Shrink PVC pipe to suit your needs

I recently needed to reduce the end of a 2" PVC pipe to fit into my vac's exhaust hole. This process worked like a charm: First, stand the pipe on end. Using a handsaw, make four 1¹⁄₂ "-deep cuts at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock. Slide two hose clamps onto the slit end and adjust them to the existing diameter. Remove one clamp and leave the other near the ends of the cuts (above left). Apply heat to the PVC with a heat gun until the PVC softens. Then, slide the other clamp onto the pipe and tighten both clamps to close the four cuts (above right). After the PVC cools, remove the clamps and check the fit. If the pipe is still a bit large, cut more slits and repeat. I used the same process to shrink a 1¹⁄₂ " pipe to fit my vacuum-hose nozzle.
—Glen Perry, Greenville, Mich.