I'm using a tubing cutter to cut 1/2" EMT. Works great, but leaves a burr on the inside surface of the conduit. So I bought a Greenlee deburring tool.
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But I cant fit it into the conduit to get the burr off! The burr is of such a size that it narrows down the inner diameter of the conduit so much that the tool wont fit into the conduit to do its thing.
Is there a different deburring tool to use? Different cutting tool? Is this just a crappy deburring tool? Is there something wrong with my cutting technique?
I just use my linesman pliers to debur it and use a hack saw for cutting. I grab the end of the pipe with the pliers and twist, the edge of the plier jaw knocks off the burr smooth enough to not cut my finger if I stick it in the pipe and rim the circle. Souds like your pipe cutter is actually compressing the end of the pipe and its not really a burr.
Heck, I've used a sawzall and even a chop saw if it was out handy to cut plastic pipe. Yea I know. Chop saw probably invites trouble and is really stupid without safety glasses on.
Wow, so far you've gotten a couple pretty silly responses so far, but that seems to be the norm for this group lately; no idea why.
One good possibility for the tool not fitting is that you are being too aggressive with the pipe cutter. The more aggressive the cut, the larger and deeper the burr. Another is using a copper tubing cutter for thinwall/EMT etc.. The better ones have larger wheels and better rollers for gripping the pipes.
You're right to use a deburring tool as it's usually the quickest and easiest way to deburr the stuff. Personally I use a reamer for deburring; it starts out at about 1/4" diameter and ends at about 3/4" diameter, so it fits the job well and leaves a nice smooth surface when you're done. Very similar to what you have only it's a straight cone shape, not stepped in between, so you have to pay attention. With a reamer though you have to be careful or you'll actually create a knife-edge at the end, which doesn't bother the wires but is kind of dangerous for the old fingers (all 9 of them).
So, I'd assume the tool you bought is OK, just use a little less aggression when doing the cutting; allow for a few more revolutions to complete the cut-off; it should go nice and smooth. Make sure the cutting wheel is sharp; replace if you're not sure. If it has so much as one tiny chip, the cutting wheel is NG and must be replaced; it'll never cut right again. Never "bend" the pipe apart; let the tool do ALL of the cutting. Hold the pipe steady as sometimes it'll cut open on one side of the pipe but not the other; the rollers will hold the depth right, just keep cutting until it falls in two. Never force it apart. Then your tool should deburr it fine. Properly cut, there will be very little burr from the cutting.
In a pinch, you might have to use something larger like a plier-end or large straight slot screwdriver to start the deburr, and then finish it with the tool. Just never let a job be "good enough" because until it's right, it's not good enough.
You are using the wrong type of conduit reamer. A traditional conical shaped reamer is what you need if you insist on using a tubing cutter to cut the thin wall conduit. If you switch to using a twenty four teeth per inch hack saw blade then the Greeenlee deburring tool on the conduit fitting screw driver will work fine for removing any shards of metal that might damage the insulation of the conductors to be installed.
-- Tom Horne
"This alternating current stuff is just a fad. It is much too dangerous for general use." Thomas Alva Edison
An eighteen teeth per inch blade will hang up in the work and break. A thirty two teeth per inch blade makes a burless cut but takes too long to make the cut. The twenty four teeth per inch blade will cut quickly and the few shards or burs it leaves are readily removed by the reamer on the conduit screw driver or the open jaw of a pair of Kliens.
-- Tom Horne
"This alternating current stuff is just a fad. It is much too dangerous for general use." Thomas Alva Edison
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