Some numpty (not me) seems to have dropped a long length of hardwood down one of the downpipes on my "new" house - presumably when clearing the hopper some years ago. I need to get the bottom discharge "shoe" off to get the wood out but it probably hasn't been touched since it was built (1930s) and I can't work out what the fixings are. I've got the paint and render off the fixings and the heads seem to be domed, but no slot or other means of undoing the things. HELP!
They are a slow spiral tough nail. Once in, never(rarely) out! and certainly not back in again to the same hole.
You "might" be able to dremel a screw driver slot in the domed head and ease them out by turning at the same time as a pry bar behind the head. Replace with wall plug and stainless steel screws. Be prepared for the pipe section to be very heavy.
There is nothing rigid in the joints, they have to be free to allow for expansion.The sockets were filled with gaskin and putty. Gaskin = asoft rope. The pipes are suspended from the cast in brackets; it's important sections do not rest on the one below so they can expand. If you don't do this the pipes will crack. The original installations were done from the top down to enable this. It will be an angle grinder job to get the heads off the fixings if they won't prise out. Once the fitting is off, you can get the remaining shank out with mole grips or a pipe wrench. They are usually hammered into wooden plugs
They are normally very large nail like fixings that are hammered into a wood plug that sits in a recess that is chiselled into the wall. Basically very difficult to remove. I think in the circumstance I would be looking at ways of getting the wood out via the same route it went in.
I was thinking of a drain clearing rod pushed in from below, particularly as the cast iron pipe won't look right with the domed fixings removed.
*If successful,* that method may result in a large piece of sodden hard wood emerging from the top of the pipe and crashing onto the bonce of the person below. So, maybe, it would be best to get someone up a ladder to lift it out, once the first bit emerges from the top.
As others have said, I'd agree that the fixings are probably hammered and the easiest way to remove would be to take the head right off with an angle grinder.
As others have said, the bottom fixing may well be taking a lot of the weight from stuff above.
Would also add that parts are cast iron, and potentially more brittle after 80 years of corrosion.
As others have said, the "socket" joints may well be sealed with putty which will have gone relatively hard. But, even old putty softens when heated to ~ 200C with a gas torch or hot air gun. You *might* be able to separate the sockets with a combination of heat and twisting.
Rather than removing the elbow at the bottom, wouldn't it be better to tackle the next joint up then you can remove the wood in one piece? Also you will be working at an easier height.
Another approach, if you can find a reasonable match to the bottom length of pipe in a recycling place, might just be to destroy the bottom section. This may be harder than you expect: multiple cuts with angle grinder, then lump hammer and/or crowbar.
Once one section is broken above or below a joint, it is usually possible with care to remove the remaining pieces without damaging the "good" part.
There's an LCC cast iron waste stack 5m from this keyboard that's got lead joints. And a good few others till in use hereabouts.
I'm not saying lead and oakum was used on all the original rainwater downpipes, far fewer of which have survived after c.120 years. But I've certainly seen lead used on some cast iron rainwater pipes.
PS
And the lead's not necessarily poured. Running rope allows horizontal joints.
Get a GBFO LPG torch, play the flame into the 'shoe' the chimney effect should carry the flames up inside the downpipe, sit back with a beer then wash the ashes out with a hosepipe!
A drain rod would be far too stiff to go round the bend in the shoe. I've tried shoving plastic 22, 15 and 10mm pipe up - the 22 and 15 are too stiff, the 10 is too small and also gets snagged on the joints.
I started using a multi-tool through the shoe opening to cut off 20mm sections but then realised it was a long piece of wood and would take hours.
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