New to piping with iron, would appreciate technique tips

Gordan

What I'm finding is that the pipe wrench - or, really, the way I use it - is doing quite a number on the pipe and the fittings. I'm using a pair of 18" Ridgid wrenches and I'm working with 1/2" - 1" pipe and fittings. I've been slathering the male ends with pro dope quite liberally, and then tightening them as far as I can; usually there are two to four threads still visible after I'm done, but some of those threads are not really threads - grooves are cut but the tops are flat and not sharp.



Another issue I've had is that, connecting iron and brass fittings with a close nipple, the brass will typically yield much more readily than the iron, and the iron side won't necessarily wind up as tight as it might have otherwise.



Lastly, there have been a few instances where I've slightly overshot with tightening so that the fittings are not aligned at the proper angle. Will loosening slightly (a fraction of a turn, just a few degrees) create a risk of leaks? Do the fittings deform when tightening them?



Many thanks!

TonyS

My opinion

Gordon, I think that 18 inch wrenches are too large for the pipe size your using. I prefer a 10 and 14 for 1/2 to 1 inch pipe. I usually back up with a smaller wrench and do the twisting with the larger. I use adjustable die heads on my ridgid machines and set my threads so I get 2-1/2 turns into a factory fitting before it gets tight. It is important to apply dope to threads crosswise as to fill the threads but you dont need so much that you have gobs of dope hanging off the fitting when finished. Whenever I go brass to steel or brass to brass I use tape and dope on top. Brass has a higher tendency to gall. Always inspect your dies for broken teeth and flood your dies with oil while cutting, this removes heat as well as lubricating. Look at a factory nipple...if your threads dont look like that then something is wrong. Hope this helps

Tony

Jamie Hall

Backing off...

a bit of a turn from a really tight joint -- as you say, a few degrees -- shouldn't give you a leak; the pipe dope and the way the threads are cut does a pretty good job on that.



Thank goodness...

Charlie from wmass

What type of dies

are you using? Drop to 14" wrenches and tighten a bit less as long as your threads to match a good factory thread. I second the dope and tape for brass to iron threads. also avoid close nipples if you can. a good pair of Knipex 12" pliers or 10' to 14" ridigid pipe wrenches is what I use for small pipe like you are doing. Yes brand matters here if you are doing this for a living you need good tools.

Gordan

Thanks, all!

I'm feeling a little more cautiously confident. I replaced some 1 1/2" pipe and fittings two years ago, on my own home, and had leaks, so I've been erring on the side of tightening more and not less - hence the 18" wrenches. Thanks for the tip on using teflon for brass - I wish I'd asked before I tightened twenty brass fittings! Oh, well - let's hope for the best.



This time I'm only doing near-boiler piping in iron and the rest is Fostapex, so I've only been using various length nipples and not cutting and threading pipe. I can say that the thread quality even on US-made fittings (Ward) is not impressive - many of the nipples look pretty chewed up. Brass looks better. I've started wrapping pipe and fittings in a rag before putting a wrench on it, and while this doesn't eliminate all gauging it does seem to minimize those nasty shavings.

Larry Weingarten

useful tool

Hello:  If you can find an old Parmelee wrench, it would allow you to keep the pipe nice.  Ebay has old wrenches that just make a plumber's life better.



Yours,  Larry

Charlie from wmass

nice wrenches

kind of hard to use them on short nipples between fittings.

Charlie from wmass

nice wrenches

kind of hard to use them on short nipples between fittings.

Ironman

Tape and Paste

It's becoming more and more difficult to get U.S. made fittings, particularly brass. And their tolerances are very sloppy sometimes. For about the last 5 years, I,ve been taping and doping with Teflon paste and haven't had a leak since. For gas or oil, I just use "Gasoilia" - works great.



If you an keep your wrenches on two opposing fittings instead of on a fitting and a nipple, you'll minimize damage to the pipe or nipple. Just tighten the fittings sufficiently and the nipple between them will get tight enough without the wrench having to touch it.

bob_46

Three Point

Always three point your wrench i.e. the wrench should contact the pipe or fitting

at three places. The teeth of the moveable jaw, the back (or vertical part) of the

moveable jaw and the teeth of the fixed jaw. If you three point you won't deform

the pipe or fitting.