mdshunk
Senior Member
- Location
- Right here.
I was changing panels in the basement of an apartment building. The main service conductors came through a wire trough, and were tapped to go up into the bottom of 8 different meters. The top of the meter had a factory installed 1-1/4" hub, with a 1-1/4" x 1/2 reducing bushing installed to accomodate a short 1/2" nipple to go to the existing 30 amp apartment disconnects. I was changing all the 30 amp disconnects to 100 amp panels, and needed to get all 8 reducing bushings out of the hub on the meters so that I could run 1-1/4" pipe.
Three of the reducing bushings unscrewed out of the meter when I unscrewed the pipe nipples. That leaves 5 to go. One was sticking up a thread or two so that I could get on it with a pair of channel locks. That leaves 4 to go. I was able to knick the edge of one with a screwdriver and knock it around enough so that a thread or two stuck up and then I could get on it with the channel locks. That leaves 3 now, and they're down inside the hub a thread or two and they are TIGHT!
This is where the brainstorm comes in. I took my 3/4 knockout punch and assembled it straight through the bushing and drew it up tight enough so that the teeth of the knockout cutter had a good bite on the inside of the bushing. Then, I took the channel locks and grabbed the outside of the knockout cutter and "unscrewed" the whole works. Since the knockout cutter had a good hold on the reducing bushing, it unscrewed right out.
I thought I would pass that procedure along, if you understand it. I know that an "inside pipe wrench" would be the tool to use, but I don't carry a set of those.
[ July 28, 2005, 07:49 PM: Message edited by: mdshunk ]
Three of the reducing bushings unscrewed out of the meter when I unscrewed the pipe nipples. That leaves 5 to go. One was sticking up a thread or two so that I could get on it with a pair of channel locks. That leaves 4 to go. I was able to knick the edge of one with a screwdriver and knock it around enough so that a thread or two stuck up and then I could get on it with the channel locks. That leaves 3 now, and they're down inside the hub a thread or two and they are TIGHT!
This is where the brainstorm comes in. I took my 3/4 knockout punch and assembled it straight through the bushing and drew it up tight enough so that the teeth of the knockout cutter had a good bite on the inside of the bushing. Then, I took the channel locks and grabbed the outside of the knockout cutter and "unscrewed" the whole works. Since the knockout cutter had a good hold on the reducing bushing, it unscrewed right out.
I thought I would pass that procedure along, if you understand it. I know that an "inside pipe wrench" would be the tool to use, but I don't carry a set of those.
[ July 28, 2005, 07:49 PM: Message edited by: mdshunk ]
