How to choose and use a knife for cutting polypropylene pipes

Today, polymeric materials are more often used for laying water supply and heating mains. They are characterized by a long service life, are easy to install and cost less than similar metal products. For laying communications, cutting polypropylene is required, and you can do without expensive professional equipment. You can purchase a mechanical, electric or battery roller or scissor knife for cutting polypropylene pipes.

How to cut polypropylene pipes

The material is a high density thermoplastic polymer. At the same time, plastic is characterized by softness and pliability for processing with a metal blade and an abrasive cloth. Therefore, cutting polypropylene can be carried out at home, regardless of the diameter and thickness of the pipes.

To adjust the dimensions of polymer products made of heat-resistant plastic, you can use almost any tool with a durable sharpened metal blade. It can be a hacksaw, a jigsaw, a grinder, a drill attachment or a puncher in the form of a cutting disc.

Important! If an automatic device is used, then the speed must be set to low so as not to damage the workpiece.

*

It is necessary to shorten the polypropylene pipe so that the cut angle is as smooth and even as possible. If it bends, then it will not work to connect the elements of the highway, you will have to straighten it. The edges of the rough execution are ground and the angle is corrected. To exclude forced correction of work, craftsmen use a special tool for cutting polymer products.

The main advantage of narrowly focused equipment is an even cut, acceptable for soldering quality. A toothed saw blade or an unsharpened edge of a disc for metal leaves behind burrs, often deforming the edge of a polymer blank. As a result, the connection of such pipes will be of poor quality or it will take noticeably more time to work than it could be with the use of a special pipe cutter.

Scissors for plastic pipes

The ratchet tool belongs to the class of scissors, only the cutting blade in this case is one. The response element is a supporting arcuate platform, against which the pipe is pressed at an angle of 90 degrees. In its design, the device also resembles a pistol, since the trigger is a little longer than a palm as a lever.

*

Scissors are used for cutting plastic pipes with a diameter of up to 63-75 mm. Standard products are designed for shortening workpieces with a diameter of up to 42 mm. The ratchet mechanism allows you to apply a minimum amount of effort to the lever. This tool can provide an accurate cut. But it is important to keep the blade sharp so as not to deform the pipe. And also there is a risk of deviation from the angle of 90 degrees.

A simpler option for cutting plastic products are lever scissors with a spring mechanism. The inconvenience of using such a tool is that it is easy to work with products no more than 25 mm in diameter with one hand. In other cases, you have to act with two, which does not allow you to hold the pipe at the desired angle. But you do not need to repeatedly press the trigger, as there is no gear mechanism.

Pipe cutter for cutting plastic pipes — design features

*

On the Internet and local marketplaces, you can find many tool options that are designed for cutting polypropylene pipelines. The characteristics, as a rule, indicate the range relative to the allowable diameter of the workpieces, the material of the cutting element and the type of pipe that can be shortened with a specific device.

Manufacturers offer for consideration 2 options for manual type pipe cutters:

• The desktop or floor tool resembles a guillotine in its design, therefore it has a similar name. The principle of operation is to lower and raise the blade narrowed to the center by rotating the screw rod attached to it. A rounded platform with a slight expansion is provided for the pipe for a snug fit of the material to the base. The result is a neat cut in a strictly perpendicular direction.

• The roller tool is equipped with one or more (chain pipe cutter) replaceable or stationary disc cutting elements of small size. Structurally, the device resembles a hook that hooks the workpiece. Shortening the workpiece in this case is carried out by turning the entire pipe cutter around the circumference. The roller itself is smoothly pressed against the plastic by means of a screw rod, which is also a seat for the handle.

Before choosing a particular tool, it is recommended that you read the instructions for using the pipe cutter in advance. Especially if it is not manual, but electric. It is also important to learn from the owners about the positive and negative aspects of the devices that they have identified in practice. So it will be possible to exclude the delay in laying water or heating mains from polypropylene pipes.

Pipe cutter for polypropylene pipes — which one to choose

*

Manual pipe cutters are typically used for small scale jobs. An automatic tool is more often acquired by masters for its active use. The workflow of piping and dismantling in this case takes much less time than with mechanical devices.

Manufacturers offer the following options to choose from:

• The reciprocating electric saw is structurally equipped with a reliable handle for holding the tool, a seat for a removable blade and a mechanism that drives it into reciprocating motion.

Such equipment is of a universal type, so the blades are selected in accordance with the material being processed. So, polypropylene is characterized by a frequent small tooth with a narrow wiring.

• Electric guillotines and roller pipe cutters are used only for working with pipes made of polypropylene or metal. For a home workshop, such devices are practically not purchased due to the high price and narrow specialization.

• There is equipment that is used in industrial enterprises. It can be electric, hydraulic or pneumatic.

If you ask yourself what is the best way to cut polypropylene pipes, most professionals will prefer an electric tool. But every plumber in his suitcase has a manual pipe cutter with rollers or a blade.

For cutting polypropylene pipes, manual and electric tools are used. Standard scissors are relevant for shortening workpieces with a diameter of up to 40 mm. In other cases, it will be correct to choose roller or guillotine pipe cutters. Professionals often prefer to work with a reciprocating electric saw with interchangeable blades. Before choosing a particular tool, it is important to familiarize yourself with its advantages and disadvantages in advance, as well as check how convenient it will be to use it.