Tried a trick with a piece of scrap pipe to get a stubborn flange seated.

We were trying to fit a 12-inch flange on a boiler feed line in a tight spot, and it just wouldn't sit flush. My foreman said to heat a short piece of 4-inch scrap pipe with the torch and use it as a temporary heat sink on the opposite side. Honestly, it worked way better than just hammering on it. Anyone got other tricks for stubborn flanges in confined spaces?

2 comments

2 Comments

finley_price241d ago

Saw a guy use a big worm-drive hose clamp once. Cinched it down around the whole flange body. Tightened it slow and even with a ratchet. Pulled everything into alignment without any hammer blows at all.

mark_price1d ago

Last year I watched a plumber fix a warped PVC coupling with two giant stainless clamps. He ran them in opposite directions and tightened each one a quarter turn at a time. The whole thing sealed up perfectly straight, no stress cracks or anything. It was way smarter than trying to force it with a strap wrench.