Harold Lathom wrote:
I need to remove an old pipe and need ideas as to how to remove it.

The 50-year-old 2-inch diameter threaded galvanized pipe that
horizontally protrudes about a half inch from the cabinet under the
kitchen sink is leaking where it meets the 10-year-old plastic pipes that
drain the kitchen sinks and garbage disposal unit.

The threads are all screwed up so I want to replace the nipple.

I can only see the last 1/2 inch of that threaded nipple but it appears
to go through the 3/4" thick kitchen cabinet into the wall about two
inches (or so) and into a T fitting where the vertical up pipe goes to a
vent on the roof while the vertical down pipe goes to the crawlspace
drain pipes.

The problem is how best to remove the four-inch long (I assume) nipple
when only 1/2" of it sticks out of the cabinet attached to the wall.

One option, of course, is to rip out the cabinet, but, that's a LOT of
work to replace a two-dollar four-inch-ling two-inch-wide nipple!

Is there an easier way to get the 50-year-old nipple out?

Can you cut two slots with a Dremel tool or a hack saw on opposite
sides of the exposed pipe? You could then insert a piece of steel
across the slots and use a pipe wrench or crescent wrench to remove the
nipple.

On Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:20:55 -0600, Ken wrote:
Can you cut two slots with a Dremel tool or a hack saw on opposite
sides of the exposed pipe? You could then insert a piece of steel
across the slots and use a pipe wrench or crescent wrench to remove the
nipple.

Interesting idea! Very interesting. I wonder if it will work.

The danger, of course, is that the 50-year-old pipe will just break ...
but it's a great idea to add to the arsenal.

On Jan 26, 10:00*pm, Harold Lathom wrote:
On Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:20:55 -0600, Ken wrote:
Can you cut two slots with a Dremel tool or a hack saw on opposite
sides of the exposed pipe? *You could then insert a piece of steel
across the slots and use a pipe wrench or crescent wrench to remove the
nipple.

Interesting idea! Very interesting. I wonder if it will work.

The danger, of course, is that the 50-year-old pipe will just break ...
but it's a great idea to add to the arsenal.

I would just cut the pipe off with a hacksaw or sawzall and use one of
the rubber sleeves with clamps on each end to make the transition to
plastic

On Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:05:19 -0800, hr(bob) wrote:
I would just cut the pipe off with a hacksaw or sawzall and use one of
the rubber sleeves with clamps on each end to make the transition to
plastic

I wouldn't cut the galvanized 2-inch-wide nipple and the 2-inch-wide
plastic pipes that are "supposed" to screw onto the nipple are just sort
of "pushed" on right now (with a LOT of pipe dope sealing it for now!).

It's a temporary fix.

So I'll look around for the right kind of two-inch flexible hose that
might fit over the two-inch nipple so that I can connect the rest of the
plastic pipe to the other end of that two-inch flexible hose.

That's one method anyway.

On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 10:29:41 -0800, Bob F wrote:
You could wire brush the threads, then screw a PVC fitting onto it,
using epoxy as a pipe dope to ensure a good seal/connection, rather than
remove the nipple.

In reality, that's probably the best bet, overall.

It would be hard to remove when we wanted to though.

On Jan 28, 3:37*am, Harold Lathom wrote:
It would be hard to remove when we wanted to though.

Not really. The epoxy bond to the steel pipe will be very weak. It
will easily break loose as soon as you turn it.

Harold Lathom wrote:
On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 10:29:41 -0800, Bob F wrote:
You could wire brush the threads, then screw a PVC fitting onto it,
using epoxy as a pipe dope to ensure a good seal/connection, rather
than remove the nipple.

In reality, that's probably the best bet, overall.

It would be hard to remove when we wanted to though.

Just use a threaded coupling or some other fitting that is easily removable from
the other end.

Worst case, you can always go back to removing the nipple.

On Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:26:42 -0800, mkirsch1 wrote:
The epoxy bond to the steel pipe will be very weak.
It will easily break loose as soon as you turn it.

Well. I sure hope so. Because It's all epoxied in now!

For better or for worse, what I did was remove all the plastic pipe to
the kitchen sinks and garbage disposal and buy all new plastic pipe.

I then cleaned up the half-inch of corroded thread on the nipple that was
sticking out of the cabinet horizontally with a wire brush.

It was difficult to keep dry but I splashed alcohol and then ether on the
pipe (which was a mistake from the standpoint of fumes - but that's what
I did).

With the corroded nipple as dry as could be, I epoxied it and the plastic
and screwed/pushed the plastic on (it screwed but really I was pushing it
on more than screwing it on).

As extra insurance, I covered the entire outside of the joint with pipe
dope where the plastic met the threads.

So far ... it's sealed.

I will find out when/if I have to remove it how easily it is to break the
bond between 2-part epoxy and plastic and galvanized steel.

Thanks for all your wonderful advice!


"Harold Lathom" wrote
So far ... it's sealed.

I will find out when/if I have to remove it how easily it is to break the
bond between 2-part epoxy and plastic and galvanized steel.

Thanks for all your wonderful advice!

Glad you have resolution. Much better than taking out the nipple.