Removing PVC Fittings

[Petrie]

Hey, i was woundering if there is any way to remove pvc fittings from the each other and the actual pipe. i built a basic cannon and i want to do some modifications with out spending more money. any suggestions/ideas would be much appreciated

thanks

~Petrie

[SpudStuff]

No, there isn't any way without destroying the fitting and/or pipe. The "glue" melts the pipe together to form 1 piece of plastic.

[Atlantis]

Like SpudStuff said, the process is called Solvent Welding for a reason, it's like melting 2 candles together, theres nothing left to seperate, it's just one piece.

[MisterSteve124]

just cut the pipe right after the fitting you will only loose like 2 inches of pipe but you'll need new fittings

[squeaks]

That or you could do the long, most beloved process of sanding off the old fitting and putting new in its place. Of course, that would only take like an hour with a good dremel.

[singularity]

well i know when i really need to reuse a piece i cut the pipe and dremel out the fittings, only done that about 3 times so far, its a huge pain though

[SpudBlaster15]

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[CS]

Three words: How about no?

While the time and resources exerted to assure safety would be rather extensive. From the sounds of it has multiple health hazards resulting from being inhaled, prolonged contact, and being digested. Not to mention how hard is such a compound to acquire? Also how would you utlize this chemicals properties to dissolve unwanted 'PVC' while leaving desired 'PVC'? Youd have to have a retainer between both the pipe and fitting to assure that one is uneffected. That would be rather hard considering the both of which are connected via a solvent weld.

As to how to save yourself some cash...
While there isnt a way to go about it and not spend any money, there is some methods to salvage some components. When making mistakes on pipe-fitting connections I cut the pipe right before it enters the fitting. Then I make cuts in the direction realtive to the length of the fitting into the pipe left solvent welded. If done in 1" sections, the sections can be 'popped' out with a flat headed screwdriver by driving it into the space between the two components with a fair amount of force [hammer]. To save some time you could, while having to pay some money you could use a <a href="http://www.wheelerrex.com/images/p_imag ... .jpg">Pipe Hog</a> to bore the fitting. [Original notified of the tools existance via a chat exchanged between SpudStuff and I refering a different subject matter.]

[SpudStuff]

Dont mention what I said Pimp I would like to keep that a secret at least for now.

[SpudBlaster15]

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[jrrdw]

I would just grind the fitting off with my bench grinder, heck the wire wheel even cuts away the pipe/fitting. If you allready have the grinder, you spend pennies, (or your parents pennies) on eletric and it will only take a few minutes. If you dont allready have a grinder, it's 1 of your first worth while investments towards your new shop/garage.

[squeaks]

Well I hope that sanding it off with a dremel works cause my gun is too big to bench grind it and I made a mistake on it. I glued on a male adapter so that I could service my piston. Funny though, male adapters are tapered. I really should have put on a female adapter so I got some sanding ahead.

[SquishY]

Have fun with that, the female adapter is gonna be hard to get the piston out of to, should have used an endcap and some screws but who am I to suggest anything being that I'm just about to start on my first piston.

[squeaks]

No, the male adapter was the one being the booger. The female adapter works beutifully now that I've spent about an hour with me and my brother and two dremels attacking it. Nevertheless, I have now proven that salvage is possible by dremeling off the old fitting!

[Infernal2]

Three words: How about no?

While the time and resources exerted to assure safety would be rather extensive. From the sounds of it has multiple health hazards resulting from being inhaled, prolonged contact, and being digested. Not to mention how hard is such a compound to acquire? Also how would you utlize this chemicals properties to dissolve unwanted 'PVC' while leaving desired 'PVC'? Youd have to have a retainer between both the pipe and fitting to assure that one is uneffected. That would be rather hard considering the both of which are connected via a solvent weld.

You moron. I guess you would call painting, degreasing and soldering unjustifiably hazardous also, considering each of these deals with compounds with equal or greater toxicity than methylene chloride?

As far as availability, your full of crap once again. I have seen it listed as a major component of at least 3 different paint/varnish removers located on the shelves of my local hardware store, which is puny and poorly stocked. I am sure it is on the shelves of ANY major hardware store.

Personally, I wouldnt try it, but a coating of some kind of material that would resist dissolution could be applied to the areas which you do not want to remove, and once the fitting has dissolved almost entirely, the pipe could be removed, rinsed, and the remainder of the material aswell as the coating could be sanded away, returning the pipe to its orginal dimension.

It wouldnt be easy, and sure there are better ways, but it would be cheap, as methylene chloride containing paint/varnish remover can be aquired for less than $5 per liter. He asked for cheap, not easy. If all else failed you could use acetone, although it is significantly more polar and would thus dissolve the PVC much more slowly.

And you insist that pimp is a moron? Talk about swatting flies with nuke. Keep It Simple Stupid.