Barrel question

[jon_89]

I want an 8 foot barrel but I want it in two 4 foot sections. What is the best way to attach them in the middle? I was thinking a coupling but wont it split when you fire?

[frankrede]

Camlocks would be nice.
Threaded connections too
A normal coupling might work too

[DYI]

A threaded coupling would be the easiest. For the ultimate barrel section connector, check out the custom fitting that Larda made for Spudfarm's UPGBH10x barrel.

[BigGrib]

Two questions. Why do you want them in two 4 foot lengths? and Do you want the connection permanent or detachable? If you want a permanent connection a normal coupling would work just fine to connect them together. For a detachable connection I think cam locks would be too heavy for a mid barrel attachment. A threaded coupler might work if the ID of the threaded peice matches up to the ID of the barrel.

[jon_89]

Well that is what the trunk of my car allows. No my seats do not fold down.

[Pilgrimman]

You could take a normal coupler and grind out the stop so that you can push the 2 pipes flush with each other. I have the same problem with my car It was a lot of fun trying to get 20' of pipe to fit, even when I cut it in half!

[noob of noobs]

Since an 8 foot barrel would probably be pretty "saggy" with a small coupler holding it together, how about you try sleeving them in a "super-coupler" made from a pipe of larger diameter with a cut along one of it's sides. You could hose clamp it to the barrels, seal up the cracks by wraping some tire tube around the seam in the two pipe sections, and you'd have a 4' coupler!
Kind of like the inverse of sleeving.

[jon_89]

Wont the pipes seperate when you fire though if I used just a coupler?

[jimmy101]

Wont the pipes seperate when you fire though if I used just a coupler?

Yes, if you just shove the pipe into the coupler it will come apart when fired.

Camlocks and threaded fittings are probably the best solution (as long as they have a constant ID).

To use a coupler instead:
1. Glue half the barrel to the coupler.
2. Grind or router a bit off the other half of the barrel, where the ridge is inside the coupler. (I find this easier than trying to grind out the ridge in the coupler, but either method works.)
3. Drill and tap holes through the removeable part of the barrel and the coupler for some short screws. The holes should be drilled with the barrel assembled. "Ghetto tapping" the holes should be OK but a real screw tap would be better. The screws need to be short enough to pass through both pieces of PVC without extending into the barrel.

You might have to sand a bit off the outside of the removeable pipe, otherwise it'll be pretty tough to seat and un-seat the removeable piece of pipe.

[psycix]

If the ID of a threaded fitting or cam lock is not the same as your barrel, you could also use a larger one and shove the barrel trough it "co-axial style" after dremeling away the stop.