Pipe Tools

[JayL]

Can you please post some of your techniques and tools for working on pipes. Measuring tools, clamping tools, cutting tools, marking tools , angle & alignment tools etc ...

As a novice welder I worked on welding some pipes and wondered what techniques can make things easier and better.

Thanks

 

[Rory Bellows]

I used this coping calculator when I made my welding table using all pipe for the base. It does work! Just put in your numbers and print out the template. Some grinding is required for final fitment but not very much. At least in my case.

http://metalgeek.com/static/cope.pcgi

 

[metal1313]

taking about pipes as in plumbing? even when im not doing plumbing work i like to use a varaity of rigid tubing cutters, i find they give me the squarest cuts and are faster if not as fast as any other cutting method. for marking i use a paint pen, a scribe, or sharpie. i used to work as a plumbers helper and then just another plumber in the company and almost all tools we used were rigid, and seemed to work the best and last the longest

 

[JayL]

Thanks for your replies.

I'm thinking of getting a chop saw to cut GI pipes up to 2 1/2" diameter. Right now I use a reciprocating saw and I find it hard to get square cuts. Even after grinding the edges the cuts are still not that square.

Is there a better tool for this?

 

[OccupantRJ]

Thanks for your replies.

I'm thinking of getting a chop saw to cut GI pipes up to 2 1/2" diameter. Right now I use a reciprocating saw and I find it hard to get square cuts. Even after grinding the edges the cuts are still not that square.

Is there a better tool for this?

Yes, but you can cut pipe with the saw you have. Take a piece of construction type paper and use it as a "wraparound" by wrapping it around the pipe until the paper overlaps itself and the edges align. Then use it as a marking guide to draw a square line around the pipe. Use your saw to cut AROUND the pipe, not straight THROUGH it.
Do a search for pipe fitting tools.

RJ

 

[e-tek]

Yes, but you can cut pipe with the saw you have. Take a piece of construction type paper and use it as a "wraparound" by wrapping it around the pipe until the paper overlaps itself and the edges align. Then use it as a marking guide to draw a square line around the pipe. Use your saw to cut AROUND the pipe, not straight THROUGH it.
Do a search for pipe fitting tools.

RJ

Good tip!

But chop saws do make much more square cuts.

 

[JayL]

Hmmm I guess I got lazy by cutting through the pipe instead of taking time to cut around it. I'll do this while I wait for the chop saw.

Thanks

How about angle cuts and joints? Any useful tool for prep and actual welding?

 

[Beater]

Here's another pretty cool tool for coping pipe/tube using a chop saw. Just type in the pipe/tube dimensions, and the angle between the two pieces, and the calculator will tell what two angles to cut using your chop saw.

http://snip.awardspace.com/