need a technique

I now have a decent abrasive cutoff saw, cuts at 90 and 45 degrees. I want to make a frame from 2" pipe, 45'ed at the corners. I'm trying to figure out a clever way to ensure that when I cut the second end it winds up being parallel to the first cut end. Probably doesn't matter that much, but I've found that proper cutting seems to really help in controlling welding distortion, and I'd really like this frame to be flat (i.e. planar).

GWE

Reply to
Grant Erwin
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Several ways to go about it but one of the better methods is to attach a flat piece to the pipe in some manner (V block clamped, tack a piece of flat iron, etc.) and use a level before clamping and making each cut.

Reply to
Wayne Cook

Grant

Use a level held verticaly against the already cut face and rotate the pipe until it shows plumb. Your next cut should be parallel to the first cut. You could probably eyeball it with a straight edge the same way but the level will tell you for sure.

Bruce

Reply to
Bruce Boyd

Clamp or tack a piece of angle to the pipe. Then use a level to plumb it before each cut.

Paul K. Dickman

Reply to
Paul K. Dickman

Reply to
JR North

If you don't like levels, try this: Take large sq tubing, or pieces thereof, thread the walls, and clamp yer round tube inside the sq tube w/ screws. I don't think you need to be concentric, either, as long as one end is the same as the other, in the sq tube.

For more accurate work, or if you have a lot of pieces, make split-clamp ditties out of solid 2.5" sq. alum, that will grab the work tight. This will give you your flat ref. planes. Just need small pieces, maybe a few along the length of the round pipe.

Reply to
Proctologically Violated©®

Contrary to the tips of others: It really isn't that tragic with _round_ pipe. You always can rotate them a bit when you lay them out on your welding table. Or flip tubes. When I was working as a steel constructor, we never cared that much about this with tubes. Just, after the first cut, pull them staight out of the vice -without rotating- clamp and cut. They weren't warped more than the rectangular sectioned ones. :-))

Nick

Reply to
Nick Müller

"Grant Erwin" wrote: (clip) I'm trying to figure out a clever way to ensure that when I cut the second end it winds up being parallel to the first cut end. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ If your cutoff saw has a long enough bed to hold the pieces, or if you can rig one then you could do it this way: make a 45 degree cut in a piece of square stock. Use this as a length gauge/stop for the second cut on each piece. Just press the 45 degree first cut against the gauge for rotational alignment.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

As an aside, Grant - If you weld yourself a triangle -a big one if you need it- you will have a "Planar Jig" this can then be used to clamp other (more than 3 joints) so that they lie on the same plane. Just be sure your joints are fairly flush on the jig's corners. As far as cutting a round tube on the same plane, I have also used "gravity" to line up the pipe. Just clamp a heavy weight to the middle of the pipe - (supported on the other end by something too) and then once the pipe has stopped wobbling - clamp it down. Good for +/- joints. For really accurate joins I use a v-block.

Tom

Reply to
surftom

Use the seam as a reference (unless you're using seamless tubing) ... I do this for cutting as well as bending and get pretty good results, especially for weldments.

Reply to
Adam

Just clamp a drilling vice to the end of the pipe and slide it along the table.

John

Reply to
john

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