Clippard 4 series needle valves

[Chuck H <grendel at usit_net>]

Well, I'd been planning on building a CO2 manifold (actually, two) for 
awhile but hadn't been able to decide on a brand of needle valve.  I had 
been looking at the valves from Clippard Minimatic for some time, and after 
Tom posted about his DIY manifold using the Clippard 4 series valve, I 
decided to go for it.

I'm glad I did.  The Clippard valves are better than I expected.  They 
certainly have an unbeatable price ($10.10 US each) in contrast to their 
performance.  The control action is smooth and fine adjustments are no 
problem.  I've gotten the bubble rate down to 6 second intervals (10 
bubbles/min) without making any real effort.  I believe the rate could go a 
bit slower, but I haven't tried yet.

For anyone who might be interested, here are the product SKU's of the items 
I ordered.  The Clippard online catalog is a little convoluted and things 
can be difficult to locate if you're not already familiar with their 
site.  Entering the SKU's into the search box will save a lot of time.

SKU
----------
MNV-4K           The needle valve.  K denotes knob -- you want that.
15006-1-PKG    Adaptor.  Connects valve to 1/8" NPT female fittings
11753-1-PKG    1/8" hose barb.  Comes with Buna N seal(s).

Note that both the adaptor and hose barb come in packs of 10.  Both 
fittings are yellow brass.

Note also that Clippard doesn't sell direct but only sells indirectly 
through their Web site and distributors.  The only caveat that I can offer 
concerning ordering via the Web is a $10 handling charge tacked on to the 
shipping charge.  The handling charge isn't so bad if you're ordering in 
quantity, but it makes the deal a little less appealing if one only wants a 
valve or two.  A better option in this case would probably be to contact 
Clippard or check their website for the nearest distributor.

http://www.clippard.com

FWIW.
--
Chuck Huffine
Knoxville, Tennessee