Using a Pipe Threader

A pipe threader, one tool among many used by plumbers and other professionals in the construction business, may come in handy for do-it-yourselfers as a household repair and renovation device.

When considering a pipe threader, there are two types to keep in mind. With large, “heavy duty” threaders, the pipe is held in the grip of a chuck and is threaded by power equipment. Pipe with a diameter of up to two inches can be threaded while the head of the die (or threader) remains stationary with the pipe turning into the dies. This type of pipe threader makes male fittings.

Hand-threading pipe involves placing it into a vise with the pipe threader revolving around it. A hand pipe threader makes female fittings. With both types of pipe threader, special oil used specifically for cutting pipe thread is used for good results.

If you’re working with pipe, along with a pipe threader, you may also run into the need for other tools. A pipe cutter makes a cleaner, overall better cut than the typically used hacksaw employed by most do-it-yourselfers. Cutting pipe, even with a pipe cutter, though, leaves burrs on both the inside and outside edges. Outside burrs can be removed with a file, but inside burrs need to be smoothed off with a reamer – either spiral- or straight-fluted. Many people working with a pipe threader prefer the spiral-fluted reamers to smooth edges because these cut easier, saving time and labor.

When using a pipe threader, you also need to have a vise available to hold the pipe. Vises also come in handy for reaming pipe. Two types of vises should do the job for just about any type of home renovation or repair project. A yoke vise employs v-shaped jaws that grip the pipe at the top and the bottom. The lower portion of the vise remains stationary, while the upper part can be adjusted up or down by turning a screw. The smaller, chain-type vise operates with a set lower v-shaped jaw, as well. But this jaw has teeth on which to lay the pipe on with chain attached at one end. When operating, you insert the pipe, place the chain on it, and then lock the chain into a slot.

These make up the basic components of working with a pipe threader. As you progress along whatever project you are involved in, the necessity of other tools make come to light. But for now, you at least have a glimmer of what a pipe threader does and what you need to work with one.