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Best way to cut tube lengthwise ?

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by jeep4x4greg, Jul 31, 2007.

  1. Jul 31, 2007
    jeep4x4greg

    jeep4x4greg Member

    Central IL
    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2006
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    117
    any suggestions on how i could cut pipe or tube length wise?

    i'm looking to cut off about 1/4 of the pie if you look at the tube from the end.....so 90 degrees of the 360

    the trick is that it has to be straight over a long ways......prolly around 60 something inches long.......

    if anyone has suggestions on how i could even mark that up, i'd be happy.....i could just be really carefull with a grinder after that.

    all the ways i'm thinking of lend themselves to me messing up and not keeping the lines straight.....i dont want them wrapping around the tube slowly as i cut/mark



    share those brains! :beer::beer::beer:
     
  2. Jul 31, 2007
    mb82

    mb82 I feel great!

    Charlottesville Va
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    Mar 17, 2003
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    2,706
    Cutoff wheel and go slow. Put lines to follow on the tube with a sharpie if you can and do your best to cut just inside of those lines. Remember it is always easier to remove more metal then add any.
     
  3. Jul 31, 2007
    w3srl

    w3srl All-around swell dude Staff Member

    Port Orange, FL
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    Nov 6, 2002
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    4,275
    Metal blade in a table saw? :?

    Good friend with a milling machine?
     
  4. Jul 31, 2007
    jeep4x4greg

    jeep4x4greg Member

    Central IL
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    Nov 28, 2006
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    117
    right....my trouble is making those lines straight and true

    any suggestions on keeping the lines straight and not wrapping around the tube....also consistent in reference to each other


    hopefully I'm making some sense....
     
  5. Jul 31, 2007
    sammy

    sammy Coca-Cola?

    Albuquerque, NM
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    Jul 1, 2007
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    1,577
    Cut off machine? Jig saw with a metal blade? Circ saw with cut off wheel? Just ideas. Bandsaw?
     
  6. Aug 1, 2007
    Dummy

    Dummy I kick hippies

    Escondido, CA
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    Dec 5, 2004
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    646
    Bandsaw with a rip fence rigged up to keep it consistent. That's gonna get you the cleanest and most consistent cut.
     
  7. Aug 1, 2007
    grannyscj

    grannyscj Headed to the Yukon

    Anchorage, AK
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    The only way.:v6:
     
  8. Aug 1, 2007
    neptco19

    neptco19 That guy....

    Athens, GA
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    Run a piece of masking tape down the center from one end to the other. May need someone else to give you a hand but that will get you a nice strait line, then follow it with a cut off wheel.
     
  9. Aug 1, 2007
    jeep4x4greg

    jeep4x4greg Member

    Central IL
    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2006
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    wouldnt that cut the tube in half completely? or am i missing something


    i'm looking to cut the 90 degree section out of the tube.....so it makes 3/4s of a circle.....i can cut with a grinder....thats no biggie..... but i cant think how to mark it straight over that long a run...


    see attachment

    I have an idea to make a rocker guard as shown.....just something a little different than the usual angle iron rocker skids. functional and neat looking.
     
  10. Aug 1, 2007
    neptco19

    neptco19 That guy....

    Athens, GA
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    Sep 26, 2003
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    1,381
    You could adjust the height of the blade on the table saw. So the blade only sticks up .5" and cuts only the one side of the tube.
     
  11. Aug 1, 2007
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
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    I have used a piece of wood to make a rip fence so to speak for my little 3" cut off grinde. I use the wheel guard on the front pressed up against the rip fence to steady it. I have cut alot of tubing and sheet metal this way, heck its as straight as drawing a line.

    Sorry Jason a table saw is not gonna cut steel tubing with any kind of conisistency and a bandsaw will not do what he wants. You can do it with a cold saw but those are expensive and need special fixturing to do what he wants.
     
  12. Aug 1, 2007
    sammy

    sammy Coca-Cola?

    Albuquerque, NM
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    IMHO I would scribe with a compass, and then cut with a cut off wheel, taking small pieces out and grind away until I can fit my square in the cut, with no odd gaps.
     
  13. Aug 1, 2007
    jeep4x4greg

    jeep4x4greg Member

    Central IL
    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2006
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    ok...how about this....

    see attachement

    i rig up a sharpie or scriber to a piece of angle iron with a weight....

    i can slowly push the sharpie across the tube or pipe so that it stays consistently perpendicular to the ground.

    think that would get me a straight line?

    the things i'd have to look out for is sagging of the tube when im drawing, and any turn of the tube....

    i figure i could rotate the tub 90* with an angle finder after that and do it again for the 2nd line...


    then use a grinder.


    i think it might work :)
     
  14. Aug 1, 2007
    bkd

    bkd Moderator Supreme Staff Member 2022 Sponsor

    K-Town Tenn.
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    Apr 29, 2007
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    use a chalk box for the initial lines then mark over them with a sharpie
    Jim S
     
  15. Aug 1, 2007
    hudsonhawk

    hudsonhawk Well-Known Member

    North Texas...
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    do you have a table saw? Put a cut off wheel on the table saw. set the blade depth to just slightly higher then the thickness of the tube. Set up rip guides to run the blade exactly down the middle of the tube. Run the tube down the blade between the guides. Rotate the tude 90* and repeat. Just be very carefull as you will have to remove the safety guard to do it.
     
  16. Aug 1, 2007
    mikieboy

    mikieboy Member

    Jacksonville, FL
    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2005
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    155
    Just lay the tube in a piece of angle, lengthwisw. Use side of angle for straight line marking. Then you have a straight line for the cutoff wheel or grinder with cutoff blade.
     
  17. Aug 1, 2007
    willysnut

    willysnut Banned

    Newnan, Ga.
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    Use a long piece of 1 1/2" or ? size angle iron to help you keep the lines straight and parallel. Do you have access to a plasma cutter? That's how I was thinking of doing it just tack the angle to the tube and plasma away on both sides of the angle.
     
  18. Aug 1, 2007
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
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    :iagree:

    Plasma cutter is the way to go even if you have to get a welding shop to do it for you.

    H.

    p.s.- 8) Idea :)
     
  19. Aug 1, 2007
    jeep4x4greg

    jeep4x4greg Member

    Central IL
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    Nov 28, 2006
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    thanks
    but its not 100% original

    i saw these

    [​IMG]

    a while back and liked the look....but their rockers are formed from one piece....mine would be fabricated as shown above.

    mine will prolly be beefier though :)
     
  20. Aug 1, 2007
    hudsonhawk

    hudsonhawk Well-Known Member

    North Texas...
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    Feb 4, 2005
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    1,937
    Look at the rockers on my avatar. They were made that way. The guy that made them had the metal yard section the tube before delivery. They work very well and have taken a lot of abuse on mine. 3"x4" 1/4" angle with 1.5" .25 wall DOM sectioned and welded to the angle.

    [​IMG]
    another pic
    http://www.hudsonhawk.net/mycj.jpg

    I actually have pics he took during fabrication if you want but will have to dig them up.
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2007
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