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Re: Dumpster diving, tube cutting

Tesla List wrote:
> 
> >From chip-at-poodle.pupman-dot-comThu Nov 21 21:56:47 1996
> Date: Thu, 21 Nov 1996 21:56:20 -0700 (MST)
> From: Chip Atkinson <chip-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
> To: Tesla List <tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
> Subject: Dumpster diving, tube cutting
> 
> Greetings,
> 
> Today I went to the local plastics store to get some scrap.  I left with
> enough, but on the way out I had an idea.  I went around back and looked
> in their dumpster.  Bonanza!  I found a bunch of odd pieces with busted
> corners, etc. that were not useful as saleable scrap, but work well for
> HV insulation, etc.  Now I have a bunch more acrylic sheet for future
> projects.
> 
> I recently obtained a 9.5" OD PVC pipe (heavy wall) that I was thinking
> of making into a coil form.  The problem that I face is cutting the thing
> off squarely.  Does anyone have any tips?  At this point I think the best
> course of action is to mark it carefully and use a hand saw.
> 
> Chip
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=->  Chip Atkinson
>  http://bhs.broo.k12.wv.us/homepage/chip/info.htm
>  --- Everyone is someone else's weirdo. ---
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Chip:

  Here is a meathod which works for me, and gives me a pretty square
cut:

  Using sheets of legal size paper, tape the short (8-1/2") edges
together so that they are exactly aligned. Use enough sheets to circle
the tube with about 6-8" extra.

  After taping the sheets end to end, wrap the sheets around the tube
*but do not tape the paper to the tube*. If you wiggle the paper so
that the (long) edges are aligned, then the paper 'sleeve' is square
to the tube. Tape the paper down to itself. You now have a 'circle'
square that you can slide up and down. Mark along the edge where you
want to cut.

  Use a new, fine tooth hacksaw blade and very slowly make a light
cut as you rotate the tube. If you continue to make light cuts as you
rotate, eventually you will cut through the tube and the edges will
be resonably smooth and *square*.

- Brent