I have a cast iron bath which I wish to retain. It has two taps which I
wish to replace. I've managed to remove the nut holding the hot water
tap because it is on the side away from the wall. The other tap is
almost completely inaccessible from underneath and I ( and a plumber I
hired ) have failed to undo the nut attaching the tap to the bath.

Any ideas?

The tap seems to be keyed to the bath so that I can't unscrew it from
the top and, although I don't have a blowlamp, I've applied a hot air
gun to it. I've also tried penetrating oil.

Thanks in advance

Another Dave
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"mfcexpert" wrote in message
...
I have a cast iron bath which I wish to retain. It has two taps which I
wish to replace. I've managed to remove the nut holding the hot water
tap because it is on the side away from the wall. The other tap is
almost completely inaccessible from underneath and I ( and a plumber I
hired ) have failed to undo the nut attaching the tap to the bath.

Any ideas?

The tap seems to be keyed to the bath so that I can't unscrew it from
the top and, although I don't have a blowlamp, I've applied a hot air
gun to it. I've also tried penetrating oil.

Thanks in advance

Another Dave




Old taps are often stuck down and sealed with jointing compound, so may need
to take a old wood chisel around the base of the tap to loosen it slightly.
Keep the chisel flat on the bath roll (edge) when you do this so as not to
dig in to the enamel of the bath.


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BigWallop wrote:

"mfcexpert" wrote in message
...

I have a cast iron bath which I wish to retain. It has two taps which I
wish to replace. I've managed to remove the nut holding the hot water
tap because it is on the side away from the wall. The other tap is
almost completely inaccessible from underneath and I ( and a plumber I
hired ) have failed to undo the nut attaching the tap to the bath.

Any ideas?

The tap seems to be keyed to the bath so that I can't unscrew it from
the top and, although I don't have a blowlamp, I've applied a hot air
gun to it. I've also tried penetrating oil.

Thanks in advance

Another Dave





Old taps are often stuck down and sealed with jointing compound, so may need
to take a old wood chisel around the base of the tap to loosen it slightly.
Keep the chisel flat on the bath roll (edge) when you do this so as not to
dig in to the enamel of the bath.


I'm sorry, I may have misled you. I can rotate the tap slightly ( maybe
15 degrees ) but come up against a stop. It's the nut that's seemingly
welded to the bath. However I'll try your remedy on the nut - or as much
of it as I can get to :-(

Thanks

Another Dave


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On Wed, 10 Dec 2003 15:56:02 +0000, mfcexpert
wrote:



I'm sorry, I may have misled you. I can rotate the tap slightly ( maybe
15 degrees ) but come up against a stop. It's the nut that's seemingly
welded to the bath. However I'll try your remedy on the nut - or as much
of it as I can get to :-(



Old taps in my mums house had a square boss that engaged in a square
hole in the sink, that and a bit of slack might account for 15 degrees
or so of movement.They looked like modern taps from above.

DG

Cut the tap off from the top with a 115 mm angle grinder, as close to the
flange as possible. Then grind out the centre of the flange to separate the
threaded part (underneath) from the flange. Then you should be able to prise
the remains of the flange off without damaging the bath. Then you can get
penetrating oil on the interface between the nut and the bottom of the bath.
This will be "glued" to the bath with rust and / or sealant. If it is obviously
rust you could also try phosphoric or hydrochloric acid, if you know how to
handle them. Once it has soaked, use a hammer and drift from above on the
threaded portion. Cast iron baths are normally surprisingly strong, if you have
ever tried to break one up with a bolster or sledge in order to get it
downstairs!

derek wrote:

Old taps in my mums house had a square boss that engaged in a square
hole in the sink, that and a bit of slack might account for 15 degrees
or so of movement.They looked like modern taps from above.


By Jove! I think you're right. I'm not sure how it helps me though,
except to rule out any possibility of uncsrewing the tap from above.

Thanks

Another Dave



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"mfcexpert" wrote in message
...
derek wrote:

Old taps in my mums house had a square boss that engaged in a square
hole in the sink, that and a bit of slack might account for 15 degrees
or so of movement.They looked like modern taps from above.


By Jove! I think you're right. I'm not sure how it helps me though,
except to rule out any possibility of uncsrewing the tap from above.

Thanks

Another Dave



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When I removed the taps from my cast iron bath they were of the square boss
type described above, and due to access problems and gunged threads ended up
cutting off the top of the tap with an angle grinder - amazingly without
damaging the enamel ! Spent hours trying to removed them before I thought
the unthinkable, then it took perhaps 5 minutes !

Andrew Mawson

Why don't you cut the pipe off and disconnect the waste to allow you
to move the bath away from the wall thereby getting better access to
the nut?.

mfcexpert wrote in message ...
I have a cast iron bath which I wish to retain. It has two taps which I
wish to replace. I've managed to remove the nut holding the hot water
tap because it is on the side away from the wall. The other tap is
almost completely inaccessible from underneath and I ( and a plumber I
hired ) have failed to undo the nut attaching the tap to the bath.

Any ideas?

The tap seems to be keyed to the bath so that I can't unscrew it from
the top and, although I don't have a blowlamp, I've applied a hot air
gun to it. I've also tried penetrating oil.

Thanks in advance

Another Dave

mfcexpert wrote:
I have a cast iron bath which I wish to retain. It has two taps which I
wish to replace. I've managed to remove the nut holding the hot water
tap because it is on the side away from the wall. The other tap is
almost completely inaccessible from underneath and I ( and a plumber I
hired ) have failed to undo the nut attaching the tap to the bath.

Any ideas?

The tap seems to be keyed to the bath so that I can't unscrew it from
the top and, although I don't have a blowlamp, I've applied a hot air
gun to it. I've also tried penetrating oil.


Success!!!!

I took the advice given to me ( and how often do you here that?),
thought the unthinkable and applied an angle grinder to the tap. It went
down fighting to the last but the power-lust given to me by the angle
grinder meant there was no contest.

Many thanks to all

Another Dave

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If only more of my clients took my advice!

Glad it worked. The angle grinder is one of my favourite tools: can do a
surprising amount of carpentry with a sanding disk in one.

Steve