proper use of 4" CI chain/snap cutter

[basementbathroom]

I have to cut approx 6' of 80 yr old 4" underground CI pipe out, should i do this in 1 piece or sections, also I have been looking around and people are calling chain/snap cutters the same thing or 2 different beasts, what's the difference or is there any, how to use the cutter is also confusing some say rock it back and forth to score a line, other say clamp on and tighten till you hear a thunk, I'm inclined to agree with rock,score,tighten, I mean it has wheels, i have a clean out outside the house it's about 7' down to sewer, should i add another inside house, i think the cutter use is a good thing to poll the plumbers on

unsure how poll works so is it rock,score,tighten or just tighten

are the chain and snap one in the same or not

 

[cougfan]

There are two types of snap cutters,one is a ratchet type and one is a scissor type,to use wrap around tighten an start ratcheting if you have the ratchet type which are best for in ground use,put some wire on the end of the chain to use as a leader to pull around the pipe and tighten the chain as much as possiblemaking sure the ratchet is fully open,thestart ratcheting till you hear the snap,beware that if the pipe is really thin at the bottom it could crumble and crack.Another option is an abrasive blade on a recip saw or a grinder to cut the pipe

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hj]

cutter

The only reason they have wheels is so that they can apply the pressure evenly. Rocking and scoring the pipe does absolutely nothing as far as making the cut is concerned.

 

[basementbathroom]

chain cutter

all i can rent here is a ratcheting chain cutter, i read on another site to spray the cut line with wd-40, will that help at all, the pipe is a pipe within a pipe, the outside was covered in rust tumours, i cleaned it off and the actual sewer pipe looks to be in better condition than my stack is there anyway to tell if the bottom is thin

 

[SewerRatz]

Only time I ever had to tighten the snap cutter then loosen it move the wheels and retighten the cutter is on Ductile iron pipe. Standard and extra heavy cast iron you just need to make sure the ratchet is all the way open wrap the chain around the pipe, and have the part you are snapping clean of any mud, stone, and or concrete, catch the lug of the chain on the hooks with very little slack. Tighten the chain by using the ratcheting action until the pipe snaps. One thing to note is that all the links in the cutter must move freely so it can put equal pressure on the pipe. If any of the links are frozen try to get them unstuck, or get a different snap cutter.

 

[hj]

cutter

It is a "dumb/stupid" poll because there is no way to vote for the individual selections. How do you cut ductile iron with a snap cutter? I have cut cast iron water main with a big one, but have ALWAYS had to saw ductile pipe to cut it.

 

[basementbathroom]

cutter

hey pal I said I was trying this out for the first time, I did it wrong and u don't have to get pissy about it, the rat man provided competent instructions on how to use the cutter, which is what I was looking for and what did u provide.

 

[SewerRatz]

HJ, I done 6" Ductile Iron with a ratchet type snap cutter. You just need to get it real tight, then back it off, and move the wheels, then tighten once again, and loosen move....rinse and repeat till it snaps. One time I had to get out the 3LB hammer and give the ductile iron a few taps with the snap cutter good and tight. I will admit it is not easy but better than a saw in a hole full of mud.

 

[hj]

poll

Good intentions for creating the poll. The problem is you asked questions like, "which do you prefer A, B, or C" and gave the option of "Yes" or "NO".