Treating galavanized steel pipes better

Stan in Oly, WA

Well-known Member
I've had the same set of pipe wrenches for more than thirty years, and they work fine. The trouble is, they leave the pipe and fittings pretty chewed up from the teeth of the wrenches. I think I know most of the tricks of taking apart old steel plumbing---hit the joint with some penetrant and give it a while to work; tap the joint with a hammer to break the deposits free; work with the wrenches close together; turn in a tightening direction slightly before trying to loosen---but I don't know how to not leave jaw marks on the steel. It doesn't matter whether I'm replacing some of the pipes and fittings of an existing system, or starting at the beginning---I always leave pretty deep scratches on the pipes from the wrenches. Is it possible to avoid this?

Stan
 
There is no real practical way I know of.

Now if it's something like chromed, exposed fittings, a canvas strap wrench, or wrap the pipe with leather will help, but will greatly reduce the ability to get it really tight. Any fitting with flats can be wrenched with a Crescent and padded with a rag.

There are soft jaw pipe wrenches, but I see busted knuckles coming!
 
There are other types of wrenches that will hole pipe and not mark them. I have one such set. It is basically two pieces. You have a handle part and then a wrap around circular jaw that is flat an smooth on the inside. The down side is that each size takes a different jaw/clamp. It also takes some room to actually use. It is old and I bought it 30 years ago at an auction. It is made for brass and chrome pipe.

For your regular old steep pipe if your wanting less bite them wrap a rag around the pipe under the pipe wrench jaws. That will shallow the teeth marks up. I also have some thin strips of rubber that work too. I have also used rubber baler belting under the jaws. The wrap type approach will not work well on real tight pipes.
 
I think if you are chewing up the pipes that bad you are over tightening them. If you use sufficient Teflon tape or pipe thread dope you shouldn't have to tighten so much. Anyway the exterior of the pipe doesn't matter that much. Any pipe I've seen fail failed from the inside out.
 
(quoted from post at 04:13:07 09/10/15) I think if you are chewing up the pipes that bad you are over tightening them. If you use sufficient Teflon tape or pipe thread dope you shouldn't have to tighten so much. Anyway the exterior of the pipe doesn't matter that much. Any pipe I've seen fail failed from the inside out.

X-2

Slip joint type pliers/channel locks 420s, will get threaded pipe tight enough.

Dusty
 
That's an interesting question, when you think about how a gunsmith handles parts, barrels or what have you without marring or gouging, the methods and tools they use etc.

I've wrapped leather or thick enough rubber to prevent the jaws of pipe wrenches and or pliers from causing damage, takes more time, not something the average fitter will be doing I suppose.

Back in June, I upgraded to a nice low hour tractor, and I'll say it again, "some people should never own a tractor" The first owner was a real bonehead, but thankfully, so far, from what I have seen, it was well maintained, but between missing OEM hardware, one crinkled fender, he hit a tree, and the OEM top link being gouged up from a pipe wrench!!! Ford always had a good top link, at least in my opinion, just keep the threads lubricated, wipe down any that are exposed and don't leave it or the tractor out in the weather. Funny what people do and how they treat things, this was one of the first things I noticed when I looked at it, the pipe wrench jaw marks on the top link.

Seems to me the barrel of the top link can be restored, knock the burrs off, maybe a machinist could fill in the gouges and work it back down with a lathe, repaint it and you'd never know the difference. I will find out, as I plan to make this one look like it did when it left the factory.
 
On PVC coated electricaL conduit known as Rob Roy or Ocal, you cant breach the plastic, coating all tightening is usually strap wrenches
 
When they do that kind of plumbing on TV, they act like they are straining but they never leave a mark on the pipe. Maybe if you start filming it, it will all go easier?
 
Hi Billy;

In regard to how people treat their tools and equipment, I hate to lend tools because of the condition in which they come back. It isn't that people abuse them, necessarily, but that they treat them the way they treat their own tools. Most people seem to get just a fraction of the useful life expectancy out of a tool because they won't make the effort to take even the least amount of care of it. I've thought of telling people, "Don't treat it like it's your own, treat it the way I do", but I know it wouldn't create good feelings. The best strategy for me is to have second string tools that I'm (somewhat) willing to lend. If it's a good friend, I usually bite the bullet and remind myself that the friendship is more important than my fussy standards.

Stan
 
That's a good way to get around that kind of a problem, 2nd line of defense LOL! I do tend to look after what I have, don't mind lending to a certain circle of friends that know how I am and though its rare, I never have any problem borrowing, my problem is I'd rather own and people flock to those who own LOL !

I think it shows appreciation, and thankfulness when you take care of these kinds of things, tools, equipment and such that make life easier. Think about the task at hand and not having them. Some don't seem to have the same appreciation as others. In this area I like to exceed expectation if borrowing something, though I hate having to do it. When I do, say small engine power equipment, I'll change the oil, grease, clean the air breather, put a new fuel filter on, make some notes on blue painters tape and affix said home made lable so the owner knows what and when it was services, including quantity, type, and manufacturer of oil, just like I do with my own equipment.

In a certain way, the care you take to look after the tools you have, is a form of gratitude, showing some respect for what makes work a little easier.
 
To me it seems that the material used for black pipe is getting softer. Pretty much all the stuff now is imported.
I've taken apart plenty of old assemblies and they get marked but don't gouge like the new stuff does.
 

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