Brass fitting stuck in concrete slab supply line

I'm in a bit of a fix. I removed one brass fitting from a tub cold supply line that was in 1/2" female iron pipe (fip) in the floor of a bathroom on a concrete slab. That one took some torque, but came out just fine and I attached a nipple for a shut off valve to the 1/2" fip in the floor, however, the 2nd brass fitting was completely rusted into the hot water supply line. I tried deep penetrating sprays. I tried heat. But now the brass fitting is completely broken off flush in the supply line. I tried a nipple extractor to see if I could get it to turn from the inside, but it's not budging. Since this is a supply line coming out of a concrete slab, my options are limited. I'm wondering if I can have a 1/2" fip thread nut welded onto the mouth of the supply line so I have something to fasten the nipple to. What do you all think - is that a viable option? Any other ideas?

can you show some pics??????

I'd start with a jackhammer.

You cant weld anything onto that. You have to remove it. Make vertical cuts in the brass piece that is left in the fitting and try to pry it out. You can use a hacksaw blade and make cuts, the brass is soft.

Left handed drill bit. The vibration as you drill it out frequently will cause the thread to loosen and turn it out.

how about an easy out??????

Geofd said:

how about an easy out??????

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I have used them on stripped brass seats in shower valves

Geofd said:

I have used them on stripped brass seats in shower valves

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He did mention, "tried a nipple extractor to see if I could get it to turn from the inside," I'm thinking that was an easy out. ???

I like FishScreener's suggestion about trying a "Left handed drill bit"(I wasn't aware they even existed, but they obviously do.).
I would go with a size that would leave a bit of the pipe wall still there, so as not to get into the FIP thread. If you look up the recommended drill diameter for tapping a 1/2" tapered pipe thread you'll find it's a 23/32" drill size. Based on that I would do one of two things.
Either...
1. Try a 5/8"(20/32") left handed drill bit, which would leave a small amount of the old male thread and then if I couldn't remove that, I would re-tap the 1/2" thread.
OR...
2. Drill it with a 23/32" drill bit and tap it with the 1/2" tapered pipe thread.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Drill-A...PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-304750418-_-304750423-_-N

Diehard said:

He did mention, "tried a nipple extractor to see if I could get it to turn from the inside," I'm thinking that was an easy out. ???

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not sure.... could be a couple of names for the same thing...……..

They have a cheap version of a nipple extractor for landscapers to remove plastic nipples.
They are usually a tapered aluminum extractor and don't work very well for brass.



This is what comes to mind when someone says EZ out.
I have a set of these. use them mostly for taking out broken test cocks on a backflow valve


and here's another I have never tried.
They don't look very impressive

An easy out is entirely different than a nipple extractor. These are “easy outs”: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004YOBF/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
This is a nipple extractor: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004T82B/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Re left handed drill sizes. Start with the smallest one you have that will fit in what’s left of the broken part, and move up in size. Eventually, you get to the point where you can take a chisel and collapse what is left away from the iron pipe, or just run a tap into it, and ream out the brass.

A set of lefties is worth owning: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BMJX8C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

FishScreener said:

An easy out is entirely different than a nipple extractor. These are “easy outs”: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004YOBF/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
This is a nipple extractor: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004T82B/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Re left handed drill sizes. Start with the smallest one you have that will fit in what’s left of the broken part, and move up in size. Eventually, you get to the point where you can take a chisel and collapse what is left away from the iron pipe, or just run a tap into it, and ream out the brass.

A set of lefties is worth owning: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BMJX8C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

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Keep in mind that it's a tapered thread, and it's smallest diameter, at the bottom, that you have to be careful about. That's why I mentioned the standard drill size for a 1/2" pipe thread. You don't want to go any larger than that. Not to mention that there's no guarantees that drilling into an existing hole is going to result in a perfectly symmetrical new hole.

Just goes to show that old dawgs can still learn new tricks. I have never seen left handed drill bits.
We have a left hand thread 2 - 1/2' pipe tap at the shop. makes a cool door stop.

Mr_David said:

Just goes to show that old dawgs can still learn new tricks. I have never seen left handed drill bits.

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Glad to hear I'm not alone.