HOW TO: Notching Tubing

[astroracer]

Hey guys, I don't know how many of you do your own cage or chassis work but this how I set up my jigs for notching tubing.
I set all of this up on one of my jig tables but it will work on any bench or table top you have handy.
These pics show my Harbour Freight tubing notcher clamped to a 90* angle plate. This is simple to set up and doesn't require a lot of thought...

From the backside...

Cutting the first notch is the easy part. No orientation, no length to worry about. Just clamp the tube in the notcher and do the deed.
Cutting the second notch is where some planning needs to be done. Getting the LENGTH and the notch ORIENTATION correct is critical to having a usable part versus something to practice welding on...
To do the second notch I bolted a short piece of the mating tubing to another angle plate and use this to nest the "first" notch into while cutting the second notch.

This way I can establish the correct length AND notch orientation in one easy step... Set the tubing length between the outside diameter of the tubing and holesaw, in this case 23 inches, square up the jigs, clamp it all down and cut the second notch. Once it's set up any additional tubes will be identical to the first so measure twice and cut once...

Cutting the second notch...


Thanks for looking
Mark

[tbody321]

great idea... Thanks for sharing it

[CarterKraft]

Thanks for showing. That is a great way to perform a tough operation.

[astroracer]

Thanks guys, I'm glad someone can use the info...
Just an update....
I did a quick mock-up of the new lower rails and crossmembers this past weekend to see what the fit-up looks like.

A couple more... The notches came out great and I have some really nice tight fitting joints for Tig welding.

I still have to clean up all of the welding surfaces yet, this is just a look see for fit-up. I will go over all of the joints with a flap wheel on the die grinder to prep for welding...
Thanks for looking.
Mark

[Dawai]

Been waiting on someone to come up with a intersecting program.. I got a joint jigger, thou mine came from speedway motors. What you are doing is two dimensional, not intersecting loops of different widths and or index angles. Forward and reverse angles yes.

I got a cnc tube bender. I use BendTech ez bend software not wasted a piece of tube since I bought it. It gives index angles in addition to the distances between bends, fit ups of angle intersections have all been right on.

Now a sharp fellow, he could come up with a fish-mouth program, using the intersect and scribed 0degree line down a tube, and print off 1:1 patterns to be scribed on the tube from any printer.. Kinda like a fitters wrap-around.

I was wanting to email Chris, author of bendtech.. He was quite busy the last time I wrote him thou on a design software for full cages. It would make a excellent addition to his software.

[tpinkard]

Thanks Mark,
I realy appreciate it when someone shows how they're doing something. With pics it so much easier to comprehend. How is the HF tube notcher working for you? Does HF have those right angle plates? Thanks again.
Tim

[astroracer]

Originally Posted by David E Cofer

Now a sharp fellow, he could come up with a fish-mouth program, using the intersect and scribed 0degree line down a tube, and print off 1:1 patterns to be scribed on the tube from any printer.. Kinda like a fitters wrap-around.

Like this one Dave?...
http://www.metalgeek.com/static/cope.pcgi
It works and is fairly accurate.
I did a few notches using this method but found it time consuming and it is still tedious to align the notches from one end to another.

Tim, it works just fine... I got this one off eBay for $28 bucks... Shipped. I keep the spindle lubed with WD-40 and have had no problems notching 2" OD x .125 wall tubing with it...
What I was doing the other day was 2" x .095 wall and the notcher went through it smooth and fast... I use good holesaws though... Look here...
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...PMPXNO=3008824
I got the angle plates off eBay also...
Mark

[Dawai]

Good deal friend..

As soon as I can understand the math, I can type it into visual basic and do a windows version to upload back to him.. Right now I am up to my ears in Non-shop related projects. (10 year old daughter fixing to do a belt test in Karate)

Exactly what I wanted.. NOW to be able to roll and cut that tube, it'd take the indexer and positioner from my cnc bender and a torch.. THE bendtech software does indexing, and then it does the actual length cuts.. meaning it would all work together in the layouts. I have a trolley, and a lathe type indexer on the bender. Meaning.. it should all work to spit out a tube ready to weld in.. ha.. (missed by this much)..

Where was ya at? stop by if ya run south or north on I-75, I owe you a cup of coffee.

[fabcam]

Originally Posted by David E Cofer

Been waiting on someone to come up with a intersecting program.. I got a joint jigger, thou mine came from speedway motors. What you are doing is two dimensional, not intersecting loops of different widths and or index angles. Forward and reverse angles yes.

I got a cnc tube bender. I use BendTech ez bend software not wasted a piece of tube since I bought it. It gives index angles in addition to the distances between bends, fit ups of angle intersections have all been right on.

Now a sharp fellow, he could come up with a fish-mouth program, using the intersect and scribed 0degree line down a tube, and print off 1:1 patterns to be scribed on the tube from any printer.. Kinda like a fitters wrap-around.

I was wanting to email Chris, author of bendtech.. He was quite busy the last time I wrote him thou on a design software for full cages. It would make a excellent addition to his software.

Dave,

I have been working on something.









Cris

[j13l]

Wishing to learn to program with Web (HTML, Javascript, PHP ...), I made a small script to calculate the angles of cutting.

http://snip.awardspace.com/

Good notching with saw.