Can you Cut PVC with a Circular Saw?
Circular saws are excellent power tools and should be available in every woodworking workshop. However, the question is:
Can you cut PVC with a circular saw?
Circular saws can easily cut PVC provided that it is mounted with the right blade. However, it should be kept in mind that cutting PVC with a circular saw is a lot different than cutting wood.
Just as I mentioned in the above paragraph, your circular saw can easily cut through PVC pipes without any issue. However, it can be a little bit difficult for some people in the beginning.
This is exactly why you should read this article completely before you go and start using your circular saw for cutting PVC.
Is it a Good Idea to Cut PVC with a Circular Saw?
The main reason that you may not want to use a circular saw for cutting PVC is that PVC pipes are very soft. This means that your blades can get easily damaged while using it on PVC material.
A cheaper alternative would be to use a hand saw such as an old-fashioned handsaw or even better, miter saws with precision guides.
That said, if you do want to cut your PVC pipes or tubes with a circular saw then the most important thing is that you should get yourself a special blade for this purpose.
If you have purchased the right blade for cutting pipes then it will almost be impossible to damage your blades while using them on PVC material.
I’m going to show you all the details about how you can cut PVC pipes or tubes with a circular saw and what saw blade you should use.
What kind of saw blade Do I need to cut PVC?
When you want to cut PVC piping or tubes then the most important thing is that you should have a blade with special teeth designed for cutting soft materials like plastic.
This means that your blades should be made up of hardened steel edges and that those edges should be designed in a circular pattern so they can get easily inserted into the pipe.
It should be noted that most blades are not designed for cutting PVC pipe and tubes.
However, there are some excellent blades available on the market that can be used for both woodworking and plastic/PVC cutting.
Circular saws generally come with a blade made up of regular carbon steel material but this is not considered to be a good choice when you want to cut PVC.
What is a good choice are blades made up of carbide steel. These are the perfect choice for cutting thin plastic and PVC pipe.
You should remember that different blades have different teeth thicknesses and this affects their performance in terms of cutting through PVC pipe or tubes.
I would recommend that you select blades that have at least 15 teeth per inch for cutting PVC.
You should also check the product description of your chosen blade to make sure that it is specifically meant for cutting plastic pipes.
It’s a very important thing to consider and if you want smooth cuts in your PVC pipe then you will have to make sure that the blade has good quality metal teeth.
- Tougher tungsten carbide stays sharper longer
- Thin kerf for fast and smooth cutting action and the arbor size is 5/8.
- Computer-balanced plate reduces vibration for improved accuracy and better finish
- Durable tungsten carbide maintains a true edge
- Best used for miter saw and slide miter saw jobs
- Micro-grain carbide teeth are honed with up to 600 grit for a mirror finish
- Fully hardened and expertly hand tensioned steel saw plates for true cuts
- Ultra thin kerf .091″, 5 degree hook angle, and .071 plate thickness
- Smooth crosscutting
- Ideal for: particle board and laminates
- Featuring a 10-inch diameter (254 mm), a 5/8-inch arbor (15.88 mm) and a rating of up to 6000 rpm
- Perfect for slicing through both hard and softwoods of all kinds
- Ultra-thin 1/10-inch kerf (2.4 mm) provides clean and efficient cuts
- Designed with 60 carbide-tipped teeth for fine-finish wood cutting
- Compatible with the majority of 10-inch miter saws, jobsite saws, and table saws
What Thickness of PVC Pipe/Tubing Can You Cut with a Circular Saw?
You should remember that the thinner the material is, the easier it will be to cut through it using a circular saw.
That said, don’t expect to be able to cut extremely thin tubing or capillary tubes using a circular saw. In order words, it shouldn’t be used for cutting smaller diameter PVC pipe.
The reason is that, as I mentioned before, PVC pipe and tubes are very soft and they can easily get damaged if you try to cut them with a circular saw.
It’s not possible for your saw to cut PVC that is 1/8″ thick. It is because the blades will not have enough support behind them when you start cutting the PVC.
In order words, they will get jammed in the PVC and you run the risk of ruining your saw or even worse, injuring yourself while trying this.
Now, there are some really cheap circular saws on the market that have universal blades designed for cutting wood with either metal edge or diamond-tipped.
Can A Circular Saw Cut PVC Pipe in Angles?
If you want to cut PVC pipe or tubes in angles then all I can say is that it is not possible with an ordinary circular saw.
The reason why it isn’t possible to cut corners using a circular saw is that the blades of such saws aren’t designed for this purpose. They are generally made for cutting straight and angled lines.
If you want to cut angles in your PVC pipes then I would recommend that you use a jigsaw.
How to Cut PVC Pipe and Tubes with a Circular Saw?
Choose the Right Blade and Use it Properly
Make sure you have a blade meant for cutting soft materials like plastic. It should be thick enough to provide excellent support for your cut while not being too heavy as this can turn out to be more of a hindrance for you.
You also have to make sure that the blade teeth are not too long. Longer blade teeth will cause friction and that can ruin your saw or you could get injured while trying to cut through PVC pipes.
Measure the Length of Your Pipe
Measure the length of the pipe accurately with a ruler before you start cutting it using a circular saw.
Make Sure Your Saw Has Enough Power
Make sure that your saw has enough power to cut through the pipe using one pass. Most people make the mistake of assuming that if their saw is powerful enough for cutting wood then they can use it on PVC, which is not true. You have to be very careful when working with a circular saw as you could cause serious damage to your home or injure yourself and others.
Cut Away from Yourself
Make sure that your hands are out of the range of motion while cutting plastic pipe with a circular saw. If you don’t keep them out of the way, you run the risk of getting injured by sharp PVC edges causing the blade to jump back.
Use Safety Equipment
You have to make sure that you are wearing goggles and a mask while cutting PVC tubes or pipes with circular saws. If you don’t, then you run the risk of getting your eyes hurt by flying plastic particles formed when cutting through PVC. If you want to protect your ears, you should also wear ear guards.
What are Other Tools for cutting PVC Pipes?
There are lots of tools that you can use for PVC pipe cutting. It depends on your situation and what kind of cuts you want to make. For example, you can use your power miter saw or a manual miter box for making angled cuts easily.
Apart from that, a circular saw, a jigsaw, or any other power saw can help you make accurate cuts in no time.
However, if you want to be careful and don’t want to risk damaging the pipe then you must use a PVC pipe cutter. These are specialized tools available on the market that can help you in cutting projects without any issues at all.
- Patented shear mechanism: allows for cuts up to 2-inch schedule 80 pvc.
- Quick blade return: increases productivity in repetitive cuts.
- Stainless steel blade and aluminum jaw: impact, water and rust resistant.
- Razor-sharp pierce-point: burr-free cuts on pvc, cpvc, pex tubing, blazemaster, abs, non-metallic co
- Power tool only – battery, charger and accessories sold separately.
- Powerful mechanism – cuts up to 2″ schedule 40 pvc in 3 seconds. ultra sharp blade with pierce point
- Offset blade – cuts pvc / pex in-wall, in-ground, or close to wall quick return blade – increased pr
- Stainless steel blade and aluminum jaw – impact, water and rust resistant
- Variable speed trigger – controlled cut in warm or cold weather
- On board fuel gauge – displays remaining run-time
- All-metal, lever-action, keyless blade change allows for quick and easy blade changes
- All-metal, keyless shoe bevel with detents at 0 degree, 15 degree, 30 degree, and 45 degree provides
- 4-position orbital action provides control of cut quality and speed for the jigsaw tool
- Adjustable dust blower keeps line of cut clear of chips
- Variable speed 0-3,000 spm for versatility in a multitude of materials and applications
- Anti-slip comfort grip for increased comfort and control
- Accepts t-shank jig saw blades for optimal holding power and professional results
- 90, 45 and 22.5 slots
- 11.81in length with a patented storage system for the saw
- Material: aluminum
Does cutting PVC dull saw blade?
The answer to this question is yes. If you are not careful while cutting PVC pipes, then your saw blade will get dull within a few cuts. That’s why it is important that you choose the right blade for cutting PVC as well as protect yourself and others from any possible danger.
Last Minute Thoughts
can you cut PVC with a circular saw? Yes, you can definitely use your circular saw for such kinds of projects. However, you need to mount the right blade on the saw otherwise it will not cut smoothly and may ruin the piece.
Besides that, you need to be extremely careful while handling your circular saw. It is because with a slight bit of mistake you can either damage the tool, break the saw blade or hurt yourself really bad.
In addition to this, you can also ruin the cutting piece which can cost you an extra amount of time and money.
