Another Bright Idea!

[Richard in Smithville]

I am working on a project that uses 1/2 inch copper pipe as rails. About 15 feet of pipe all cut to smaller lengths from 12" to 24". Too many cuts to go with a pipe cutter. Ideally a cutoff wheel in my CMS would work but I don't have a cutoff wheel and wasn't going to buy one for this one job. A few Christmases ago LOML bought me a multi saw that came with a small cutoff wheel and pipe cutting attachment. Woohoo! Now there were still a lot of cuts and I wanted to make it safer( always a good thing) and easier to make repeatable. I just line up my cut mark to the kerf cut into the jig. By using a scrap bit of cedar I built such a simple but perfect jig that I'm going to install a screw eye and hang it from the shop ceiling for any future use. The tape measure in the second pic is just to hold the saw up for the picture and the last picture is shows some of the pipe that I already cut through.

[BobSch]

Great idea! So, what kind of still are you building?

[chopnhack]

Good jigging Rich. Are the copper rails purely decorative?

[Richard in Smithville]

This is the project that I'm working on. A friend of mine originally built it for a magazine article. I have polished the copper and plan on spraying on a clear coat tomorrow.

[chopnhack]

Very cool Rich. Just be careful, the tubing can bend rather easily unless you get the thicker walled stuff.

[Larryl]

Richard, you might want to insert some dowel rod inside the tubing since the cart looks like it may be in close proximity to some drinking Canadians.

[Richard in Smithville]

Richard, you might want to insert some dowel rod inside the tubing since the cart looks like it may be in close proximity to some drinking Canadians.

Being around Canadians, the bottle won't see the cart again until it's empty.

That's a good idea though Larry. Thanks for suggesting it.

[robaer]

Deep southern Canada has funny shaped beer bottles compared to here in Winnipeg ... I might borrow the idea but change the dimensions for my preferred brew.

btw... I used copper tubing on a railing project for a bunk bed (more visual than required) and I filled the copper with spary foam (ie "big gap") to take the "tinney" sound out and give them some added rigidity. Worked great. They do nick easily but I haven't had any major dents or deflections (mind you they are only a foot long each)