EKINSUN LTD is a custom parts manufacturer that machines threaded elbows to drawing: street elbows with a G male and an NPT female, reducing elbows in one piece, elbows with a metric-fine leg for a pump or sensor port, 45° elbows in stainless, and elbows with a leg length, hex or bore chosen for the space they sit in, from 1 piece in brass, 304, 316L or steel.
A typical request: G1/2 male into the valve, G3/8 female for the hose barb, 90 degrees, stainless — while every stock elbow is G1/2 both ends or G3/8 both ends.
A reducing street elbow in stainless is the commonest elbow we machine; the second is the elbow with a metric-fine leg.
Elbow forms
| Form | Ports | Also called | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Street elbow, 90° | M × F, same size | male-female elbow, 90 degree adapter, service elbow | turning a line out of a valve, pump or manifold port without a nipple |
| Female elbow, 90° | F × F | threaded elbow, equal elbow | joining two male pipe ends or nipples at a corner |
| Male elbow, 90° | M × M | double male elbow | between two female ports; rarely catalogued above G1/2 |
| Reducing elbow | F × F or M × F, two sizes | reducing street elbow | changing size and direction in one part |
| 45° elbow | M × F or F × F | 45 degree street elbow | gentle direction changes, drain and vent lines |
| Mixed-standard elbow | G × NPT, metric × G | adapter elbow | European equipment on US pipe, sensors on pipework |
| Long-leg elbow | any, one leg extended | extended elbow, elbow with hex | clearing a flange, a housing or an insulation layer |
| Elbow with gauge port | M × F with a third small port | gauge elbow | a gauge or vent on the corner |
Need threaded elbows in a size, thread or material no catalogue lists? EKINSUN is a custom parts manufacturer: we make threaded elbows to your drawing, sketch or sample — brass, 304 or 316L stainless steel — from 1 piece, quoted in 12 hours and shipped duties paid. If the size is standard, ask anyway — it may be in stock, and the unit price drops as the quantity rises. All custom adapters and fittings →
Standard sizes and ranges
| Thread standard | Standard forms | Catalogue sizes | Common materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| G (BSPP) female, R (BSPT) male | EN 10241 (steel), ISO 49 / DIN 2950 (malleable), brass fitting forms | 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, 1 in; larger in malleable iron | brass, nickel-plated brass, 304, 316, malleable iron, zinc steel |
| NPT | ASME B16.11 (forged), B16.15 (cast brass), B16.3 (malleable) | 1/8–1 in; 1-1/4–2 in in iron and forged steel | brass, 304, 316, forged steel |
| Metric fine | maker series; DIN 3852 port forms | M10×1, M12×1.5, M14×1.5, M16×1.5, M18×1.5, M22×1.5 on hydraulic elbows | steel, 304 |
| Mixed standards | none | not catalogued | machined |
Street elbows M × F are catalogued in brass and stainless to 1 in in G and NPT; male × male elbows are rarely catalogued above 1/2 in; reducing elbows only in one-step reductions.
Which elbow for which port pair
| You have | Elbow | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A female port on a valve, pump or block, and a pipe or hose fitting to turn out of it | street elbow M × F | the male leg goes into the port, the female takes the line; no nipple needed |
| Two male pipe ends meeting at a corner | female elbow F × F | the classic pipe elbow |
| Two female ports facing each other at 90° | male elbow M × M | standard to G1/2; machined above |
| A port in one size and a line in another | reducing elbow | one part instead of an elbow plus a bushing; machined when the reduction is two steps |
| A G port and an NPT line, or a metric port on pipework | mixed-standard elbow | machined; each leg cut to its own standard so neither side is forced |
| An elbow that must clear a flange, a cover or insulation | long-leg elbow | the leg length is a drawing dimension, not a catalogue one |
| A hose instead of a pipe on the outlet leg | hose barb elbow | barb to hose ID; thread to the port |
What to send for an elbow that is not catalogued
- Each leg: male or female, standard (G, R, NPT, metric), size and pitch, and whether the thread is parallel or tapered.
- Leg lengths from the corner, if either must clear something; a sketch with two numbers is enough.
- Hex or flats and where they must sit for the spanner.
- Bore, if flow matters, and whether a gauge or bleed port is wanted on the corner.
- Material and seal: brass, 304, 316L; O-ring, bonded washer, tape or a machined seat.
- Quantity; one elbow for a pump that is stopped is a normal order.
Identify the thread before you order the elbow. Measure the outside diameter of a male thread, or the inside diameter at the mouth of a female one, with a caliper, and count the threads in 25 mm or in one inch. A G1/4 male measures about 13.2 mm across and has 19 threads per inch; a 1/4 NPT male measures about 13.7 mm and has 18; an M14×1.5 measures 14.0 mm with 1.5 mm between crests. Those three are the ones most often confused on a fitting, and only the metric one is not tapered. Then check whether the thread is parallel or tapered by measuring the diameter at the first and the fifth turn. The fitting thread identification chart lists every common pipe, port and tube thread with its diameter, pitch and seal, and the BSPP vs BSPT note explains the parallel and taper forms of the same BSP size.
Where the elbow catalogue stops
| What you need | In the catalogue? | What we make |
|---|---|---|
| Street elbow M × F or female elbow F × F, one standard, one size, 1/8–1 in in brass or 304 | Yes | Buy it from stock, or have it made to order from 1 piece. No one-off competes on price with a forged or cast elbow. Standard parts: ask us too — we may have them in stock. |
| Reducing elbow in a one-step reduction in G or NPT, brass or iron | Yes | Standard in the common pairs: buy it off the shelf, or have it made to order from 1 piece. |
| An elbow with legs in two standards — G × NPT, metric × G, R × NPT | No | Machined from hex bar, each leg cut to its own standard, from 1 piece. |
| A reducing elbow in a two-step reduction, or with a metric-fine leg | No | Machined; the fine thread single-pointed. |
| A male × male elbow above 1/2 in, or a 45° elbow in a mixed pair | No | Machined in brass, 304 or 316L. |
| A leg length, hex position or bore chosen for the space | No | Machined to the drawing; the ports stay standard. |
| An elbow in 316L above 1/2 in, in titanium, PEEK or aluminium 6061 / 7075 | No | Same geometry, your material; aluminium for pneumatic and vacuum lines, not for high pressure. |
| An elbow with a gauge port, a bleed or an O-ring seat on the corner | No | Machined; see sealed metal parts. |
Materials
| Material | Designation | Where it fits here |
|---|---|---|
| Brass | CW614N (CuZn39Pb3) / C36000 machined; CW617N forged forms | the standard elbow material for air, water and oil; nickel plated on request |
| Stainless 304 | 1.4301 | standard stainless elbows 1/8–1 in |
| Stainless 316L | 1.4404 | machined elbows for marine and chemical lines |
| Free-machining stainless | 303 / 1.4305 | custom turned elbows where corrosion duty allows |
| Forged and zinc steel | S235; A105 forged | hydraulic and structural elbows |
| Malleable iron | EN-GJMB / EN-GJMW | standard pipe elbows above 1 in |
| Aluminium 6061 | AlMg1SiCu | light pneumatic and vacuum elbows, anodised |
| Aluminium 7075 | AlZn5.5MgCu | machined elbow blocks and manifolds |
Related pages
- the adapter, elbow and tee chart — every fitting form by ports and standard
- threaded tees — three-port fittings
- push-in fittings — push-in elbows for tube
- compression fittings — compression elbows
- Hose barb adapters — barb elbows
- BSP brass fittings for equipment lines — the standard brass elbows these are machined beyond
- Female-to-male adapters — straight reducers and bushings
- how to identify a fitting thread — G, R, NPT and metric by diameter and pitch
- valve fittings — elbows out of valve ports
- CO₂ cylinder thread adapters — TR21-4, CGA 320, W 21.8 × 1/14 and BS 341 No. 8 valve threads, and the adapter from any of them to an NPT or metric port.
- Argon and nitrogen cylinder adapters — CGA 580, W 24.32 × 1/14 and 5/8" BSP cylinder threads, straight or 90° to a regulator or NPT port.
- Thread adapter strength chart — how much load the smaller thread carries and the largest bore a male thread can have at 200 bar and 5,000 psi.
Frequently asked questions
A 90-degree elbow with one male thread and one female thread. The male leg screws into a port on a valve, pump or manifold and the female leg takes the pipe or fitting, so no nipple is needed to turn a line out of a port.
Not as standard parts: catalogue elbows have both legs in one standard. A G × NPT, metric × G or R × NPT elbow is machined from hex bar with each leg cut to its own standard, from 1 piece.
Stainless pipe elbows follow the same dimensional forms as steel ones, EN 10241 in Europe and ASME B16.11 for forged fittings, with threads to ISO 7 / ISO 228 (BSP) or ASME B1.20.1 (NPT). A machined elbow follows the drawing instead, with the threads to those same standards.
Yes. Leg length, hex position, bore and a third small port for a gauge or bleed are drawing dimensions on a machined elbow, in brass, 304, 316L or steel, from 1 piece.
EKINSUN LTD is a custom parts manufacturer that machines street, female, male, reducing and 45-degree elbows with legs in G, R, NPT, metric or UNF threads, in brass, 304 / 316L stainless, steel, aluminium and PEEK, from 1 piece, with a quote within 12 hours.
No list price; the drivers are material, the two thread operations, any milling for a hex or a third port, and quantity. A brass G × NPT street elbow is a short job; a 316L reducing elbow with a gauge port is a milled and drilled part and priced as one. The quote states which.
Send both legs
Each leg: male or female, standard, size, parallel or tapered; leg lengths if they matter; hex; material; quantity. A photo of the port and the line works. From 1 piece, quote within 12 hours.
Not sure of the thread? Tell us four things: what the fitting connects to (pump, valve, gauge, cylinder, tube or hose); whether the port is the inlet or the outlet; which way the flow must go; and the tube outside diameter, not the hose bore, unless it is a barb. A photo with a caliper across the thread answers most of it.