cutting tubes?

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H

hanau

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Jan 5, 2007
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Location
thomasville, nc, USA.
What is the best way to cut tubes?

I playing with casting and mainly using bolt action 3/8 tubes.
Last time I picked up some at the store they had a bulk pack think it was 10" long tubes but i would need to cut them to length.
 
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bandsaw, tablesaw, scrollsaw, Use a holding jig. if you are afraid of tube collapse then insert a wood dowel that is just small enough to slip in tube. Good luck
 
I have a small Byrnes table saw that cuts brass tubes very well ... 4.5" blade, I think.
No dowel insert needed.

I wouldn't do it on a full-size table saw ... the cutoff could become a lethal projectile.
 
I use a mini miter box that I clamp to a work surface ...


First, I cut the blank to an appropriate length and drill it ... then I glue the tube in. After that, I cut the excess length off and square the blank. Then I ream the barrel ends and put it on the mandrel.


This is just my method. You could try it out and see if you like it, but everybody will likely have different methods you could try also! :)
 
I glue them into a blank that's drilled longer than I need, then I pop them into a bench hook and slice them with a cheap Dozuki (Japanese style handsaw with a very thin blade and since it's cheap, it has electro-hardened teeth that don't mind slicing the brass as well). Bench hooks can be made from a small scrap of plywood and a couple 6" pieces of 1x3 (or similar scraps).

It cuts faster once it gets into the tube than before it touches the brass (due I think to the hollow part of the tube giving the saw less to cut and more chances to clear the debris from between its teeth).

I hand cut a hair longer than needed, use an end mill to square the end, then use a burr remover to clean up any small burrs and slightly taper the ends of the tube. Takes longer to type all that than to just do it. :smile:

I find I get much more consistent grain matches at the center of two-piece pens (cigar, slimline, etc) with this method. I use long bits to drill the entire blank (stopping just short of the far end) before inserting the full length tube and gluing. Two blanks can go on a single 10" tube (one from each end) with a wee bit left in the middle.
 
I like the description of your method there, Tim ... it's pretty close to what I do. :)

Rather than drilling a long blank, though, I use a piece of hacksaw blade as a thin cutoff tool. We're talking 1/32nd of an inch, here.

When I'm cutting off excess tubing length, the hand saw that I'm using is a japanese style razor saw ... it cuts on the pull stroke rather than the push, and slices right through that brass without any problems.

My squaring is done with the sander, rather than a mill, but removing burrs is just as essential to ensure that your blanks are turning on center. Makes it much easier to seat and press your parts in the end, too! I do mine with an exacto-knife.
 
magpens said:
I have a small Byrnes table saw that cuts brass tubes very well ... 4.5" blade, I think.
No dowel insert needed.

I wouldn't do it on a full-size table saw ... the cutoff could become a lethal projectile.
Click to expand...


Mal the only reason a cutoff becomes a projectile is because the end is not supported as it passes through the blade. or if the object is pinched in the back of the blade.

Whenever I cut on a tablesaw or bandsaw I always use a sled. So so so easy to make. One of the handiest items you can do for a tablesaw or bandsaw.

Here are examples and look how thin the pieces I cut with the tablesaw. Look at the pieces I cut with the bandsaw.






 
I have it down to a science.
Use an Exacto precision razor saw set. it comes with two small saws with a steel back that has VERY tiny teeth that leaves the smallest burr to remove and the smoothest sides.
I use it in a small purpose-built miter box, use plywood for front and rear as wood with a grain likes to split off.
 
I use a Dremel tool.

I clamp a piece of wood with a hole drilled to the appropriate diameter in a vice, shove the tube through it with the length I want sticking out, then trim it off with a Dremel tool. Using the end of the blank as a guide, it will need very little squaring up, but it will need a little debuting.
 
Kragax said:
I use a small tubing cutter like you would use for brake lines. Very light pressure on the screw. Took a few trial and error moments but worked it out.
Click to expand...

I also use small tubing cutter like used in plumbing, just use very light turns.
 
edohmann said:
I use a Dremel tool.

I clamp a piece of wood with a hole drilled to the appropriate diameter in a vice, shove the tube through it with the length I want sticking out, then trim it off with a Dremel tool. Using the end of the blank as a guide, it will need very little squaring up, but it will need a little debuting.
Click to expand...

And those Dremel cutters will go through brass like butter. Please don't forget your safety glasses.
 
Hi,
Penn State has a mini mitre saw for $59, but you can get the identical saw from harbor freight for less than $30 with coupon. I got mine from Harbor Freight and it does a super job of cutting tubes. Not enough saw for blanks, but for tubes you cain't beat it.

Ben
 
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