Cutting 6" PVC?

[Dylan Smith]

Now that I've got a pile of 6" PVC, thanks for a tip from Eric G., here's another question:

How to cut this stuff?

I'd like to get nice square cuts, to minimize disturbing the airflow once it's assembled. But none of my techniques thus far is succeeding very well.

This thin-wall stuff is far more flexible and shaky than the Sched. 40 I'm used to working with. And, at 6", that flex is magnified by the size.

The bandsaw gets me a non-square cut. I've tried both sliding and rolling techniques, and either way, something's going wonky. Add in the flex of 10' of this stuff and ;(

The hacksaw is, if anything, worse. Since just pushing on the pipe causes some deflection, trying to cut into it leads to a line that's a bit... meandering.

I'm sure somebody out there has some genius technique that isn't popping into my head, so...

Thanks!

[jason lambert]

I don't think it really needs to be stright it gets glued anyhow in a sleve. But I usally use my miter saw to cut. But it make s a mess so here is the kicker, try to use dust collection

[Dylan Smith]

I don't think it really needs to be stright it gets glued anyhow in a sleve. But I usally use my miter saw to cut. But it make s a mess so here is the kicker, try to use dust collection

I've got a flexi hose rigged up for the moment, actually

The problem w/ rough cuts is the potential for creating more turbulence inside the fitting. I'd like to get things nice and tightly fitted, if possible. The closer the edge can butt against the shoulder inside the fitting, the better. Or so I figure.

[Jim Becker]

Do NOT cutoff anything round on the band saw without it being secured in a sled! You can get hurt really bad if the product rotates and catches the blade. A simple hand saw will cut the PVC pipe easily and quickly and will be more than accurate enough to do the job. Don't push down on the saw...let the teeth do the work.

[Peter Quadarella]

I have a Ridgid PVC hand saw from Home Depot. It does a passable job.

[Rick Gifford]

I used a sawzall. Just mark a line around the pipe and take your time, it will be straight.

[Tom Hargrove]

Like Rick, I marked a line all the way around the pipe and cut it with a sawzall. A handsaw also works. You can also make a saw guide similar to the plastic miter boxes they sell at the BORG. Make it three sided with a straps across the top and snug to the outside diameter of the pipe. That way, when the pipe tries to deflect, it will have no where to go.

[Eric Gustafson]

I took a 6" strap clamp, like the radiator clamp type and screw it on right where I want my cut. Then you can use like a guide with a PVC handsaw. I used the hand saw until I got my Multimaster. That thing works so well with the 6" clamp that is really a breeze. But the pvc saw works good, too.

[Chris Padilla]

Sawzall with one of those "grit" type of cutting edges. 12" long one!

I took two pieces of scrap 3/4 plywood (oh, 12" by 20" roughly) and pocket-screwed them together to form an L (connecting the longer edges together).

I then cut a saw kerf at the 2/3, 1/3 point. This would be my guide to hopefully getting a reasonably square edge.

Slid the PVC into this makeshift "miter box", clamp the (I happen to have a 7" throat, 16" long Bessey clamp) PVC to the miter box. Yeah, you'll squish it a little bit but you'll just have to play with the amount of pressure you need.

Cut away and for the most part, you'll get reasonably square cuts. Or, put it this way, it'll be good enough for your ductwork.

Do not GLUE your PVC together. Just slide the fitting on dry, pop a small sheetmetal screw into it to keep it from falling off/moving, and then CAULK the edge to seal it. QED!

[Jim O'Dell]

Ok, I'm with you on the square cuts. I tried and tried. What I ended up doing was using a sled on my TS with a plastic/laminate blade. It did fair, but still not square. In comes my Dad's RAS. No, I didn't cut it with the RAS, but I put a home made sanding disc on it (thick fiber blade with sand paper glued to the face with spray on contact cement), made a V-shaped trough for the pipe to sit in, clamped to the table square to the sanding disc and sanded it square! Worked great.
Now if you are as anal as I can be sometimes on this stuff, bevel the end of the pipe so it matched the bevel where the connector and pipe hit! And if you really want to cut down turbulence, take a Dremel with a cone shaped grinding bit, and smooth out all the seams in the fittings. (You'll have to come to my shop to verify if I actually did that. ) Jim.

[Charlie Knauer]

Dylan, use a thin piece of aircraft cable on nylon string. The friction from rubbing it on the pipe will cut right through it. Dont rush it and you will get a nice square cut.

Charlie

[Dylan Smith]

Now if you are as anal as I can be sometimes on this stuff, bevel the end of the pipe so it matched the bevel where the connector and pipe hit! And if you really want to cut down turbulence, take a Dremel with a cone shaped grinding bit, and smooth out all the seams in the fittings. (You'll have to come to my shop to verify if I actually did that. ) Jim.

I believe I can resist the temptation to take things that far

[Jim O'Dell]

I believe I can resist the temptation to take things that far

Did you have to go to the seven step treatment program to have the power to resist? Or do you have that ability naturally? Sometimes I think I need help, and others are just Blessed! . Jim.

[Dylan Smith]

Did you have to go to the seven step treatment program to have the power to resist? Or do you have that ability naturally? Sometimes I think I need help, and others are just Blessed! . Jim.

Nah, just have another Guinness...

[Tom Berninghausen]

Sometimes I think I have toooo many jigs...

When I made my own gates for pvc pipe I made some spare pieces for cutting the sewer and drain pipes. I slide a pair on the 10 foot sticks and then use 18" bar clamps to clamp the setup on my assembly table.

I wrap cardboard around the pipe to mark it and use a pvc saw to cut the length I need.

Someday I'm going to enlarge the holes to let them slip on a little easier...

Tom