Bulkhead fitting description A bulkhead fitting is a way of getting an attachment for plumbing on two sides of a plate (bulkhead). The simplest bulkhead fitting is made with a close nipple, two rubber washers, two metal washers and two pipe thread nuts. Place the nipple through a hole in the plate. Slip over a rubber washer, slip over a metal washer and then run on the nut. From the other side, do the same. Tighten the two nuts against each other to form a seal. If the bulkhead is curved like in a round cooler, you may need very soft rubber gaskets, but if it is flat, the rubber can be harder. O-rings sometimes work. If you cannot get pipe nuts, you can make them by buying reducer fittings. For a 1/2" pipe nut, buy a 3/4" to 1/2" reducer. Hold the 3/4" threaded portion in a vise and use a hacksaw to cut off the hex nut portion. These are available for sale from McMaster-Carr in brass or bronze, but I have only seen them in retail stores in pot metal which one would *not* want to use in brewing. The metals to be used may be brass, bronze or stainless. The washers should be 1/2" washers with the hole bored out to 3/4" plus a hair to fit 1/2" pipe. Bill of Materials 1 1/2" x close nipple 2 rubber washer or O-ring (3/4" ID) 2 metal washer (1/2" ID bored out to 3/4" ID plus a hair) 2 1/2" pipe nuts or 3/4"x1/2" reducing bushings -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, a suggestion from Jeffrey W Green after he looked at this write up. Thanks, Jeff! About the bulkhead fittings: If you are working on a curved surface which is most likely to be a Sankey, You can give the area a WHACK! with a hammer and have a resulting flat spot. I haven't done this yet on mine, but I am sure if one did it 'controlled' enough, and used larger hammer head it should provide a decent sealing surface. --------------------------------------------------------------------------