Going to the Chelsea Flower Show was a BAD idea......

[puffernutter]

It gave SWMBO far too many ideas....

I now have 2 x 205 litre blue plastic drums that I need to cut in half for planting trees and creating a water garden!

What is the best way of getting a true and neat cut (apart from in my case, getting someone more capable to do it :-)

Initially, how do I mark the mid point of the barrel to even think about cutting it?

Would a jig saw with a fine toothed blade work?

Cheers

Peter

 

[daedalusminos]

First of all tell SWMBO how difficult it is to cut these down accurately and maintain a nice neat edge.
She'll spout out something about you being more than capable.
Now you're meant to rise to the challenge, you might even go to the time and trouble of posting on some forums asking for advice.
But the most important thing is that you ignore all advice, bugger up the first one badly to which she'll get professional help.

Job done!

 

[addjunkie]

Go see your local live stock farmer and ask him for large empty lick buckets. The round ones make good planters. And he will have to pay to dispose of them

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Jigsaw with a fine metalcutting blade.
Stone cutting diamond disk in a grinder works too.

Masking tape around the middle and as many measurements as possible.
Join them up with a thin flexible straightedge.

 

[pedrobedro]

A jigsaw or sabre saw as slow a cut as possible as the plastic will heat up and join back together behind the blade if you run it fast. I used a coarse wood blade and it worked well.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

If you wrap a length of wall paper round the drum this will give you a straight line to follow.
I start the cut with a jigsaw and coarse wood blade and a bit of WD40 (a fine metal cutting blade will clog in no time) and when the cut is long enough I use a 8TPI handsaw as it's quicker and doesn't melt the plastic.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Wrap tape round in line with were the cut is needed. Follow the tape.

Remove tape and file clean.

Add a length of pipe to soften edges.

Have a beer.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

@puffernutter Explain to her that irrespective of how much time, effort and love you put into realising her vision, they will always look like the poor cousins of a 'proper' planter worthy of appearing in a TV make-over series.

Steer her to these, but point out that she might need to sacrifice/'rationalise' some of her current expenditure. https://www.europlanters.co.uk/planters/Large_Trough_Planters.html

We'll come and visit you in hospital..........