Aluminum Tube Cutting - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

KandyMan · 04-03-2012, 03:37 PM

I have a tube cutter and I have been doing aluminum tubes. The thing is that I get a ton of aluminum splatter stuck inside the tube and its hard to clean up. Do any of you guys have any suggestions as to how to prevent or minimize this?

I have already sprayed some of that welding spray but it didn't really help.
Does this also happen with steel or is it easier to clean off?

DLE · 04-03-2012, 05:22 PM

I find that if I have a ton of dross with aluminum, you need to speed it up. What wall thickness/amperage/speed are you cutting at?>

MMW · 04-03-2012, 06:42 PM

I don't have a tube cutter,and this is just a idea what if you blew air inside the tube while it was cutting.It might blow the dross out and not stick?

pyrogeek · 04-03-2012, 06:44 PM

i don't have a plasma cutter but could you just have the tube down in the water? well of you have a water table. lol

sorry just read that you have a tube cutter. which means you probably can't put the tube in a water table even if you wanted to. lol. the air ideal sound pretty good.

North Shore Fab · 04-03-2012, 06:57 PM

water table or not just take two buckets drill a hole in the side near the bottom connect them with a length of hose and fill them half way. put a pump in one and the other under the other side of the tube. it shouldnt take much water as the water that is flowing will always be directly under the plasma. only thing with this is water doesnt flow if its level and you might have to raise one side of your table ever so slightly to get it to drain.

thats my two cents, and i think its worth something, like you taking a video of cutting some tubes

Conrad_Turbo · 04-04-2012, 08:13 AM

I found cutting tubes with the handheld torch when running less power I get less spatter to remove (and it's easier to remove). Maybe try running the smallest tip and lowest amperage you can?

03ramit1 · 04-05-2012, 07:57 PM

What about a cyl wall hone? Seems like it might make cleanup easy. Although this is assuming short lengths and small diameter pipe.

brouser1 · 04-11-2012, 07:07 AM

Post some pics, sometimes looking at the issue shows more details of the problem.

HardcorewannabeXJ · 04-11-2012, 07:43 AM

I would say the least amount of power possible, and possibly coating the inside of the tube with water or other. I've heard of people using anti spatter spray but that seems like it would be expensive and difficult to clean up afterwords.

04-03-2012, 03:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
KandyMan Registered User Join Date: Jul 2011 Member # 195214 Posts: 29	Aluminum Tube Cutting I have a tube cutter and I have been doing aluminum tubes. The thing is that I get a ton of aluminum splatter stuck inside the tube and its hard to clean up. Do any of you guys have any suggestions as to how to prevent or minimize this? I have already sprayed some of that welding spray but it didn't really help. Does this also happen with steel or is it easier to clean off?

04-03-2012, 06:44 PM	#4 (permalink)
pyrogeek Wheeler Join Date: Nov 2010 Member # 173323 Location: Garrett, IN Posts: 477	i don't have a plasma cutter but could you just have the tube down in the water? well of you have a water table. lol sorry just read that you have a tube cutter. which means you probably can't put the tube in a water table even if you wanted to. lol. the air ideal sound pretty good. Last edited by pyrogeek; 04-03-2012 at 06:56 PM.

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04-03-2012, 05:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
DLE Registered User Join Date: Nov 2011 Member # 203747 Posts: 81	I find that if I have a ton of dross with aluminum, you need to speed it up. What wall thickness/amperage/speed are you cutting at?>

04-03-2012, 06:42 PM	#3 (permalink)
MMW Newbie Join Date: Feb 2011 Member # 183925 Location: Central Oregon Posts: 44	I don't have a tube cutter,and this is just a idea what if you blew air inside the tube while it was cutting.It might blow the dross out and not stick?

04-03-2012, 06:57 PM	#5 (permalink)
North Shore Fab Rock God Join Date: Mar 2011 Member # 184847 Posts: 1,129	water table or not just take two buckets drill a hole in the side near the bottom connect them with a length of hose and fill them half way. put a pump in one and the other under the other side of the tube. it shouldnt take much water as the water that is flowing will always be directly under the plasma. only thing with this is water doesnt flow if its level and you might have to raise one side of your table ever so slightly to get it to drain. thats my two cents, and i think its worth something, like you taking a video of cutting some tubes

04-04-2012, 08:13 AM	#6 (permalink)
Conrad_Turbo Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Member # 89324 Posts: 250	I found cutting tubes with the handheld torch when running less power I get less spatter to remove (and it's easier to remove). Maybe try running the smallest tip and lowest amperage you can?

04-05-2012, 07:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
03ramit1 Registered User Join Date: May 2011 Member # 190168 Posts: 110	What about a cyl wall hone? Seems like it might make cleanup easy. Although this is assuming short lengths and small diameter pipe.

04-11-2012, 07:07 AM	#8 (permalink)
brouser1 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Member # 140108 Posts: 3	Post some pics, sometimes looking at the issue shows more details of the problem.

04-11-2012, 07:43 AM	#9 (permalink)
HardcorewannabeXJ Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Member # 84593 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 3,000	I would say the least amount of power possible, and possibly coating the inside of the tube with water or other. I've heard of people using anti spatter spray but that seems like it would be expensive and difficult to clean up afterwords.