how do you guys get square cuts in sonotubes? Usually I just measure from the factory end, but in Florida, the frostline is basically zero, and a 12′ tube makes an awful lot of piers. Any tricks? I thought of a bungee cord that would align itself square via seeking shortest path but it’s raining, and I don’t want to run to the shop…
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wrap a piece of paper around it. This will automatically give you a square cut.
ROFLOL
This is very good advice.
If yer cutting a dowel rod in a dry area.
I wonder how big a piece of paper it would take to wrap around an 18" sonotube, with enough overlap to square the thing up ?
Alan, Get a couple of 2x6's or 2x8's. Nail them together in a vee, lengthwise. You end up with a vee shaped trough. Make a mark on one part of the trough, at the point you want the tubes marked at. (If you want 12" tall piers, mark it at 12" from the end of the trough.
Now, lay the tube down in the vee trough, and roll it. Keeping it snugly in the trough, and marking it every half inch or so. Or drill a hole in your vee trough at the right spot, insert a pencil, and then roll the sosyube in the trough, so the pencil makes a continuous mark.
You could also make a smaller tool by nailing together a couple of 1 x's, and sticking the pencil through at the right point. This one could be run around the tube, instead of having to roll the entire tube. Just remember to keep it snug against the tube as you go around, to keep it square.
Quittin' Time
Luka, newspaper is big enough, use a couple sheets if you need bigger. It doesn't need to overlap, it'll be obvious when it's not straight. Course for those of you in the Great Wet North working with wet paper might be different? Joe H
Hey Jon,
I just thought of a way that the paper idea could work. Even in the rain.
Cut a long enough piece of vinyl valley flashing, (Thin plastic. 'Vinyl'. Comes in a large roll.), and do the deed the same as if it were a long squared piece of paper. Hey, it could work.
Or geez, even a piece of tarpaper....Quittin' Time
use a roll of emery cloth.
Go to a plumbing or welding supply house and buy a 'wrap-a-round'.
Reminds me of a sying I used to hear when I was a framing sub:
'measure it with a micrometermark it with chalkand cut it with a chain saw' :)
You're on the right track with the tar paper,tho...
cheers, jwwhat the heck was I thinking?
Geez, just buy one of these babies... http://www.osuga-machine.com/e_cutter2.htm
Hold tape measure in one hand, extend tape with other hand and hold pencil next to "hook" on tape. Lay sono on ground horizontally and slowly move both arms in a parrellel movement, just like when scribing drywall. After marking one half of sono, roll tube over and mark other side.
If you really want to be precise, take a yard stick, screw a flat block of wood to it at the 1 inch mark (you're gonna "burn an inch"), hold the block against one end of the sonotube, place your pencil next to the required length ( in your case, hold pencil at the 13 inch mark for a 12 inch long cut) and again roll the jig around the sono, or as earlier suggested, roll the sonotube in place (place on pair of sawhorses and have helper rotate while you hold the jig). Also as previously mentioned, drill a small hole in the yardstick so your pencil point won't wander.
Truthly, I never had to be THAT PRECISE when cutting sonotubes, but hey...why not?
Davo
Hey Heck,
As an industrial carpenter in a steel mill, very few 110 electrical outlets were around where we usually were working...so as a result our "portable power saw" of choice was a 16 inch Homelite chainsaw. We cut everything with it, 2X4s, plywood, even small wedges...all with a chainsaw. I used to cut one- handed; held board with one hande and chopped thru with the other. The Homelite was light enough to handle this way, but since their design changes, mostly 2 handed cuts after that.
Guys would come up and say" Davo, just take an 1/8th off that line." With a chainsaw mind you! At first I thought my gang was nuts...but 10 years later, I can take a 1/16th off if you need it.
BEST THING ABOUT A CHAINSAW though, is no other trades people are gonna argue with you; especailly after they hear you fire that baby up! ha! ha!
Davo
I use my tablesaw. I set the fence to the length and use the miter gauge for a fence to hold it perpendicular and then I roll it. It helps to have a factory edge to start.
We may be slow, But we're expensive.
Welding supply
Many of these other guys are also right but you can go to a welding supply house and get a "pipe wrap" or whatever they all it now. I was a pipe welder 25 years ago and thats what we'd use to mark large pipe like up to3' diameter and more. Measure4 points around the cricumference at 12:00, 3:00;6:00,9:00 from the factory end, then use the pipe wrap to mark it--this looks like a roll of toilet paper but its maybe 1/8" thick made of?. wrap this around the pipe so it hits the marks (yes, paper will do here.)
To find out how square it is, butt it up to the factory end.
Thjis is more precise than I usually am with sonotube, if it requires that much preciision, I'd just use the factory edge up.
I cut sonotube usually with a skiilsaw worm drive--how about everyone else?
James
Edited 9/11/2002 10:15:15 AM ET by EXLRRP
Just did this myself. Best way I thought of was to cut off a 12 in section ( with factory end intact) and then slice it lengthwise. open it up and wrap it around your sonotube. Yes you will have a 1/2 inch gap but if you cant eyeball that, well..... . Just draw with a pencil around and cut with a handsaw. paper was a PITA but it did work.
Just my thoughts
Marc