Next question: Saddling pipe?

Hey, all, thank you for your help and suggestions on the question I had about cutting large pipe squarely. I constructed two roller tables (using 2 3/8 inch pipe and some outer trailer bearings) and successfully supported a piece of about 0.300 inch wall, 24 inch diameter pipe, 14 feet long on them and scribed a mark that was near perfect, making the cut easy.

Next question: Is there an easy way to mark a pipe to cut to saddle to another? I had written a program about 3 years ago to print out a graph on paper that you could cut out and then wrap around the pipe to be notched so it would mark the pipe, but that's only good for pipe that's up to about 11 inches divided by pi or about 3.25 inches in diameter. Is there a fast, easy way to mark, say, a 16 inch piece of pipe so that it will saddle onto another piece of 16 inch pipe at 90 degrees (perpendicular to each other)? I'd like one piece of 16 inch pipe to be a complete cylinder and then have another meet it at a 90 degree angle and be notched out to fit approximately half way around the first piece. Is there an easy way to do that? The best I can think of is to have the piece I want to notch the end of laying on a stand horizontally and then have a support of some kind that would hold a vertical bar on a pivot that would swing side to side with the right radius so I could start cutting material off the 16 inch target pipe and check it with the radius tool. That seems awkward, I'd like to find something better.

Thank you for any suggestions and help.

--HC

Reply to
HC
Loading thread data ...

Reply to
Grant Erwin

Thank you, Grant, I have contacted the company for more information on that product to see if it will do what I need. I appreciate your time and help.

--HC

Reply to
HC

I've used the smaller version of that. It worked good, although I always thought it was a little springy. Being very careful during its use would give an accurate marking, just don't be in a hurry. I'd imagine the jumbo version is somewhat more rigid.

Shawn

Reply to
Shawn

Thank you, Shawn, for your reply. It seems that the device would mark a straight line like as if the pipe was to be mitered (sp?) to a flat plane at an angle instead of being cut out to fit around another pipe. I'm looking forward to talking to the company to hear what they say.

--HC

Reply to
HC

Hi HC,

This is just an idea/plan...

If you could find a laser device that spins the source thus creating a "laser circle", you could then mark your pipe by hand tracing. Maybe someone here knows of something inexpensive that operates similarly.

A laser pointer mounted to a disk chucked in a battery drill and properly adjusted would probably work in a pinch.

Reply to
Leon Fisk

Leon, I've been trying to get some information from the company about the contour marker and that has been hell. I asked them about saddling a 16 inch pipe with it and they sent me a link to the site that Shawn had already sent me to. So I asked it again but phrased it differently and got nowhere, either. So, in my frustration I've been trying to come up with an idea that would let me do this myself and I was needing an idea for marking the circle on a curved surface. Your suggestion of the laser device is perfect. I am envisioning a device that would mount to the pipe and then allow me to rotate something to mark the circle and that will do very nicely. I'll drill a small pilot hole in the pipe to allow the device to remain in the same place and build a turret to rotate around that point. From there I can have it simply hold a laser pointer that is aimed at the pipe and rigidly held and then just rotate it around and use a soap stone to mark where the laser hits. I'm not sure it'll work...but it sure sounds good.

Thank you for your suggestion and time.

--HC

Reply to
HC

Just make a template on some cardboard and wrap it around your pipe. Google: "parallel line development"

formatting link
Once you have done this a couple of times you will be able to do it from memory and amaze your workmates. Randy

Reply to
Randy Zimmerman

Hi HC,

A strong horseshoe magnet with a hole in the top might make a good mount. Providing you are working on ferrous pipe :)

I think you would have to use/get two magnetic bases and use them together for them to be stable on something with a rounded surface like pipe.

You can get laser pointers pretty cheap nowadays so you shouldn't be out very much dough if it doesn't work out. They make great Cat toys too (just don't shine it in their eyes).

Reply to
Leon Fisk

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.