Cutting pipe and circles..

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As part of my bbq pit project I cut the pipe today.  Worked fairly well as I used a "guide"  wire wrapped around the pipe to try and get  a "straight" round cut...if that makes sense...  So now I'm proceeding onto cutting the end paltes/caps for the pipe.  I could use some suggestions on how to get a good circle cut out of flat plate.....and yes I flunked geometry...  Tricks, tips, etc. would be most appreciated.  I'm using a plasma cutter by the way.thanks...Don
Reply:You can buy circle cutting attachments for your plasma arc and your torch.  I usually make my own, but you can buy them.  also anyone that works with pipe should have a "wrap around"  Its a tool used to mark pipe for square cuts and laying off cut lines.  It looks like a 4 inch wide flexible tape measure.  Check with your local welding supplier and they should have both of the tools mentioned above. Good luck and post some pics of that thing.  ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:If the pipe is small enough put a hose clamp around it and cut it with a sawzall or a (gulp) hacksaw!  Sorry no tricks for the circles out of plate.
Reply:I've got some tricks for cutting round plates and holes. You can make a cut out pattern and run the plasma cutter around the inside of it either against the side of the torch or against the side of an extended tip. There are a few ways to do that. You could cut out a circle in a piece of 1" plywood with a radius 1/2" or 9/16"  bigger than the cirle you want (the distance between the cutting plasma and the side of the plasma torch). Or you can get some extended tips and cut your pattern out of 1/4" steel or aluminum and cut out the hole pattern only around 1/4" or 3/8" bigger a radius than the circle you want cut (the distance between the cutting plasma and the side of the tip). The second way is more accurate because when you ride a pattern closer to the center cutting point any variations off perfect 90 degrees you hold your handle effects the wander of your cut less.
Reply:put a smaller pipe down and guide the plasma cutter or torch around it or get a circle cutting tool like hammack said.. if you're going to need to cut circles for the rest of your life then make a spinning table so you don't have to walk around the metal
Reply:Buried in my stuff was a complete circle cutting kit for my plasma cutter....  I had forgot all about it until I was digging thru the consumeables and found it....Here it is and the results....worked like a charm... Attached Images
Reply:Hey IT,Your pics are labeled "BBQ". All I saw was a "cow cooker".
Reply:That's what the wife said, and most of the neighbors..... I'm good entertainment for the neighbors....We got BIG brisket here...and dinosaur ribs.....
Reply:Tell your wife that you have decided you need another one, same size, for brunswick stew.  Wait for the reaction and take a picture.  Makes me hungry just thinking about it...If you put a trailer hitch on both, you could pull them as a triple trailer. Last edited by smithboy; 10-03-2005 at 10:44 AM.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.