Cutting copper tube square

Haha. Brilliant. Maybe those old guys did know a trick or two after all!

Another trick to mark pipes square that old boilermakers used was the previously mentioned wrapping a bit of paper around the pipe, but using a readily available strip of emery tape as the piece of paper. The 2" wide stuff works well for full sized pipework diameters.

Edited By Hopper on 21/12/2020 09:38:31

The technique illustrated in my picture is aimed more at avoiding burrs than squareness although this should follow:

I have not included the accompanying text from Cliff Bowers' "Book of the Lathe" since the method seems self-explanatory.

The off-cut would, of course, be retained on the leading toolbar.

Edited By ega on 21/12/2020 10:33:48

A length of shim steel or brass works very well held in place with a jubilee clip on round tube. Using the paper trick also works on box section as well. Noel

The reason for not using a pipe cutter is that they dent the end of the pipe, Fine for inserting in plumbing fittings but no good to go round a boiler end plate. OK if the end plate is external though, although that raises the obvious question.

So for an internal end plate the bung method is best.

A normal pipe cutter will roll the cut edges inward. In many cases that would ruin the pipe for its intended use.

Non- ferrous on a grinding wheel? - shame on you!

A jubilee clip on the pipe will give you a guide for your hacksaw for nearly the whole cut then remove the clip for the last bit you need to cut and take your time good luck.

Bee.M