Shopsmith Forums

fredsheldon wrote:Well there were no attachments hiding anywhere in boxes so I offered $300 and they took it. No saw guards. Will the guards from the 500 fit. How do you cut the tubes to make a shorty stand for the OPR. Will a hacksaw do the job. Thanks in advance for any advice you can provide.

I've never cut tubes, but before I hacksawed thru them I'd go buy a $20 HF angle grinder and zip thru them suckers. Plus you can use it to clean up the cut.

I used a pipe cutter to cut mine.

jayhawk wrote:I used a pipe cutter to cut mine.

Ditto! I would not recommend using a HFversion:(!

For the record I have cut many, many sets of tubes with a 4" angle grinder with a HF cutoff wheel for metal mounted. Don't have a pipe cutter..........Ya use what ya got.

To get a straight line around the tube that you can follow with a saw, angle grinder, or whatever you're making the cut with, wrap a piece of computer paper (any square piece of paper that's long enough will work though) around the tube, aligning both edges of the paper as you go, and then use a sharpie to mark a line around the tube at one edge of the paper where you want to make the cut. If you align the roll of paper around the tube accurately, you'll get a perfect cut line to follow.

If I do another one, I will use a roto-zip with a thin(1/16") cut off wheel and rotate the tube in a ss as it is cut. Support of both 'halves' might be prudent!;)

A pipe cutter is quick, simple and cuts a perfectly straight circle. I've used that method and will do so again as the need arises. Jim

Thanks for all the advice. I think a pipe cutter is in my future;)

[quote="fredsheldon"]Thanks for all the advice. I think a pipe cutter is in my future]

Get a 'good' one!

jayhawk wrote:I used a pipe cutter to cut mine.

on the last set of tubes that I shortened I cut a kerf with a hacksaw and then used my sawzall with a hacksaw blade to finish it. Went pretty quick, straight enough cut since I took my time.