What is an efficient method of making nice square cuts on 4 inch PVC?
I can make slow square cuts with my ‘special’ PVC handsaw, or quick messy cuts with a sawsall.
Short of buying a really big cutoff or miter saw, there must be a better way…
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Replies
Make a U-shaped cradle for the pipe to tightly rest in, and use the square edge of the cradle as a guide for a saw- handsaw or sawzall.
Bob
Bob,
Curious. What did you make that u-shaped thing out of. Wood?
karate chop.
One wrap of DET cord per inch of dia.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
One wrap of DET cord per inch of dia.
No, that's for felling live hardwood trees (you have to use the other side of the special tape measure . . . )
Besides, for cast iron you use primacord, not det cord (and it's quickmatch for PVC).Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Thanks for straightening that out. Been a while.. Little rusty..(CRS)
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
if you're careful and have help- or somewhat less careful and want to try this by yourself- just use a regular 10" chopsaw/miter saw and roll the pipe over until it's cut through. let me see, which way would be the best way to rotate it? i'd guess it would work best if you rotate the top of the pipe away from you, so the bottom (uncut) section is coming up into the oncoming teeth of the blade. that way the spinning blade will keep pushing it into the fence.
also, some mitersaws have somewhat deeper clearance back at the fence. while you can't cut anything over a certain size directly under the arbor, you might be able to cut something taller, but not as deep front to back, behind the blade. does this make sense? it all depends on how the blade guard is mounted to the rear.
give it a shot (and if anybody asks, i was never here)
m
and bob's idea would work fine. in fact you really just need a right angle trough to hold the pipe.
Edited 11/10/2003 5:00:07 PM ET by mitch
A chop saw does work nice, but WEAR PROTECTION. Eyes, ears, face, even a long sleeve shirt. If it chips, those pieces hurt!
No chop saw? Use an old-style miter box, but taller than usual. Stanley "short-cut" saw (with the shark on the label) is pretty stiff, aggressive teeth, cuts fast.
Or just free-hand with a stiff saw blade. Go slow for the first inch then rip through it.
The "PVC-saw"s I've seen are pretty floppy. Fine for 1/2 and 3/4 sizes but I want a stiffer blade for 3, 4, 6".
My B-I-L does ABS with a chainsaw, but it is less chip-prone than PVC. Looks cool though - to lay pipe like a lumberjack.
There's always the string trick, but you work up more of a sweat than with any kind of saw blade, especially on larger sizes.
Chainsaw! I like it. LOL
Actually, perhaps if a got myself an electric one...
Probably not the smoothest of cuts.
Since you have a sawzall use it with a metal cutting blade. Mark the pipe by placing a sheet of paper around pipe. Paper edges should line up, this will give you a consistent line around pipe. Mark along side paper edge around pipe. Cut with sawzall until top of blade disappears. Then stop saw, roll pipe and saw until top of blade disappears. You get raggedy cuts when trying to go thru pipe in one shot, by cutting small amount and rolling pipe for next cut you will be more accurate. Metal cutting blade cuts fast with less tearing.
mike
Thanks Mike.
I'll try that one too. I did know about the paper trick for marking, but following the line with one pass seemed near impossible.
Besides building yourself a miter box custom sized for the pipe, there's another method. If the pipe you're talking about is already installed, you can use a cable saw. It's an abrasive wire with finger loops on each end. You wrap it around the pipe 180° and saw through it. It works with nearly no clearance at all.
I cut picture perfect cuts with my Sawzall. But I learned it that way and my dad demanded perfection. So it can be done... but it takes a steady hand and eye... and lots of practice.
A method I use to get square cuts on pipe is to attach a worm gear clamp on the pipe that has a similar diameter to the pipe that you are cutting. These are the clamps used on radiator hoses and they come in many diameters. I tighten the clamp so the adjustment screw is on the bottom of the cut. Then I use a hacksaw and cut along the edge of the clamp.When I get to the bottom I remove the clamp and finish the cut.This method is not perfect, but it is pretty close. I learned this trick from watching the TV show Trucks.