Cutting cast iron: grinder, pipe cutters, gas: equipment and features. Cutting cast iron with a grinder How to saw a cast iron grate with a grinder

When renovating, many people try to replace all outdated communications at once. It turns out that the most difficult thing to work with is cast iron sewer pipes that need to be dismantled. Previously, they were connected using cement, sulfur or aluminum. It turns out that the system was carried out for centuries. But now the end of the century has come. And at the same time, difficult work begins.

At first glance, it may seem that removing cast iron pipes is very easy. But here you need to work wisely. After all, if you apply too much force, you can damage the riser that connects several apartments at once. In this case, the anger of the neighbors is inevitable. There will be costs, time and a lot of work.

Before you start dismantling an old cast iron pipe, you need to familiarize yourself with some rules:

1. turn off the water supply in the house;
2. remove the hose from the flush tank on the toilet;
3. clean the toilet carefully;
4. remove from the premises all devices and objects that may interfere with the work;
5. Cast iron is a brittle material. Pipes that are located far from the riser can be broken with a hammer;
6. removal of pipes that directly approach the riser;
7. Cuffs are installed on the bell. First, the bell is cleaned of lubricants.

Dismantling of cast iron pipes

So let’s try to figure out how to cut cast iron pipes. If cast iron pipes were previously connected with sulfur, then the task ahead will not be easy. But here there is advice on how to disassemble cast iron pipes. Like any other substance, sulfur must be destroyed when exposed to something. And this “something” is an open fire. If sulfur is heated blowtorch, it becomes viscous. This makes disassembling the pipes very easy.

You need to use open fire carefully so as not to cause a fire. In addition, when the pipes are heated, sulfur dioxide will be released from the connections. Therefore, you need to take measures to protect your own health. The connection can be heated for several hours. To avoid suffocation during this time, you need to wear a gas mask. It's a good idea to have a bucket of water nearby in case something catches fire.

Dismantling instructions

It is best to begin work on dismantling pipes that are located remotely from the riser. Here, a hammer and chisel will help get the job done very quickly, since cast iron is a material that is brittle and cannot withstand impacts.

It is important to use a rubber hammer or one with a polymer tip. A steel hammer will crush the cast iron into small pieces that can end up in the riser. Then a congestion will begin to form there, which will be very difficult to eliminate.

Work with a hammer and chisel continues until it reaches the tee that leads to the riser. Then you can try to loosen the crosspiece manually. But you can leave the cross section completely. However, experts recommend removing cast iron from your home as much as possible.

The work of heating the pipes is carried out quickly by two people. One person can heat the pipes with a lamp, and another can remove the softened sulfur with a knife. When a large amount of sulfur has been removed from the pipes, the cross will quietly separate from the riser. If you cannot completely pull out the tee, you can cut it off with a grinder. The main thing is not to damage the riser.

Problems

It is extremely difficult to remove too many at once cast iron pipes. You need to remember that after removing the old pipes you will need to connect the cast iron and plastic. A cast iron pipe is cut with a grinder.

*Vchshg - high-strength cast iron with nodular graphite

But how can you cut a pipe if you don’t have an angle grinder? Take a simple hacksaw for metal and cut the pipe. Please note that such work will take a lot of time and you need to be prepared for this.

If you were unable to cut the pipe, then do not be upset. Today at construction stores You can find an adapter from plastic to cast iron. Before connecting the plastic adapter and the cast iron pipe, you need to clean the surface to be connected. Sulfur is removed by heating. The job may take over an hour just to anneal the sulfur. Therefore, you should be patient. When the surfaces are ready, you can begin to make the connection.

In extreme cases, a special cutter is used to cut a cast iron pipe. This is oxy-fuel cutting. But it is worth noting that such work can only be performed by a professional. It is not recommended to use a cutter yourself just because if you are not careful, you can damage not only the riser, but also other plumbing elements that should still last a long time. When working with a cutter, gas will be released, which is harmful to the body.

The technology for using the cutter is quite complex. The pipe is exposed to a (thin) flame. A tube made of hardened steel is taken. One end of it is heated to a temperature of 1400 degrees. This can be done welding machine or a soldering torch. Next, oxygen is released through the tube, which when ignited at the outlet is 2000 degrees. This is enough to melt the cast iron.

Obviously, such work can be carried out at home without special equipment and there will be no experience. Besides, it's dangerous. However, this method of cutting cast iron is considered more “exotic” than practical. It’s much faster to take a regular grinder with an abrasive disc and cut sewer pipe made of cast iron. The main thing is that a minimum of time will be spent on the procedure, and the seam will turn out perfectly smooth.

When working with a hammer, chisel, or hand-held electrical tools, you need to be extremely careful. When broken, pieces of cast iron can bounce off different sides. It is recommended to protect open areas body, especially the face and eyes.

When carrying out work with a hacksaw, there is practically no danger, but you will have to work for a very long time. Therefore, this method of dismantling an old cast iron pipe is considered ineffective.

Once again, it should be noted that it is advisable to entrust the work to professionals who have the right tool and experience. This is the only way to protect yourself from extra costs and headaches associated with sewer repair and replacement. The only thing that can be done is to pay “tribute” to the past, namely the reliability and quality of cast iron.

Most often, the need to cut a cast iron structure arises when dismantling outdated communications. The hope for a speedy completion of the work collapses immediately - in the Soviet Union, pipes were connected with cement, sulfur and aluminum, so cutting them is incredibly difficult. But a couple of working methods are known. You will learn about how to cut cast iron and structures made from it from the material below.

As with any metal, methods for cutting cast iron are divided into thermal and mechanical. The choice of a specific tool depends on the design features. The following is equipment that saws (or cuts) cast iron:

• pipe cutter;
• angle grinder;
• chisel;
• jigsaw
• plasma installation;
• gas cutters.

Now it’s worth evaluating cutting using the mentioned tools with objects made of cast iron.

Pipe cutter

This is a special device for cutting pipes from different materials. There are manual (mechanical) and electric tools. Both types are suitable for diameters 15-360 mm.

First, a carbide disk is mounted on the device. The removable element has a number of advantages over classic abrasive ones. For example, cutting speed increased by 4 times, no sparking and no need to add any substances to the cutting zone. Diamond coating is applied on top of the cutting edge, which extends the service life of the products. Examples of pipe cutters for cast iron pipes are portable Exact Pipecut products for diameters less than 360 mm.

Alas, it is rare that a home pipeline can be easily cut with a pipe cutter. It may be difficult for a tool to access it, or the cutting area may be bent so that it cannot be grasped by the device. Therefore, it is worth considering other options.

Angle grinder

Working with an angle grinder is quick and convenient, but not without its drawbacks. For example, it only cuts in a straight line. Trying to do figured cut will lead to “biting” of the disk, its breakdown, and possible injury to the user. Therefore, the machine is used for straight cutting. Another disadvantage is the fire hazard of the method (abrasive disc + metal = sparking). Before work, you will have to wear goggles, protection for your face and hands.

Cutting with a circle is more efficient than with a jigsaw, which is why users often choose a noisy grinder. Buying cutting wheel, prefer products with a bakelite bond, because they are an order of magnitude stronger than their ceramic counterparts.

Hacksaw for metal

The operating principle of the device is similar to an angle grinder. You will have to tinker with it for more than one hour, especially if large diameter. The disadvantages of the method are time costs, physical effort, and the inability to work in a limited area. But the method is safe.

Working with a chisel and hammer

This pair of products will help separate cast iron into hard to reach place. Dismantling work begins with pipes remote from the riser in places where a grinder or hacksaw cannot be inserted. Since cast iron is a brittle material, it is easily destroyed after point dynamic loads.

Good percussion instrument has a rubber or polymer attachment to slightly soften the blow. This is necessary so that pieces of cast iron do not fly around, get into the riser and create a blockage.

The chisel and hammer work great with Soviet-era cast iron, that is, combined with sulfur, aluminum and cement. As you move towards the riser free space for work, as a rule, it becomes larger, so further cast iron can be cut off more effective device. As with the grinder, when working with a chisel, it is recommended to cover areas of the body into which cast iron splinters may fly off.

The productivity of work is extremely low, but sometimes you can’t do without them.

Electric hacksaw

It is much more convenient for the user to work with an electric hacksaw than with a grinder, although the principle of operation is not much different. A lightweight device with smaller dimensions than an angle grinder, the blade is consumed slower than the disk if it is correctly selected (HSS or BIM marking, and the length is also taken into account).

Less risk of injury, the speed of the process is something between an angle grinder and hand hacksaw, the low cost of consumables and their availability are the advantages of cutting cast iron with an electric hacksaw.

Plasma cutting

The method relates more to production than to household use, so it will not be discussed in detail. If the goal is minimum consumption material, speed of operation, noiselessness, the best equipment no for cutting cast iron. The plasma will make cuts in workpieces with a thickness of more than 200 mm, and the sawn material will hardly have to be processed at the end of the work.

The method is used by large metallurgy and industrial enterprises where there is a need for cutting and transporting cast iron scrap. Plasma installations are indispensable for large-scale work.

Gas cutting

There are two methods of gas cutting of cast iron:

• oxygen gas;
• oxygen-lance.

In the first case, the workpiece is exposed to a thin jet of flame supplied under high pressure. The combustion product is usually a mixture of oxygen with kerosene or diesel fuel. By the way, effective method when eliminating man-made accidents.

The second method resembles the oxygen gas method, only the cutting element is a thin tube made of hardened steel. Its tip is heated to almost 1500 degrees (welding/soldering iron/lamp), then oxygen is supplied through it, ignited at the outlet and heated to 2000 degrees. The resulting burning mixture easily copes with thick cast iron.

Both methods are good, but there are disadvantages - it is important to have experience working with gas equipment. Responsible and precise cutting is performed only by a professional. The second drawback is the release of gas that is harmful to health during operation of the cutter.

The method is suitable for working on fresh air or in the garage. For example, the need to eliminate a cast iron lock with swing gates. The cutter works quietly, you won't disturb anyone.

Conclusion

Based on opinion experienced builders and repairmen, in the best ways cutting cast iron perform:

• for home - grinder, hacksaw;
• in the garage - a gas cutter;
• in production - plasma installations.

Experienced people advise taking several tools into service when working at home, starting with a chisel and ending with a jigsaw.

Do you know how to quickly saw off a cast iron lock or pipe? Share your experience with readers in the comments.

The most difficult step when replacing an old pipeline is the dismantling of a cast iron pipe that has served its purpose. Previously, when constructing communications, cast iron pipes were used, the connection of which took place cement mortar, gray or aluminum. Pipelines assembled using the last two substances are very difficult to destroy, so you need to prepare for long periods of time. dismantling works. And this article will tell you about the technology for their implementation.

General progress of work

At first it may seem that dismantling outdated communications is a trivial matter, because breaking is not building. However, this requires just the right, qualified approach, because otherwise it is easy to damage the riser connecting several apartments at once. And this is a real disaster, the consequence of which will be the need to replace the common riser and, of course, boundless indignation of the neighbors.

The cast iron pipe should be dismantled carefully, adhering to the following order:

1. Turning off the supply of tap water to the apartment.
2. Disconnecting using adjustable wrench hose supplying water to cistern, from the toilet.
3. Dismantling the toilet (you need to unscrew the bolts securing it to the floor).

1. Freeing the bathroom from foreign objects and equipment that may interfere with the work (bidet, sink, washing machine and so on.).
2. Dismantling the old sewer system. Due to the fact that cast iron is characterized by high fragility, pipes located at some distance from the riser can be easily broken with a hammer.
3. Removing pipes connected directly to the old riser.
4. Installing the cuff on the tee socket. First you need to thoroughly clean the bell of old lubricants that interfere with quality installation new sewer system.

Dismantling instructions

Destruction of joints with a torch

If the joints of a cast iron pipeline are fastened with sulfur, this greatly complicates the dismantling task. However, we have some tips on how to disassemble cast iron sewer pipes in in this case. Like anything Chemical substance, sulfur is destroyed under certain influences, namely, during prolonged heating open flame. High temperatures make it viscous and plastic, making removal of the substance from the surface simple.

To dismantle a pipeline connected using sulfur, prepare a hammer and chisel, as well as a gas torch for heating. By the way, the burner can be replaced with a blowtorch.

When the pipeline is heated with a lamp or burner, harmful gas - sulfur dioxide - will be released into the surrounding space. In addition, open fire is also dangerous. Therefore, measures to protect life, health and the environment are mandatory. Operations for heating sulfur can last several hours, so that combustion products do not harm the lungs, you will need a gas mask, and to prevent accidental fire of furniture and other interior elements, a protective screen made of metal or asbestos is suitable.

Resolution of joints without a torch (video)

If you can’t use the burner, we suggest you watch the video below.

Dismantling instructions

It is advisable to begin dismantling by disassembling pipes located at a distance from the riser. This is not difficult and most likely there will be no problems if you use a chisel and a hammer, because cast iron is a very fragile metal.

Due to the fragility of cast iron, it is not recommended to use a hammer with metal attachments when dismantling. At strong impact part of the cast iron pipe may end up inside the pipeline, thereby reducing its clearance or forming a serious blockage in sewer system. Therefore, it is better to use hammers with polymer or plastic heads.

So, let's look at how to remove a cast iron sewer pipe:

1. Destruction with a hammer is carried out until the crosspiece inserted into the riser is reached.

1. Next, you need to gradually loosen it inside the riser. You can leave a section of pipe connected to the crosspiece, then the operations to destroy the crosspiece will be simplified. Some specialists, on the contrary, remove cast iron pipes as much as possible, exposing the joints as much as possible.
2. Dressed in protective equipment and having covered the furniture with screens, you should begin heating the sulfur. The work will go faster if two people are involved in dismantling: one melts the connections with a blowtorch or gas burner, and with the second knife removes the sulfur that has become viscous.
3. When more sulfur has been removed from the joints, the crosspiece is removed from the riser.

Be especially careful when removing pipes connected to the tee located on the riser. Using a grinder, cut off part of the pipe, leaving a distance of 10 cm to the riser. Loosen the remaining element and try to remove it from the socket.

Possible problems

Dismantling of the old pipeline must be carried out to the maximum possible extent, since it is better to cut off a cast-iron pipe to the point where it passes into the socket. Then docking the new plastic pipeline and a cast iron pipe will take less time and effort. Don’t think twice about how to cut a cast iron pipe; use a grinder.

How to cut a cast iron pipe if you don’t have an angle grinder? Take a hacksaw and get to work, but this will naturally increase the duration of dismantling operations.

If dismantling attempts are unsuccessful, do not be upset: stores sell pipes specially designed for connecting cast iron and polymer pipes.

Sometimes when cutting plastic pipes Difficulties may arise. Try to saw it halfway around the circumference, and then apply slight pressure or perform a slight rotation - the pipe will burst.

If the pipe cannot be removed from the socket of the riser, and you no longer know how to remove the cast iron pipe, make cuts in a circle along the pipe at intervals of approximately 20 mm, reaching the socket, and then remove it from the riser.

Before connecting cast iron and polymer pipes, it is necessary to clean the former from sulfur, using the same heating. After removing the sulfur, the pipes are allowed to cool, usually for several hours. At the final stage, the installation of a new sewer network is carried out. It is best to purchase pipes from modern materials: plastic or metal-plastic.

Cutting cast iron pipes can be done using a grinder and pipe cutters. In addition, it is possible to saw off a cast iron pipe using a chisel and a hacksaw. Also, special gas installations can be used for cutting pipes made of cast iron.

How to saw off a pipe with a hacksaw and a chisel

Cutting cast iron pipes using a hacksaw or chisel is done as follows:

1. First of all, you should measure the pipe and put a mark where the cut will be made.

2. After this, you need to place a wooden block under the pipe at the cutting site.

3. Then, strictly according to the mark made on the cast iron pipe, you need to make a notch.

It is best to make cuts in sections of 20 millimeters in size.

4. Using a chisel, you need to beat off the cast iron pipe along the mark.

How to cut a pipe with a pipe cutter

A pipe cutter for cutting cast iron pipes is used when other cutting methods are not possible. You can cut a cast iron pipe using a pipe cutter by doing the following:

1. First you need to install the cutter on the pipe cutter.

2. Then you need to work with the handle of the pipe cutter until the cast iron pipe is tightly crimped, and only then carefully cut.

For cutting cast iron pipes, pipe cutters such as Exact Pipecut (for pipes with a diameter of 15 to 360), as well as EXACT Pipecut 170, 200 and 360, are excellent. To cut pipes made of cast iron, you need to use a diamond-coated carbide blade.

Grinder for cutting cast iron pipes

Of all the methods for cutting cast iron pipes, the most accessible and easiest involves the use of a grinder. Disadvantage this method is that cutting is done strictly in a straight line. During the cutting process, it is imperative to protect your eyes and face with a mask and goggles. Special attention attention should be paid to the discs used in the cutting process of cast iron pipes. It is better to choose cutting discs on a bakelite bond. They are more resilient and durable than ceramic-bonded consumables.

Gas cutting of cast iron pipes

There are two types of cutting:

1. Oxygen gas cutting. Cutting a cast iron pipe is carried out using a supersonic high-temperature jet of combustion products of liquid hydrocarbon fuel in oxygen. The fuel used is either kerosene or diesel fuel. Most often, oxy-fuel cutting of cast iron pipes is used to eliminate the consequences caused by emergency situations, during emergency rescue operations. Also, pipes are cut using this method in the construction and metallurgical industries.

2. Oxygen-spear cutting. The pipe is cut using a steel tube. It is through this that oxygen is supplied. The end of the steel tube is heated to 1350°C. Heating can be done using welding torch. After this, oxygen is supplied. When burning, oxygen heats up to 2000°C.

The most important primary products of ferrous metallurgy, cast iron, are widely used in the most different areas world industry. They serve as raw materials for steel production, are used in mechanical engineering. Having been known for more than three thousand years, this metal today reflects the level of industrial development of the countries that produce it.

Throughout history, cast iron production has developed and improved. And today the use of this metal in some types of industry cannot be replaced, which is why cutting and drilling cast iron is so important. Due to the high carbon content, they are used for cutting different ways and a special tool.

As a rule, in domestic conditions it is possible to recommend the use of drills with pobedit tips (for example, VK8). Such a drill for cast iron should be used at low speeds, maintaining the vertical force applied and frequently cooling the cutting attachment, preventing it from overheating and blackening.

Cutting cast iron is a production necessity

In industrial settings, there are many methods and equipment problem solver how to cut cast iron. Thus, in the process of cast iron production, the need arises for cutting castings. In this case we got wide application techniques using thermal cutting methods. As everyone knows, these include arc, electric contact, plasma, air-arc and some others.

In the case of arc methods, the question of how to cut cast iron does not arise in principle. Regular widespread or specialized electrodes of brands are quite suitable LIM, ANR-2 or OZR-1. The use of the latter undoubtedly increases work productivity.

Experts do not really recommend the use of arc methods due to their low efficiency and quality. But they recommend air-arc methods as more efficient, productive and of high quality.

Drilling on an industrial scale

In conditions industrial production If it is necessary to solve the problem of how to drill cast iron, appropriate machines with working tools that have special working surfaces of appropriate sharpening are used. A supply of coolant is required to ensure the specified operating temperature.

In addition to the question of how to drill cast iron, it is imperative to ask the question of safety during such work. The possibility of cavities, voids and similar defects in the mass of processed material should be taken into account. This is more often associated with big amount carbon in cast iron and a number of other components.

These sudden defects also lead to the release of large amounts of fine chips and dust during metal processing. Processing methods depend on the type of cast iron, but there are general rules and safety requirements.

As a result, generally accepted protective measures must be taken during the work. Respiratory organs must be protected. Why is it necessary, in addition to equipping the work site with a ventilated hood, to use personal protection respirator or cotton-gauze “petal”.

You should also protect your eyes. Safety requirements require the presence protective screens, use of safety glasses with closed sides. You should work in special work clothes, gloves and a hat.