I’m running some ABS drain line & I’m trying to dry fit the pipe to make sure I have it all aligned correctly before I glue it up.
How do you plumbers get the pipe to seat fully when dry fitting (and get it apart)? Seems to me that if I can’t fully seat it dry, then it won’t match the alignment when glued.
Replies
I suspect plumbers do it by experience...well trained eyes.
For the rest of us....I've use vasoline to ensure all joints are fully seated. Once all assembled and marked (on ABS I use tape to mark on...can't see my sharpie on black pipe), I pull it apart and clean each joint thoroughly with a rag and then clean with ABS cleaner prior to glue-up so joint surfaces are squeekie clean. Takes a bit more time, but I sure like my angles and lengths to be right.
BruceM
They make metallic silver sharpies that might work. Or one of them yellow liquid markers they use at junk yards. Not that the tape doesn't work too.
I use the silver Sharpies for many things, and yes, they do work well on ABS pipe.
Use Vaseline with extreme care: you need to remove ALL OF IT if you're going to make a leak-tight joint long-term. ABS usually isn't supplied with a cleaner/primer, but if you're using Vaseline beforehand you will definitely need to clean/prime the joint before you glue it.
Better not to dry fit at all than to sand down the end of the pipe or to use Vaseline IMO. You can get it more than close enough (i.e. within glueing tolerance) without the need to dry fit.
I build a sketch of distance measurements.
The only thing that doesnt take care of is weird angles if there is any.
For that I eye ball different couplings 1/8, 1/4 bends , etc. with out putting them together . Lay it out apart to get a reasonable angle of return.
Anyway you will know the distance of what each joint takes up when the pipe is slipped together into them. Just dont cut it short . They aint no body cares if ya cut it three times as long as it fits. The last one will tell ya that if the angle is correct . [if there is one ]
Tim
w 11/2 and 2 " stuff, if you sand down the end of the pipe ( not too much, you still want a tight fit), you can usually seat it in a socket.
Also, for fitting up, you can cut lengths of pipe a bit shorter than need be to to enable you to build the assmbly,, measure the fittings face to face, add for what will get buried, and you'll have the pipe length.
h
You're not building a piano here, it's a dang drain line. Just do it (swish).
http://grungefm.com
Generally we don't dry fit.
We measure the fitting take offs , & make up---- cut pipe then glue it up.
Most plumbers that deal with abs know the take offs by heart.
I normally deal with cast iron so those take offs are permenently stuck in my mental rolodex, with abs I will find myself measureing the fittings from time to time.
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Dry fitting ABS
I know this thread is old but for anyone looking now...whatever you do....DO NOT sand the fittings down so they can fit dry. This will change the tolerances and make insecure joints. They are very specifically made to fit tight on purpose. Once you put the glue in it dissolves a portion of the plastic to weld them together. If you sand it down there will not be enough material to make a truly secure fit.
insecure joints
I'm glad we've cleared that up. I've been thinking for all these years that an "insecure joint" was simply a doobie that nobody cared to smoke at a rock concert.
Nice
Good one, deadnuts!