Cutting conduit

[midget]

How do you guys go about cutting EMT? Hack saw? Sawzall with Metal Blade? Vice or no Vice? Our teacher is making us cut conduit w/o a vice this year, saying we won't have a vice in the field, so get used to working without one. I mean...I think it's great for 1/2" and 3/4"...I kinda wish he woulda showed us that last year, actually. What about cutting bigger stuff on site?

Edited to add soem more...what about cutting PVC and other types of conduit?

[ December 29, 2004, 11:46 PM: Message edited by: midget ]

 

[hurk27]

Re: Cutting conduit

I have put a couple of ?" bolts that stick out from the back side of my ladder (one in each leg) makes a great place to hold the conduit. But now I have the complete De-Walt cordless tool kit so the cordless sawzall does it all. For PVC the cordless skill saw is great and if you have allot to do, a chop saw or power miter saw does the trick and a regular carbide tooth blade works just fine and it does not dull the blade. This also works for aluminum just go slow with it. A metal cutting blade in a skill saw can also be used to cut steel conduit (EMT,IMC,RMC) but you have to make sure to de-burr the pipe after cutting.

It will all depend upon how much cutting that has to be done to which method should be used. And with the cord-less tools that we now have many cuts can be made on the fly without taking the piece back down and measuring, cutting, then putting it back up, this save allot of time.

But when I was taught in the beginning I was taught to lay the pipe across my partially bent knee and hold it ridged with one hand while starting the cut with the hack saw in the other, And I have skined a few knuckels in the process.

[ December 30, 2004, 01:34 AM: Message edited by: hurk27 ]

 

[jimwalker]

Re: Cutting conduit

If the job is only a few cuts just use hacksaw,beyond that one must think as to time used to set up power tools and clean up.A cord and saw for maybe 5 minutes worth of hand cutting is just not worth it.

 

[bphgravity]

Re: Cutting conduit

I personally use hand ratchet cutters for PVC cuts and a hacksaw for emt. Tubing cutters work great but seem to slighty reduce the internal diameter of the tubing at the cut and it also leaves a sharper edge which requires more reaming.

 

[charlie]

Re: Cutting conduit

Bryan, tubing cutters are brutal on pulling wire in if you miss reaming. I never permitted my guys to use one.

The triple toothed hacksaw blade is the best if you are doing it across you knee. At least that is what my apprentices used to tell me.

 

[al hildenbrand]

Re: Cutting conduit

I've used the tubing cutter for standoffs and other bits of conduit that don't have conductors inserted. If I have to pull conductors in a tubing cutter cut pipe, the deburring is extreme.

Hacksaw for 1/2 & 3/4 thinwall. Cordless sawzall for everything else, unless the battery & backup battery are charging (I'm not that fast, just forgetful ).

As for hand cutting thinwall over my knee. . .I do the cut with my left hand holding the pipe over my right thigh and while I'm squatting. As I squat down, I hook the thinwall behind my left knee, pinching the pipe between my calf and thigh.

 

[dillon3c]

Re: Cutting conduit

I keep a 24 toothblade (not 32) in my hacksaw.Once you get it broken in,for small EMT,goes through it like a knife and hot-butter.Tubeing cutters,yes still have one in the toolbag I think, (shows how much I use it).Old school methods frounded on useing them.I still use a folding tape measure stick for most of my conduit work w/ tape measure in tape pouch on my side.Allways looking for something in my job area about 18" to 24" tall that I can use for a cutting stand, (ladderstep-or cinderblock).Useing a bendershoe for stand,new one on me..My legg,if nothing else in my eye-shot.

 

[active1]

Re: Cutting conduit

We like the cordless metal saw for a lot of pipe work. Still use the hack saws too. If you have a ladder hold it tight against that. Any solid object you can hold it against will help by letting you lay into the cut harder. Watch that last cut. Some hack saws I would go thru with the blade and nick my knuckels on the pipe. Short pieces can be wedged between the floor and the holes in the side of the bender head.

You need to learn to cut thru pipe with a hack saw fast. You can cut it about as fast as any tool by hand. I cary a tubing cutter for cutting pipes with wires in them. Otherwise I hate guys that use a tube cutter for new work. Not saying it's wrong, just me.

I don't use sazalls much for this but some guys do. Don't get your fingers caught on the plunger by the blade.

Tom

Tom

 

[midget]

Re: Cutting conduit

I asked about a tubing cutter one day...the teacher threw a fit.

 

[iwire]

Re: Cutting conduit

Originally posted by charlie:
Bryan, tubing cutters are brutal on pulling wire in if you miss reaming. I never permitted my guys to use one.

If we are running rigid it's all we use.

The threading machine has 3 tools attached, die head, cutter and reamer. As long as you remember to ream it's no problem.

For EMT I like the port-a-band which does an excellent job on LFMC and threaded rod as well.

Any one else use a large uni-bit as a reamer for 1/2", 3/4" and 1" EMT?

 

[al hildenbrand]

Re: Cutting conduit

I like the idea of the unibits. . .wish mine hadn't been stolen.

I worked in a press board factory up on the Iron Range and the electrician I worked with there taught me about plain old 10" pliers. The un-insulated type. He told me, with a straight face, that the reason the plier manufacturer put the cross-hatching on the plier handle grip was for reaming thinwall.

Light bulb moment.

I've found a 10" plier an extremely versatile tool for 1/2 & 3/4 runs.

 

[midget]

Re: Cutting conduit

I just ream with a pair of dykes. I like port-a-bands. They are nifty. The uni-bits only work for drilling holes in sheet metal, right?

[ December 30, 2004, 04:36 PM: Message edited by: midget ]

 

[eswets]

Re: Cutting conduit

We use tubing cutter all the time. If you know how to us them properly, You will never have to ream them. You don't cut all the way through and then crack it on your knee, Check the inside with your finger and if it is sharp use the reamer at the back of the cutter. Never have any trouble pulling wire through. Other shops in our area throw a fit about using tubing cutters. They all use hacksaws, and if you are up on a ladder and need to cut a piece of pipe, they mark it and come down to cut it on their tool box (lots of wasted time to me) then they have to ream it. I use the tubing cutter for all 1/2 and 3/4" EMT everything else I use the Dewalt cordless sawzall and a tri stand.

Not to start an argument, but in my area union guys use hacksaws, and non-union use tubing cutters... Why is that? (I think the unions are taught to use a hacksaw) but I've used both and love the tubing cutter. For those who use hacksaws, have you tried a tubing cutter? And if so how did you like it compared to the hacksaw?

 

[jimwalker]

Re: Cutting conduit

I was told not to use tubing cutters years ago.They do narrow the pipe.The idea of using a unibit has crossed my mind a few times, but then i am changing bits in cordless all day.Anyone got any tricks for running pipe in them dog houses for air handlers.Some you can't even stand up in them.

 

[apauling]

Re: Cutting conduit

Mil. cordless is just perfect. it doesn't bounce. haven't tried the dewalt or rigid, but the mil. was better than the bosch and ryobi. i was taught to not use tubing cutter. i only used cutters for shortening runs with wires still inside, no future pull.

paul

 

[hbiss]

Re: Cutting conduit

Always have used a hacksaw. For the heck of it one time I tried a tubing cutter and reamed it with an inside/outside reamer used for copper tubing that I happened to have. Works great, square cut and no burr.

Problem is I feel like a plumber not an electrician and wouldn't want to be caught dead on the job doing it that way.

-Hal

[ December 30, 2004, 05:35 PM: Message edited by: hbiss ]

 

[highkvoltage]

Re: Cutting conduit

I use a tubing cutter for everything. EMT I cut through 80% and snap it. It's a nice clean cut and nothing to ream. If I cut through then I just ream it with channel locks. All EMT fittings have a small lip built in them so the arguement that it will chaf the conductors is bull. As long as your somewhat carefull you will have no problem. I prefer this because it's easier to carry a small tubing cutter than a hacksaw and a reamer. And there is nothing in the code that states you can't use them as some claim.

 

[hurk27]

Re: Cutting conduit

Any one else use a large uni-bit as a reamer for 1/2", 3/4" and 1" EMT?

Yes then I just run my channel locks over the out side. It does a great job of reaming when a tubing cutter is used also. But just don't get ramy as it will dig in. Just lightly touch the end of the pipe with it and it cleans the pipe out nicely leaving a well rounded edge. I would be lost without a set of step bits. with the larger ones I rarely ever dig out my knock out punch's. But the cost of them is high. I use my Dermal to keep them sharp. Just sharpen the flue only though.

 

[tkb]

Re: Cutting conduit

The Klien emt screwdriver/reamer works very good for reaming 1/2"-1" emt and the screwdriver has a collar so it doesn't slip off the screw head while you reach the couplings or connectors.

 

[bowman]

Re: Cutting conduit

only use tubing cutter when the area is tight or we are up above some t-bar(reaming is key)

otherwise use hacksaw/ cordless sawsall 5 cut rule. or bandsaw -for emt

rigid is corded power tools have seen too many batteries heat up even on a few cuts

pvc - string if in a trench ,, hack saw or cordless