cutting 6" thickwall pvc pipe

[Bill Dufour]

I need to cut apiece of 6" pvc pipe for dust collection in my tablesaw. I would like to get the cut fairly square. It is too long for my bandsaw. I was thinking cut it on my 12" sliding miter saw then finish with a handsaw.Does that sound workable? Or should I use a handsaw all the way. I have no good way to hold it so starting the cut on the miter saw should help get things started right.
Bil lD

[william walton]

i would wrap 2" blue tape around for a cut line after careful measurement at several places and use some kind of rotary tool. If cut in a bandsaw for safety I'd make some kind of sled it could be clamped to.

[David Buchhauser]

Just scribe a line around the circumference and use a hand saw. Be sure to follow the line.
David

[Andrew Seemann]

I'd be nervous about trying it on a SCMS, having a saw head that arcs and slides while cutting something tall and round seems like something could go wrong awful fast and unpredictably.

Can you rough cut it with a handsaw or sawzall and then do a clean up cut on the bandsaw? I have done this with 3 and 4 inch PVC, although I usually just do the rough cut on the bandsaw at an angle.

If you need to clamp it, you can strap clamp it to something, or even just duct tape it to a 1x6 and then screw the 1x6 to a bench or sawhorses.

[johnny means]

I don't think twice about throwing pvc onto my mitersaw. Just be sure to grip it firmly, as it wants to spin when the blade first makes contact. Don't cut to fast or it chips. Don't cut to slow or it sticks to the blade. If it does gum up the blade, a little lacquer thinner cleans it right up.

[Matt Day]

I always use my TS. Lower the blade all the way. Clamp down a 4x4 or your miter guage a few inches behind the blade. This will keep it perpendicular with the blade. Use the TS fence as a stop, turn on saw, raise the blade into the pipe just enough to cut through (1/4” or so) and turn the pipe while gently putting pressure on the fence to hold the pipe lengthwise and make a straight cut. I usually spin the pipe from the fence side (keeper side) and pull a little as I turn to keep it against the TS fence.

If you use the bandsaw you’re limited on how big a piece you can cut by the throat of your BS. So if I wanted to cut a 10’ stick in half, couldn’t do it on the BS.

[Walter Plummer]

Now and then we have to cut larger pvc at work. Wrap flashing,cardboard,or even paper around the pipe for a straight line. I prefer my jigsaw for the larger pipes. Easy to hold the saw with one hand and roll the pipe with the other.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Like Johnny said, miter saw is the tool for the job. Make a pass as deep as you can, turn the pipe a quarter tun, use the first pass kerf to make sure nothing moved when you rotated it, and make the last pass. Let it be known though, that if you don't hang on to the pipe and something moves or it rolls before the cut is clear through, it will violently kick back. Easy to prevent by simply hanging onto the pipe so it doesn't roll while cutting.

[Gary Thinglum]

I have used my TS which works great (I use a fine tooth blade such as a plywood blade) but normally, I use my small 4" hand grinder. Like several said wrap a piece of cardboard around then, mark it with a felt tip.
Then, cut with the grinder. You can also clean up the edges with the grinder.

[Paul F Franklin]

I've tried various methods, bandsaw, miter saw, table saw. All work but make a horrible mess. I also made a U shaped fixture to hold the pipe for cutting with a handsaw or long blade in a sawsall; those work OK but it's hard to hold the pipe still. Best method for me is to scribe a line around the pipe, then do a plunge cut with a jigsaw and saw around along the line. Takes less time to do than to describe, doesn't make much mess, and gives a nice clean cut that only requires a quick swipe with a sanding sponge.

[Jamie Buxton]

Look into a manual chain saw. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Chain-Mate-26-in-Manual-Chain-Saw-CM-26/303167767?mtc=Shopping-B-F_D25T-G-D25T-25_1_HAND_TOOLS-Multi-NA-Feed-PLA-NA-NA-HandTools_PLA&cm_mmc=Shopping-B-F_D25T-G-D25T-25_1_HAND_TOOLS-Multi-NA-Feed-PLA-NA-NA-HandTools_PLA-71700000034127224-58700003933021546-92700049573927173&gclid=CjwKCAjwv4_1BRAhEiwAtMDLsgzj6mWXTeg2-soHek7NY9vT1pqvXUbMwa-3C9GRlLF_9KhB--9inxoCYdcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Bruce Volden]

This will work just fine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEo0F-ITq_E

Your welcome.

Bruce

[glenn bradley]

I snapped a line around mine and used a jig saw. Quick and easy. I do have a manual chainsaw and if I couldn't get the pipe to the bench, that looks like a winner.

[Jack Frederick]

I cut some plastic on my SS and it bound up the DC inlet below the blade. Making a wrap around even out of craft paper and cut it with a hand saw is the way I would go. Secure the pipe, cuts some, roll and keep going. If you need to trim it up use a file and you will be good. Chamfer the inside edge.

[Todd Mason-Darnell]

I cut mine on the SCMS no problem. You do get a lot of PVC "saw dust" that sticks to everything due to the static electricity and I did not use a good blade....

[Ron Selzer]

Wrap a paper that is long enough to wrap 1 1/2 - 2 times around the pipe, this gives you a square guide to mark it. Then I use a battery powered circular saw to cut it, rolling the pipe while I cut it. Make sure the pipe is well supported at all times. Fast, easy way to do it. If metal pipe then mark it the same way and use a portaband to cut it.
Good luck
Ron

[Jim Becker]

Even though I've often used my CMS for cutting PVC pipe, I'd not likely do that for something that large. I'd use one of the other methods mentioned...paper, tape or whatever as a guide and then something hand-held to do the work. If it's a powered saw (circular or jigsaw, etc) blade exposure should be the minimum to do the job. There are also hand saws designed to cut through PVC/ABS pipe quickly and easily.

[Rod Sheridan]

Saw all or horizontal metal cutting band saw......Regards, Rod

P,S. or a pencil and a hand saw.

[John K Jordan]

When I put in my dust collection I used a jig saw, handsaw, and multitool.

JKJ

[roger wiegand]

One of these. Not everything needs to be done with a machine.

431449

[Bob Riefer]

MY 6" pipe was Sewer/Drain (aka thin wall) so perhaps not quite the same as cutting thicker material. In my case, I cut many pieces on my miter saw without any issues ever - slowly cut as deep as the blade can reach, rotate the pipe towards me (against the direction of the spinning blade) with my left hand until the cut is done. The blade in the kerf kept my material nicely square and I never had spiral cuts etc.

For smaller cuts, such as cutting a 6" length into two 3" lengths, I wasn't comfortable with this method as my left hand would be too close to the spinning blade. I cut those by hand with a saw like the one linked above.

[Jack Frederick]

We have a winner! I was in the pipe trades for years and cut a million miles of PVC/ABS. I was out of that business for a few decades but when I remodeled the place and work around the property I happened to pick up the Lenox saw Roger shows. I was so surprised at what a clean and square cut it would make. Short money, replaceable blade. The, well one of, the right tools for the job;)

[Ryan Yeaglin]

As others have stated, make a make shift "wrap-a-round" from paper, or better yet some 2" emery cloth sand paper (remember circumference = 3.145 x diameter so 3.145 x 6.625 = 20 13/16" so a 24" piece with a little over lap would be perfect). As to the cut, it you have a reciprocating saw use a 6" fine tooth blade and you'll be in like flint. A miter saw can't cut through something that's larger than it's max depth.

[Bill Dufour]

One trick I had to use was to put a piece of 1x2 scrap in front of the fence. This moved the pipe far enough forward that it did not touch the raised parts of the fence that hold the hold downs etc. This kept the pipe parallel to the fence not cockeyed off a high point. The scrap actually never got cut which surprised me at first.
Bil lD

[Osvaldo Cristo]

One of these. Not everything needs to be done with a machine.

431449

I was to write that. Fully agree you.