Making Straight Cuts on PVC Pipe

[Fleemo]

My neighbor lent me his PVC pipe cutter, but every cut I make winds up at an angle, despite how careful I try to be. Is this bad technique on my part, or funky cutters?

-F

[Philip Lewis]

Is it a circumcision cutter, or scissor like cutters?

If the former, you should make sure the cutter is seated properly... and not try to cut it in one revolution. just let it bite a little, then once around... tighten a little more, the around again. repeat till cut.

I usually go around 3 times.

[BGBevill]

Well, almost impossible to say without seeing what you have, but pvc ain't that hard to cut. What size pipe you cutting and what type of cutters and someone might can offer some suggestions. I have seen folks pick up a cheap plastic mitre box to help keep the cuts straight on larger pipe sizes.

Bobby

[Mark]

It doesn't have to be perfectly square. Many folks just use a hacksaw.

[Phisherman]

I get perfect cuts, even angled cuts, on my miter saw. A simple wooden miter box and backsaw works great too if you don't have a miter saw. A wood saw works well.

[Michael Baugh]

I either use a miter box, or a hose clamp as a guide.

[SteveB]

PVC was designed to be used by monkeys with average intelligence. The seat area is sufficient so that if a piece is cut at an angle, there is still plenty of surface to glue to.

IMHO, one would not be able to cut a piece of PVC at such a sharp angle that it could not be glued into a fitting. Unless, of course you used a miter saw, or were really an intelligent monkey and worked at it.

Steve

[Gary Slusser]

"Fleemo" wrote

It sounds like you have a scissor/shear type that is worn out. I have worn out many of them over the last 10-15 years and I've learned to rotate the tubing as I start the cut rather than simply relying on the sharpness of the blade and squeezing to make the cut. That causes wear.

If you mean a pipe cutter with a wheel for plastic, or not... I've seen worn out pipe cutters run out of the wheel groove before rejoining the beginning and causing an angle cut, but so what. Cement it a go on with life. If the wheel doesn't connect with the previous groove, you'll never cut the tubing if you continue in one direction; the groove spirals up or down the tubing and never meets

Gary Quality Water Associates

[me]

Angled cuts? What are you doing, making your own elbows?

To save the price of an elbow when using pvc pipe, do the following.

Cut two pieces of PVC pipe at 45deg. angles, and apply lots of glue, followed by liberal amounts of ducttape. Let dry thoroughly.

If it leaks when you try it, just apply more ducttape. If it still leaks after that, buy one bag of ReadyCrete for each homemade elbow. Make a mold out of wood to fit around the pipe at each elbow. Mix the concrete and fill the mold, being sure to completely cover the pipe. Allow several days for the concrete to dry. Apply water pressure and check for leaks. This should solve your problem, but if there are still leaks, then you just ain't no plumber, and better call AAAAA Plumbing service, listed in your yellow pages.

[Fleemo]

They'd be more like scissors, where you place the PVC between two metal surfaces. It then ratchets down until it slices the pipe. But every single time it comes out at an angle.

Perhaps I'll try the hacksaw/mitre box approach recommended here, see how that works.

Many thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

[Daniel L. Belton]

[me]

Ehhhhhhh, another useless gadget to make a buck for somebody...... I was in the plumbing biz for years, and all I used was a miter box and backsaw. I bet the saw used less physical effort than that "thing". The few times I had to cut a lot of pipe for a job, (one and a half inch or larger), I used a chop saw to speed up the work.

That "thing" you have probably only cuts ONE inch or less pipe too. All those things do is waste useful space in a toolbox.

[Gary Slusser]

wrote

I do a lot of 1/2" to 3/4" CPVC and 3/4" to 1" PVC and 1/2" to 1.25" PE tubing. You can't do more than bend over to pick up your saw by the time I have any of my cuts done. You can't beat a good pair or ratchet 'prunning type' cutters.

Gary Quality Water Associates

[CBHvac]

Yup..a good Ridgid model will cut clean and straight every time. Nothing like needing a 1 inch condensate drain cut in a matter of seconds...no deburring needed.