Thread Cutting Oil?

[DeltaT]

I'm living wrong I guess as I can't seem to thread pipe anymore without it breaking up the threads. I have a 30+ year rigid hand threader, new rachet REMS threader and a power threader.

Been threading pipe from time to time for a long time but I can't seem to get any good threads anymore. Is there a more then special thread cutting oil I can use?

So is it just me?

[countryhick]

Maybe not the threader or the oil but maybe the quality of the steel in the pipe?????

[DeltaT]

Got the black iron pipe from your every day plumbing supply house. Stayed away from Home Depot......

BTW...stopped by Home Depot today to complain about some brass fitting I put on the water supply for a customers steam humidifier I installed winter before last. Ends up both brass fittings cracked and started leaking into his wall.

If they had completely cracked this multi-million dollar home with it's multi-million dollar finished basement would have been mine to replace.

So complained to local Home Depot manager. She had clerk give me the Home Depot Customer Care number to call. 1-800-553-3199. I don't think she cared. So I am gonna call them and complain. Someone has to start the ball rolling against this cheap stuff being sold to us that won't hold up.

Stuff like this makes it almost impossible to trust anything anymore. Ya can't even trust a little 1/4" brass fitting to hold!

[flange]

they just dont make it like they used to. there is a chance you are getting ****ty pipe. try pipe from another source. Ridgid does make some good oil but i doubt thats the problem. i have threaded pipe without oil in a pinch and done ok. especially if you use a hand die id go for the pipe not the tools.

[dandyme]

check your die-------make sure no missing teeth

-------die too tight

[DeltaT]

flange
Yep, I think it's the pipe..but it's from a supplier so how do you know whats a good or bad pipe?

I remember years and years ago threading some pipe and only using water to keep the heat down and the threading good. It worked and worked great.

Is there some kind of marking on the pipe so I know I'm gonna get some good stuff?

[DeltaT]

Originally posted by dandyme
check your die-------make sure no missing teeth

-------die too tight

30+ year Rigid in perfect shape. REMS setup new last year including dies and all perfect. And the power threader uses the same dies.

AND I threader 1/2 and 3/4 and they both broke teeth. You could hear the metal grinding. Slow or fast. Lots of oil or little, didn't seem to make any difference.

[btj steamfitter / ref]

on the bad steel issue not sure who rates impurities in it but we got some schedule 80 mild steel out the other day made in china....and when I was about on my third pass you could see little impurities in the metal glow hot then "pop" pretty ****ty and yes it was not a slag or tungsten inclusion lol

[coolestacman]

I have had the same problem and found the pipe to be out of round. I now specify a pipe made and labeled to the astm a53 standard (this standard is not available in chinese).

[Diceman]

It's not the oil thats for sure, either cheap pipe or messed up die.

I bought some ftgs at Home Cheapo once, in a pinch, I had pitch them all, they leaked, cheap junk from the far east somewhere.

[fitter638nyc]

Its the pipe Sh-t steel. I was threading 2" the other day same dam thing NEW Die heads, Oil bath and the threder on SLOW. This is ture with alot of new fittings aswell not only Homey Dept. What a shame :-(

[hvacpope]

The secret is TRACPIPE been using it for a few years, no oil needed and cuts your labor in half.

[onesidedcoin]

I have had the same problem some times, its the pipe or the die messed up or it can be of all things the tripod if you have one that has loss legs and rocks around you will run into problems and sometime you don't know how bad it is until you get to use a new tripod.I think this is especially true for those power threader that use the hand dies.If you are having problems with the work horse Ridgid 300,take a look at die alignment.

[markwolf]

Did you put the dies in?I had a helper that installed them 1-2-4-3 years ago & chipped every die-I was not happy!

[DeltaT]

Thanks for the input. Seems, in asking around locally, that this is a common problem now. What I don't understand that if this is due to cheap steel how can we install any piping anywhere?

Seems like most of the guys just do the best they can with what they have and hope it doesn't give way. Seems like this is leading to a whole bunch of trouble sooner or later when some of these joints break or leak.

Doesn't make a bunch of sense to me.

[caosesvida]

I agree, with the "saving the money" and using recycled steel , you never know what you are going to get. Reminds me of re-bar, I alomst broke a rib cutting it with big bolt cutters. THE first cuts went normal, and I hit some cromium or something man did that hurt. Who would have thought that steel made in china would have such an impact our our daily lives?