My mate is borrowing my cheap pipe cutter (roller type) with a promise to replace it if he breaks it.
He is hoping to cut 8 x 1"dia tubular steel legs on a couple of kitchen stools as they are a bit too high for the breakfast bar. They are chromed. Does he stand a chance?
No. They are intended for cutting copper or plastic.
You could do a much better job with an angle grinder
Alternatively use gaffer tape (to keep a straight edge), a large hacksaw, a large flat file and emery cloth.
A chance of what? The chances of cutting the tube are low, the chances of breaking the cutter are high.
I doubt it very much. Pipe cutters are intended for copper pipe, which is much softer than steel. He needs a hacksaw. The pipe cutter might be of some use to scribe a cutting line for him, to guide the saw.
Slim. I have used a tube cutter before on some chromed steel wardrobe rail - probably about 3/4" diameter, but that was fairly thin wall. You need to take it slow with lots of turns on each tighten of the cutter. I would expect a stool leg to be too thick though to cut easily this way.
Yes, if he doesn't rty to do it up too quickly. Wheel cutters are used on steel pipe.
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He might succeed but it's likely to take longer than a hacksaw cut.
He probably won't *break* the tool but the cutting wheel will be blunted so either way you lose. Tell him to buy his own tools if he wants to experiment.
Cic.
Probably not. Mark them with tape or pen, then use an angle grinder with a metal-cutting disc on them...
My cheap pipe cutters all seem to just make endless spirals even on copper pipe, so I would say, get a hacksaw, and a file for the burr. (Let him keep the cheap pipe cutter and treat yourself to a good one; though, as I personally have not found a completely reliable one, cheap or not, I'll leave the others to suggest which are any good.)
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