I have a 4" cast iron pipe poking out of the floor of my utility room. In the cellar below it is cracked; I want to remove the pipe and fix the floor in the utility room. How do I cut the pipe: angle grinder? what kind of disc?
Saw? Americans use a chain cracking tool.
Geoff
angle grinder, metal cutting disc. Very fast...was on my 9in. diameter anyway. PS wear eye protection.
+1
115 mm one should be fine too.
If there are access difficulties and/or you don't need it "neat" remember it will also be very brittle: so lump hammer possibly with the help of a bolster. It will be easier to break once it is cracked or slit with the angle grinder.
I cut one of these a few weeks ago, in our bathroom. It was a 4" loo waste pipe that had a "socket end" that sat very tightly on the floorboard(s) beneath. No known loo could be found that could replace the old one. So I decided to cut the cast pipe and fit a double-bend waste to a normal loo. Project went well and it all works fine.
As to the cutting I used (as others have suggest) a 9" angle grinder. I took it easily as haven't used an AG before. Yes to goggles, no question. In fact I used a full facemask. I would advise being *very* careful not to get your legs in the way. I had a few wheel kickbacks and 9" of rotating abrasive would go through you very easily. Don't try it when tired so you can focus on the job and brace the tool firmly. Expect kickbacks so you can release the tirgger quicky and remember the wheel takes time to run down - *keep it away from you*.
One thing I didn't expect was the mess! There was abrasive dust and cast iron dust everywhere. I guess it doesn't matter in a cellar. I'd use a mask to avoid breathing it in.
sorry for long reply. hth anyway.
IMHO a 9 inch is not ideal for this job, unless there is only access from one direction; you don't want to be cutting right through from one side, it is safer to go most or all of the way *round* just cutting through the wall thickness. 9 inch grinders come into their own for cutting paving slabs, etc but then it is easy to keep the disk in the same plane as the cut.
Good advice about kickbacks, dust, PPE. Rigger boots are quite useful for this sort of job, and I would wear gloves too. I use these for almost all mechanical handling jobs now:
in preference to the traditional leather ones. While the latter provide better protection to finger tips and the backs of hands, you lose out on feel and grip compared to the coated fabric.
I did it - 115mm disk rolled around the pipe - couldn't get to the back so cut again 100mm higher and then levered the piece out. Dust: yes, danger: less than I expected as the disk was well-guarded but did need safety specs and I wore my steel toe cap boots. Pipe well full of organic matter, beautifully desiccated. If I use the drain it will need some digging to get it all out.
Thanks for all the help -I've been waiting 25 years to do this job. No need to rush things, after all.
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