Cutting exhaust pipes
05-09-2006, 09:18 PM
#21
Originally Posted by UMD_Jesse
Go to any auto parts store and pickup a exhaust pipe cutting tools. I just used one, its no more than $20 and it makes perfectly straight cuts. It has a handle attached to a chain with a bunch of cutting wheels in it. Easy as cake.
05-10-2006, 06:41 AM
#22
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i had to go to autozone for my engine jack. The manager jsut took me into the back and said just buy it and return it. We had to bring it back in 30 days but i basically got to use it for free. It was pretty cool of them i thought
05-10-2006, 09:58 AM
#23
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Yeah, give it a try. Couldnt be easier. On the directions it sayd to make sure you lube the pipe and cutter, so I just sprayed everything down with WD40 before cutting. Good luck
05-10-2006, 10:02 PM
#24
I ended up using the thicker dremel blades mentioned earlier since I had already bought and opened them up. Actually, my good friend cut up the exhaust. Pretty straight cutting, used 2 discs that eventually broke. But for one cut it took probably 45 minutes. Fortunately, the rest of the catback was simply band clamped in.
I appreciate everyone's advice. Good info for others to hear.
I appreciate everyone's advice. Good info for others to hear.
05-11-2006, 08:06 PM
#27
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Originally Posted by UMD_Jesse
Go to any auto parts store and pickup a exhaust pipe cutting tools. I just used one, its no more than $20 and it makes perfectly straight cuts. It has a handle attached to a chain with a bunch of cutting wheels in it. Easy as cake.
05-15-2006, 04:18 AM
#28
Out of the car I usually use my horizontal band saw… just set the angle, clamp it to the bed, flip the switch on and walk away, it turns it self off when it’s done usually less then a minute later and you have a perfectly square, clean cut.
I usually use a sawzall for stuff on the car or stuff in the vice… a hose clamp makes a nice cutting guide, but eventually you learn how to make dead straight cuts freehand and the whole trick to making it work well and live is to keep the speed down, FWIW, the cheap HF one is underpowered and single speed… but it is better then nothing.
Plasma works nice in tight places…
In a pinch I’ve used a 7” abrasive blade on my angle grinder with the guard removed… not really safe but it did work well to get the exhaust off my truck where I couldn’t really use the sawzall and before I had the plasma cutter.
I’ve had marginal luck with those disc cutters, I do own one but I’ve never seen one make a perfectly straight cut, and they tend to be a lot of work on some types of exhaust tubing (304 stainless can be impossible).
Oh, before the good selection of cutting tools my favorite was actually to draw a straight line around the tube (wrap a sheet of paper around it and you get a straight line) and then either a cutting wheel in the angle grinder or usually a metal cutting blade in a jigsaw if it had to be accurate/clean.
Chop saws are nice in a production shop but shoot crap and sparks everywhere. The mess isn’t as big a problem as stuff around you catching fire…
I usually use a sawzall for stuff on the car or stuff in the vice… a hose clamp makes a nice cutting guide, but eventually you learn how to make dead straight cuts freehand and the whole trick to making it work well and live is to keep the speed down, FWIW, the cheap HF one is underpowered and single speed… but it is better then nothing.
Plasma works nice in tight places…
In a pinch I’ve used a 7” abrasive blade on my angle grinder with the guard removed… not really safe but it did work well to get the exhaust off my truck where I couldn’t really use the sawzall and before I had the plasma cutter.
I’ve had marginal luck with those disc cutters, I do own one but I’ve never seen one make a perfectly straight cut, and they tend to be a lot of work on some types of exhaust tubing (304 stainless can be impossible).
Oh, before the good selection of cutting tools my favorite was actually to draw a straight line around the tube (wrap a sheet of paper around it and you get a straight line) and then either a cutting wheel in the angle grinder or usually a metal cutting blade in a jigsaw if it had to be accurate/clean.
Chop saws are nice in a production shop but shoot crap and sparks everywhere. The mess isn’t as big a problem as stuff around you catching fire…
