I was performing what should have been the simple replacement of a squealing tub spout with a new one, but I managed to mess it up good. The tub spout that I purchased required an underlying adapter that attached to the 1/2" copper pipe and then the spout fit over it. The adapter had a metal ring and a screw that went in and against the pipe before the spout went over it. When I had the whole thing on, I realized that it was about a quarter inch from the wall, probably due to some plaster residue on the pipe that did not allow me to slide the adapter part any further. The adapter has a screw that holds it tight to the pipe. When I removed the whole apparatus including the adapter, I had to yank and twist pretty good to get it off due to the condition of the pipe, which was not bad at all but just was not slick enough. I eventually just screwed the thing off since the adapter was now jammed into the tub spout. What happened is that the screw that I thought was not against the pipe etched a circular line around the whole lenght of the copper pipe. These etchings catch the adapter and do not allow me to get the thing within an inch of the wall now.
Is there any way to smooth out the etchings I made on the copper pipe? Can copper pipe be sanded smooth? What sort of thing can I use to smooth out the etchings and plaster gunk to enable me to get it all the way flush to the wall....or did I totally "screw" it up?
Thanks, Zack