# INSTALLING HONEY GATE ON 5 GALLON BUCKET



## Mountainboomer (Jan 17, 2013)

Hello , In an attempt to save some money I'm going to try to make my own honey bucket w/ a honey gate. I've never installed a gate on a bucket b-4 and I'm not sure how to make it fit into the side of a round bucket and not have it leak , any help or thoughts would be very helpful. Thanks!!


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

I heat the bucket with a heat gun.


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

I just drill the hole and screw the gate onto the bucket. The nut will flatten the bucket just fine. I have 5 of them and none of them leak.


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

I use a 1 3/4" hole saw to drill the hole. Then I use a Dremel tool to clean up the opening just a bit, so the honey gate will fit. They tell you that it fits a 2" opening, but I find that to be a little too big. I dip both sides of the honey gate in water to lubricate the O-rings and then tighten it by hand. I usually go back and tighten it one more time after the bucket has had a chance to flatten out. No leaks! Make sure to keep the hole, far enough off the bottom of the bucket, so the flange of the honey gate has enough room for you to install it.


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## VanIslander (Aug 19, 2013)

Honey gate valves don't come any cheaper than this. Less than $4 each including delivery.









I've bought three, installed them in 5 gal buckets and they work just fine -- no leaks.


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

VanIslander said:


> Honey gate valves don't come any cheaper than this. Less than $4 each including delivery.
> 
> View attachment 12867
> 
> ...


How long did it take to receive them? I see that they come from Hong Kong.


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## VanIslander (Aug 19, 2013)

LeonardS said:


> How long did it take to receive them? I see that they come from Hong Kong.


It seems to me it was around ten days. I just bought some other 'free shipping' items from Hong Kong that arrived in six working days. On the other hand, I've had other items take up to three weeks to arrive from there. But I've always received my stuff eventually -- never been burned.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Oh, and the gasket goes on the OUTSIDE of the bucket!


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## mathesonequip (Jul 9, 2012)

stuff from hong-kong varies in time quite a bit but I often get stuff quicker than advertised. if the shipper does not get it out the door it is the same everywhere. if the order is over $200 watch out for broker fees. years ago I got wacked over $ 125 extra in broker and bond fees for an order with 18 cents duty due.


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

Thanks for the link! I just ordered 6 of them to try.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

I did a few buckets not long ago. Can't remember where I got the gates from but they leaked. When I took them apart, the gasket was really thin and I think it crumpled a little while I was tightening it (I probably should have lubed it with water as mentioned above). Went to the hardware store and bought "fatter" replacements and all was well.


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## VanIslander (Aug 19, 2013)

Ravenseye said:


> ..............the gasket was really thin and I think it crumpled a little while I was tightening it (I probably should have lubed it with water as mentioned above). Went to the hardware store and bought "fatter" replacements and all was well.


I found the same thing. While the o-rings in the ones I got were not thin, they were quite soft. I made the mistake of letting the valve turn a bit while tightening and it pulled the o-ring out of alignment. Backed off the nut, realigned the o-ring, and it was fine. 

By the way, the plastic nuts require a 2 3/16" wrench. I didn't have one that size, or even a crescent wrench that will open that big. You're not torquing down the head of an engine here, so I made one out of a piece of hardwood on the bandsaw and it worked just fine.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

The only issue I had when using buckets was the pail splitting near the hole. It has happened three times. Perhaps the heat gun trick would have helped.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Best not to try to locate the valve too close to the bottom. It leaves a lot more stress in the plastic as the valve attempts to iron a flat on the pail when you tighten the nut. I have ordered a Syracuse valve for bottling as they cut the flow off cleaner and dont slobber afterwards. They are 4 times the price though.


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## MaydayMalone (Jan 19, 2012)

Thanks, VanIslander. I just ordered 10.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

VanIslander said:


> I didn't have one that size, or even a crescent wrench that will open that big. You're not torquing down the head of an engine here, so I made one out of a piece of hardwood on the bandsaw and it worked just fine.


Harbor freight baby. The one thing they are good for one time use tools. http://www.harborfreight.com/24-inch-adjustable-wrench-39621.html


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

crofter said:


> They are 4 times the price though.


 I use this one for my barrels. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0081LLDA6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Yes that is the style. The one I have on order from Mann Lake is 1 1/2" plastic $41.00


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## Lburou (May 13, 2012)

I put one of those ebay honey gates from China on my extractor. So far, so good. 

FWIW, one of the honey gates came without both 'O' rings. I can live with that.


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## cowdoc (May 15, 2011)

LeonardS said:


> I use a 1 3/4" hole saw to drill the hole.


Keep in mind there are different sized honey gates out there (we carry 3 different ones). Might be best to wait until you have the gate in hand to start drilling.

Chris Cripps
[email protected]


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## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

I made one last week and used it to bottle my honey. Free bucket, cheap honey gate. Fancy bottler for cheap.


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

cowdoc said:


> Keep in mind there are different sized honey gates out there (we carry 3 different ones). Might be best to wait until you have the gate in hand to start drilling.
> 
> Chris Cripps
> [email protected]


Good suggestion! All of them that I have used, say they are for a 2" hole, but they seem to fit better in a slightly oversized 1 3/4" hole.


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## mtndewluvr (Oct 28, 2012)

I just ordered 10 off eBay. We've got 4 beekeepers here where I work...we'll give them a try. Thanks for the info!!


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## bugmeister (Feb 26, 2013)

has anyone every used the valves that come in a home brew 5-6 gallon fermentation bucket. i am trying to kill 2 birds and know it will take longer?


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