to register before she could see the photos. But that was over a week ago! so naturally I
had forgotten about it. :)
I grew up near Quanah so we all watched the Wichita TV stations from the early '50's forward.
Had to put up a 50 - 60 ft antenna tower to do it but that came before indoor plumbing by a
couple of years. Priorities, you know.