Question about pipe beveling with a torch vs. a grinder

I've been a boilermaker for about 8 years now, and I always swore by using a grinder for beveling pipe ends. Thought it gave me more control and a cleaner finish. But last month on a job at a chemical plant in Baton Rouge, this old-timer kept pushing me to try a torch beveling head on my cutting rig. I was super skeptical, figured it would leave a rough edge that needed cleanup anyway. After he showed me his setup on a 6-inch schedule 80 pipe, I gave it a shot on one joint. The bevel came out surprisingly uniform and took less than half the time of my grinder method. Now I'm wondering if I've been wasting time all these years. Who else has switched methods and what finally convinced you to try something different?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul3303d ago

How clean did the inside of the pipe look after the torch bevel? I've heard you get a lot more slag buildup on the ID compared to grinding.

coleman.christopher2d agoMost Upvoted

@paul330 Nah it wasn't too bad honestly. I hit it with a wire brush right after and most of it flaked off easy. Still had a little bit of hardened stuff near the root but nothing a quick file couldn't clean up. Way less mess than I expected compared to a grinder.