brass valve

i have a four foot long steel pipe with a big brass shut off valve in the middle connecting the the two pieces of pipe...does anyone know how to loosen the old dried up plumbers putty?..besides me using my trusty hacksaw?...thanks

Presumably it is threaded into the pipe?

Unfortunately, to pull the clean brass out of the valve, you'll have to find a couple of pipe wrenches or a vise and one pipe wrench...and unscrew the pipes. The plumbers putty won't put up much of a fight.

If you don't unscrew the pipes out of the valve or end up having to cut off the pipes short in the valve the yard will hose you on the value of the valve. Say that fast 5 times!! Dont forget to take the valve apart to ensure that it is all brass. Sometimes there are steel or iron parts in it.

Jon.

since i dont have a vise i usually cut the other way so there is some brass left on the steel and then i saw horizontal so i can get a scredriver in there and seperate the twometals that way...but if you look inside there is steel...i assume stainless not sure

You may have a ball valve or a gate valve, the two most common types. A ball valve will have a Chrome plated over brass ball connected to a lever type handle. A gate valve will have a handwheel or a cross handle, in the middle of these type valves is the "gate" or wedge. There are steel type balls, but usually it's brass and the gate of the gate valve should be brass as well. Almost all of your handles or knobs are made of steel, occasionally they could be die cast. Below the handle is the "bonnet" & stem, this is threaded, removable and should be brass. Depending on type, manufacturer and valve design, the ball or gate may be removable without cutting the valve body. A lot of time I just cut into valve body, either side of bonnet port, about 1/2" to 3/4" cut and then use a metal chisel to make a larger opening to remove gate or ball.

4 1/2" grinder with cutoff wheel makes quick work of valves. I slice them open if there's steel inside. In cases where they're stuck on a pipe, I cut on the valve till it sparks, indicating I've reached the pipe. This is usually enough of a relief cut to unscrew it. May still need to use a wrench, but usually it will come off.