Not logged inAmerican Welding Society Forum
Forum AWS Website Help Search Login
Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / Pipe Beveler
- - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 03-06-2012 23:52
Ok, picked up a Mathey 4-8 pipe beveler for $400 back in August or sometime around there. Got a rebuilt victor barrel torch for free and it has been sitting on a shelf in my office since then. Thought about setting it up at home and checking to see if it cut straight but guess I trusted the guy I bought it from.

I've been on this job now for 7 weeks....8 weeks??? I don't know, long enough to know I'm sick of hotel rooms, mini fridge's and such. We had some six inch on this job but did not have the beveler with me at first then we move onward in the building and dropped down to 3" and smaller. We started running the six inch in the mechanical last week and this weekend while I was home I picked up the beveler and brought it back. We fired it up today and cut some joints and it cut's perfectly! The mechanical guys have been using a porta band to cut it then we'd hand bevel it.

This darn pipe beveler is the greatest thing since sliced bread!!! Wait a minute, this thing kicks sliced breads arse!!! You get everything set up and can bevel and cut a joint in less than 5 minutes and have it prep'd to weld with the grinder in about the same or less.

Just had to brag on this thing! Best $400 I've spent!!!!
Parent - - By aevald (*****) Date 03-07-2012 00:26 Edited 03-07-2012 00:32
Hey Shawn, does it look something like this? Those are a really simple and ingenious tool and a great way to cut/bevel pipe. Haven't used this one yet, but I plan to use both the oxy-acet and plasma process with it. We have machine torches for both, you sparked something that I have been meaning to pursue for a while. Yet, often, out of sight out of mind. Thanks for the reminder and happy to hear of your successes with your "$400" wonder. Best regards, Allan

EDIT: well I guess I'll have to determine why it's telling me that my request to include photos is denied. I'll try to attach these later.
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 03-07-2012 12:07
Allan, it's the mathey dearman. This one is just oxy-acet cut. I was lucky on this one. Stumbled into it at the supply house up front by the new electric drive they had on the show room floor. Think the guy just dropped it off the day before and when I pulled up I could see the new one in the front window, so went in to check it out and noticed the used one on the floor and just had to ask. I actually sat at the counter wondering if I should buy it and almost walked away.
Parent - - By aevald (*****) Date 03-07-2012 14:13
Ours is too Shawn, and I was trying to post pics of it, but for some reason I got a message when I hit the post button telling me that I didn't have permission, what the hey? Oh well, I'll try again later, but I do share your sentiment that they are very slick pieces of equipment and very versatile. Great to see that your's is getting put to use. Best regards, Allan
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 03-07-2012 14:22
Allan
Pics may be too large for the forum. You can resize them smaller or send them to me and I can host them on my photobucket for you....
Parent - - By aevald (*****) Date 03-07-2012 15:31
Thanks John, but these are in the range of 97 KB, should post up no problem. The odd thing is that I haven't had a problem with posting for eons now. Thanks for the offer, I am going to try again here pretty quick. Allan
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 03-07-2012 15:33
If you still have trouble, copy the screen you are seeing and send it to me so I can do some investigation on our end through ross.
Parent - - By aevald (*****) Date 03-09-2012 16:36
Hello Shawn, might look something like this? Regards, Allan
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 03-09-2012 23:08
That's it Allan!

We had it set up on the pipe today waiting on flanges and needed a 8-1/4" piece cut, beveled on both ends. I had dressed the end of the pipe on a 90 for some flanges we had coming so had to bevel it then measure and move to second cut. I swear to you it took less than 10 minutes to make three cuts. Cut one bevel then measured the length, reversed torch for an opposing bevel and cut, the set up back to a 90 and cut the end for a slip on flange. Three, six inch cuts lickity split!!! I was ridiculous how fast it was!
Parent - By aevald (*****) Date 03-10-2012 00:08
Shawn, it's definitely nice to have some stuff to speed up the process and give it that "professional flair". Have fun and work safe. Best regards, Allan
Parent - By rcwelding (***) Date 03-10-2012 16:33
Hey Shawn another tip for using that machine is to get your pipeline basterd file and lay it up against your torch tip on the front side..

Make sure it lays up tight against the tip.   It will be on a slightly different angle than your torch due to the tip taper..( Slightly more straight up and down)  Rest the file on the pipe while it is pressed against the tip...

Where the file rests on the pipe is where your torch is going to cut...  So mark your pipe.. Rest the file on the tip.. Slide your beveler up till your file touches the line... Clamp it down and Whaa Laa you just cut the pipe to the perfect length... Its really fast and true..!!
Parent - By up-ten (***) Date 03-07-2012 00:57
Just goes to show you Shawn,"good things come to those who spend wisely". Bob.
Parent - - By justahand (*) Date 03-07-2012 02:09
Wait until you have to recycle a fitting. You can back bevel the fitting which will allow you to reuse the fitting. Also when you have to mitter fittings you can use it to put a bevel on your mittered fitting.
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 03-07-2012 12:13
I didn't think of that. I have recycled before and cutting off with a porta band, then beveling I can see how this would be useful again.
Parent - By yojimbo (***) Date 03-07-2012 15:33
Cumminsguy
Bevelers are just an indispencable neccessity IMO.  They were probably the reason I got into the trade.  First helpers job on an offshore rig out of Bayou Vista LA in 1978, didn't have a clue what a welders helper was let alone what a pipe welder was, workin with the Two Pros from Dover [great guys] and saw them fire that torch up on the Mathey, that was it.. the ingenuity of the damn thing....and watching a 5p+ root being done for the first time, having it explained to me... was all it took, I was hooked and gonna have to learn this stuff.  Was a while ago and the Mathey is like an extension of my hand now and I still get that warm buzz strappin it on the first cut of a job.  Must be true love.

Another tool you might want to consider acquiring: a Sumner Ultra Clamp.  They come in two sizes, 2-6 and 8-12.  About a buck eighty for the smaller one but you will never, and brother I mean ever look back with regret.  That tool will increase your fitting production a minimum of 20% right out of the box, eliminate forever any headache or frustration of a shaky helper offsetting your fitting to a misalignment when you tack [uhhhh...but I got a spark on me, that's why it moved.]  And provide a level of precision with all the ease of your favorite Barcolounger.  For rolled fittings, you can not beat it.  Using it alone makes you a Three Armed Wonder whether you're working on the jacks or in the racks and will pay for itself in a day or two.  If I had any sized job calling out 8-12" pipe I wouldn't hesitate a second to spend the $3-400 for the big one either.  Those tools are a must have for me.  Hands down, beat any other pipe fitting clamp on the market.  Really, check them out and give it some serious consideration, they will make you a happier man.

And yeah, I love pulling the bevelers and clamps out on a job when I'm subbing to a couple of the mechanical contractors I do some work for. Their guys, the owners when they walk by, yard hands that ain't never seen em before just stop and stare with admiration at the cleverness, novelty and efficiency of the things and it boosts your stock.  When I see guys hand cutting and beveling pipe with grinders and breaking tacks off to re-fit I feel like I should just leave them some money on the dashboard of their trucks in a Hallmark Sympathy card.  Check em out bro.
Parent - - By rcwelding (***) Date 03-07-2012 18:26
Shawn get a 4in soft pad on a little grinder and buff the bevel after you cut it instead of using a grinder disk.. It will put a perfect little landing on the pipe and slick the cut up perfect... Its way faster and cleaner than using a hard disk..

  Just my two cents worth..!!
Parent - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 03-07-2012 22:55
I'll give that a try RC, used it a bunch today and then had to make a cut with the porta band and hand bevel far away from my rig....boy, that really sucked!!
Parent - - By hillbilly delux (***) Date 03-08-2012 03:49
Richard you learn something new everyday and this would be new to me. Trying to wrap my head around what your talking about. Are you talking about a bead wheel/wire wheel? Please explain more. Not sure what a buff wheel is. Got pictures?
Parent - - By empire welding (**) Date 03-08-2012 05:56
I think he is  talking about a flap wheel.  At least thats what I use on small diameter pipe 8" and below.  60 grit is my preference.
Parent - By HillbillyWelder (**) Date 03-08-2012 11:02
A buffing pad is about 5" dia disc that can fit a grinder, it has a rubber backing pad and a thin nut that holds the pad on your grinder. Lowes and Home Depot sell the Gator brand discs and backing pads along with Dewalt backing pads. It will remove metal quickly and with a better surface finish than a grinding rock. They also make a bigger dia buffing pad to fit 7" grinders.
Parent - - By rcwelding (***) Date 03-09-2012 15:43
Some people call it a soft pad, some call it a flaper disk, some call it a tiger disk..  Its just a bunch of small sand paper pads glued to a wheel..  And 60 grit does seem to work best.. They work great...!!!
Parent - - By hillbilly delux (***) Date 03-10-2012 04:12
Ok a flap wheel or tiger paw. Yeah I've used many of those. You want to know what is one up that? I just tried to look for the product online so I could send you a link but I'm not sure what the proper name is for it but I will describe it to you. We called it a wafer disc. It is a stiff disc that dosent flex and the I thought the ones we had were made by Norton but they smoothed out or shaved away metal like a tiger paw but faster but left the same finnish and didn't wear out as fast. The underside of the disc had a pattern of diamond shapes to it and was of a finer textured material. What I like about them when we were doing some stainless a few years back unlike a tiger paw which is prone to giving you a convex bevel. This little disc would give you a completely flat linear bevel. Maybe someone on here has used them too and can chime in with more info but here is the closest link that I could find without spending hours on trying to find the exact disc.

http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/NNSRIT2?PMAKA=71175186&PMPXNO=20570663&cm_re=ItemDetail-_-ResultListing-_-SearchResults
Parent - By yojimbo (***) Date 03-10-2012 15:56
I found the same bevel convexity Hillbillydelux referenced.  Doesn't bother most welders but it bugs me for some dumb reason.  A 36 grit sanding disk on a 4" grinder does a slick job and doesn't round off the bevel like a Tiger paw.  It's a little more expensive to use those than a grinding wheel which will last a lot longer, but if your only shining up a smooth cut and not using the sanding disc to smooth out a torch nicked cut they last long enough.  Properly used a 7" X 1/8" griding wheel using the edge of the wheel and not the flat of the wheel will take care of it all but it does take some practice to do real well.  Using the flat of the grinding wheel produces the same bevel convexity in my experience as the Tiger paw although to a lesser degree, and if I'm working with a helper I like to show them how to use the edge of the wheel to get a nice flat bevel that looks machined.  Does take some practice and some helpers don't alway want to see why it would be important.  The best of them seem to have that nitpicky instinct that makes them want to take pride in a skill that is a little more difficult to master- those are the one's I like working with.
Parent - By rcwelding (***) Date 03-10-2012 16:23
I have never seen one of those Hillbilly..  I'm going to have to check them out... They look goofy..!!  They dont look like they would do a thing... My curiosity is up now..!!

Thanks for that link..!!
Parent - - By ibeweldingsum (***) Date 03-11-2012 03:59
I got one heck of a deal on a welding bed and a 1 1/2 to 4 in. H&M beveling machine for 750 bucks!
Parent - - By Pickupman (***) Date 03-11-2012 18:45
So you can keep the bed and I'll give you $50 for the beveler:grin::grin:.
Parent - By ibeweldingsum (***) Date 03-17-2012 02:19
LOL no I'm good
Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / Pipe Beveler

Powered by mwForum 2.29.2 © 1999-2013 Markus Wichitill