[TheForge] Re: pipe

Wed Jun 4 13:16:41 EDT 2008

Good, your mind is made up!  I was just going to give my experience:  I 
bought an existing building in 80 to put my mesquite rocking chair business 
in (hence, rhrocker, my initials and I make rockers) and ran PVC all over 
the place for air lines.  So far to date I've had one failure with it, and 
that was my fault for boosting the pressure up more then I should have.  A 
coupling failed, and you could tell that I didn't do a very good job of 
priming and gluing it up.  Other than that it's been great.  I don't use any 
more pressure then about 110, which is plenty for a woodworkers sanders, 
blow guns, etc.
If you were to ask my advice I probably wouldn't give it, or would say to do 
what feels right to you based on the comments here.  If I were to do it over 
I'd run 3/4" pipe, because I bought a pipe threader at an auction, and would 
like to use it before I turn it into a twisting machine for 1/2" cold square 
rods, and 3/4" and 1" heated square rods.
rhrocker
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ekaterina Harrison" <ekaterina at wildblue.net>
To: <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 9:48 AM
Subject: [TheForge] Re: pipe


> Paul, Andy and All,
>
> This is a bit late, but, I do want to express my thanks to you for the 
> advice regarding PVC.
>
> I think you have pretty much convinced me out of using PVC for the air 
> line.
> Upon checking with the distributors, the distributors claim that PVC  is 
> just fine until it is left out in the sun. It is the UV ray that  make the 
> pipe brittle. From my own experience I have not had any  problems with PVC 
> water lines both buried or inside the house.  However, non of these lines 
> where left or installed in the sunny  areas. I have certainly come across 
> pipe that was left outside that  was brittle.
>
>>
>> I don't think it is fear, it is... erm... *frugality*.
>>
>> You know how the Jews have the rap in some peoples' minds as being
>> horrid little misers?  I don't think anyone can hold a candle to some
>> smiths.  Instead of "jewing" someone down during negotiations, I think
>> we should call it "smithing" them down.  Seriously, for such a great
>> bunch of folks as smiths, I've seen few other groups of people who are
>> as penny-wise and pound-foolish.  Getting all cheap about things like
>> this makes no sense.  There are proper ways of plumbing for  pressurized
>> air, and there are all the other ways.
>
> While you do have a point. I do not think that this is the only reason 
> for using PVC or other materials besides steel for plumbing.
> One of the issues that I believe is pertinent is the time issue. PVC  is 
> simply much faster and easier to install and for certain  applications has 
> a longer life span ( as in underground waterlines).  And if the quality is 
> comparable, to me it seams like a sensible  option, especially if one is 
> experiencing a bit of a time crunch, like  I am to get my shop together 
> and functional.
>
> We are looking into another option and this is PEX. All the plumbers,  we 
> know, swear by it and I see that it is being widely used by gas  companies 
> for plumbing in Propane. We are checking into its  suitability for 
> pressurized air. Apparently this stuff even stands up  to freezing, where 
> other pipes fail.
>
>> If you are in the business, you acquire the tools you need to  operate.
>>  This is not an exercise in hand-wringing, but a business decision.   If
>> you do not have the cash, you finance.  If you cannot justify the
>> finance cost, then you don't really need it and you find a  subcontractor
>> who can do the job.  It is as simple as that.
>
> I agree with this to a point, but, like with everything else it needs  to 
> be balanced. I look around me and I see so many people that have  just 
> about lost their life essence in the big webs of bank financing. 
> Personally, this is a trap I have experienced and I am not interested  in 
> walking into the same trap again, for I can see how deadly it can  be. 
> When I do work with credit I try to keep it to a point where I can  pay it 
> of relatively quick and I do try to utilize my resource  effectively, 
> which often does require improvisation. It is amazing to  me how many 
> people are just about incapable of basic improvisation. I  mean like: " 
> Oh, I can't fix the door be latch because I do not have  the factory 
> screws that came with it... sigh" ! LOL I believe that  improvisation is 
> an essential tool and it, too, should be used in a  balanced way. After 
> all, there is just no need to reinvent the wheel,  especially when 
> somebody else has already perfected it, is producing  it and distributing 
> it for way less than I could.
>
> Ekaterina
>
>
> On May 26, 2008, at 2:01 AM, theforge-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
>
>>
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Sun, 25 May 2008 10:25:06 -0400
>> From: Andrew Vida <osan at netlabs.net>
>> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Foundations and shop design
>> To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>> Message-ID: <483976C2.5090902 at netlabs.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>>
>>
>> paul wrote:
>>
>>> 4. Why do blacksmiths fear measuring and threading steel pipe? A  small
>>> shop would probably be just fine with 3/4" iron pipe mains, and the
>>> mechanical strength of iron pipe is more than sufficient for any shop
>>> environment. Hand threading 3/4" iron pipe is good exersize. Larger
>>> sizes would be better, more storage volume in the main piping...  you 
>>> can
>>> rent a pipe machine for the larger sizes if you have large shop.  You 
>>> can
>>> also use the leftover pieces... they are iron after all.
>>
>> I don't think it is fear, it is... erm... *frugality*.
>>
>> You know how the Jews have the rap in some peoples' minds as being
>> horrid little misers?  I don't think anyone can hold a candle to some
>> smiths.  Instead of "jewing" someone down during negotiations, I think
>> we should call it "smithing" them down.  Seriously, for such a great
>> bunch of folks as smiths, I've seen few other groups of people who are
>> as penny-wise and pound-foolish.  Getting all cheap about things like
>> this makes no sense.  There are proper ways of plumbing for  pressurized
>> air, and there are all the other ways.
>>
>> If you are in the business, you acquire the tools you need to  operate.
>>  This is not an exercise in hand-wringing, but a business decision.   If
>> you do not have the cash, you finance.  If you cannot justify the
>> finance cost, then you don't really need it and you find a  subcontractor
>> who can do the job.  It is as simple as that.
>>
>> If you are a hobbyist, there is still the safety angle.  Shit always
>> seems to happen to the other guy... until you are him.  Is, say,  losing
>> an eye worth the few hundreds of dollars saved by shit-rigging PVC
>> instead of installing proper air lines?  And if the line fails and  your
>> compressor burns up, you've probably put yourself in the hole.
>>
>> It seems to me that in decisions such as these, many people fail to
>> think things out clearly.  I am somewhat inflexibly firm in my belief
>> that things such as this should be carefully and circumspectly
>> considered and then done right.  Call me crazy.
>>
>>
>> -Andy V.
>>
>> no .sig
>> go .fig
>>
>
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