saw blade teeth per inch? water pipe.

[mike]

I need to make about 30 cuts in 3/4" water pipe
while hanging 40 feet in the air.
I'm thinking the reciprocating saw will be too heavy
and hard to handle, so I'll try with a jigsaw.

What do you recommend for saw blades?
Teeth per inch?
I'm looking for a compromise between speed of cut
and blade life. Changing blades won't be easy up there.

Home depot has a whole wall of blades, but I'm thinking
that buying the most expensive may not be the optimum choice?
Anything particular to look for?

Thanks, mike

[Doug Miller]

mike <ham...@netzero.net> wrote in news:l4jljt$frc$1...@dont-email.me:

> I need to make about 30 cuts in 3/4" water pipe

Steel, copper, or plastic?

> while hanging 40 feet in the air.
> I'm thinking the reciprocating saw will be too heavy
> and hard to handle, so I'll try with a jigsaw.

I think I'd use the lightest cordless reciprocating saw I could get my hands on.

>
> What do you recommend for saw blades?
> Teeth per inch?

The thinner the wall of the pipe, the finer you need. Plastic and steel pipe have fairly thick
walls, and 24tpi should do just fine -- maybe even 16tpi on plastic. That's going to rattle
copper pipe pretty hard, though. I think I'd want 28tpi or finer for copper.

> I'm looking for a compromise between speed of cut
> and blade life. Changing blades won't be easy up there.

Unless you buy crap blades, one new blade should last thirty cuts even in steel, so that's
not really an issue. Most modern reciprocating saws have tool-free quick-change blade
holders, too, so even if you need to change blades, that's pretty easy. Bigger problem is
changing batteries...

>
> Home depot has a whole wall of blades, but I'm thinking
> that buying the most expensive may not be the optimum choice?
> Anything particular to look for?

Even if the pipes are plastic, get blades intended for cutting metal. Most wood-cutting
blades are too coarse for plastic.

[PrecisionmachinisT]

"mike" <ham...@netzero.net> wrote in message
news:l4jljt$frc$1...@dont-email.me...

Measure the wall thickness of the pipe and select a blade pitch that assures
at least two teeth will be in contact at all times.

[mike]

On 10/27/2013 11:31 AM, Doug Miller wrote:
> mike <ham...@netzero.net> wrote in news:l4jljt$frc$1...@dont-email.me:
>
>> I need to make about 30 cuts in 3/4" water pipe
>
> Steel, copper, or plastic?

My bad..it's steel or iron water pipe.
It's a radio antenna tower.

[tdacon]

"PrecisionmachinisT" wrote in message
news:cbedne6tGIWFw_DP...@scnresearch.com...

>Measure the wall thickness of the pipe and select a blade pitch that
>assures at least two teeth will be in contact at all times.

That's the rule, basically. I like to try for three teeth in the material.

Tom

[rangerssuck]

As others have said, aim for three teeth in the material. Don't cheap out on the blade. You want a name-brand bimetallic blade. You ought to be able to make the thirty cuts with one blade, but changing blades in a recip (or even a motern jig saw) should be a simple, no-tool operation. My saw, an 18V Bosch, has an off position on the switch so you have an extra level of safety when changing blades. You can also adjust the extension foot so as to be using different parts of the blade. I would secure the saw with a strap to your harness so you can let it hang while you take a break, and probably bring an extra battery.

[Larry Jaques]

On Sun, 27 Oct 2013 11:22:29 -0700, mike <ham...@netzero.net> wrote:

>I need to make about 30 cuts in 3/4" water pipe
>while hanging 40 feet in the air.
>I'm thinking the reciprocating saw will be too heavy
>and hard to handle, so I'll try with a jigsaw.

What do you mean "hanging"? On a rope with nothing to steady yourself
on? Is the water pipe connected to a flat surface, or just by strip
clamps on the edge of tubafores? Is it old galv pipe or newer black?

>What do you recommend for saw blades?
>Teeth per inch?
>I'm looking for a compromise between speed of cut
>and blade life. Changing blades won't be easy up there.
>
>Home depot has a whole wall of blades, but I'm thinking
>that buying the most expensive may not be the optimum choice?
>Anything particular to look for?

Bimetal blade, maybe 18tpi.

Were it my job, I'd see about draining the water and cutting it with
my trusty HF portable bandsaw. It weighs the same as my Tiger recip
but has much less penchant to throw me all over the place.


--
The beauty of the 2nd Amendment is that it will not be needed
until they try to take it. --Thomas Jefferson

[mike]

Thanks for the input.
You've got more modern tools than me.
My old harbor freight battery-powered saw takes an allen wrench and some
dexterity to change the blade.
Think I'll just run an extension cord up the tower and use the AC one.
I did some practice cuts on water pipe with 14tpi and it went ok.
I'll go get some good 24tpi and git-er-done.
Thanks, mike

[Bob Engelhardt]

On 10/27/2013 2:31 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
...

> I think I'd use the lightest cordless reciprocating saw I could get my hands on.

...

E.g.:
http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless/2625-20

It's a one-handed recip saw. They call it a "Hackzall" to distinguish
it from their full size "Sawzall".

I have one & I love it! It _almost_ eliminates my need for a full size
recip saw. The only time I go to the corded saw is for prolonged heavy
cutting, where the battery on the Hackzall wouldn't last.

Bob

[mike]

Thanks,
lookslike a fun toy...but...I'm not willing to pay $100 for a new toy
that I'll use once when I already have three saws that will do the job.

[Gunner Asch]

On Sun, 27 Oct 2013 11:22:29 -0700, mike <ham...@netzero.net> wrote:

For speed....a right angle grinder and a decent cut off wheel works
nicely, particularly when reaching wayyyyy out. And it doesnt weigh
as much as a sawzall or jigsaw., and can be used one handed very
easily.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/360199356188?lpid=82

etc etc etc

Gunner

--
"Their mommies tell them they're special, Liberals just don't understand
that "special" is a polite euphemism for;
*window licker on the short bus*"

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[Jim Wilkins]

"tdacon" <Tom-NOSPAM-@-REALLY-dacons.com> wrote in message
news:l4joti$5vp$1...@dont-email.me...

FWIW, Saturday I bandsawed the 1/16" galvy angle that supports my TV
antenna rotor with an 18TPI (0.055" pitch) blade, freehand, carefully.

jsw

[Glenn B]

On 28/10/2013 3:00 AM, mike wrote:
> On 10/27/2013 11:31 AM, Doug Miller wrote:
>> mike <ham...@netzero.net> wrote in news:l4jljt$frc$1...@dont-email.me:
>>
>>> I need to make about 30 cuts in 3/4" water pipe
>>
>> Steel, copper, or plastic?
>
> My bad..it's steel or iron water pipe.
> It's a radio antenna tower.

Is there room to spin a small tubecutter?

[Karl Townsend]

On Sun, 27 Oct 2013 15:22:59 -0700, Gunner Asch <gunne...@gmail.com>
wrote:

>On Sun, 27 Oct 2013 11:22:29 -0700, mike <ham...@netzero.net> wrote:
>
>>I need to make about 30 cuts in 3/4" water pipe
>>while hanging 40 feet in the air.
>>I'm thinking the reciprocating saw will be too heavy
>>and hard to handle, so I'll try with a jigsaw.
>>
>>What do you recommend for saw blades?
>>Teeth per inch?
>>I'm looking for a compromise between speed of cut
>>and blade life. Changing blades won't be easy up there.
>>
>>Home depot has a whole wall of blades, but I'm thinking
>>that buying the most expensive may not be the optimum choice?
>>Anything particular to look for?
>>
>>Thanks, mike
>
>
>For speed....a right angle grinder and a decent cut off wheel works
>nicely, particularly when reaching wayyyyy out. And it doesnt weigh
>as much as a sawzall or jigsaw., and can be used one handed very
>easily.
>
>http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/360199356188?lpid=82
>
>etc etc etc
>
>Gunner

2nd this,much faster than a saw

Karl

[Doug Miller]

Glenn B <not_...@nowhere.com> wrote in
news:A72dnaTVRPXoT_DP...@westnet.com.au:

Not my first choice for cutting steel... YMMV.

[BQ340]

Thousands of plumbers can't be wrong...

They are not as sensitive to pinching like a saw would be, especially
40' in the air.

MikeB

--
Email is valid

[Wild_Bill]

A cordless metal cutting circular saw with the proper carbide-tipped blade
may work very well if the pipe is exposed enough for the blade to pass thru
it.
I recently used my Panasonic metal cutting model to cut some 3/4 round CRS
which was making the cuts in about 6 seconds. a lot faster than hand sawing
and generally faster than many bandsaws.

The trouble with some saber saws and sawzall types is that if they aren't
variable or multi-speed tools (often intended for carpentry work), they will
likely reciproate too fast for metal cutting.. especially steel.
Reciprocating saws tend to generate a lot of vibration which can lead to
relatively fast blade failure due to tooth chipping.. especially when
cutting steel.
The usual causes of failure of reciprocating metal cutting blades are
chipped and/or overheated teeth which dull rapidly.

If the blade speed is slow enough to greatly reduce the saw's vibration, a
reciprocating saw can cut steel very effectively (power hacksaw for
example).

--
WB
.........

"mike" <ham...@netzero.net> wrote in message
news:l4jljt$frc$1...@dont-email.me...

[mike]

On 10/29/2013 9:47 PM, Wild_Bill wrote:
> A cordless metal cutting circular saw with the proper carbide-tipped
> blade may work very well if the pipe is exposed enough for the blade to
> pass thru it.
> I recently used my Panasonic metal cutting model to cut some 3/4 round
> CRS which was making the cuts in about 6 seconds. a lot faster than hand
> sawing and generally faster than many bandsaws.
>
> The trouble with some saber saws and sawzall types is that if they
> aren't variable or multi-speed tools (often intended for carpentry
> work), they will likely reciproate too fast for metal cutting..
> especially steel.
> Reciprocating saws tend to generate a lot of vibration which can lead to
> relatively fast blade failure due to tooth chipping.. especially when
> cutting steel.
> The usual causes of failure of reciprocating metal cutting blades are
> chipped and/or overheated teeth which dull rapidly.
>
> If the blade speed is slow enough to greatly reduce the saw's vibration,
> a reciprocating saw can cut steel very effectively (power hacksaw for
> example).
>

Harbor Freight reciprocating saw worked great.
Job done.