Leah from See Jane Drill demonstrates how to cut copper plumbing pipe with a tubing cutter. Attach the mandrel with your metal-cutting wheel to the Dremel. Next, hold the pipe with one hand and use the other hand to turn the tool around the pipe 30 times, or until it’s cut through. Though a hacksaw will cut through the copper pipe, it’s difficult to hold the pipe firmly enough to get a clean cut with a hacksaw, no matter how strong you are. Quick lesson on Uponor AquaPEX and copper water supply fittings. Once I downloaded the excel spreadsheet I put my information in the top bar (line 4): that I had a copper pipe and it had a 1/2″ diameter. If the gap between the teeth is too large, the hacksaw will snag on the pipe. Never heard of it? … For tips from our Handyman reviewer on how to cut a copper pipe with a tubing cutter or hacksaw, read on! Learn more... Copper pipe has become a popular material in home repair and design. You help is greatly appreciated. The Old plumber shows how to join copper pipe without soldering. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Steffani Cameron, Bob Vila, The Best Winter Camping Destinations in America, 10 DIY Pipe Fitting Projects (No Plumbing Required), The Dos and Don'ts of Air-Drying Everything You Own. We will tell you how to cut your copper pipes located at tight spaces and we will suggest you the best product that will help you do achieve that. The ring will help secure your PEX piping to a valve, fitting, or manifold. The first step to assembling copper pipe is to cut your pipe to length. A pipe cutter, shown below, is placed over the pipe and the handle, or knob, at the top is turned clockwise until it closes down onto the copper. With its rich color, sheen, and potential for patina, this metal brings character to any project and looks great in everything from table legs to lighting fixtures. Tags: copper, cutting … Simply turn the tool around the pipe to make a clean cut. You agree that BobVila.com may process your data in the manner described by our Privacy Policy. The regular or most widely used copper plumbing pipe cutters are one of the most reliable ways to cut your copper plumbing pipe in tight spaces only if you get your hands on the right one. wikiHow's. Tighten the cutter so that its blade just scores the pipe. A hacksaw does cut the copper evenly or cleanly. Doing this is fairly straightforward. This will prevent the copper pipe from binding on the hacksaw and also prevent the pipe from bending before it's cut clean through. Any ideas? This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Beyond its well-earned prominence in the plumbing department, copper piping is having its moment in the DIY world as an “it” accent. Cutting the copper tubing properly. The easiest and best way to accomplish this is by using a tubing cutter. A pipe slice will get the job done without pinching or complications, even more easily than the pipe cutter. Pull out the pipe to inspect it, … Simply hand tighten the pipe cutter onto the mark where you want to trim the pipe. Before putting a hand-sawn pipe in a plumbing fixture, use a round file to smooth the pipe interior. I got it cut partially with my sawsall, but cannot cut it thru. Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Avoid sawing in a backwards and forwards motion because you could damage the blade or make a ragged cut on the pipe. Autocut tools are spring loaded so you won't be able to adjust the size of the cut. The auto cut tool makes a clean, smooth cut, so you won't need to clean the pipe before using it. How To Cut Copper Pipes Here are the recommended steps on cutting copper pipes with a copper pipe cutter. Use a standard tubing cutter to cut copper pipe. You want to crank the blade up just enough to cut the slit but not enough to go through the whole tube. AutoCut Copper Pipe Cutting Tool. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. It has been rated very high by the customers and in case you are looking for something cheap which you are going to use occasionally, you won’t find a better option than this one. Pull out the pipe to inspect it, and you should see a groove cut around its circumference. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. This lightweight material looks great and is easy to cut without cumbersome tools. If you don't have these tools, you can always use a hacksaw. Another approach is to use an air compressor driven grinder/cutoff disc. In my case the OD was 0.625 and the ID was 0.545 which you see on line 4. This tool is cheap only in terms of the price and it does the job perfectly well. Draw a line on the copper pipe where you intend to cut it. You may need to spin the handle a lot if you're using a thin pipe. Keep in mind that sawing the pipe won't give you as precise of a cut. A very cheap copper pipe cutting tools to keep in our house to start with. Then, clamp the autocut tool onto the pipe exactly where you want it cut and make sure it’s tight so it won’t slide off or wiggle. Rotate the cutter around the pipe. When you’re done, use the pipe cutter’s built-in burr removal tool to shave any burrs or raised lips left on the inside of the pipe, as those would inhibit smooth water passage. In plumbing, if the pipe is affixed to other plumbing when you’re sawing, the excess movement can result in future joint failure. Measure the diameter of the pipe you want to cut and purchase an autocut tool for that exact size. However, the pipe is close to the wall so the tube cutter won't fit. By Steffani Cameron and Bob Vila. Once the pipe has been cut through, use a round file to remove any burrs left behind. 2. Here’s an example of such a tool on Amazon. Tighten the cutter as you rotate it around the pipe. For larger pipes, you can use a tubing cutter that you attach to the pipe. For tips from our Handyman reviewer on how to cut a copper pipe with a tubing cutter or hacksaw, read on! For small-diameter copper pipe, which can be soft and pinchable, stick to the pipe slice method described later. This is all the information I … If you need to cut a copper pipe, you’re gonna need the right tool for the job. % of people told us that this article helped them. A small circular blade on the other side of the cutter's jaws tightens to the pipe's other side. How to Cut Copper Pipe (5 Amazing Tools) -- by Home Repair … Zoinks! Click here to find your local stockist. For pipes under 1 inch (2.5 cm) in size, you can attach an autocut tool. No matter how you intend to use this trendy material, success with copper pipe starts with knowing how to cut it. Step 4 Remove the cut portion of copper pipe once it is cut all the way through. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Using a Tube Cutting Tool Measure for your cut. Once the copper pipe is cut look inside the piece at the cut end. Cutting copper pipe with a tool built expressly for that purpose—a pipe cutter—is an easy, exact, and complication-free process. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. This article has been viewed 69,101 times. Select an autocut tool. As I said in the introduction this little tool is AWESOME. No burr remover on your pipe cutter? By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. I have to cut a 3" copper pipe in a wall I've opened up on one side. Depending on the type of project you’re working on, you’ll want to follow the cutting with a crucial next step. Instead of using a hacksaw, use a proper tube cutting tool. Compression fittings are available in different sizes. Cutting a copper pipe close to the wall (in tight quarters)? I've been using a small close quarters cutter, but there are … Mmmm, jam. This line will be a guide as you cut into the pipe. Autocut tools come in 1/2 inch (12 mm), 3/4 inch (19 mm), and 1 inch (2.5 cm) sizes. This is a small opening of about 12x18 square. Hold the piece of copper pipe steady with one hand when the mini-hacksaw is almost all the way through. Attempt this method only if you’re working on a non-plumbing project—or are trapped in your home and cannot pick up another tool from the store. Usually, I would use a tube cutter which goes round and round the pipe. Copyright © 2021 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. Last Updated: March 12, 2020 If you're cutting copper pipe in a tight space (such as up against a corner), use an autocut tool. If you go to the “Copper” tab down at the bottom of the spreadsheet you can see the point value of a 1/2″ tube (specifically the ‘M’ type that I was using). 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