How would you do this?

[Rick Moyer]

I need to cut some 18" long pieces of 1/2" pvc in half lengthwise. (making small troughs).
can I use the bandsaw or will the blade be too course and fast? (have a Grizzly 14" G0555)
Should I use the jigsaw instead? Table saw? make a jig of some sort?

Thought possibly someone has done this before.
(I don't know why. They're for someone else. I didn't ask)
Thanks.

[Cindy Navarro]

You could do it on the bandsaw, but since it is round you want to have a keeper to hold it so that it is not ripped out of your hands. I then drove some brads into the both sides of two board and then cut off the heads. Then I screwed then together to create a V. The sharp edges of the brads stop round pieces of wood, pvc, etc from rolling when cutting. Much safer.

[Peter Quinn]

I'd make a quick sled out of some scrap pine or someone. Put a ts saw kerf up the middle about 5/8 deep on a 1" thick by 1 1/2" or more wide by the leng of your piece or your saw table if it's a long piece. Then take two 45 degree rips, set e blade so it goes about 3/8" deep at the deepest and is on that center line. The off cut will fall away on a left tilt TS. Now you have a v block that makes ripping rounds on the BS safe. You can either set e BS fence so the blade cuts the center of the v , advance it about half its length into the blade, shut e saw off and clamp this to the table, or if it's a single short piece of pipe secure your PVC to the v block Witt tape and rip the whole thing. I'd prefer to keep the v block in tact for future use.

[Rick Moyer]

Well, I was thinking about a v-block to hold the pipe. I was not sure if the bandsaw blade would be too coarse or not.
I am envisioning a wood block with a V cut that fits the 1/2" pvc pipe, then allign the bottom of the V with the kerf of the bandsaw blade, cut about halfway into the length of the v-block, secure wood block to saw table, place pvc pc on block and feed toward blade, flip pvc end-for-end to complete cut.
Peter, I believe this is what you are saying. I'll have to see what tpi my blades are. I'm guessing about 8 tpi would be good but I may only have fewer tpi blades. Will probably make an attempt Saturday 18th, so more thoughts are welcome!

[Peter Quinn]

Well, I was thinking about a v-block to hold the pipe. I was not sure if the bandsaw blade would be too coarse or not.
I am envisioning a wood block with a V cut that fits the 1/2" pvc pipe, then allign the bottom of the V with the kerf of the bandsaw blade, cut about halfway into the length of the v-block, secure wood block to saw table, place pvc pc on block and feed toward blade, flip pvc end-for-end to complete cut.
Peter, I believe this is what you are saying. I'll have to see what tpi my blades are. I'm guessing about 8 tpi would be good but I may only have fewer tpi blades. Will probably make an attempt Saturday 18th, so more thoughts are welcome!

That was my thinking exactly. I'm not sure what tooth pattern is best for plastics, I'd guess similar to metal, higher tooth count than wood. Biggest problem is heat can melt the plastic if gullets get clogged. I've made troughs from 4" pvc using a similar v block method, I just push it straight thorough, no flipping, wouldn't hurt to have a line to follow, in my case the cut quality was not important, so I used a 1/2" 3th blade on schedule 40 PVC, worked fine, took just a bit of sanding to remove burrs. Good luck with your project.

[Ronald Blue]

If you have a drill press vice that is flat sided or flat topped you can either lay it on its side or top and then clamp the pvc pipe securely and do the task. That's the easiest way and I used to do that frequently in my tool and die days when needing to bandsaw round stock steel. If you don't have a vise my second suggestion is use parallel wood screw clamp. Lay it flat and clamp the pipe in it. If you are attentive when clamping and get good contact along the length you should have no trouble holding it securely. I would try your regular wood cutting bandsaw blade. If you don't crowd it I think you will get a good cut quality. If you need to cut all the way to the end you might try a 1/2" dowel in the end to keep it from crushing in as you get to the end. Or cut the pieces a couple inches long and stop short of the end. Hope one of these ideas works for you. Good luck.

[Alan Schaffter]

Use some 3/4" thick ply to make and open top box (actually an open bottom box) whose inside dimensions are 18" long and pipe O.D wide and deep. Set your TS blade height just a tad higher than the OD of the pipe. Set the rip fence to cut down the middle of the box and if you have it, use a short splitter. Then just drop the box over a section of pipe, hold the assembly against the fence and let 'er rip. The box will protect your hands and fingers, contain the (PVC) dust and keep the pipe from bouncing and moving around. With this setup you should be able to make quick work of your task and have really good cut lines.

[Rick Moyer]

Use some 3/4" thick ply to make and open top box (actually an open bottom box) whose inside dimensions are 18" long and pipe O.D wide and deep. Set your TS blade height just a tad higher than the OD of the pipe. Set the rip fence to cut down the middle of the box and if you have it, use a short splitter. Then just drop the box over a section of pipe, hold the assembly against the fence and let 'er rip. The box will protect your hands and fingers, contain the (PVC) dust and keep the pipe from bouncing and moving around. With this setup you should be able to make quick work of your task and have really good cut lines.
Ah, another good idea. I may try both.
I guess my biggest concern was shattering the pvc with the blade. Probably won't be an issue either way I go, I supppose.
Thanks to all. I 'll post back with my experience.

[Kent A Bathurst]

FWIW - I did something similar - 40" long 4" PVC, with endcaps glued on each end.

Split it in half on the BS with a 1/2" 3 tpi blade. No problems.

And - I drew a line down one side, and used that to guide it through the blade. No fixtures, jigs, etc., but I did have the fence set up to keep it inline.

Worked fine. Rasp to clean off the sharp edges. I wasn't striving for a perfectly straight cut, but it came out pretty dad-gum close.

[Alan Schaffter]

Ah, another good idea. I may try both.
I guess my biggest concern was shattering the pvc with the blade. Probably won't be an issue either way I go, I suppose.
Thanks to all. I 'll post back with my experience.

Splittin' 1/2" PVC pipe ain't nothin' Try splitting 12" PVC pipe! :eek:

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/medium/PA090005.JPG

I did that when I wanted to make a storage container for my Hobie Cat trailer to hold sails, etc. I added a nose cone I turned on my lathe, hinges, latches, gray paint, and some lettering, before calling it a "Storpedo" :D

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/medium/PA140001.JPG

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/medium/PA140006.JPG

[Rick Moyer]

NICE!!
I did use Alan's suggestion for the table saw jig and it worked just fine. No issues. hopefully my sister's boss will like them.

[Alan Schaffter]

NICE!!
I did use Alan's suggestion for the table saw jig and it worked just fine. No issues. hopefully my sister's boss will like them.

Glad it worked out!