# Miter saws for cutting pipe?



## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

I will cut PVC perfectly and will be a straight cut.
I guess you could put a metal cutting blade on it for EMT.
I see no use for ridged.

That said, I have used mine for small PVC plumbing jobs around the house.
I do have a PVC cutter, but the miter saw sits on my bench and is always at the ready. So I use it sometimes.
Not sure how this would work out on a real job though?


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

I don't think it would be very practical for anything other than a good sized pipe job.

I just hate to have this thing sitting around and not being used. But yeah, in sure I'd need to buy a metal blade.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Put a grinding blade in it and it will work fine. The carpenters building steel houses have been miter cutting for decades using grinding blades.


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## AK_sparky (Aug 13, 2013)

macmikeman said:


> Put a grinding blade in it and it will work fine. The carpenters building steel houses have been miter cutting for decades using grinding blades.


Grinder blade? Sure it's not a cut-off blade?


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## jw0445 (Oct 9, 2009)

For small pvc a cutter, for larger pvc a battery powered sawsall, for emt and rigid I use a band saw on the ground and the sawsall in the air. I would think miter box is too bulky in a lift.


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## gryczewskip (Oct 27, 2015)

Milwaukee M12 is the way to go

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

Using a metal cutting blade on a chop saw is faster, but will also leave some residue behind on GRS and Aluminum conduit. Have to ream it afterwards for sure, and it can be a bit tough if someone decides to force through it..


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## mechanicalman (Oct 28, 2015)

Not much of a conduit guy, but i come from a strong background in metal. I don't know the difference between EMT and Rigid, but do know that it is common to see aluminum conduit. I guess that's considered Rigid? In any case, you can certainly use a miter saw with a standard medium toothed wood saw bade to cut "aluminum", but that is all. NO STEEL without an abrasive cutting blade that yes, slings sparks everywhere and creates nasty burrs inside the pipe. If you opt to try cutting aluminum, please feed it slowly and consistently, wear ear plugs, and be absolutely sure to wear your eye protection no matter how much you've had to drink. You will be very impressed with the quality of the cut.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Bandsaws are better than circular saws just because of all the crap that flys out. Better have a face shield and you will still be wearing some of the pipe.


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## Jhellwig (Jun 18, 2014)

There are carbide tooth chop saws for cutting metal but the don't spin as fast as a something meant to cut wood.


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## Joefixit2 (Nov 16, 2007)

Jhellwig said:


> There are carbide tooth chop saws for cutting metal but the don't spin as fast as a something meant to cut wood.


What he said. A wood cutting saw turns too fast for a metal cutting carbide blade and will burn it up in short order. Being a hobby welder I have a 14" carbide metal cutting chop saw, but it is big and heavy. Cutting pipe would be time consuming and somewhat risky as you would have to clamp it down tight each cut or it will spin. I have cut unistrut with it, but really a band saw works much better for pipe and strut. I also have a 14" abrasive chop saw that I have not used since I got the carbide saw. It is very messy and makes ugly cuts that need grinding afterwords. I'll use it for rebar and that's about it.

You'd be better off saving the saw for wood working, I am sure the wife can think up some more projects for you.


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## Joefixit2 (Nov 16, 2007)

Oh and like Backstay says, crap flies everywhere from a chop saw when cutting metal. Sparks will land in your hair and burn your scalp if you don't wear a cap, bits of hot metal will bounce off your face and get in your pockets and trash your cell phone speaker in short order.


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