Threading tools cut external threads on pipe ends. Manual threaders (ratchet or yoke style) handle small quantities; power threaders handle production. Die heads are sized to the pipe and thread standard, and the cut must be lubricated or the threads tear. Thread quality determines whether a joint seals.
Pipe benders and conduit benders form bends without kinking. The bender is sized to the pipe diameter and to the bend radius, and the take-up (the difference between the bend start and the mark) must be accounted for. Hydraulic benders handle large and heavy-wall pipe.
Alignment and preparation tools — pipe clamps, flange aligners, wrap-arounds, contour markers — set up the joint before welding. Root gap, alignment and bevel angle determine whether the weld can be made properly.
Grooving tools cut a groove near the pipe end for mechanical couplings, which is faster than welding and allows for movement. Grooving roll sets are specific to the pipe size and wall thickness.
