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pvc position clamps

angle clamps for pvc (or any) pipe
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Fitting pvc pipe is a pain where there are a lot of joints involved. You have to measure the required distances, and then allow for the amount of space taken up by the joint. If the pipe is not measured and cut correctly, the angles are off, and the seals are less sound.

I'm sure there are a lot of tricks and techniques to fitting pipe of any kind, but for the occasional do-it-yourself kind of guy, this is more of an investment of time than it may be worth.

I would like some clamps that are specifically designed to dry-fit pvc pipe. This is how they would work:

The clamps would be so built that the user could snap the pipe into it from the side. They would have a cross-section resembling a "C", and would be some 3 inches long.

Two of these clamps would form an angle, their openings directly opposite of where they join. Thus, two pipes could be joined at right angles to one another, but slightly overlapping. The clamps come in an appropriate variety of angles.

By getting an estimate of how long the individual pipes must be, they pipes can be generously cut at the outset, and then dry-fit into the clamps to form the desired arrangement.

The clamps have small slots cut into them at the appropriate places relative to their intersections that, once the appropriate positioning is found, will allow you to mark the proper places to cut the pipe. This can be achieved with any marking device, and because the slot forms a stencil of sorts, could even be achieved by a quick spray of chalk paint.

Having thus marked the pipes, and numbering the same sequentially, they may be disassembled and cut to perfect length. The type and direction of the joint being also stenciled in the same manner as the cut-mark, the reassembly in the traditional manner should found to present little difficulty, as all can be laid easily end-to-end before beginning.

Note that the claps hold well, but allow for some sliding in order to position the pipes to a certain angle. This will be useful when the sides of the angle are very large, and the use of a square is necessary to ensure that the angle remains true. It may also do to have some such clips made such that they can be adjusted through a range of angles, so that adjustments can be made on the fly.

Note also that this would work on any kind of pipe, but other types of pipe are usually done by professionals who would think that this idea is very silly.

Also, a laser pointer with adjustable flanges that hold it inside of a piece of pipe (with a little piece of string for retrieval) would be useful in making measurements for joints.

nomocrow, Aug 18 2008

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8th of 7, Aug 18 2008
  

       I suspect a set of adjustable units with detents for the various common fittings would be best. Its a good idea for brainstorming. Maybe a few telescoping rigid tubes of adjustable length to stand in for pipe could be added to the kit. Cutting your pipe and dry fitting only to realize that you want to do it differently is a waste. Good idea!
WcW, Aug 19 2008
  

       Agreed. Good idea. The next concept should be flexible PVC joints that allow constructions in any configuration, at any arbitrary angle.
jurist, Aug 19 2008
  
      
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