Cutting ABS Straight??

[Geo]

This weekend I am going to cut out a section of 3 inch underground ABS out of a hole I cut under my slab to insert a Wye.

My question is is there any easy way to make sure I get a straight cut? If I don't get it 100% straight I don;t think the banded no-hubs I have will seal correctly since they seem to want a 1/4 inch gap

Any easy way to make sure the cut is straight? Maybe use raditator clamps?

Thanks!!!

[Cass]

That ill work

[kordts]

Hand-eye coordination.

[GrumpyPlumber]

Personally when I am unsure, I break out my plutonium Q-39 space modulator for that.
(that was grumpy humor)

[Cass]

Huh................using old tools instead of the newest model.........that thingie has to be 50 years old.

[leejosepho]

Hose clamps are bad for your teeth. Cut a couple of feet of 1x4 into three pieces with square ends, then nail then together like a trough to slip/flare down over the pipe and serve as a guide for your sharp handsaw.

[HandyAndy]

take a piece of paper and wrap around the pipe and then mark a line on it, the paper edges can be lined up and it will be square, (or at lest the mark you make on it will be), then use the line as a guide to cut it,

[GrumpyPlumber]

Huh................using old tools instead of the newest model.........that thingie has to be 50 years old.

well...30 anyway

[HandyAndy]

I have never tried this trick but it does make some sense,
I saw it on an electrical board,
I would think if it would work on PVC it would work on ABS as well, If you try it report back and tell us how it works?

"Using cotton string to cut PVC pipe:"

When cutting exposed PVC pipe conduit that is buried in a ditch you can use a cotton string instead of a hacksaw or a hand saw. Wrap the string (such as the kind contractors use for form lines) half-way around the conduit and "see-saw" the ends. The friction will cut the PVC cleanly as quickly as a hacksaw and does not require the space. Nylon string will not work because nylon and the PVC melt together.
http://www.elec-toolbox.com/tricks/cutpvc.htm

or

Loop a piece of thin cotton twine (like butchers twine) all the way arround the pipe. Grab both ends of the twine, it helps if you tie each end to a stick or some sort of handle. Pull the twine back and forth quickly. The friction will melt a clean cut through the pvc.

Note this trick will not work with nylon or any type of synthetic string. The string will melt first.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/...592012047.html

[GrumpyPlumber]

Guitar string or cable cutter. but, it's not as easy as a hacksaw...best bet is a PVC saw or...if yer skilled...sawzall with a metal blade, good eye and STEADY hand.

[Verdeboy]

I thought that the only redeeming feature of PVC/ABS is that your cuts don't have to be perfect--just close. I've never had one leak yet and my cuts are definitely not perfect.

[FloridaOrange]

I've used string to cut pvc in the ground. Makes for a much smaller hole to dig.

[markts30]

A few hints about wire saws and the like...
1 - you can buy one for a couple bucks at HD etc.... - string only works marginally...
2 - don't try it if there is any standing water in the pipe... soon as the string/wire breaks through, the water flows into the cut and welds the melting PVC/ABS to your wire and you are done...
3 - be very careful how you cut as the wire can and will travel in curves - it takes a knack to cut it straight....

That being said, the wire saw is a great tool for cutting plastics in tight places... but I tend to use a sawsall with an 18 tpi metal-cutting blade for smoother more controlled cuts...