Easy Way to Chop A Bit Off An Exhaust Pipe?

[C0ffin D0dger]

Whilst clearing out the shed the other week I thought I should really do something with the two sections of Subaru Impreza exhaust I've got. The car itself got written off years ago and had a nice noisy (yeah I know!) stainless steel exhaust system that replaced the bits I've got.

I listed these on eBay and was contacted by someone interested in the catalytic converters for scrap. The price offered is very good, only problem is I would need to ship them and rather than send the whole exhaust I can save by just sending the cats.

So onto the next problem, my metal chopping tools pretty much consist of a hacksaw which I suspect will take ages and a lot of effort to go through it, unless someone can reassure me otherwise? I've got a Dremel but I expect I'd be wasting my time with that.

Any other ingenious ideas for hacking it down? I don't own any of the following: angle grinder, reciprocating saw, metal chop saw, oxy acetylene torch, etc.

Thinking aloud what about drilling lots of holes around the circumference of the cut and then using the hacksaw?

[Penelope Stopit]

As you have already thought, drill holes with small drill then drill through them with bigger drill, pushing down on the drill will cut through and join the holes up

[C0ffin D0dger]

I've had another thought, I do have a multi-tool (Fein Multimaster) that has metal blades, wonder if that would go through it?

The power tools I do have at my disposal:

Various drills
Mitre saw (but only with wood blades)
Circular saws (as above)
Multitool
Dremmel

[Cardinal Hips]

C0ffin D0dger said:

So onto the next problem, my metal chopping tools pretty much consist of a hacksaw which I suspect will take ages and a lot of effort to go through it, unless someone can reassure me otherwise?

You'd be surprised what a good fresh blade can do in a hacksaw. During my apprenticeship we made various pieces with nothing but hand tools. You could blitz through a 1/2" thick bit of bright mild steel in no time with the correct technique, a bit of exhaust pipe would be like a hot knife through butter. Then it was on to hand files for final shape... Oh the fun we had!

Give it a whirl, maybe go get a few decent blades for metal cutting, and you'll surprise yourself.

[GreenV8S]

A new metal cutting blade in a hacksaw should go through that in a few minutes - far easier and quicker than messing around with drills and so on.

[227bhp]

GreenV8S said:

A new metal cutting blade in a hacksaw should go through that in a few minutes - far easier and quicker than messing around with drills and so on.

This. On what planet does a man have to ask how to use a hacksaw on a piece of mild steel tube? What do think it's for, filleting fish?

[C0ffin D0dger]

Alright, alright, I'll give it a go. Thought it might be a bit more difficult than that hence the thoughts of using power tools

[Penelope Stopit]

Penelope Stopit said:

As you have already thought, drill holes with small drill then drill through them with bigger drill, pushing down on the drill will cut through and join the holes up

How fking stupid of me to suggest this

Yes use the Hacksaw unless you're trying to cut through stainless

[227bhp]

There's probably a guide on how to do it on Youtube

[Madrabbit]

Cutting with a hacksaw is easy. Getting the cut straight and square, that's the tricky bit.

[GreenV8S]

Madrabbit said:

Getting the cut straight and square, that's the tricky bit.

I don't see what's tricky about it. It's trivially easy to put a wrap of tape round the pipe or pull some string/wire round it and use that as a guide to draw a cut line. Sawing along a cut line is hardly rocket science. With a little practice I expect most people could do a decent job just by eye.

[finlo]

Does it need to be a perfect cut if it's only going for scrap?

[gamefreaks]

I’d say treat yourself to a jigsaw.

It’ll buzz through it in no time and they are useful for all sorts of jobs. Even a cheapo one is fine for occasional use.

[redandwhite]

I used one of these before when cutting exhaust in a confined space, given its off the car i would go with the hacksaw

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRO-exhaust-removal-too...f:0

[spikeyhead]

Use an axe

[ShampooEfficient]

Find someone closer by who will buy the cats. I sold one for a decent price (better than a poke in the eye), and the fella came and collected it...