[TowerTalk] Pipe Cutters

[Nick Pair]

The best low cost cutter for tubing for the occasional user would be the pressure wheel type. They are very safe to use and pretty inexpensive. Cutting the tubing in small increments per revolution of cutter will minimize ridging on inside and a lot of the cutters have a reamer attached. You would probably need two of them to cut from1/4 inch to 2 inch tubing, one for 2 inch down to 1/2 inch and a second to cut 1/2 inch on down, but still have less than $20 invested.
Now if you are going to have access to a chop saw  and are going to be doing a lot of cutting or want to make the investment for future projects, the now make a carbide tipped saw blade that will cut all aluminum and even the softer grades of steel such as used in angle iron and channel iron with thicknesses of up to 1/4 inch. These blades are amazing, with the ability of making many cuts with no signs of wear.The only drawback is they throw a lot of dangerous steel/aluminum particles everywhere and the appropriate safety gear is mandatory. They make a very clean cut, with little cleanup required on the cut edges. On a good chop-saw this blade is a universal solution to almost all your metal cutting needs.
I have both available here and use the cutter for a lot of tubing just because it needs no safety equipment and is not as messy.The saw is great for mass production and multiple cuts the same length with a stop system so I have to measure only once. (that way I can have them all the wrong length and not just the occasional miss-measurement :-) )
Good luck of your choice and expedition,
Nick
WB7PEK


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