My tube cutting jig

[augendoc]

I recently finished the Mk. 2 version of my tube cutting jig. The first one did not have a measuring scale and the sliding block was held in place with an adjustable clamp. So my upgrade now has a built in measuring scale and the sliding block is locked into position with a T-bolt in T-track. The cutting end uses Logan #269 or #270 matt-cutting blades. They are slightly thicker and stiffer than the usual single-edge razor blades and they are flat - in that they don't have a rear stiffener. These blades are sharper than the usual razor blades and hold up for a long time. That, plus you can change the portion of the blade contacting the body tube so you can get a fresh cut. The flatness of these blades allows me to tightly clamp the blades into an adjustable position depending on the size of body tube. I turned appropriate sized hardwood mandrels on my lathe and insert those inside the body tube to give some stiffness against which I can push the body tube while cutting. This gives a uniform clean cut with no deflection of the tube. The funky slot in the clamping face of the sliding block is a booboo from when I made the Mk. 1. When I'm done cutting tubes I move the sliding block all the way up against the cutting blade to protect me and the blade. This jig will cut everything from BT-3 all the way up to 4" material. Beyond that, I'll have to use other techniques. The nice thing about this jig is the cuts are dead square and you can make multiple body tube parts of the exact same length.