Tips for cutting round pipe/tubing square?

[txpitdog]

The boy and I are gonna take a shot at making a drift trike. Never worked with tubing to make a frame before. I’ve got a Milwaukee portaband, but I cannot make a square cut with it to save my life. So before I got buy a tool that I’ve been wanting for a very long time, a Makita LC1230, is there a trick or a welder/machinist trick to it?

[GoneSouth]

Hold it straight while cutting

[jrfan]

Let the saw do the work. Don’t press down too hard.

[RattlesnakeDan]

Grinder with a cutoff wheel. Or a chop saw.

[texan16]

Grinder with a cutoff wheel. Or a chop saw.

x2

[Drycreek3189]

Grinder with a cutoff wheel. Or a chop saw.

Chop saw, and if you don’t use it every day, a cheap one.

[westtexducks]

Chopsaw and cold cut tubing cutter. Spins in a circle for 90s any angles have to be chopsaw

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[dclifton]

Buy the little table jigs on amazon or online that turn your portaband into a mini Table band saw or like others have said by a chow saw I would buy an evolution cold cut saw if y’all plan to do much metal work.

[hogslayer78]

Mark your square tubing all the way around all 4 sides with a square. Cut a line all the way around all 4 sides with a cut off blade. Your portaband blade will follow this and not walk out of square. For pipe the same thing. Mark it with a wrap a round and cut a line with a cut off wheel. The blade of the portaband will stay in the groove and cut straight.

[Texas Grown]

If your talking about square-ing the ends on round tube/pipe, then do it on a drop band saw or a miter saw. Miter saw needs low rpm for steel. You could cut multiple angles with one too. If you need to saddle the ends to make a fitted butt weld, which would provide a stronger joint, there are a few ways to do that.

The fish are bite-n and there's hogs to be killed, gotta go!

[Gummi Bear]

Chop saw if you’re wanting to buy a tool, a cold saw is what the coolest kids are using.


If you just want to know how to make it square, use a tape measure...


Make your mark, and wrap your tape measure around the pipe. Line up your tape measure, and you’ve got a square line to mark. You can cut around that mark, and it’ll come out every time.

I’ve cut hundreds of joints of pipe using this method.

There is a simple tool called a wrap around that does the same thing.

https://youtu.be/7T7PPNqFKng

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau

[Steel185]

I built a few bow presses with square tubing and learned a lot about cutting square tubing. I used a chop saw and a metal blade for it. It was hard not to push too hard on the blade while cutting because of you did it would flex slightly (hard to notice) and you cut wouldn’t be square. So when I went to weld it, there was a larger gap, or it wouldn’t sit square.

It was a slow process to cut also. I found a the 4x6” metal cutting band saws are all made by the same company. So just find the cheapest one you can. I found a used one for $50 locally but even if you get a $200 from harbor freight you could sell it for $150 when you are done.

The cutting is very square (when you set it up) and the best part, it cuts by itself. I would have it start cutting and neither stand there for 5 minutes or I could go weld some. It was like having a shop assistant. Band saw blades are $15-25. I kept mine and use it every once in a while it cuts things so nice.

[Quackerbox]

Buy the little table jigs on amazon or online that turn your portaband into a mini Table band saw or like others have said by a chow saw I would buy an evolution cold cut saw if y’all plan to do much metal work.

SWAG makes a nice one Ive been eyeballing

[gatorgrizz27]

Wrap it with painter’s tape and follow the line. The Skilsaw dry cut is a nice machine though.

[Kelmat]

If using a portaband don't try to cut all the way through from one side. Mark your line all the way around and then cut one side at a time- can't go wrong. For pipe cut a little and roll the pipe until your all the way around.