The only brilliance you'll get from me is the glare off my forehead! Hey, isn't that about the same brilliance you'll get from Doug??
Just one last parting thought. If you go with the tubing or small pipe, just use bushings and hose barbs for 1/4" pipe thread. The parts might be a little more obscure to find, but it's worth not trying to fabricate your own thing, since it will have to hold back some pressure ...
And oh yeah, wet-test anything you try (make sure spouse is not around to notice the geyser in case anything pops off). It's easy to brainstorm when it's someone ELSE who'll get yelled at for the flood on the floor ....
Good luck, whatever you try, and let us know what you end up doing.