using a band saw to cut PVC

[1930artdeco]

Can I use my band saw to cut PVC lengthwise? I figure I will go through a bunch of blades but it would be faster than using a hack saw. I also have a 3" cut off wheel saw than I can use.

Mike

 

[whateg01]

Yes a bandsaw will cut it just fine. It's plastic. It isn't going to hurt your blades.

 

[PCustoms]

I can.

Can you? No idea. This almost falls under "if you have to ask..."

It won't go through blades at all. No clue what you're doing but make sure you don't cut a spiral

 

[finn]

Use a relatively low tooth count blade, I suppose. Fine blades clog, but not permanently.

 

[Nutria]

Like butter. Be careful though. Even cutting a cylinder lengthwise can make for some unpredictable behavior.

 

[whateg01]

Like butter. Be careful though. Even cutting a cylinder lengthwise can make for some unpredictable behavior.

Just have to make sure the guy stays in the middle. If the cut gets off to one side, it can get wonky

 

[RTM]

Also beware of the chips. Static electricity can make that stuff stick every. Like Styrofoam balls from a bean bag chair.

 

[M.Brane]

Slow blade, and feed rate. It'll be fine.

 

[driftpin]

I suggest you use some-sort of a 'riving tool' to keep the cut open. I've found that w/o that, it's easy to 'lose' the center of the PVC pipe as you cut, causing the blade to wander; some wedges like plastic shims you would use to trim a door casing work ok for that.

 

[whateg01]

I suggest you use some-sort of a 'riving tool' to keep the cut open.

On a bandsaw, it's really not necessary. And PVC pipe isn't going to close up anyway.

 

[rharman]

The hard part is keeping the cut straight. Taping the PVC to a 1x board or similar and running it through a table saw would probably give better results.

 

[micromind]

Running it through a table saw twice is easier.

 

[1930artdeco]

Ok, thanks, I just thought it would clog the blades really fast. Didn't even think about a table saw.

Mike

 

[tarbellb]

find material that is half the diameter
lay it next to said PVC
mark your line along length

 

[cherrybomb]

I'm thinking a vee block made out of a 2x6,both ends and close up to the blade,it will keep the piece safely in alignment and from rolling and spiraling, the rivaling idea has my thinking cap on,and I might head out to my cold garage later.Aggressive tooth blade,slow feed,you don't want it to gum up.The rule of thumb on safety is round items whether on the band saw or table saw need to be in a vee of some kind.If you don't and the piece takes off,you can thank me later

 

[aquinob]

No one's asked and the OP didn't mention how big the pipe is. 1" or 6", it makes a difference. I've cut larger pieces and you have to be careful with the top catching and wanting to twist or the material deforming and moving too much and even shattering. I would go with a fine tooth blade and keep the feed slow.

And I wouldn't do it on a table saw, that is asking for trouble. A round object on a tool that needs it to be flat and stable, what could go wrong.

 

[whateg01]

I'm thinking a vee block made out of a 2x6,both ends and close up to the blade,it will keep the piece safely in alignment and from rolling and spiraling, the rivaling idea has my thinking cap on,and I might head out to my cold garage later.Aggressive tooth blade,slow feed,you don't want it to gum up.The rule of thumb on safety is round items whether on the band saw or table saw need to be in a vee of some kind.If you don't and the piece takes off,you can thank me later

The problem with a vee block in this case is that it wants to force the kerf closed.

 

[micromind]

And I wouldn't do it on a table saw, that is asking for trouble. A round object on a tool that needs it to be flat and stable, what could go wrong.

If you know how to operate a table saw, cutting a slit in a round object is completely safe. Done it many times, never a problem.

 

[whateg01]

If you know how to operate a table saw, cutting a slit in a round object is completely safe. Done it many times, never a problem.

OP is asking if he can cut a piece of plastic pipe on a bandsaw. Not knocking OP - everybody was new once - but somebody asking that should probably not be trying to cut a round piece of stock on a tablesaw. I would also not say doing so is "completely safe". Nothing abotu a tablesaw is completely safe.

 

[RTM]

Nothing abotu a tablesaw is completely safe.

Blade down, sitting in a corner all by itself is my safe method. Don't talk to it, don't make eye contact, and it Might Not bite you. No guarantee of that tho.

 

[whateg01]

Blade down, sitting in a corner all by itself is my safe method. Don't talk to it, don't make eye contact, and it Might Not bite you. No guarantee of that tho.

I've had the bottom of the table hit me in the head before while I was working on the sawstop at the makerspace. I was trying to help it and it still assaulted me!

 

[Beerhippie]

Blade down, sitting in a corner all by itself is my safe method. Don't talk to it, don't make eye contact, and it Might Not bite you. No guarantee of that tho.

Even safer if you tuck the router table under it. Chain the two together so they can't sneak up on you when you least expect it.

 

[cherrybomb]

The problem with a vee block in this case is that it wants to force the kerf closed.

Works for me,once you learn where and how much pressure to apply ,it can be done.Its like any other tecnique,you might not get it exactly right the first time.Hoping the OP reports back,not something you normally do on either bandsaw or tablesaw

 

[whateg01]

Works for me,once you learn where and how much pressure to apply ,it can be done.Its like any other tecnique,you might not get it exactly right the first time.Hoping the OP reports back,not something you normally do on either bandsaw or tablesaw

Maybe not something everybody does often, but I do regularly split steel tubing and pipe on the bandsaw. Correct in that it's not rocket science, but it can go awry. In PVC, not likely to result in loss of limb.