This doo-dad is a telescoping PVC fitting sold as a “Qwik Fix” or “Slip Fix.” It’s intended to be used to repair broken sections of pipe, but Chuck Rice has posted a venerable tutorial on converting one for use as a pneumatic piston in a haunted-house prop. Chuck’s design both lifts and turns with a single stroke. Clever!
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6 thoughts on “Lift-and-turn piston from PVC pipe fittings”
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did you want the word ‘veritable’ instead of “venerable”? (or is this tutorial like really old and worthy of respect due to that status?)
No, and yes.
PVC is the worst thing to use for any pneumatic device and can be very dangerous under air pressure. It fatigues over time and becomes a disaster waiting to happen.
As stated by Phantasmechanics (they have many years of experience with pneumatic prop building) on their website:
Please Note! We no longer recommend the use of PVC plumbing pipe elements in compressed air setups. If you have been using PVC, please discontinue using it. Although we have been using it in our shop for years without incident, we have reliable reports that it becomes brittle with age when used with compressed air and may shatter under pressure. We are converting the manifolds in our shop to black metal pipe of the kind used in natural gas applications. This is safe for use, and we heartily recommend it. The plastic quick disconnects we show are safe, and this warning does not apply to them.