Hi All,

i had a plumber replace a cast flange for me. it in a concrete basement floor. As i go to install the toilet i notice i don't have a good place to put the wax ring. the lead oakum joint is 4 or 5 inches lower than the flange. so, it looks like i need to stack wax rings inside the flange if i want to sit them on top of the joint. this can't be right...

the flange sets on the floor and the wax sets ontop of the flange.

i agree,, this should be easy. it seems like the pipe the flange is sitting around is quite low.
(the floor came up during the remodel) when i look down into the flange
there's a shoulder about 4 inches down. thats where the joint is. the ring should be inside the bolts.?
i can't do that. it would fall in

Any picture ? Something doesn't sound right. You don't want to go stacking wax rings.

the soil pipe is just down a bit from the floor. using a deep flange such as a 4 x 4 or a 4 x 9 does no harm. the few inches of space above the poured lead joint won't catch any debris..
the ring of a cast iron flange and the ring of a PVC flange are the same size. other wise the toilet bolts wouldn't line up with the holes in the toilet.
try a wax ring with a plastic insert..

Cut a piece of 4" PVC pipe the length that the cast iron pipe is short by. Set it on the cast pipe and take wax and force it into the gap between flange and PVC. Then set wax on the shelf you just created and you're good to go.

What ever you install inside the deep closet ring plastic or CI, it is commonly called a "Dutchman" here in So. California. We used to just use oakum and lead them in place flush with the top of the closet ring. Good luck.