How to Use a Pipe Cutter?
Pipe cutters are really useful tools that can be used in the house to cut pipes that are made from metal or plastic. You could always try using a saw of some kind but pipe cutters will give you a much straighter edge.
Here are some basic instructions to help you successfully use a pipe cutter.
1. Decide exactly where on the pipe you would like to make a cut.
2. Loosen the handle on the pipe cutter and place it around the pipe.
3. Now tighten the cutter until the blade is in contact with the pipe.
4. Turn the pipe cutter a few turns around the pipe and it will score a line into the pipe.
5. Keep turning the pipe cutter around until you've cut the pipe off.
6. In order to create a nice straight edge inside the cut pipe you need to take the bottom blade out of the pipe cutter.
7. Place it into the cut end of the pipe and turn it around a few times until it's nice and smooth.
If you plan to do any kind of plumbing work in your house i would strongly recommend that you invest in a pipe cutter. They give a much neater and easier finish than a saw but if you don't do much DIY and are more likely to call in a plumber than to do it yourself, don't bother spending the money.
Although pipecutters are generally seen as giving a much cleaner and better cut than hacksaws, they are a bit limited in what they are able to cut through. Hacksaws however can cut through all sizes of plastic and metal.
I think you are supposed to rotate the cutter around the pipe. If this is so then use a small amount of pressure and then rotate, repeat until pipe is cut. The cutters could be blunt in which case they must be replaced.
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