Silicone Hose Cutter

[Pablo]

I cut a lot of 4+ ply HD Si hose every day. I cut it with a Sears hand held cutter. It cuts pretty well but is NOT a production tool.

Is there such thing as a chopper type or guillotine type tube cutter?

 

[doitmyself]

Probably not this one?? Too small capacity?

http://www.stridetool.com/tools/hose_tubingtools/tubecutters_04.html

Begs for some inventive thinking. All you need is a block clamp of some sort to hold the hose square and firm and a super sharp knife to slice through.....something like what we use to shear Christmas trees, thin and razor sharp:

How about mounting my shearing knife in a miter saw frame!!

 

[Pablo]

Close - tube I cut in 1" sections is 7/8" OD.

 

[doitmyself]

Meat cutting blade mounted in a chop saw?:

Or, how about a piece of pvc pipe just barely bigger that your tubing with a slit in it at 1 inch from the end. You slide the tubing in to the pipe end, then slice with my shearing knife. Repeat. Cut piece is pushed out.

Concept cutter (note, that's a 7/8 inch dia. bread loaf):

 

[Rick in PA]

Interesting question. Simple, yet probably not as easy a goal to achieve as it seems. I like the PVC tube idea by doitmyself. That would probably help to keep the tube from collapsing. My first thought was of paper cutting bandsaw blades we have at work. They look sort of like the serrated knives above, except, it's a bandsaw blade. Perhaps a PVC pipe jig on a bandsaw with a paper cutting blade?

Does the vendor of the tubing have a recommendation? (If you didn't already try that.)

You've peaked my interest, let us know what you end up using.

 

[Pablo]

The supplier has a large sharp guillotine type. But alas, we buy 1" in 2.75" lengths they cut for us. The 7/8" in 1" lengths, no way.

This is what I use now:

Link

Band saw is intriguing....

 

[kasedian]

Would something like these work? I use the Klein ratcheting cable cutter in my line of work to vut copper and aluminum wire. Ive even had to use them to cut rope, tree limbs, plastic pipe, etc. Anything except steel. I dont know how big you need to go, or how much you want to spend but, these work great for what I need them for.

cable cutters

 

[Pablo]

Ratchet too slow.

 

[MarkM66]

What are you cutting so much hose for? Just curious.

Would a paper cutter work?

 

[Pablo]

No, not sharp enough and shear action not good.

Sick Bike Parts Expansion Chamber

 

[kasedian]

Found exactly what you need. I use a tool similiar to this to cut thin-walled PVC.

Pablo's New Hose Cutter

 

[Pablo]

Tried that pup several years ago. Current cutter is quicker and cleaner. Thanks.

 

[kasedian]

Then why not stick with what you got?

 

[Pablo]

Need more rapid cutting.

 

[NYEngineer]

http://www.paddockclub.co.kr/snap/Install/catalog/html/web/webS/114/S11415.htm

 

[oilboy123]

Might be some cutters that would work.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#tube-cutters/=c8lse4

 

[spackard]

I just tried a pair of aluminum-handle Made in USA loppers (with 24" handles) on some 3/4" heater hose and it went through clean, fast, and was very easy to cut.
It may be a two-man job, one to feed the hose and one to cut, and you may want the feeder's hand beneath a strong "finger-resistant" surface. I'm thinking of buying a bench vice, open jaws 1", feed hose from below the vice jaws, and rest lopper head on vice jaws. This is so when it gets so boring you're both on autopilot then when someone slips there's less chance of snipping fingers.

Maybe use some safety wire to keep lopper from wandering from head of vice.

EDIT: Just noticed you're currently using Sears Handi-Cut.
These loppers would transfer the muscles you use from your hand to your arms. Would help with carpal-tunnel plus you use more powerful muscles. Beyond that I think you're looking at a pneumatic guillotine knife.

 

[oilboy123]

How about a ninja sword?.........shwang...............

 

[spackard]

Continuing on with my earlier lopper theme, here's a pneumatic shears, 1.2" capacity, for $390.

Felco 70

 

[doitmyself]

Spackard, I imagine that the silicone hose he is talking about is a different animal than regular heater hose. I can imagine that it needs to be "sliced" instead of "cut". I'm thinking that the clamping action of your pruners will distort the hose while the cut takes place, resulting in less than a perfect, square cut.

Am I correct, Pablo?