Cutting plastic culvert ?

47sawdust · February 12, 2017, 07:23:57 PM

Go ahead and laugh,bust on me all you want.I just turned 70 I'm a big boy now,I can take it.......So I want to rip a 10 foot section of plastic culvert in half to use the sections as a cover for my just built firewood conveyor.My thought is to use a blade I'm not too proud of,clamp the bugger on the mill and let 'er rip.
Whose dunnit?

MartyParsons · February 12, 2017, 07:28:16 PM

Hello,
I think one owner sawed 4" plastic pipe for the stadium that the Baltimore Suns play at. It was used as rain spouting. He had racks made on a hay wagon after he split the pipe. I think a dull blade worked better or he turned the blade backwards and it worked better. It has been a few years ago since I saw the racks and heard the story.

Hope this helps.

Marty

Ljohnsaw · February 12, 2017, 07:44:24 PM

To cover your firewood conveyor? Must be pretty large diameter - 16"? Trying to keep the rain off or the wood contained? I think the hard part will be clamping it down. I think a C clamp at each end to the log bunk should do it if it is rigid pipe. If corrugated, I think lay a stick of lumber down the inside and clamp that in place on each end.

Pictures of your conveyor?

47sawdust · February 12, 2017, 07:58:40 PM

The idea is to use the culvert to cover the conveyor when not in use.The conveyor is 16' long.We are in the midst of a snow storm here.I will post some pictures when I can get it out of the shop. Yes, the diameter will be at least 16''.

alanh · February 12, 2017, 07:59:30 PM

I would think that one cut wouldnt be a problem other than holding it down. We had years worth of scrap fswimming pool black poly pipe (same material) that we put thru a chipper.. ended up with a 10 yard dumpster full of shavings. Did find out later that the plastic shavings had built up and melted themselves around a end bearing and ruined it. We are talking about a real lot of plastic pipe.

GAB · February 12, 2017, 08:00:36 PM

Quote from: ljohnsaw on February 12, 2017, 07:44:24 PM
To cover your firewood conveyor? Must be pretty large diameter - 16"? Trying to keep the rain off or the wood contained? I think the hard part will be clamping it down. I think a C clamp at each end to the log bunk should do it if it is rigid pipe. If corrugated, I think lay a stick of lumber down the inside and clamp that in place on each end.

Pictures of your conveyor?

I'd like to see pictures of your set-up, and end results.
I opened up some 15 gallon plastic barrels with the sawmill. It did a nice job.
You need to clamp them tight and saw slowly.
Gerald

4x4American · February 12, 2017, 08:14:10 PM

Interesting...definitely following. I've crosscut them to length with a chainsaw, and poked many holes in them for drywells and such on the job. Been awhile but the chainsaw worked and it's meant to cut wood so I don't see why the sawmill wouldn't. I would creep into it at first obviously...there's really only two ways to find out so might as well do it!

Kbeitz · February 12, 2017, 08:17:36 PM

I have cut plastic pipe on my shop bandsaw with no problem.
The static will make the chips cling to every and anything.

Magicman · February 12, 2017, 08:22:16 PM

OK, not as romantic, but I popped a chalk line and used a circle (skil) saw. :-\

paul case · February 12, 2017, 09:07:55 PM

I have cut a lot of plastic barrels in half longways with a chainsaw. It works much faster than a knife that I broke and less smoke than with the angle grinder.

PC

Ljohnsaw · February 12, 2017, 09:11:15 PM

If you can get your hands on four or five 30 gallon plastic barrels from a car wash, you could rip those in half and when you are storing them, they would nest into a pretty small area. Plus, that plastic is really slippery - snow should fall off of that pretty easily.

Percy · February 12, 2017, 11:47:17 PM

Like the others, I have cut plastic pipe for rain gutters. I think the culvert should be a breeze if you can get it clamped securely. Once I stopped to visit a competitor with an lt40 super. It smelled really bad. I asked him about it and a few days earlier, he had used his mill to cut up a moose he had shot. Shoveling that sawdust musta been...yetch🤡

kelLOGg · February 13, 2017, 05:33:28 AM

I think MM's un-romantic method will give you a straighter cut. On a mill I think the pipe will rotate/rock slightly due to the friction of the cutting. It's hard to securely clamp below the centerline of a slick pipe. If you do use your mill consider making a crude sled and cut through it too. I'd like to see pics, too no matter how you do it.
Bob

47sawdust · February 13, 2017, 06:18:44 AM

Thanks for all the replies.Since the sawmill shed is totally buried I'm going to give this further thought.MM and ljohnsaw both offer better suggestions.
I will post pictures of the conveyor and cover over in the firewood and heating section since it is more relevant.
Today I have for sale 1/3 cord pallets of snow.Totally fresh,no yellow snow.
Best to all I'm shovelin' and plowin'.

Chuck White · February 13, 2017, 07:58:01 AM

I haven't sawn plastic "yet", but a few years ago when I added a mudroom on the front of my house, I did saw out some 4" Styrofoam into 16" panels to place between the floor joists!

Percy · February 13, 2017, 12:43:35 PM

Quote from: Chuck White on February 13, 2017, 07:58:01 AM
I haven't sawn plastic "yet", but a few years ago when I added a mudroom on the front of my house, I did saw out some 4" Styrofoam into 16" panels to place between the floor joists!

:D :D :D Can you remember what degree blade you used :D :D :D :D :D oh Im dying here :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Chuck White · February 13, 2017, 02:13:27 PM

I used a Wood-Mizer 10° blade with around .025-.028 set.

Looked like a snow storm coming out of the sawdust chute!

Used no lube, no build-up on the blade!

Did a very nice job, close enough that for the 8x10' room we sealed them in place with 2 tubes of silicone calk!

BradMarks · February 13, 2017, 02:23:51 PM

Add me to the chainsaw group. It's pretty easy to do, as long as you don't need an exact cut.

kelLOGg · February 13, 2017, 02:32:42 PM

Quote from: Percy on February 13, 2017, 12:43:35 PM
Quote from: Chuck White on February 13, 2017, 07:58:01 AM
I haven't sawn plastic "yet", but a few years ago when I added a mudroom on the front of my house, I did saw out some 4" Styrofoam into 16" panels to place between the floor joists!
:D :D :D Can you remember what degree blade you used :D :D :D :D :D oh Im dying here :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Styrofoam grain is a killer. Better use a 4° band. ;D ;D ;D
Bob

Darrel · February 13, 2017, 02:44:05 PM

Quote from: BradMarks on February 13, 2017, 02:23:51 PM
Add me to the chainsaw group. It's pretty easy to do, as long as you don't need an exact cut.

Depending on how exact exact is, I can sometimes be pretty exact with a chainsaw. :D

Brucer · February 13, 2017, 03:07:29 PM

Having tried to saw frozen, peeled pine logs exactly in half, I suspect you'd have a lot of trouble clamping the culvert with the sawmills clamp. I only had to deal with the log popping up out of the clamp; you'd have the added problem of the culvert distorting, especially as you finished the cut.

However ... can you figure out how to do it without using the mill's clamp? Perhaps a simple wood cradle to hold the culvert stable, and some system of clamping down the ends of the culvert to your mill?

I wouldn't reverse the blade -- that's good for really thin non-wooden material but I don't think it would work with thicker stuff. I think the tooth spacing could be a challenge. I've cut lots of plastic with a metal-cutting bandsaw and a fine-tooth blade in a circular saw. With a typical bandmill tooth spacing you will probably have to cut very slowly.

Watch out for heat buildup. I'd have my lube tank filled with water (or windshield washer fluid) and be ready to flood the blade with it. A dull blade might prevent a tooth from catching in the plastic, but it would also generate more heat.

Plan things out well, and be prepared to change the plan on short notice ;D.

DelawhereJoe · February 13, 2017, 04:17:20 PM

Sawsall would give you the best choice of blades to cut with, they even have carbide blades now.

fishfighter · February 13, 2017, 05:02:58 PM

Quote from: Magicman on February 12, 2017, 08:22:16 PM
OK, not as romantic, but I popped a chalk line and used a circle (skil) saw. :-\

This is the best way to go. Fast too! ;D Had did some for cow feeders.

Oh, forgot you are up north. You might want to wait till a warm day. That plastic will snap when cold.

47sawdust · February 13, 2017, 06:25:01 PM

Maybe I didn't put the right title on this post.I should have named it along the lines of ''customsawyer's'' sycamore project.Say ''47sawdust's'' oddball project.I think the forum is filthy with oddballs,heck some people even cut up hogs.
We could meet at a central location,say WM in Indianapolis.I'm sure they would donate a mill and an assortment of blades,as well as offer technical support.
Well I haven't taken my medication for a day or two but I haven't noticed a change
in my behavior.My wife is out of town so it's kinda hard to tell :D
Be good a little.

WV Sawmiller · February 13, 2017, 07:50:28 PM

Haven't tried this yet but if I were I would throw a rope or chain down the middle, put a 2X6 under the rope between it and the pipe (maybe full length, maybe just a few feet on each end), tighten with a ratchet strap, sandwich both sides with a 1X12 or 2X12 if I had them available (Why would a sawyer not always have a 2X12 available?) between the clamps and the pipe to stiffen it then saw it.