De-Fly Nozzle Mount Kit

Every ranch is different, so this kit gives you a mount for just about anything you can bolt, clamp or strap a nozzle to: round pipe gates, square tube gates and panels, T-posts, wood posts and flat steel. Every mount in the kit uses the same nozzle slot, so the TeeJet 3/8 inch anti-siphon nozzle body fits all of them the same way.

1. The recommended three-nozzle setup

Put all three nozzles on one side of the walk-through so cattle get one flank treated going in and the other flank coming back out. That keeps them from getting a double dose.

NozzleWhere it goesAimStarting height (mature beef cattle)
BellyLow, on the side rail or a post45 degrees up16 to 20 inches off the ground
SideMid heightStraight across30 to 36 inches off the ground
TopHigh, on the top rail or an overhead bar45 degrees down60 to 66 inches off the ground

Those heights are starting points. Watch the first few head go through and slide the mounts up or down until the belly, side and back are all getting wet.

2. Pick the mount that fits what you have

What you are mounting toUse this mountHardware you need
Round pipe or tube gate, corral panel, pipe fence railPipeClamp (pick the size that matches your pipe, see the chart below)Two U-bolts sized for the pipe, with nuts and washers. 1/4 inch U-bolts for 2 inch pipe and smaller, 5/16 or 3/8 inch for 2-3/8 and 2-7/8 inch pipe.
Square tube gate or panel (1-1/2 inch or 2 inch)SquareTubeTwo 1/4 inch square U-bolts sized for the tube, with nuts and washers.
Studded steel T-post (Tractor Supply 1.25 lb or 1.33 lb)TPostTwo stainless hose clamps (band up to 5/8 inch wide) or 1/2 inch stainless banding, about 12 inches long. The block straddles the stem on the back of the post and its angled underside seats on the tips of the two wings, so it centers itself and cannot rock; the bands pass through the slots in the top of the block and wrap around the studded face.
Odd-size pipe, wood post, or anything else roundStrapMountTwo stainless hose clamps (band up to 5/8 inch wide) or 1/2 inch stainless banding, long enough to go around the post plus the block. The bands pass through the two slots in the sides of the block, outboard of the nozzle plate. On a wood post you can skip the straps and use two 1/4 x 2 inch lag screws with washers through the holes in the block.
Flat steel plate, wall, board or bracket you already haveFlatMountTwo 1/4 inch bolts or lag screws with washers.

Pipe size chart

Wrap a tape measure around the pipe and read the distance around it. Pick the closest size.

Distance around the pipePipe sizeCommon useFile
5-1/8 inches1-5/8 inchMost tube gates and corral panelsDeFly_PipeClamp_1-5-8in_...
5-1/2 inches1-3/4 inchHeavy duty gates and panelsDeFly_PipeClamp_1-3-4in_...
6-1/4 inches2 inchHeavy gates, 1-1/2 inch schedule 40 pipe (1.9 inch)DeFly_PipeClamp_2in_...
7-1/2 inches2-3/8 inchPipe fence top rail, drill stemDeFly_PipeClamp_2-3-8in_...
9 inches2-7/8 inchPipe fence posts, drill stemDeFly_PipeClamp_2-7-8in_...

The U-bolt slots are oversized and elongated, so a U-bolt that is a little wider or narrower than the pipe still goes through. They sit outboard of the nozzle plate on both ends of the block, so the nuts always land on flat block and nothing is in the way of the wrench.

3. Straight, Post45 or Side45: which one do I print?

Each clamp and strap mount comes in three versions. The difference is where the nozzle plate is.

VersionWhat it doesWhen to use it
StraightThe nozzle plate sticks out level with the top of the block. The nozzle sprays straight away from whatever the block is clamped to. On a horizontal rail this is the only one you need for all three nozzles. Clamp it to the rail and rotate the whole mount around the rail before you tighten the U-bolts: roll it up to spray the belly, level to spray the side, roll it down to spray the back. On a vertical post it gives you the straight side spray.
Side45 (recommended for vertical posts)A short arm comes off the side of the block with the nozzle plate tilted 45 degrees. The nozzle sprays out and 45 degrees up or down, and the nozzle body hangs out beside the post where nothing is in its way.For vertical posts. Clamp it with the plate tilting up and it sprays up at the belly. Flip the mount over so the plate tilts down and it sprays down at the back. Fits any post or pipe in the kit.
Post45An arm comes off the end of the block, running along the post, and rises at 45 degrees. Same spray angle as Side45.Older version kept in the kit. On a vertical post the back of the nozzle body points toward the post, so it only clears on small posts. Use Side45 unless you have a reason not to.
Simplest setup on a tube gate: three Straight pipe clamps on the horizontal rails, rotated to aim. Simplest setup on pipe posts: one Straight for the side nozzle and two Side45 (one flipped) for the belly and top nozzles.

3b. Sensor mounts (photo eyes)

Every Straight mount also comes in a Sensor version (file name ends in _Straight_Sensor). It is the same mount with a 3/4 inch round hole in the plate instead of the nozzle slot. The M18 barrel of the De-Fly photo eye goes through the hole and is locked with its two nuts, one each side of the plate. The eye points straight away from whatever the mount is clamped to, so on a horizontal rail you roll the clamp to aim it at the reflector, and on a vertical post the Straight mount already points it across the chute. The same sizes and hardware apply as the nozzle versions.

4. Putting the nozzle body in

  1. Back the nut off the nozzle body so the 3/8 inch neck is free.
  2. Slide the neck sideways into the fork slot at the end of the plate. The slot has a chamfer at the mouth to guide it in and rounded corners at the bottom so it seats square.
  3. Run the nut back on and tighten it against the plate. The plate is 6 mm thick, the same as the original brackets.
  4. Turn the nozzle tip so the fan is crossways to the direction the cattle walk, then snug it.

5. Printing

SettingUse
MaterialASA (best outdoors, holds up to sun). PETG works too. Do not use PLA outside, it goes soft in the Texas heat.
Layer height0.2 mm
Walls4 perimeters, 5 top and bottom layers
Infill40 percent gyroid or cubic
SupportsNone needed when printed in the orientation below
PartHow to lay it on the bed
All Straight and Straight Sensor mounts (PipeClamp, SquareTube, StrapMount)Flip it upside down so the flat top face and the nozzle plate lie flat on the bed. The pipe cradle, recess or V-groove faces up.
PipeClamp Post45, SquareTube Post45Stand it on the flat end of the block (the end opposite the arm) so the block goes straight up and the arm leans over at 45 degrees. Use a brim.
All Side45 versions and StrapMount Post45Stand it on the flat side of the block opposite the arm, so the block is upright and the nozzle plate points straight up. Use a brim. The pipe cradle, recess, V-groove or T-post slot and the band slots all come out clean this way with no supports.
TPost Straight and Straight SensorUpside down like the other Straight mounts: top face and nozzle plate flat on the bed, the stem slot opening upward.
FlatMount Straight Offset (both)Stand it up on its 30 mm edge, the same way you printed nozzle bracket 9.
FlatMount Angled37Flat base plate down on the bed, arm leaning up.

6. Files in this kit

FileMounts to
DeFly_PipeClamp_1-5-8in_Straight.stl / _Straight_Sensor.stl / _Post45.stl / _Side45.stl1-5/8 inch round pipe
DeFly_PipeClamp_1-3-4in_Straight.stl / _Straight_Sensor.stl / _Post45.stl / _Side45.stl1-3/4 inch round pipe
DeFly_PipeClamp_2in_Straight.stl / _Straight_Sensor.stl / _Post45.stl / _Side45.stl2 inch round pipe
DeFly_PipeClamp_2-3-8in_Straight.stl / _Straight_Sensor.stl / _Post45.stl / _Side45.stl2-3/8 inch round pipe
DeFly_PipeClamp_2-7-8in_Straight.stl / _Straight_Sensor.stl / _Post45.stl / _Side45.stl2-7/8 inch round pipe
DeFly_SquareTube_1-5in_Straight.stl / _Straight_Sensor.stl / _Post45.stl / _Side45.stl1-1/2 inch square tube
DeFly_SquareTube_2in_Straight.stl / _Straight_Sensor.stl / _Post45.stl / _Side45.stl2 inch square tube
DeFly_StrapMount_Straight.stl / _Straight_Sensor.stl / _Post45.stlAny round post with hose clamps or banding, wood posts with lag screws. The strap mount Post45 is the side-arm design (there is no separate Side45 file for it).
DeFly_TPost_Straight.stl / _Straight_Sensor.stl / _Side45.stlStudded T-posts. One pocket fits both the 1.25 lb and 1.33 lb posts (same 1-3/8 inch section, made from the Franklin Industries drawing). The underside is cut to match the drooping wings of the post and the stem slot is 7 mm wide, so the round tip of the stem and the beads on the wing edges all clear. If the block seems to sit on the stem root instead of the wing tips on your post, a strip of inner tube under each side takes up the difference. Straight sprays straight out from the back of the post; Side45 sprays 45 degrees up or down (flip the block to change).
DeFly_FlatMount_Straight_Offset.stl / _Sensor.stlFlat surface, nozzle sprays straight out (the Sensor file has the 3/4 inch photo-eye hole). Nozzle bracket 9 strengthened, with the nozzle plate standing 19 mm further out (about 2-1/4 inches from the mounting face to the nozzle plate)
DeFly_FlatMount_Angled37.stlFlat surface, nozzle sprays 37 degrees up or down depending on which way you bolt it (nozzle bracket 7, strengthened)
make_flat_offset.pyMakes the FlatMount Straight Offset file. Change EXTRA at the top to move the nozzle plate in or out. Run it with the word sensor after it to make the photo-eye version.
make_mount_kit.pyThe script that makes all the clamp and strap files. Change the pipe sizes at the bottom of the script and run it again if a customer has a pipe size that is not in the kit.
All mounts share the same strengthening details: 1 mm chamfers on every edge, rounded inside corners instead of sharp ones, a gusset under every straight plate, a thick 9 mm root on every angled arm that tapers back to 6 mm at the nozzle, and rounded slot corners so the fork fingers do not crack.