# Best way to tighten honey gate onto a bucket?



## toekneepea (Jul 7, 2010)

I had a dead out with honey left (I think the cluster was just too small, and they froze) - anyways I purchased a 5-gallon bucket with a honey gate from ML, and had the hardest time trying to get the honey gate on.

I tightened it by hand as much as I could but at a certain point it was just spinning in the hole.

I grabbed a pair of adjustable pliers and put them inside a plastic bag and expanded the head inside the bucket and finally tightened the gate enough so that it didn't leak water.

Crushed the comb, and am straining it now, but there has got to be a better way to get this on (and off) in the future.

If they made a 1.5 or 2 inch plastic socket I'd use that... What do you do?

Do you bother taking the gate off once it's on? (I figure it's easier to clean off than on)

Thanks,
Tony P.


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2012)

If I remember correctly, I used a couple of pipe wrenches, one inside and one outside, and yeah, it was tricky. I leave it on and put it outside to let the bees clean it, they do a bang up job, the honey doesn't go to waste and it's easy. Wait for a warm day and let them deal with it.


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

You don't take it off for cleaning. Mines cleans out nicely with a little bit of dish washing liquid and hot water.


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## rlsiv (Feb 26, 2011)

Did yours come with a rubber gasket? My plastic honey valve came with both a rubber o-ring and a rubber gasket. I just hand-tightened it as firmly as I could (because I've been know to break plastic things when using a wrench  ), and it doesn't leak. I take it apart after each use to clean it, and just re-assemble and hand tighten again.


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

I'm pretty sure it did. I used some large pliers for holding it inside the hex shaped part and used my hand outside to tighten it. No leaks so it must have been tight enough. I did have to tighten the part you pull up to open it with a screw driver. It leaked a tiny bit, but not much. You can test with water, but that is much thinner then the honey so it really doesn't have to be so tight that no water comes out. Anyway, I have no issues cleaning it in the sink without taking it apart.


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## toekneepea (Jul 7, 2010)

rlsiv said:


> Did yours come with a rubber gasket?


Just an O-ring. http://www.mannlakeltd.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=page80#!productInfo/8/ I got the 5-gallon bucket with a plastic honey gate and filters. A gasket would have been great... I wonder if I can retrofit one.

Tony P.


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## Roadstar (Nov 1, 2010)

Try heating the area of the hole in the bucket with a heat gun, or hair dryer before you insert the honey gate. Slightly heating the plastic bucket will help the concave bucket surface flatten out where the honey gate goes. Just hand tighten it snugly, and you are good to go.


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2012)

Yeah, in general, don't use pipe wrenches on plastic. I kind of had to because I was installing it at the bottom of something a lot bigger than a 5 gallon bucket and it was too far to even reach with both hands at the same time. So I mostly used the wrenches for reach and leverage. But no, please don't run out and horse down your honey gate with a pipe wrench.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

When you have it out, measure carefully and run a foot long peice of 1X inch wood thru your table saw. I now keep that wrench in with my honey tools. It is all the leverage to hold you need. Make sure the gasket is clean, and seated in the right place. That is how I ended the drizzle around the gate. Plus, keep the pivor side tight. It tends to loosen up and make it a messy gate.


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## seal62 (Apr 17, 2011)

I can be of help ? Honeyman let a fitter explain this one . The deal with the seal ( lol ) is this . A bucket is round ..most valves are sq . Some fittings are curved to match the pipe that they go on . Every one has some type of gasket . If it does'nt your short parts . There are multiple reason for leaks ,,but for this one its this ,,,not tight enough ,,too tight ,,but in this case i would bet gasket lube . Did you lube the gaskets ? At work i just spit on them . In this case i would use a veg oil . Use what tools ya got but leave the 3 ft pipe wrench in the corner . I would / have used dogs ( channel locks) . Snug is the word of choice here . A shade past where the valve moves during operation . The best bit ive found for plastic holes is the unibit . One more thing is that your opening has to be a shade bigger than the part . If the opening is too small you will get a burr , preventing a good seal (lol) ..If ya need more help about valves in buckets i'll make a vid .


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## Ozone (May 24, 2011)

What's the theme music on your video? ....Too much time on your hands????...... lol


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## toekneepea (Jul 7, 2010)

No heat gun, but plenty of wood to cut down. Thanks Vance, and everyone.

Tony P.


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

I have 2 buckets from Dadant and I just tightened both by hand and no leaks (not even Clocks seal)


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