14g In tube built for 17g?

[MGG]

So it might sound trivial but my glass tube I run butane through is designed for 17g,
I only have 14g to run and I don't want it to be overly loose in the tube,
Is there something I can stuff into the tube to make it tighter that wont end up ruining my extract??

Any thoughts?
Thanks.

 

[matthend]

marbles, unbleached coffee filters...

 

[Roger D]

I have seen people talking about coarse stainless steel wool (you may already have some for dish washing), anyway, choose a stuffing that is the most chemically neutral.

 

[MGG]

marbles, unbleached coffee filters...

Yeah I was thinking unbleached coffee filter, marbles is a good one!

 

[MGG]

Maybe i'll see if I can get glass beads from an art or craft store

 

[DogBoy]

...very interesting...this has answered a question I did not know how to ask...

 

[DogBoy]

...would that technique work with very small amounts of material...???...

...one would think that the reletive amounts of filler and material would be irrelevant if the correct packing density was maintained...

 

[DabComa]

I always keep cotton balls at the top of my tube to prevent anything from blowing back out the top, and to keep it tighter, just make sure your using boiled and dry, clean cotton. Has never had any issues for me, and I keep the same ones in for every run.

Hope it helps.

 

[matthend]

I always keep cotton balls at the top of my tube to prevent anything from blowing back out the top, and to keep it tighter, just make sure your using boiled and dry, clean cotton. Has never had any issues for me, and I keep the same ones in for every run.

Hope it helps.

I do this also with a small balled up coffee filter replacing the cotton ball

 

[DogBoy]

...is this in addition to other media in the tube...???...sort of like a shot shell wad...???...

 

[matthend]

The small ball goes between the nozzle and the "other media" to make sure nothing exits out of the top when you stop spraying. The built up pressure can make for a quite unfortunate "rainfall" effect into your Pyrex without the cotton/coffee filter...

 

[DabComa]

...would that technique work with very small amounts of material...???...

...one would think that the reletive amounts of filler and material would be irrelevant if the correct packing density was maintained...

It's not so much for a better fit rather more so to prevent any material from coming back out from the top when you pull the butane can, even though it will work to fill in empty space. I guess for your analogy of a shotgun shell yes it is similar...

 

[DieHard]

Glass marbles work great for me. If they are colored make sure that is the actual glass that is colored and not some paint or other coating. They work great with any size run. If my tube is full (3/4"x 13") a minimum of 3 marbles and if I'm only doing a small run (4g starting material) I will put as many as 10. I put the packed tube including the marbles in the freezer several hours before running. I never have any blow-back issues.