The story continues below these SALTWIRE videos

If you are the kind of person who wants to make your home special in a heavy, rustic and industrial way, you should consider using black iron pipes. It is widely available, economical and relatively easy to use. I have used this thing for many years. It makes strong and attractive railings for stairs, platforms and balconies, as well as lamps, handles, brackets, distributors and pillars. The black iron pipe thread is used with accessories such as elbows, tees, end caps and joints. It is one of my favorite metal materials. It may also be yours, because these things look good and can do a lot of things.

  What is a black iron pipe?

This thing is actually made of steel instead of iron. It is an uncoated commodity, ranging from half an inch to two inches in diameter and up to 21 feet in length. Home Hardware is by far the best Canadian retail source of black iron fittings and pipes, but when I have a big project, I will order 21-foot pipes from a plumber friend and he will buy them in bulk .

Common black iron fittings include everything you expect in piping: 45-degree and 90-degree elbows, couplers, two-way, three-way, Ys, four-way fittings, valves and plugs. These fittings are screwed to each other and connected to the pipe itself. Pipes and fittings usually have threads that have been cut at the ends, but using factory-cut threads is not the only way. Re-establishing the thread at the pipe end after cutting off the factory threaded end is one of the more advanced technologies that can be used for black iron pipes. You don't necessarily need to be able to work on your own to enjoy these benefits. Any skilled craftsman you hire should be able to make things for you with this material.

  Use black iron pipe

The easiest way to start is to use only standard length pipes with pre-cut factory threads at the ends to screw in the fittings. The length of the retail supply pipeline ranges from 2 inches to 21 feet. The length of the pipeline gradually increases by half an inch and 1 inch, and the length can reach 44 inches, which is every foot beyond this length.

Black iron pipe is as soft as steel, so it is relatively easy to cut. I use a small cordless hand-held metal cutting band saw, or when I want a sharper and more consistent cutting end, I use a metal cutting band saw. The problem with cutting pipe is that it usually results in more work. Cutting is great because it can provide you with the length of pipe you need in a given situation, but cutting the pipe will also remove any existing threads. Threads are an option for connecting pipes and fittings. This is why more advanced black iron pipe users usually add two skills to their abilities: threading and welding pipes. Anyone with these skills can make many different things, but you don't necessarily need these skills yourself. Like I said, ordinary household maintenance personnel can use pipes, and of course any more advanced professions, such as carpenters or mechanics. A simple machine called a tubing grooving machine is used in conjunction with an electric drill and a bimetal hole saw to make curved notches so that the end of the pipe can fit the side of the adjacent pipe.

There are two options for threaded pipe ends: manual or electric. Both use the same mold to cut threads on the outer end of the tube, but electric threading is faster and easier. Add the knowledge of black iron pipes to your home decoration plan, and you will add unique, durable and durable charm elements to your home.

Buy a digital membership now to ensure that local news stays in your community.

Only pay $0.99 per week for the first year.

Start your membership now

You know the home of the news that shaped Canada's east coast.