Never been a fan of black pipe... I have a fair selection, however, the only ones I use are my long throated Jets.
Pipe clamps (at least the ones I have access to) still have a fixed tail which make balancing more difficult unless you have the correct length.
At my age, I never sacrifice convenience for cost... I might as well spend it, than let my kids piss it up against the wall when I go... let them worry about disposing of my tools... on my demise, you'll be able to pick up some bargains if you're prepared to visit their garage sale..
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD