Picking the right cutting, gripping and checking tool for the job, and using it safely.
Cutting pipe
A rotary pipe cutter (pipe slice) gives copper tube a clean, square cut with very little swarf, which helps the pipe seat correctly in a fitting. It can still leave an internal burr, so deburr the cut end whichever tool you used. Annealed microbore is the exception. The Copper Development Association's guide says annealed copper tube in the 6, 8 and 10 mm sizes should be cut with a junior hacksaw; rotary cutters are commonly used on other copper tube up to 54 mm. A hacksaw can leave slivers as well as burrs, so remove both. Cut rigid plastic waste pipe square with a fine-toothed saw and mitre block, or a suitable purpose-made cutter, then remove burrs. Check the socket instructions before chamfering: an ordinary ring-seal connection commonly needs a bevel to protect the seal, while some special sockets require a square, unchamfered end.
Gripping and turning
Use an adjustable or correctly sized open-ended spanner on a compression nut’s flats, supporting the fitting as its instructions require. Toothed grips can damage those flats. In a confined space behind a sink or basin, choose a basin wrench that fits the nut: a fixed crowsfoot and a long-reach swivelling-head wrench are different designs.
A press fitting must be made with the tool and jaw profile the manufacturer specifies, kept serviceable and in calibration. The correct jaw forms the joint to the intended geometry and force; a worn or wrong jaw can still complete a press cycle while leaving a joint that leaks or fails later.
Checking before you start
Inspect a power tool’s lead and plug before use for visible damage, loose parts or overheating, and remove suspect equipment from service. These checks come on top of the inspection and testing the equipment’s use and risk call for; a PAT label does not mean the tool is safe today.
Before drilling, check service plans, visible routes and both sides of the wall, then use a suitable detector, knowing it may miss a pipe or cable. Sort out any uncertain route, and arrange isolation, before you cut.
A spirit level checks level or plumb. A specified drainage fall needs a gradient vial, a measured rise over a known length, or another appropriate setting-out method; simply centring an ordinary horizontal vial would remove the fall.
The right tool for the job
Using the correct tool, rather than improvising with whatever is to hand, gives a safer and more reliable result. The wrong tool stays hazardous even used carefully, and a tidy work area, with offcuts, leads and tools cleared away, keeps access and escape routes free of trip hazards.