Not all Old Timers took pride in their work

ChrisJ

Mad Dog_2 said:

In our first year apprenticeship, we had to cut 4" XH with a hammer 🔨 & chisel..Mad Dog 🐕 

What was the standard duty 4" in my house cut with back in 1910?
And what did they pour the joints with?

ethicalpaul

I assume with today's labor shortage in the trades, they have toned down the hazing

Mad Dog_2

Yes

Mad Dog_2

I was surprised at how fast I got through..Mad Dog 🐕 

Intplm.

ChrisJ said:

Mad Dog_2 said:

In our first year apprenticeship, we had to cut 4" XH with a hammer 🔨 & chisel..Mad Dog 🐕 

What was the standard duty 4" in my house cut with back in 1910?
And what did they pour the joints with?

Hey @ChrisJ
Standard weight. (Often the same as todays No hub or -NH-) XH, XXH of all dimensions was cut and can still be cut with a hammer and chisel and was probably the method used on your house.

Oakum or what was also called hemp was packed into the circumference of the bell and spigot leaving about an inch below the top of the bell.
On the inside at this space is a groove around the full circumference where molten lead would be poured.
Lead and oakum would seal the joint.

ChrisJ

Intplm. said:

ChrisJ said:

Mad Dog_2 said:

In our first year apprenticeship, we had to cut 4" XH with a hammer 🔨 & chisel..Mad Dog 🐕 

What was the standard duty 4" in my house cut with back in 1910?
And what did they pour the joints with?

Hey @ChrisJ
Standard weight. (Often the same as todays No hub or -NH-) XH, XXH of all dimensions was cut and can still be cut with a hammer and chisel and was probably the method used on your house.

Oakum or what was also called hemp was packed into the circumference of the bell and spigot leaving about an inch below the top of the bell.
On the inside at this space is a groove around the full circumference where molten lead would be poured.
Lead and oakum would seal the joint.

Chain cutters aren't, or weren't use for cutting?

Intplm.

Old timers had told me that cutters were not yet available. From what I have been told, the scissor cutter wasn't around much back then. May not have been invented.
The first scissor chain cutter and then in later years, the ratcheting chain cutter was introduced.

delcrossv

Mad Dog_2 said:

In our first year apprenticeship, we had to cut 4" XH with a hammer 🔨 & chisel..Mad Dog 🐕 

Man, that's just cruel.

Time was, any fitting you could get in service weight you could get in XH. Some older (1890's or earlier) houses here everything is XH. Now, only straights, bends and wyes are in XH. Guessing no demand. (?)

Mad Dog_2

"All leads joints shall be poured, continuously until a minimum of 1/8" Below the top of the hub."  Mad Dog 🐕 

ChrisJ

Wonder what plumbing codes existed in 1910 when this was done in my house?

I'm assuming none in my area.
When did plumbing codes really take off and get implemented and start getting inspected etc?

delcrossv

Mad Dog_2 said:

"All leads joints shall be poured, continuously until a minimum of 1/8" Below the top of the hub."  Mad Dog 🐕 

One ladle, one pour (for 4")

delcrossv

ChrisJ said:

Wonder what plumbing codes existed in 1910 when this was done in my house?

I'm assuming none in my area.
When did plumbing codes really take off and get implemented and start getting inspected etc?

Big cities? Way before 1910. Boonies? Not even today.

mattmia2

chain cutters are like a 1980's thing.

mattmia2

BTW if you do some searching there are some old books online that show you how to pack and pour joints. I think they might be part of military manuals.

JUGHNE

My parents built their house in the early 1940's using 1930 depression era methods.
Super low budget. Tore down an older house and reused every thing.
Even straighten out lath nails for reuse.

For the cast iron joints my father used oakem, and with lead in demand elsewhere, he sealed the joints with concrete. Those joints are still there in use today.

Fairly certain the CI was cut with hammer and chisel.

I went to change the 1 1/2" iron pipe for the lav drain and just moving it slightly cracked the concrete.
Used a Fernco donut for repairs. Disadvantage of the concrete, as I have wiggled lead joints around without damage.

For the 2" vent thru the roof he needed 2 2" 90 ells.
The pipe was hacksawed at 45 degrees and with a short piece between he welded up the pieces to make the offset.

Water lines were hand threaded galv with some soft copper for risers.

My mother told me there were on a waiting list to get fixtures. Maybe 2 years for the steel tub.

There were a pretty tough generation, we are wimps by comparison.

JUGHNE

I did pick up a CI chain cutter at an auction, it is probably from the 50-60's.

It consists of a chain wrench to grab the CI and another chain with cutter wheels to work the pipe and score it. You work the two handles back and forth.
Didn't work too bad for being worn out, hard to keep the score in the same place.

I seldom used the cutter part but the chain wrench worked good for burying 4" PVC into the sockets.

Intplm.

ChrisJ said:

Wonder what plumbing codes existed in 1910 when this was done in my house?

I'm assuming none in my area.
When did plumbing codes really take off and get implemented and start getting inspected etc?

In many areas of the northeast of the USA defined licenses and codes were established circa 1960's.???

Electricians did all types of wiring, common commercial and residential electrical as well as phones in houses, television wiring ie. antennas etc. audio and so on.

Plumbers did plumbing but also did sheet metal, heating, what was considered cooling. HVAC wasn't as big.

These two trades evolved to create branches of electrical, ie. security wiring controls etc.

Plumbing had HVAC evolve from it as well as sheet metal and septic systems etc.

This didn't happen over night but I think you can see how this happened.

It hasn't/did'nt happened everywhere but in many cases this was how things progressed.