How to get square cuts on PVC?

[Malcontent]

Obviously a lathe.

 

[CrunchyBananas]

is that right? don't need to use primer? cause I hate how messy it looks mostly because of primer on my plumbing for the tank

Yes, unless it’s really old/brittle pvc, primer is totally unnecessary for our near zero pressure purposes. The only exception is when I plumb closed loop systems, since those are technically under pressure.

 

[Dburr1014]

Hey, I am planning the plumbing on my tank upgrade I am doing. My IM 50 INT (internal overflow)

I have all the parts I need. And I am borrowing some Husky 2" PVC cutters from a friend. I also replaced the blade just in case.
I've practiced and it's fairly easy, but I can't get the cuts perfectly square. Some of the best cuts are just slightly off, it's difficult to see, but they are not perfectly flat or square.
I don't think sanding it will get it perfectly flat, wouldn't it just remove burrs (which there aren't any) I will sand it a bit at the end regardless.

Should I just use a utility knife or some sort of blade and sort of cut the areas a bit to get rid of the imperfections? And just sand it at the end? Or do you need to sand the hell out of it/use a sanding tool to get the little edges to all be flat.
I constantly hear how making the pipe square is essential to ensure longevity and less chance of leaks quicker down the line, so I wanna do my best to get this right.


If anyone has tips that would be great. Thanks

I still use a hacksaw to cut my pipes, you would never be able to tell.

 

[Cantusaurus]

In a situation like that, I glue about 8-12” stick of pvc with a cap on the end underneath, and then put an unglued stand pipe inside. I have the pvc like that just in case I want to use it for whatever reason, I can drain the over flow and tie it to whatever.

So just to make sure. you’re saying I should put glue a piece of pipe going down under the bulkhead with a cap on top. And then put an unglued pipe in the bulkhead on top. And then put a cap on that one so no water fills into it?
I guess that’s a good point. If I ever need to use it I don’t have to drain the back and add a new bulkhead. I just worry about water leaking into that bottom PVC part and just putting pressure on it over time since the pvc inside isn’t glued. But i may be overthinking that part.

 

[workhz]

Here I was trying to figure out how to cut a perfectly square hole in pvc and why. Glad I read the comments.

 

[CrunchyBananas]

So just to make sure. you’re saying I should put glue a piece of pipe going down under the bulkhead with a cap on top. And then put an unglued pipe in the bulkhead on top. And then put a cap on that one so no water fills into it?
I guess that’s a good point. If I ever need to use it I don’t have to drain the back and add a new bulkhead. I just worry about water leaking into that bottom PVC part and just putting pressure on it over time since the pvc inside isn’t glued. But i may be overthinking that part.

The inside standpipe doesn’t need a cap or to be glued, just the short length underneath. There’s no real reason you need the stand pipe on the inside on the capped bulk head, I just do it so detritus doesn’t gather. It should leak, the amount of pressure is negligible compared to what a pvc/solvent bond can handle.

 

[mike550]

@Cantusaurus I think you’ve gotten a lot of great comments here. I’ll double up on two items. First, it doesn’t matter if your cuts aren’t perfectly square. What is important is that the ends the pipe are clean and smooth. Second, I know people say you don’t need to use primer but if you’re looking for a high quality bond / seal then it seems that best practices would be to use primer — especially since you can use clear primer if the color bothers you.

Good luck!