If you've ever tried to saw a piece of tube to an exact length by eye, or file a perfect 45° corner for a box, you'll know how fiddly it is. A mitre vice and a tube cutting jig take the guesswork out. They hold the work steady and give your saw and file a hardened guide, so every cut comes out square, at the right angle and the same length as the last one.
Mitre vice or tube cutting jig: what's the difference?
A mitre vice (also called a mitre jig) is a small hardened steel block with guide faces set at fixed angles. You clamp tube, rod, wire or strip in it, saw close to the line, then file the end flush with the guide face. Because the face is hardened, the file stops at exactly the right angle.
- A 2-way mitre vice gives you 45° and 90°, which covers most box corners, frames and square ends.
- A 5-way mitre vice adds 60° for hexagonal and triangular shapes, and has stop pins for repeat lengths.
A tube cutting jig is made for cutting tube and rod to identical lengths. The work sits in a V-groove against an adjustable stop, and a slot guides your saw straight across. Our jig holds tube and rod up to 3 mm (1/8") and cuts lengths up to 35 mm.
How to use a tube cutting jig
- Set the length. Slide the stop to the length you want and lock the thumb screw.
- Load the tube. Lay the tube in the V-groove and push it up against the stop.
- Hold and saw. Hold the tube down with your thumb and saw through the guide slot with a fine jeweller's saw blade. Let the blade do the work with long, light strokes.
- Repeat. Push the tube up to the stop again and cut the next piece. Every piece comes out the same length, which is exactly what you need for hinge knuckles.
How to use a mitre vice
- Mark and clamp. Clamp the tube or strip in the vice with the end sticking out just past the guide face you want.
- Saw close to the line. Saw just outside the guide face. You don't need to be perfect.
- File it flush. Run a flat needle file across the guide face until the end of the work is flush with it. The hardened face stops the file, so you get a true 45°, 60° or 90° every time.
- Check the fit. Two 45° ends should meet in a neat, gap-free right angle, ready to solder.
What jewellers use them for
- Hinges. Cutting tube (chenier) into equal knuckles for lockets, boxes and bracelets.
- Boxes and frames. Mitred corners for boxes, picture frames and square bezels.
- Settings and tube settings. Square-ended tube for setting round stones.
- Repeat parts. Rod, wire and strip cut to the same length for rivets, spacers and links.
- Model making. Brass and copper tube and rod work in miniatures and models.
Which one should you buy?
Mostly cutting tube to length? Start with a tube cutting jig. The tube cutting jig & 80 mm saw frame set includes the frame and 12 blades, so you can start straight away.
Making boxes, frames and corners? Choose a mitre vice. Our 2-way mitre vice (45° & 90°) covers most work, and the 5-way mitre vice (45°, 60° & 90°) adds hexagon and triangle angles.
Want the full kit? The 5-way mitre vice & tube cutting jig set covers both jobs, and the tube jig, 5-way mitre vice & saw frame set adds a saw frame and blades, so it's everything you need in one box.
A few tips
- Use a fine saw blade for thin-walled tube so it doesn't catch or crush the tube. Our guide on how to fit a jeweller's saw blade will help if your blades keep snapping.
- Don't over-tighten the clamp on thin tube, or you'll squash it out of round.
- Brush away filings after use and add a drop of light oil to the screws now and then.
You'll find all our mitre vices, tube jigs and sets in the Mitre Jigs, Disc Cutters & Punches collection, with saw frames and other bench tools in Bench Tools, Vices & Saws. Not sure which one suits your work? Drop us a message and we'll happily help you choose.