1930s cast iron downpipe fixings - what are they?

[nomail]

Yes, but others are making me rethink that idea.

[nomail]

Yes, I'll remove/refit (it needs painting so makes that job easier) or replace if I can't do it any other way

[nomail]

I think there's too much crud around it for that

[nomail]

Tempting, but that would wreck what paint is on still attached to the pipe and (probably) accelerate the internal corrosion

[tabbypurr]

It may still be your easiest option. One of those things where you can do a bit when you've got 10 minutes.

NT

[philipuk]

Here's how they do it in the states. Wacking in a PVC pan adapter is somewhat easier!

[GB]

Maybe stick with the 10mm pipe idea for a minute, and perhaps there's something you can attach to the end that would keep the pipe more or less centred and would ride over the joints? Something like a small water bottle firmly attached with the neck downwards.

No fun in that!

[newshound]

Best way to get back to raw metal for painting. I wouldn't expect the corrosion to be significant. The problem is that it will take ages to dry out the saturated timber.

[TimW]

I can work a plastic garden hose up mine to stir up any gunge in the hoppers.

TW

[nomail]

And the next question here would probably be: "how do I get a small plastic bottle out of a cast iron downpipe" ;-)

[nomail]

Doh! I hadn't thought of garden hose.

[Michael Chare]

If you could get 10mm pipe right to the top, maybe you could use it to pull up a piece of string then rope with something big enough to catch the wood attached to the end.

[GB]

Hence why I said "firmly attached". You bring it down to the shoe, and if necessary cut it into bits with your multi tool.

It seems to me that you can discourage all suggestions, with a hearty sneer, or you can use them constructively to sort out what is, after all, your problem. I can assure you that I have no pieces of hardwood stuck in my downpipes.

I'm always amazed that people here are so helpful, when the OP only gives out a tiny fraction of the information about his problem at the outset.

[GB]

I used garden hose when I had a blockage in a pipe with a tight bend. Worked a treat.

[tabbypurr]

flame shrinks it.

[Robin]

Ah, so even after you remove the lead or other sealant you face 80-odd years of rust ;)

As a variant on some other options, do you have ladder access to the top? If so you could drop string down the pipe to attach to the wood. Several lengths might enable you to make a cat's cradle. But the snag is it'll tend to snag on the way up on all those lovely bits of rusty iron - the more so with the string attached at the bottom .

All in all, I think I'd be telling myself that removing 20mm at a time with a multitool must be good for me in many ways - eg blood pressure, karma, a chapter for "Zen and the Art of House Maintenance"

[Tim Lamb]

Plug the shoe and fill the pipe with water?

I actually have a couple of lengths of cast iron rainwater downpipe in my scrap pile.....

[Tim+]

If you can see the bottom of the stick, is there any chance of dropping a weighted loop of string down from the top and out the bottom?

If so, you could pass the loop under the cut off bottom of the stick and use the string to pull it back up. If the string isn't strong enough you could use it to pull through something stronger once you've got the loop to the bottom.

Tim

[nomail]

I think you missed my "smiley" - all suggestions are welcomed and I will report back whatever works in the hope that it helps others

[nomail]

I tried tonight, it was too flexible