Forum Archive

Hi all,

We have lines from old gas light fixtures poking through a tin ceiling in our parlor floor, and I was hoping to cut them down, thread the ends, and use a bolt to secure the base of a new light fixture directly to the shortened pipe. Has anybody ever attempted something similar? We can’t remove the lines or put a proper box in because we’d have to rip up the rosette; the gas lines are, however, anchored solidly to the joist above (and yes, they’re dead!). I’ve seen some ratchet threading sets around, but they all seem professional grade and wildly expensive, and clearly I have no idea what I’m doing. Would a plumber be most likely to have this equipment? Is this even a good idea? We have a few of those deep, bell-shaped covers as a backup, but I’d prefer to use the base from the original fixture (now it’s too shallow to cover the nub, which is 2+ inches).

Any advice, or people you might recommend who might be able to pull this off?

Thanks!