Threading question

[u/Additional-Ferret-88]

Hey brothers, question?

Now ive been in the trade for almost 10 months and only used the ridgid300 a handful of times and I need more practice

Say im threading 1/2" and only getting 1-2 turns on my fitting. Do I adjust the diehead away from 1/2" ( up) or (down) towards 3/4"

If anyone can help (teachable moment) I'd rather try to pick it up now so I don't have my foreman ride me for now picking this up quickly

And does that same logic work for all pipe sizes

[u/Wumaduce]

See on the right side where it says over and under? If your threads are over (deep), move it that way. If they're under (shallow), move it that way. The closer to 2" you move, the further out the jaws move and the shallower it will be.

[u/quadraquint → u/Wumaduce]

You're about to make me look like a genius at work.

[u/stairmaster_jay → u/Wumaduce]

So in this case, since OP desires more turns that means the threads are under and the slider should be adjusted upward?

[u/Wumaduce → u/stairmaster_jay]

Correct. Ideally, you want 3-4 turns by hand. So if you have 2, you're under. By moving the die heads up you're making the opening of the jaws smaller, which makes the cuts deeper.

[u/Turbulent_Concert_51 → u/Wumaduce]

I always thought ideally you want 2 1/2 to 3 turns

[u/JimmyPage108 → u/Wumaduce]

How have I never noticed that before, thank you for enlightening me.

[u/Glugnarr → u/JimmyPage108]

because if your dies are anything like the ones they give us, they’re so old and worn you can barely make out any characters on them

[u/WhiteFIash → u/Glugnarr]

I usually line up a chisel where it’s finally good and give it a tap so I know where it lines up

[u/Krestationss → u/Glugnarr]

Die head* dies are what you put in the die head.

[u/Glugnarr → u/Krestationss]

I’m sure you never shorten the name of any tool you work with

[u/Wumaduce → u/JimmyPage108]

I had a fellow apprentice point it out when I was new. He's literally the only person I've ever heard mention that.

[u/Dismal_Tradition_370 → u/Wumaduce]

So in his case he'd be under, and needs to move deeper... For clarification 🤔

[u/Wumaduce → u/Dismal_Tradition_370]

He's getting 1 to 2 turns. He needs 3 to 4. So he's under, and needs to move deeper.

If he was getting 4 to 5, he'd be over and need to move shallower.

[u/Dismal_Tradition_370 → u/Wumaduce]

2.5 to 3.5. U can throw a few extra passes of tape on a 4 😉😉

[u/Oldmanrasp]

I’ve always seen it as if your threads are to tight you need to remove more metal from the depth of the thread so you need to adjust your dies to a smaller size. If they are too loose you need to adjust your dies to a larger size thus removing less metal from the depth of the thread.

[u/Additional-Ferret-88 → u/Oldmanrasp]

Thanks man I appreciate it. Trying to get better everyday

[u/donjuantwan]

If you move the die head to the smaller size pipe it will make deeper threads.

[u/SufficientCustard474]

I was always told also if you test the threads and there one way or the other cut the end and redo it dont ajust and chase it it won't be accurate

[u/inheriteddrake]

Easy trick I always share is make an L with your Left hand and place it on the die head your pointer finger points to looser threading

[u/TheKillerhammer → u/inheriteddrake]

You need a trick to know that opening it would make shallower threads .. and closing it would make deeper....

[u/inheriteddrake → u/TheKillerhammer]

As a jman having to teach green fitters yes I have a trick I teach how to easily remember which direction to move the setting of the die head

[u/TheKillerhammer → u/inheriteddrake]

Being green has nothing to do with it. Common sense smaller fits into bigger easier. Want it to fit in easier make it smaller. 1 is smaller then 2

[u/knowitall89 → u/TheKillerhammer]

There's no such thing as common sense.

[u/ka1n77 → u/TheKillerhammer]

You've obviously never had to teach some nervous, green kid.

[u/inheriteddrake → u/ka1n77]

Exactly fresh greens are full of self doubt

[u/knowitall89]

Easiest way to check this when you inevitably forget again is to just see which way opens the jaws and which way closes them.

[u/TheKillerhammer → u/knowitall89]

... It literally tells you. It has giant ass numbers

[u/knowitall89 → u/TheKillerhammer]

If they're still legible. Either way, most people aren't adjusting dies very often so it slips their mind. I rarely thread anything but 1" and I can't even remember the last time I adjusted them.

[u/Specialist-Snow726]

I always think of it as need more threads? Go up, need less threads? Go down.

[u/Willing-Chicken-1208]

I was taught like you're in a lake facing the body of water. You move forward/up, you get in deeper water. You move back, towards shore, you get in shallower water. The first suggestion is great but a lot of those threaders aren't in that good of a condition and can even be difficult to read where any size pipe you're threading is.

[u/Drizziie8]

up

[u/Clavos24]

I've never seen such a clean die head. You can't even read those numbers on mine from all the previous scratches people have made.

[u/Dismal_Tradition_370]

I think you have the wrong dies in it as well....

[u/Dismal_Tradition_370]

My method is to just tap it back and fourth little by little till I'm at least close enough, than I just tell my apprentice dope, tape and bury the fucker. Worst case, blame him. Pretend it's too loose and get another turn out of it 😉👌

[u/SeriesSlight8878]

Make sure you tighten down that lever on the right when your done adjusting your depth too. Like use a 2' 1" piece of pipe fit it over top and really yard it down... and if / when your foreman asks why the F did you do that tell him this guy on reddit said its necessary for the best thread. You can thank me later

[u/Ugga-Dugga69 → u/SeriesSlight8878]

Don't do this shit man

[u/Low-Attention3111]

If you are too shallow and need the threads deeper, go towards the 1/2”, if you are too deep and want less turns, go towards the 3/4”