How does a manual pipe cutter work? Selection and manufacture of pipe cutters for steel pipes. Pipe cutter for steel pipes - device and principle of operation

Using steel pipes of various diameters, you will certainly encounter the need to fit them, namely, cutting. To solve this problem, you can use many various tools, however, best solution will be a manual or electric pipe cutter.

With it, you can easily divide the pipe into sections of the required length in order to use them in the future, for example, to cut threads, weld, etc. Make a pipe cutter steel pipes it is possible with your own hands, but it will be much easier to buy it, in addition, after reading the article, you can choose for yourself suitable tool at a low price.

How to cut a steel pipe

For cutting steel pipes, one of the following tools is selected:

• Pipe cutting tool;
• Electromechanical circular saw;
• Gas cutting of pipes;
• Plasma cutting pipes;
• Special pipe cutting machines;
• Special abrasive cutting machines are also used;
• Belt machines;
• And pipe cutting machines.

At home, you can use many different tools, for example, in almost every home you can find a hacksaw for metal, with which you can cut a pipe, spending a lot of time and effort. The result of such sawing will also be of poor quality, so we recommend using an electric tool, for example, circular saw, which will speed up the cutting process, as well as improve the quality of the result.

The best solution for sawing small pipes is plasma or gas cutting. Small machines with a mechanical or manual drive also allow you to make a high-precision cut with high-quality edges. Using a similar tool, you can make a cut of different thicknesses and under different angles without losing accuracy.

The most perfect cut will help to achieve laser cutting, however, it is not advisable to use it for home sawing due to the high cost of equipment. Laser technology is used only in industries where products are massively cut into blanks of the required length. In this way, pipes of various diameters can be cut, and not only individually.

Features of choosing a pipe cutter

As we said above, homemade pipe cutter for steel pipes - a big problem, so it is better to familiarize yourself with the features of choosing a finished tool.

When choosing a tool, you should pay attention to its two main characteristics: the maximum and minimum section of the pipe, as well as the material that can be cut with this pipe cutter.

• Tool for thin-walled pipes;
• For asbestos cement and ceramics;
• And a heavy-duty pipe cutter.

In more detail, it is worth noting that the tool for heavy loads is only electric. It is able to cut pipes up to 300 mm in diameter, made of durable materials such as cast iron or steel, which is why it got its second name: steel pipe cutter.

For thin-walled pipes, manual pipe cutters with a simplified design are usually produced. With the help of them you can cut pipes made of brass, copper, metal-plastic and stainless steel.

Classification of pipe cutters by type of construction

In total, there are five groups of mechanisms that differ in some design features:

• roller;
• Chain;
• Incisal;
• Ratchet;
• Rotary telescopic or rotary mechanisms.

The roller pipe cutter is designed for cutting steel products. The pipe cutter drawing includes two groups of rollers. The first group is directly responsible for cutting the pipe, and the second group of rollers guides the pipe being cut. Such a pipe cutter can handle a pipe up to 100 mm if its design includes three rollers. The single roller design is able to cut pipe with a maximum diameter of 50mm.

A chain cutter for steel pipes is rarely used, because its design is designed for fragile materials, such as concrete or ceramics. The design of the chain pipe cutter is quite simple; it consists of a tensioning mechanism, swivel arms and chains with rollers. The pipe cutter is classified as a manual type and cuts thin single-layer pipes with a cross section of up to 30 mm.

Cutting pipe cutters are designed for cutting plastic pipes with a diameter of up to 100 mm. Outwardly, this tool resembles a steel clip into which special disks are built. The position of the discs is adjusted to the required diameter, after which they cut the pipe.

Rotary pipe cutter belongs to professional equipment for heavy loads. Such metal pipe cutters are often used for working at the bottom of trenches, as well as under water. The principles of operation of such a tool are quite simple: the rollers are attached around the pipe, after which they are set in motion by a removable handle, cutting a pipe with a wall thickness of up to 19 mm.

Electric and manual pipe cutters

All pipe cutters are also divided according to the principle of their work into manual and electric. They are also divided into pneumatic and hydraulic, which we will talk about a little later.

So, a manual pipe cutter - perfect option for work with a small volume, because sawing with such a tool is quite simple: you just need to fix the device on the pipe and make a cut by making a few turns with the handle or the tool itself. To other benefits hand tool compactness can be attributed to them, because you can make a cut at a high height, or in a hard-to-reach place.

Electric pipe cutter for steel pipes large diameter is better than manual, moreover, it allows you to perform a large amount of work in the shortest possible time. Another advantage of the electric tool is good quality materials used for its manufacture.

The high strength of such equipment allows you to perform a large amount of work without worrying about the safety of the tool. The advantages also include the ease of cutting, which is performed electric motor. Of the minuses, it is worth highlighting the high cost of this equipment, due to which the purchase for one-time work becomes impractical.

Other advantages also include good balance, high quality of cut, accuracy of the resulting edges, on which you will not find burrs, as well as the ability to replace the cutting rollers. Stopping at the latter, it is worth saying that this allows not only to update the cutting speed in case of wear, but also to change the type of material being processed, for example, from steel to ceramic, etc.

Hydraulic and pneumatic pipe cutters

As mentioned above, the cut can be made by hydraulic and pneumatic mechanism.

Pneumatic pipe cutters for their work use air that is forced into the piston under pressure. Such pipe cutters are used for cutting pipes with a cross section of up to 130 cm. The cut itself is performed with cutters that can be provided for different materials, which allows cutting both metal and plastic pipes.

By cons this machine can be attributed to a high weight, which often reaches 60 kg. It is not possible to work with such a heavy tool in a trench or at a height.

Hydraulic pipe cutters work in a similar way, only the pressure in the piston is created with the help of water, which is pumped by a hydraulic pump. Pressing on the piston with water, the hydraulic pump cuts the pipe with cutters, after which the pressure decreases, and the rod returns the cutters to their original position.

Features of manual pipe cutters

One of the main advantages of a hand tool is that you can easily control the entire process of cutting pipe, because it is done through your muscle strength, which you can add and reduce as needed.

It is also worth noting that the design of manual pipe cutters does not contain complex parts, so they are not afraid of breakage of pistons and engines.

The disadvantages of a hand tool include physical exertion and the limited size of the diameter that they can cut. These disadvantages are almost imperceptible at home, because the amount of work will not cause severe fatigue, and the diameter of the pipes used for domestic plumbing rarely exceeds that allowed for cutting with a hand tool.

Cutting the pipe is easy, because the small dimensions of such a tool is also a big plus. The quality of the result is largely due to the fact that you precisely control the cutting process.

How to work with an electric pipe cutter

The whole cutting process depends on which pipe cutter you are using. In total, there are two types of electric pipe cutter: detachable and one-piece. A split pipe cutter is more often used by professionals. It has a durable body that splits into two parts, which makes it easy to fix it on the pipe, even in hard-to-reach places.

The cutting elements in this design are cutters, which can be two or more pieces. One of them is often used for chamfering, and the rest for cutting itself. The pipe cutter itself is fixed on the pipe with the help of special cams, which are also included in the kit. Their number depends on the size of the cutting equipment. Also, a servo drive is often supplied with the kit, which controls the stroke of the pipe cutter, as well as preventing its overload.

Starting installation, two detachable parts are placed on the pipe and aligned horizontally. Then they are fixed with main and auxiliary jaws, the number of which is determined by the size of the diameter of the product being cut. After fixing the pipe cutter, the cutters are set 2 mm from the edge and the servo drive is mounted.

After turning on the tool, the cutters will automatically begin to descend to the surface of the pipe and cut it. The power tool will allow you to remove the internal and external chamfer, as well as perform trimming.

Rules for operating a pipe cutter

1. Remember to clean the cutter roller, guide rollers and feed screw after use. It is recommended to do this with a special composition, which can be purchased at a hardware store.
2. Check the lubrication condition of the feed screw and guide rollers.
3. Avoid rough handling of the tool, do not allow chips and dents.
4. Constantly check the sharpness of the incisors, because their dullness will lead to additional stress on the device. If the cutters become dull, they must be replaced immediately.
5. Do not expose the instrument to harsh weather conditions, store it in a warm and dry place.

How to cut pipes from various materials

Each material requires a specific approach, as well as individual cutters, so it is important to know how and with what to cut different pipes.

How to cut steel pipe with a manual roller pipe cutter:

1. Make markings on the surface of the pipe. This can be done, for example, with chalk;
2. Moisten the pipe with water before cutting, but oil is much better for this purpose;
3. Install the pipe to be cut in the clamp of the pipe cutter;
4. Open the pressure block, after which, put the product into it;
5. Attach the cutting roller to the drawn line;
6. Secure the pipe carefully;
7. Then rotate the mechanism, gradually tightening it, increasing the tension in the block.

Performing such a cut on a pipe with a large diameter, you may encounter difficulties that require additional time and effort. When cutting a wide pipe, it is necessary to drive the rollers around its entire circumference, while they will cut deeply into the metal, making it difficult to move.

Section of polypropylene and metal-plastic pipes guillotine pipe cutter:

1. Make a markup with a marker;
2. Spread the handles of the tool, put the pipe under the knife, and secure the pipe with the handles;
3. Click on the handle of the tool so that the knife cuts the pipe.

Having completed the cut in this way, you will also need to align the inner diameter, because with such a cut inner part pipes are slightly deformed.

Pipe cutter manufacturers

As we said above, you can make a manual pipe cutter for steel pipes with your own hands, but it's not worth it, because you can buy it in a store at a low price from the following manufacturers:

• Virax;
• Rothenberger;
• Jonnesway.

Virax is a French manufacturer of professional and semi-professional equipment for working with pipes made of various materials. Among their tools, hydraulic pipe benders, roller pipe cutters, pipe clamps, bevelers, as well as gas and plumbing wrenches stand out for their quality.

Rothenberger is a German company that has been manufacturing the following tools for 60 years:

• Mounting;
• drilling rigs;
• Tool for cleaning water pipes;
• Tools and materials for working with various pipes.

The Taiwanese company Jonnesway also produces quality equipment at a low price, but it differs in its lifetime warranty on pipe cutters.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it must be said that quality repair or laying a pipeline is impossible without a suitable pipe cutter, because without it you will not be able to achieve accuracy and reliability, and besides, spend a lot of time and effort.

A piece of pipe can be cut in many ways, whether it be a hacksaw or a grinder, but at the same time the cut may not be very even, and sometimes it is quite critical. For a more even cut, pipe cutters are used, which are very expensive if the diameters of the pipes that you plan to cut with them are large enough, from 40 mm and above. But you can make such a tool yourself without spending a lot of money on it, since we will make a pipe cutter from a chain and a piece square pipe and a couple more details that you probably have in your garage with a surplus. You only have to spend money on a cutting roller for a pipe cutter, this consumable so they are sold separately in stores. Such a pipe cutter can cut both steel, copper, duralumin and pipes from pvc plastic. Plus, such a tool works quietly and it does not need electricity for its work.

What you need to create a pipe cutter:

• Steel profile of square section;
• A piece of chain from a motorcycle;
• Cutting wheel for factory pipe cutter;
• Strips of sheet metal 5-7 mm thick;
• Bolt with nut;
• A piece of steel pipe (sleeve).

How to make a pipe cutter from a chain and profile, manufacturing process:

To begin with, we make holders for the cutting roller, for this we drill in strips sheet metal holes, I already had such fasteners ready.

We assemble the holder, for this we put the roller between the fasteners and tighten them with a bolt and nut.

Then you need to weld one end of the chain to the handle.

Now weld a piece of hairpin to the second end of the chain.

Then you need to weld to the end of the handle a piece of a round sleeve through which the pin should move freely.

That's it, we select a nut for the stud and our hand-made chain pipe cutter is ready!

Now it remains to test it, for this we place the stud in the sleeve and screw the nut onto it.

We clamp the pipe in a vise, put the pipe cutter on the pipe and tighten the nut, then simply scroll the pipe cutter by the handle around the pipe gradually tightening with each turn wrench nut on the pipe cutter and then scroll the tool around the pipe until a piece of pipe is completely cut off.

When considering the features of pipe cutters, one should pay attention to the fact that such a tool cannot be classified as universal - it can be used to cut steel pipes with certain parameters. There are models that are ways to work with different material, but they are quite rare. A high-quality pipe cutter that is able to cut a steel pipe of large diameter and with a significant wall thickness costs a lot. That is why many people decide to make a pipe cutter for steel pipes with their own hands. You can find several dozen drawings that are used to create homemade device. Almost all home-made versions are made for certain working conditions: the range of diameter and length of the pipe, the hardness of the material, mobile or stationary use. When choosing which scheme to make a homemade pipe cutter for steel pipes, you should decide on the classification of the device in question, as well as the features of its choice.

Tool classification

As previously noted, a pipe cutter for copper pipes or steel can be classified according to a number of different features. Consider the main ones:

1. According to the mechanism of action, manual, electric, hydraulic and pneumatic models are poured. A manual version can usually be made quickly and easily, but buying a ready-made pipe cutter does not require a lot of money - so in some cases it is easier to buy than to make it yourself. Electric used in Lately quite often, allows you to establish small-scale production. The cost of the industrial version is very high, but you can independently make a pipe cutter from a grinder. Hydraulic and pneumatic are used for cutting with very high force, most often found in engineering and other heavy industries. Note that making a pipe cutter with hydraulics for steel pipes with your own hands is quite difficult and expensive.
2. Classification is also carried out according to the wall thickness of the steel pipe. Conventionally, rolled products are divided into thin-walled and thick structures. A homemade pipe cutter can be made for both. However, large diameter and thick wall pipes require a lot of force to cut. Therefore, in this case, the possibility of acquiring or manufacturing electrical models should be considered.

Also, the distinctive qualities of the tool in question can be called a kind of main mechanism through which the force is transmitted. An example is chain, roller, mouth or rotary mechanisms.

What should be considered?

Creating a pipe cutter for metal pipes with your own hands, you should pay attention to the following points:

1. What material is supposed to be processed. Rolled metal is quite difficult to cut, and to obtain a high-quality medium, the softness of the metal should be taken into account: too soft (copper, aluminum) will not be cut off, but flattened, too ( hardened steel) may not be processed. The type of material being processed determines what material the knives will be made of, as well as the amount of force transmitted.
2. Other important point can be called wall thickness. A home-made manual pipe cutter can only be used for cutting thin steel pipes of small diameter, the electric model will transmit more force, which means that the wall thickness can reach several tens of millimeters.
3. The maximum and minimum diametrical size of a steel pipe can also be called indicators that are recommended to be taken into account. It is also worth considering the approximate length of the workpieces to create a convenient mechanism for feeding them to the cutting zone.

The above points are recommended to be taken into account when considering the most suitable drawing in order to create a homemade pipe cutter for copper pipes or from steel, plastic and other material. There are models created from a grinder or other tools. In this case, consider a homemade mobile pipe cutter.

Homemade electric model: tools and parts

To make such a fairly complex device, you may need:

1. yews;
2. keys;
3. hacksaw for metal;
4. files;
5. hammer;
6. screwdrivers;
7. drill;
8. welding.

The starting materials will be:

1. bolts and screws;
2. wire rod with a square profile 15 by 15 mm;
3. spring;
4. several steel bands;
5. rivets;
6. hacksaw blade.

The work will take a lot of time, which needs to be taken into account.

Work progress

Your cut tool, in this case the left side, can be done as follows:

1. We cut the wire rod 135 mm long.
2. We measure 90 mm and create a hole for the clamping bolt.
3. We impose a canvas on the upper edge, which is fixed clamping bar with screws and rivets.
4. A hole is drilled on one side, which will become the axis. As an axis, you can use a rod with a diameter of 8 mm.

1. On the side of the working part, a section 40 mm long is formed, which has a shape resembling gable roof Houses.
2. The rest will serve as the handle.
3. On the left side of the wire rod, you need to create a hole into which the clamping bolt will be screwed.
4. Opposite the hole into which the axle will be inserted, a steel strip is attached. The length of the strip is selected taking into account that the formed length from the center of the axis to the handle is at least 30 mm.

The hand tool, as can be seen from the above information, consists of two main parts. After their preparation, assembly is carried out:

1. A bolt is inserted into the axial hole made and a spring is put on, which should be located between the left and right parts.
2. A combination of a screw and a nut can be used as an axis. In this case, you do not have to welding work, and if necessary, it will be possible to analyze the created hand tool.
3. The fixation of both sides, when using a pair of bolt and nut, occurs due to the clamping of the nut.

In a similar way, you can answer the question of how to make a pipe cutter with your own hands. To the features of such homemade version performance can be attributed to the fact that it can be adjusted to the most suitable range of steel pipe diameters. Making it yourself does not take much time and money, the created tool will last for many years.

In conclusion, we note that you can also make models with your own hands, the force in which is transmitted through a chain or belt drive from an electric motor. The production of such equipment requires certain skills of an engineer and a craftsman.

You may also be interested in articles:

How to do coordinate table do it yourself Pipe cutters for steel pipes How to make a jointer with your own hands How to make a guillotine for cutting metal with your own hands?

A manual pipe cutter is a convenient and efficient, almost portable device for cutting pipe products. Outward simplicity does not mean low applicability, and we will try to prove this in this article.

A manual pipe cutter for steel pipes or any other material works solely due to the muscular strength of a person. On the one hand, this is good, because you directly control the entire process, and no emergency situations can occur, unless your hand trembles. While electrical machines have a lot of components that can fail, you need to constantly clean them and monitor their technical condition. Yes, and in work, you can ruin the pipe only due to a power outage or a minute malfunction of the motor or moving tape, etc.

On the other hand, not every pipe will be taken by human force, even though in handheld device a system of levers is used to artificially increase the applied force. But at the household level, it is hard to imagine a type of work in which the pipes would have such a diameter or material that only an autonomous machine with powerful engine. Therefore, nevertheless manual version this device in everyday life will cope with all possible types works, you just need to choose the right model, because the variety is great.

You can say about some of the features of working with this unit. very comfortable, all attachments and the handle are made as ergonomic as possible so that the worker does not get tired, and the cut is neat and even. By the way, accuracy and lack of curvature are the hallmark of almost all varieties of manual pipe cutters., only a very negligent fake from the category "for 5 kopecks" can really spoil even the strongest product. Of course, we do not rule out some "club hand" of the worker, but this is a rare case in this type of activity.

Work with a manual unit at your own pace, so the cut is obtained without any notches and does not need to be cleaned before further use pipes. Also, the designs of all such tools (provided that you have correctly selected the model for your task) allow you not to bend the pipe profile, so you do not have to spoil the geometry. And the last trump card is small size, these devices can perform their task equally well in a narrow passage or corner, and in a spacious hall.

These devices have many options for execution, and each plays a certain role in cutting pipes. They can differ in the type of processed materials and in design features. Most often, for domestic needs, a manual roller pipe cutter is chosen, its design and the strength of the mechanisms make it possible to work with steel, copper and plastic. However, if you do not need such a spectrum, you can pick up something simpler. We will deal with the process of buying a pipe cutter.

By purchasing a tool for a durable material (such as steel), you get a tool that can handle all the less durable species pipes, but the reverse pattern does not work in this case. It is important when choosing a pipe cutter to pay attention to the thickness of the workpiece, which he is able to crack. There are at least three categories: for heavy loads, for thin-walled products and for asbestos cement and ceramics.

In the first case, you get a unit that will bite even a 12-inch pipe, and will master both steel and cast iron, and the design has reliable clamps for fixing the workpiece, the main thing is that you have enough strength and perseverance. The last class of instruments, most often, is not manual type, so we will not dwell on it. But for working with thin-walled pipes, muscular strength is just right, and such devices are most waiting for us on the shelves, you can choose models for copper, brass, metal-plastic and stainless steel.

By type of construction, there are also many different models. For example, a cutting pipe cutter looks like a kind of clip into which a product is inserted, and along its perimeter there are cutters, the set of which and the location can be varied. Such a device can handle a product diameter of about 10 cm. But a roller pipe cutter got its name because of the cutting elements, these are the rollers, as a rule, there are at least three of them, and the more there are, the larger the diameter of the workpiece.

If there is only one roller, then the diameter will be quite small - up to 5 cm, but three rollers will already master 10 cm of the pipe. They say that the rollers leave burrs, which is not very convenient in subsequent work, they have to be cleaned later, such a process is called countersinking. For fragile types of pipes (ceramics, cast iron, concrete), chain tools are used, however, the condition is the small diameter of the product.

The working element is a chain on which there are small cutting rollers, it wraps around the pipe, and when it moves, systematic cutting occurs. There is also a guillotine mechanism, when the tool acts like ordinary scissors, only it is not paper that is cut, but a pipe. Of course, this method is suitable for thin-walled plastic materials, for example, plastic, copper can also be amenable to such processing, if the thickness allows.

If it is necessary to cut steel, then most often a roller tool is used. For the simplest representative, the course of work will be approximately the following. The object is first marked along its entire length. If you are cutting metal, then you need to moisten it, for this you can take oil or plain water. at. Now you should install the pipe in the clamp, which is on the pipe cutter. We open the pressure block, insert the object, apply the cutting roller to the line we have drawn and screw the locking mechanism well.

Now you need to rotate it, gradually tightening it, increasing the tension in the block, from this the pipe will be divided exactly along the mark. Quite fast and effective method incision.

When you have metal-plastic or even polypropylene in front of you, then a guillotine pipe cutter is quite suitable. For a successful cut, we put a mark where separation is required. Then we push the tool handles apart, grab and close them so that the blade touches the mark. Now it remains to press the handle so that the guillotine knife clearly passes through the entire diameter, it is important to apply enough force, and the process can be considered complete, you just need to trim the profile along the inner diameter, because it is slightly wrinkled.

If the diameter is large, then such work requires a little more time, because the rollers in the pipe cutter for such sizes will need to be moved around the circumference, while they will cut deeper into the material. The more patient you are, the longer your tool will last. At first, you should cut the rollers into the pipe quite a bit and deepen them a little on each circle, but if you cut them deep at once, or deepen them too quickly during work, the tool life will be significantly reduced, because the wear of the rollers will be rapid.

In the process of installing internal pipelines for any purpose, plumbers have to cut pipes into pieces of a certain length.

This is done using a special tool - a pipe cutter.

With small amounts of work, some craftsmen manage with a hacksaw, while others make a pipe cutter with their own hands.

Pipe cutter not categorized universal tools- it will not work to cut a steel and plastic pipe with one device.

True, there are models designed for different materials, but this is rather an exception to general rule. Therefore, you should buy a device only after you have definitely decided on the choice of pipes.

In some cases, pipe cutters designed for cutting steel pipes cut more than soft materials, but the quality of the cut suffers. For example, copper pipe such a tool can be deformed.

Plastic pipes are cut with roller pipe cutters. Their performance is low, but the cut is perfect. Propylene pipes can be cut with a cordless pipe cutter designed specifically for this material. It provides high speed operation, however, the pipe size is limited to a diameter of 42 mm.