Ridgid Pipe Cutter Restored

[Roberts210]

Found this at the local scrap yard for a few bucks. Looked to me like it spent a long time in standing water. Some plumber probably dropped it on a job.
It was totally locked up when I got it. I couldn't turn the handle at all.



After a few days in the electrolysis tank, it looked like this. I lubed it and ran the handle up and down a few times. I changed out the cutter wheel, and lubed the rollers.



Some Chevy orange paint and presto! I've used it many times. Works great.

 

[The Cobbler]

nice!

 

[Iowafox]

That is awesome! Those old cutters have a story to tell and you made this one have a more interesting story! But what if it is a Ford fan and you ruined it's hopes by the Chevy orange lol

 

[Roberts210]

I had a long talk with it before I painted it, and it was OK with Chevy orange.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Aww man.
You almost ****.

 

[BigGeo1]

Hello,
I was wondering if this is similar? Any feedback would be appreciate.

 

[Beerhippie]

I picked this Rigid No. 2 from a yard sale yesterday for $4.



I think it could benefit from a deep-clean and repaint.

Tearing it down:

Drive the three pins out with a drift punch from this side:



Don't try to drive them out from this side:



With the pins out, the rollers and cutter can be removed, allowing the dynamic jaw to be advanced to here:



where the interruptions in the rails allow the jaw to be tapped off.





All the parts, ready to go into the USC with a hot lye solution. That will remove the dirt, grease, oils and paint. Next is a rinse and then another buzz-bath with sodium citrate solution to remove rust:



Note that the aluminum handle will not be immersed in the lye solution--lye dissolves aluminum.

 

[Beerhippie]

Grime, grease and paint removed:



It's back in the USC with the sodium citrate solution for a half-hour.

 

[Beerhippie]

Ready for masking and paint:



Since so many of the areas I'd usually mask are flat and accessible, I'll leave them unmasked and file them clean after the paint is cured.

 

[Rc_Guy]

Found this at the local scrap yard for a few bucks. Looked to me like it spent a long time in standing water. Some plumber probably dropped it on a job.
It was totally locked up when I got it. I couldn't turn the handle at all.



After a few days in the electrolysis tank, it looked like this. I lubed it and ran the handle up and down a few times. I changed out the cutter wheel, and lubed the rollers.



Some Chevy orange paint and presto! I've used it many times. Works great.

Very nice transformation. I can’t imagine how many rotations around pipe I have done with those, cutting 6” and 8” pipe will wear a guy out though.

 

[Beerhippie]

Anyone have a link to the cutter for the Rigid No. 2? Is it the same as the Model 2A?

I'm having second thoughts about wasting my time restoring this tool. I just looked it up, and the modern equivalent is only $195!

 

[mm08822]

I remember savoring over this, threaders, vices, spiral reamers and oilers back in 70/80's. Too much $$ for me at that time. Now they are giving that stuff away today since the world is so full of plastic today. Smh

 

[Beerhippie]

I remember savoring over this, threaders, vices, spiral reamers and oilers back in 70/80's. Too much $$ for me at that time. Now they are giving that stuff away today since the world is so full of plastic today. Smh

I still use my pipe cutters on a regular basis. This big boy will be a nice addition to the stable.

I find it amusing to see that it will cut pipe from 1/8" to 2". How a piece of 1/8" pipe would support the weight of the cutter is beyond me.

 

[Beerhippie]

Very nice transformation. I can’t imagine how many rotations around pipe I have done with those, cutting 6” and 8” pipe will wear a guy out though.

Anything over 2" gets power. Anything over 1" gets power if convenient.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Wore a few of them out at the muffler shop, worth finishing if you ask me.

 

[Beerhippie]

Wore a few of them out at the muffler shop, worth finishing if you ask me.

Did you hear that loud "whoosh"? That was my joke going over your head.

 

[mm08822]

Anyone have a link to the cutter for the Rigid No. 2? Is it the same as the Model 2A?

I'm having second thoughts about wasting my time restoring this tool. I just looked it up, and the modern equivalent is only $195!

Are the parts really worn? A good cleaning and oiling will go a long way.

Not everything has to be replaced at once also.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Did you hear that loud "whoosh"? That was my joke going over your head.

I thought it was strange that you thought 195 bucks was cheap for that cutter.lol

 

[Beerhippie]

Are the parts really worn? A good cleaning and oiling will go a long way.

Not everything has to be replaced at once also.

Guys! It was a joke! $195 new vs. $4 and a lazy afternoon of fettling.

The only part that seems to require replacement is the cutting wheel--which I need to find.

 

[Beerhippie]

I thought it was strange that you thought 195 bucks was cheap for that cutter.lol

I may not have worded that well. The entire tool is $195 from the Jungle. The cutting wheel looks to be anywhere from $14 for two to $40 each--which is why I'm confused as to which one I need.

 

[mm08822]

Guys! It was a joke! $195 new vs. $4 and a lazy afternoon of fettling.

The only part that seems to require replacement is the cutting wheel--which I need to find.

Replacing all "wear" parts could be spensive....so who who knows where your head was at. Easy to find replacement parts, just search web.

BTW....YOU ****!

 

[mm08822]

Search mfr part #

 

[Beerhippie]

I just laid down the fourth coat of Rusto Safety Red. For some reason, this color seems more prone to running than most Rusto paints, so it goes on in numerous thin coats. It's drying in the sun (90F out right now) for an hour or so, then into the curing oven.

 

[Beerhippie]

Search mfr part #

Thanks!

I ordered that part a few minutes ago.

 

[Old Man Roger]

If it runs easy you may not have shaken it well enough.

 

[Beerhippie]

If it runs easy you may not have shaken it well enough.

I use a metric shipton of Rusto rattle-can paint. The Safety Red is more prone to runs than any other color I've used--and I shake shake shake the hell out of it--before and between coats.

 

[JoeMcGov]

Did you also find the 1979 Rigid wall poster that goes with the pipe cutter?

 

[Old Man Roger]

I use a metric shipton of Rusto rattle-can paint. The Safety Red is more prone to runs than any other color I've used--and I shake shake shake the hell out of it--before and between coats.

Rustoleum is the reason I have a designated sawzall set up for shaking rattle cans.lol

 

[Beerhippie]

Did you also find the 1979 Rigid wall poster that goes with the pipe cutter?

Tell me more....

 

[Beerhippie]

Did you also find the 1979 Rigid wall poster that goes with the pipe cutter?

That wouldn't, by any chance, involve a scantily-clad young lady riding a pipe wrench, would it? Inappropriate for the workplace!

I'd love to have one.

 

[Rc_Guy]

Anything over 2" gets power. Anything over 1" gets power if convenient.

The shop I retired from only had two powered cutters, and 2 hydraulic groovers so big jobs with a bunch of 8” & 6” would have those on the jobs.

Sometimes I would help a service guy cut out a few feet of 6” pipe in the air, groove each end of the pipe left in the air and fill in the gap that was leaking that you cut out.

 

[Beerhippie]

OK, The Beerhippie imPatient Painting Protocol ran into a few bumps in the road today.

After an hour-and-a-half of sun-curing, I put the parts in the oven at 250F for one hour. This has been SOP for most of my painting... but I don't then clamp **** in the vise and file and pound on it immediately after cooling.



I figured that it would be easier to paint over this and file it after. That was right.



About thirty seconds of draw-filing with the new-in-package $1 Apex Group Nicholson file. I don't think I quite wore the file out yet.

Same for the places I just plain forgot to mask:





You can see the paint has blistered in places--I probably should have baked the cast pieces before painting. Oh, well.

A little grease and oil and it's done, for now:



The vise wasn't nice to the fresh paint, either. I'll maybe strip that part down and paint it again sometime when I'm feeling more patient, or, just reconcile myself to the fact it'll look like this again soon:



TFL--

 

[Death Row Dave]

Man I have used many of these in 36 years in pipeline business .Yours are 1 wheel cutters , we had 1 , 4 wheel , steel , cast iron cutters . Up to 6 inch . After that torch , or saw . Replacing with new wheels is a must depending on usage . Lube oil , is your friend when using also . The one wheel cutter are your friends when wanting to thread the pipe also . 4 wheel cutters are mostly for close quarter work area cutting , you do not have to make a full revolution of the cutter to cut the pipe .

 

[Beerhippie]

Man I have used many of these in 36 years in pipeline business .Yours are 1 wheel cutters , we had 1 , 4 wheel , steel , cast iron cutters . Up to 6 inch . After that torch , or saw . Replacing with new wheels is a must depending on usage . Lube oil , is your friend when using also . The one wheel cutter are your friends when wanting to thread the pipe also . 4 wheel cutters are mostly for close quarter work area cutting , you do not have to make a full revolution of the cutter to cut the pipe .

I'm surprised that this is the first real pipe-cutter we have at the brewery. The previous largest is a Rigid 152, which is meant for copper and aluminum--EMT is really pushing it. I've worn out or broken numerous cutting wheels for the old 152 (which is probably only about thirty years old).

I think I'll have to do a Rigid family picture tomorrow....

 

[yatg]

For future reference ...

For the 1a,2a there are special wheels for stainless and cast iron, if that's your thing.

 

[KFBR392]

Rustoleum is the reason I have a designated sawzall set up for shaking rattle cans.lol

I need to see photos of this contraption

 

[Old Man Roger]

I need to see photos of this contraption

Dont have any pics at the moment, but I simply put 2 blades in my sawzall, cut 2 slits in the blades for hose clamps. Bobs your uncle.