Pipe Threader

[newbury]

the trick is a good vise and 1/4 turn forward half turn back to break the chips. lots of oil also.

So is one supposed to essentially go backwards by 1/4 turn? (1/4 forward, 1/2 back)

 

[DennisK47]

Though I don't know the quality of the HF pipe threaders this is a tool that has been made for at least 120 years, if it is a manual one. Easy to copy and also easy to make one that works well for not much money. So either rent one or buy the HF unit. I have a very old manual pipe threader that's at least 80 years old, as are the dies that it came with. I don't think the dies are HSS but are instead just high carbon steel. I have used it plenty enough times to know that it works well and that the dies hold up. If it was me I would buy the HF threader just so I wouldn't need to drive a long way to return the rental unit. However, if the rental unit was cheap to rent and was motorized I would seriously consider renting it because of bad arthritis in my wrists. In any case make sure you use cutting oil made for threading. Any decent hardware store sells the stuff. Don't cheap out and try using whatever oil you have on hand.
Eric

Excellent advice! I bought the HF to do quite a bit of gas pipe in my home. It should work fine for a limited number of 1" threads. It doesn't do the larger diameter pipe so easily.
Of course when you buy your pipe, make sure to have them cut and thread it into pieces that you'll be able to cut in half so you'll only have to thread one end of each piece.
Another option would be to check ahead to see if a smaller, privately managed store, like Ace Hardware, is willing to thread your cut pieces for for a set price per piece.

 

[colpete@pspm.net]

A PIPE VICE IS ONE WITH A SPECIAL SET OF JAWS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE JAW SET . SEE PDF OF WILTON VICE ATTACHED . THEY ARE THE TOP OF THE LINE IN VICES VERY EXPENSIVE BUT WORTH THE MONEY. REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE AVAILABLE IF IT GETS SCREWED UP.

https://wiltontools.com/

 

[scodyw]

I will let you know from my experience, I just had my boiler replaced and had to move it this summer (2022). I redid the pipe myself. I had to thread from 1/2" to 2" pipes. I already had a Harbor Freight set with 1/2" 3/4" and 1" dies from making some black pipe shelves for my wife in 2018. I needed a 1-1/4", 1-1/2" and 2" threader. I found a cheap off brand set for $99.70 shipped with 3/8" to 2" dies. In 2018, the Harbor Freight die failed almost immediately on 3/4" pipe, but I took it back and exchanged it and the replacement still works fine. The off brand one, the ratchet skips some teeth in one direction. I took the head apart and looked at it and it is rough, I could grind it out and it would work fine. Then the handle broke. I used a piece of 3/4" pipe as a handle for a bit, but I ended up just using a 36" pipe wrench to turn it.

Even with the issues, I think the price I paid was worth it. The harbor frieght set, I think I could get out any time and do the job. The off brand I think I could make it work well with an hour of work, but as little as I would use it (if ever again), I probably will just use it as is. A $400 set would be much nicer, but for one time use, or little use and even used good sets are nearly twice as much, I think these cheap junk sets are all I would need.

One more thing I will say, Lowe's black pipe has a thicker outside wall than Home depots, and it is not as easy to start with a hand threader.

 

[Kschwennsen]

I got a cheapy set online or at HF. it works good for smaller pipe (1" ok) but to thread bigger stuff, you have too have a good handle on the pipe or it will just spin.

 

[WinterDeere]

So is one supposed to essentially go backwards by 1/4 turn? (1/4 forward, 1/2 back)

Read page 1, then skipped to page 5, so sorry if I missed what you're speaking about here. But if still on the subject of threading pipe, then no. This isn't a machinist tap or die. Set the guide collar with machine fully extended, set the ratchet to forward, and just keep turning until threading head bottoms against the guide collar. No need to ever back up, unless you have a chip that won't clear, or that gets sucked into one of the cutting die.

I have a half-dozen different hand-powered threading machines, purchased mostly 1940's - 1970's and 1/2" up to 4", and they all work the same.

 

[3Ts]

I have the HF pipe threader. I bought it mostly to do plastic pipe for irrigation (one end of PVC is threaded, the other is solvent glued). Works well, but you have to back up every once in a while to clear the cutters. I've used it on steel pipe and did not have any trouble with it. It seems to like steel pipe better than the PVC.

 

[Ghost River Retrievers]

Final chapter of the story:
I ended up buying a threader kit off Amazon from HFS, which appears to simply be an Amazon vendor although it says HFS stands for Hardware Factory Store. The kit came with three sizes, 1/2", 3/4" and 1" ... I needed only the one inch for the rack I was building for my Polaris Ranger. The kit came complete, but no instructions ... but no instructions were needed. Assembly was a breeze. As per the recommendations on this thread, I used copious amounts of cutting oil. Although I only needed to thread 4 ends of pipe, it went very well. So for $50-ish, the pipe threader allowed me to build what appears to be a stout rack to carry my retriever training equipment.
Thanks for the recommendations!
Ghost River Retrievers

 

[WinterDeere]

Nice! How'd you hold the pipe?

 

[Ghost River Retrievers]

Thanks.

I tried using two large (24") pipe wrenches, but that didn't work, so I put the pipe in my 6" Wilton bench vice and cranked down hard ... I know that's not ideal, but it worked.