I have 50 mm diameter steel tube that i want to cut and have a neat square end.
It forms the legs of a hifi rack and has end plugs so guessing 1 or 2 mm wall thickness. Im hoping i can kck the plugs out and refit.
I cant see any way to cut it other than a lathe or large capacity tube cutter, the latter would mark the tube, neither of which i have.
I dont think i could do a neat cut with just a hacksaw, any ideas?
Cut the bottom of a silicon tube and use that as a guide for a hacksaw?
Angle grinder with 1mm disc and with lidl/aldi cutting stand.
[Edited on 1-3-15 by loggyboy]
When I want a straight cut I clamp in my vice and cut along the jaws, alternatively clamp a couple of bits of angle to the box then use a hacksaw to
cut along the edge of the angle.
Regards Mark
Cheers but hmmm but how do i cut the hose accurately, i also think that the hose being flexible can be fitted so the end is not exactly square, a
jubillee clamp.
I guess my tolerance is 0.5 mm.
Another option is to buy a cut off mitre saw, the type with a cutting disc on a hinge but are they accutate to less than 0.5 mm?
[Edited on 1/3/15 by 02GF74]
You could cut all the ends of your tubes square within much less than 0.5mm tolerance with a hacksaw, file and a square in about 10 mins.
Much easier than people think.
Use a chop saw, then tidy up /deburr the ends.
At work we have chop saws, lathes etc but if one of the kids wanted to do some thing like this we would run a strip of masking tape all the way round give them a square to check it a hack saw and a vice and clear instructions to concentrate and take their time. They have to take responsibility for their actions at some point, in my experience girls tend to be better as they listen to the instructions. Get your wife to do it 😊
A crude but effective method would be to get a bit of unused A4 printer paper and wrap it so that the long edge goes round the tube. Pull it as tight
as possible so that the edges overlap exactly with those underneath. Then draw around the edge, and use a hacksaw slowly and surely, keeping to the
waste side of the line. Finish to the line with a file.
You'll end up pretty square - good enough for furniture!
When building my old hi-fi stand, I used a metal cutting blade in a manual mitre saw.
As suggested A4 paper is a good method. Used this on some stainless exhaust pipe and was surprisingly accurate.
quote:
Originally posted by Smoking Frog
As suggested A4 paper is a good method. Used this on some stainless exhaust pipe and was surprisingly accurate.
Some good ideas there.
Chop saw, not cheap, is it worth buying one for this, ive managed without one so far so will it end up in the drawer next to my electric scrrwdrivers
(yes thats plural, youd think after buying one and not using it i would not buy another lol)
Current approach is to use a piece of angle with a bolt to act as a stop, turn the tubes to scribe a mark and then saw slowly and carefully with the
angle as a guide.
An exhaust tube cutter would do neatly
You could try a jubilee clip tightened up on the pipe as a guide.
With my tools (not sure if you have the same or if your prepared to buy)
I would use the angle grinder in the stand, place the tube (assuming it currently has one 'good end'
with good end against a good sturdy
fixed edge, which is at the right distance from cutting line, then slowly turn the tube against the grinder so the grinder stays in place, but the
piece is turned, that should keep the cut in one fixed plain.
How about one of these?
^^^^ yeah, did a search and those type of cutter can goup to 50 mm, cost £12 sp seems like the bestest option.
..... but by coincidence saw the lathe man who lives several doors away who said he could and would do, abit of beer money should see him happy.
Lathe will be accurate and no marks. Decisions decisions....
Hacksaw and a quick file up with a decent square should be able to get flat and square within 0.02mm without too much effort
quote:
Originally posted by 40inches
quote:
Originally posted by Smoking Frog
As suggested A4 paper is a good method. Used this on some stainless exhaust pipe and was surprisingly accurate.
As this, but, don't cut all the way through, keep turning the tube and cut a 1/8th to a 1/4 at a time.