On Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:42:09 -0500, wrote:

I'm using the standard schedule 40 PVC piping to construct railings
for a platform. No water (or any other fluid) will flow through the
pipes but I need to disassemble the railings for storage, hence no
gluing (but the same question would apply even if there was).
Connection will be secured by drilling a hole through the fitting and
pipe and putting in a bolt and nut.

The problem is that the fittings are an interference (or worse) fit on
the pipe and short of cutting about 1/64" off the inside of the
fitting or the outside of the pipe end I can't get the pipe to bottom
out in the fitting. Up to now I've laboriously used a belt sander to
grind back the last inch or so of the pipe (just chamfering the end
doesn't help) but there must be a better way!

I remember many years earlier having the same problem with 4-inch
sewer line (the current pipe is 1 1/4") and there I was running water
(and other things) in it. The sewer line didn't leak but I doubt any
pipe was bottomed into its fitting.

So what's the secret?

I believe that PVC electrical conduit fittings are not tapered, and work
with Sched 40 pipe. But they're usually gray, not white; and the choice of
fittings and sizes is limited.

--
Pete