# stuck 3" pipe and only 1 man



## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Me and a 36" couldn't even budge that nipple. Put the turbo-torch on it and whammo! I stood on the 36" and bounced and it started backing right out.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

I wouldn't have wasted my time with the wrench or the torch and just caped it out, much faster.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

Im sorry KTS, but I searched for the definition of caped, and didn't come up with anything plumbing related. Could you elaborate your meaning of the word "Caped"?


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

You cut the frozen nipple lengthwise inside the fitting, carefull not to damage the fitting female threads. Use a chisel to fold the nipple into itself and then spin it out. Does that make sense?





Paul


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

Oh, like peeling, that make's since. Peel it out. Im suprised that the nipple did not bend where the wrench was placed. Even with it hot.

Just spray some Liquid wrench on it, wait 30 days, then try to remove it. I think I read that on here last week somewhere. Very good advice.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Sort of, you use a "caping" or "cape" chisel, instead of a regular chisel. I would have used a caping chisel, but didn't have one. Someone thought they needed my *Sawzall* more than me, so I didn't have a *Sawzall*, either. This only took a couple of minutes, and I didn't have to kneel and stress my back.

http://www.skhandtool.com/Default.aspx?fusemode=10&pid=6593


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

That wall is fresh greenboard, and the carpenter running the job didn't want me to spray anything on the nipple that would splatter onto the greenboard and bleed thru the paint which will cover it shortly. So, I didn't spray Kroil on the nipple.


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

I could have used a 14".


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## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

slickrick said:


> I could have used a 14".


Wimp.
I would have used my bare hand to get it out.


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## Plumbcraz-e (Jan 3, 2010)

What type of line is that? Could you replace it all with plastic and make some $?


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

That sure does not look like a waste pipe to me, is that a pressure pipe?


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

We call that "peeling" down south.



Killertoiletspider said:


> I wouldn't have wasted my time with the wrench or the torch and just caped it out, much faster.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

I dont see it possible peeling that out, without damaging the threads.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

jjbex said:


> Sort of, you use a "caping" or "cape" chisel, instead of a regular chisel. I would have used a caping chisel, but didn't have one. Someone thought they needed my *Sawzall* more than me, so I didn't have a *Sawzall*, either. This only took a couple of minutes, and I didn't have to kneel and stress my back.
> 
> http://www.skhandtool.com/Default.aspx?fusemode=10&pid=6593


You don't need a sawzall, just a hacksaw blade.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

ROCKSTARPLUMBER said:


> I dont see it possible peeling that out, without damaging the threads.



Piece of cake, the tee is wide open.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

It would look like a train wreck when I got through with it.:laughing:


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

service guy said:


> Wimp.
> I would have used my bare hand to get it out.


I work safe I would have put on latex gloves before taking it out...
Safety First! :thumbup:


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

ROCKSTARPLUMBER said:


> It would look like a train wreck when I got through with it.:laughing:


LOL.

There is a time when experience becomes an advantage. The one in the pic is an easy one, I could cape that without a saw of any kind without a whole lot of effort.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Plumbcraz-e said:


> What type of line is that? Could you replace it all with plastic and make some $?


It's galvanized, it was the arm off a 3" trap standard for a cast iron slop sink. I wanted to replace it with another cast iron sink but was shot down. It's in a power plant, so we really don't use plastic.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Ron The Plumber said:


> That sure does not look like a waste pipe to me, is that a pressure pipe?


No, it's a waste line. It isn't original, like the wc lines are that cast iron lined pipe, from the 20's. It was probably plumbed by fitters using whatever was in the stockroom.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Killertoiletspider said:


> You don't need a sawzall, just a hacksaw blade.


Yes, but I would have needed a sawzall to cut off the nipple at the hub of the tee.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

jjbex said:


> Yes, but I would have needed a sawzall to cut off the nipple at the hub of the tee.



With all the industrial work you do you don't keep a grinder and a porta band in the truck?

I still have both in my personal truck.


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

jjbex said:


> Yes, but I would have needed a sawzall to cut off the nipple at the hub of the tee.


I could have cut it with a piece of dental floss...


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Killertoiletspider said:


> With all the industrial work you do you don't keep a grinder and a porta band in the truck?
> 
> I still have both in my personal truck.


I have a *Metabo *on my van at all times, the portaband was on a repipe job across the river at 29. I didn't want to use the *Metabo *and jizz up the new greenboard.


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

I would have done it the exact same way, Jeff...


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

slickrick said:


> I could have cut it with a piece of dental floss...


Or just Glocked it!:thumbup: We used to cut down trees across the creek from our duck blind by shooting them. Of course our ammo was free, a friend's dad reloaded and he used to snag boxes and boxes from his dad.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

jjbex said:


> I have a *Metabo *on my van at all times, the portaband was on a repipe job across the river at 29. I didn't want to use the *Metabo *and jizz up the new greenboard.


OK. We have different philosophies, if an ongoing project needed tools left there, they were sent out from the shop with a gangbox, no tools from the vans were ever left on jobs, it made keeping track of the tools a lot easier.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

I need a gang box. Ridgid makes a great one.

Phone is blasting with emails from my site today. maybe all the work i get from them will help pay for it.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

ROCKSTARPLUMBER said:


> I need a gang box. Ridgid makes a great one.
> 
> Phone is blasting with emails from my site today. maybe all the work i get from them will help pay for it.


Ridgid gangboxes are pretty much junk.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Maybe if you're running into these alot, and you don't have a 14" pipe wrench or dental floss, you should get ridgid'd compound leverage wrench.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

gear junkie said:


> Maybe if you're running into these alot, and you don't have a 14" pipe wrench or dental floss, you should get ridgid'd compound leverage wrench.


I have them from 24" to 48", I wish they made them in aluminum.


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## Scott K (Oct 12, 2008)

I got a compound leverage wrench - it's called a 6 foot Cheater!!

I seem to recall hearing this story from an guy at plumbing school some years back about how his Dad had a 72" steel pipe wrench that they used to use for some kind of city work freeing something that was unstuck. They would bite the jaws on, and use an excavactor to hammer down on it to unloosen what it was on, or along those lines. And he had it for years and it never missed a beat. I could only imagine what that puppy weighed!


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Scott K said:


> I got a compound leverage wrench - it's called a 6 foot Cheater!!
> 
> I seem to recall hearing this story from an guy at plumbing school some years back about how his Dad had a 72" steel pipe wrench that they used to use for some kind of city work freeing something that was unstuck. They would bite the jaws on, and use an excavactor to hammer down on it to unloosen what it was on, or along those lines. And he had it for years and it never missed a beat. I could only imagine what that puppy weighed!


I don't think I'd want to be on the job where a 6' pipe wrench was needed.  I keep a 36" steel on the van and have used it maybe 3 times in the last 7-8 years. Not much need for those big guys in residential service.





Paul


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