Does anyone know the best way to clean a 4" cast iron pipe well enough to be able to attach couplings for a new piece of pvc. The cast iron is very rusty and there is some cement on it.

And get it back together?! My two year old flushed a 2x3 inch pumice stone down the commode. I've used a snake but it gets jammed about a foot into it and I can't seem to budge the block in there no matter how much I push and twist the snake. The plumber charges $119 to try the snake himself or $105 per hour to take the toilet off, take it outside, get the object out and then replace it. I'm a stay at home mom and my hubby is a teacher. That isn't the kind of money we have lying around. I've had to replace the tank before when we had a crack. That was no problem, just took some time. But, the bowl is a little intimidating to me as there is still standing water and I don't want toilet water gushing all over the place. 1. Should we be able to do this ourselves or do we go with the plumber? Neither of us is very handy, but we are willing to learn. 2. Also, if the plumber does come out, how long should it take him to take it apart and put it together (so I can get an idea of how much). 3. And, since I can't get the snake to push this out, should I just assume he won't be able to either and start taking apart what I can (tank, etc.) so he has less to do when he gets here? We really need to save money, so we're willing to do as much of this as we can and are able. Thanks so much for your help!