I'm considering replacing the 6" stove pipe coming from the back of my wood stove. The length of the straight run is 38 1/2" and 2 sections of pipe were used before. Each originally was 24" long, but one was cut to 14 1/2" to fit. I'd prefer not to use the kind of pipe that's connected only after cutting it with metal snips, since I've read a lot about how difficult it is to assemble them. Would I need to use a hacksaw or is there a better way to cut the pipe? Also, is 24 gauge appropriate? Thank you for your help.