Fitting Nursery Pots

[treebeard55]

Like Jason, I've found sheet-metal shears, a.k.a. tin snips, to be the best option in a hand tool. Be sure you have snips designed for straight cut, not left- or right-.

I've also used a soldering iron. Takes longer, but there's no cracking, and it leaves no sharp edge.

 

[Smoke]

I use a diamond blade in my mini grinder and I can cut one down in about 9 seconds. No teeth to hang up, and no teeth to cut your fingers off with. Simple.

 

[Klytus]

There is also the possibility of Japanese pull saws,finely serrated for bamboo and plastics.

 

[woodguy]

Im with SpecK, here I think utility knife is way more dangerous than Tablesaw.
I've cut many hundreds of pots this way.

I agree with that. A pot with any substantial wall thickness should not be cut with a utility knife. Way too much chance for a mishap. My only real problem with the table saw suggestion is this. If you know what you are doing and want to take the risk, which is certainly there, go right ahead. But it can be very dangerous to just tell someone to do it who may have very little or no experience, without including a precautionary statement.

Rock- Hadn't thought of adding a new bottom to the cut off tops. Great idea. I some times turn the top over and and put it around the bottom and rivet them together. Great for adding stiffness to the flimsier pots.

Speck- Did not see that Mythbusters but I bet they gummed up that saw good with the duct tape.

 

[Specialkayme]

They never talked about it. Just showed clips of running inch thick or so duct tape panels through a table saw. Made me shudder.

 

[Mark D.]

They never talked about it. Just showed clips of running inch thick or so duct tape panels through a table saw. Made me shudder.

For those interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE8nK4T_WsI&t=2m18s

Had I not seen it, I wouldn't have believed the level of stupidity... I have a 10" left tilt 3hp cabinet saw... the thought of pushing a 1" thick duct tape panel through it scares the cr*p out of me...

 

[treebeard55]

Were we that foolish when we were that age and wanted to prove something??

(The scariest part is that the answer may be "yes.")

 

[Mike Westervelt]

I've done this quite a bit, using straigt tin snips cut perpendicular to the rim down to desired height, then follow line around. Then slip top half inside(may need trimming if bottom half is shorter) pull out tight and mark where lip overlaps itself, then notch off lip only to leave lap on pot body. Then I usually just use short screws from outside below soil level, but rivets would be better.
For super heavy pots I've employed various handsaws like a hacksaw, or backsaw and cut until you just break through, roll and continue around.
No tablesaw!!! make me cringe to even picture that, and yes I have one am am experienced

 

[Mark D.]

Mike, slipping the existing rim down into the pot after cutting is a great idea!