Tubing notcher...what's out there that's Ford quality/price, not flipping $400 bucks!

[nvrstuk]

I had a couple of great recommendations but 400 bucks is too much for me anyway. Anybody recommend something that works pretty dang good but doesn't cost more than a JD3 bender? : )

I'm not doing production ...

Thanks!

 

[Rustytruck]

Take a tube and with a 4 inch grinder cut out the notch. now wrap a plastic sheet around the notched tube and cut out the notch in the plastic. From now on take that plastic sheet to your un-notched tube and wrap it around the tube and trace the outline with a Sharpie marker. Then take the grinder and grind out all the excess steel and the black line. You will be surprised at just how quick this really is.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Cheap notching trick. Thirds.

Take 1-½" tubing (easy to figure the math on this)
First half an inch, cut at a 45° angle. Second third of an inch, leave alone. Third third of an inch, cut at a 45° angle. Eyeball the cuts is fine. Use a sawzall. For the 1-½" tubing there will be two ½" tabs and either side cut away at 45° angles. Kiss it up with an angle grinder. The way the cuts are it already leaves a nice bevel for the weld.

Ford quality, have you looked at the welds on your frame? This will turn out better than those.

 

[Apogee]

Harbor Freight for $50: https://www.harborfreight.com/pipe-tubing-notcher-42324.html

Summit sells them from $86 to $7500...Woodward Fab, Allstar Performance and Proform Parts all have similar units that look a lot like the Pro-Tools notcher and is similar to the HF unit above. I can't speak for the quality of these, but I've used the Pro-Tools version and it gets the job done.

 

[73azbronco]

CRAIGSLIST, then sell when done.

https://wenatchee.craigslist.org/tls/6141716166.html

 

[rjrobin2002]

I have this in 1 1/2" and can notch an entire cage in a few hours with an angle grinder and cutting disk.

https://m.summitracing.com/parts/pf...YBP7DzJrAT-BH5ODUQnXWCXjMOCF61VbfsaApHj8P8HAQ

 

[nvrstuk]

Yeah, the Ford quality line was a joke...kinda like spreading seam sealer on 3/4" wide x 3/8" deep in spots!! lol

I appreciate all the ideas...

 

[SteveL]

I used the hf style notcher and it worked fine. I would recommend using a decent power drill with it. Doing bulk large holes or notches will smoke a good cordless.

 

[broncoitis]

I used the hf style notcher and it worked fine. I would recommend using a decent power drill with it. Doing bulk large holes or notches will smoke a good cordless.

X2 on the drill! This actually might be the most important part of the whole thing! Ideally you want a drill that only spins at lower rpm in my experience with the hole saws that you need to use! If it spins too fast you are going to ruin the hole saw very quickly and some cutting oil is not a bad thing either. I think I talked to Mike at protofab and he rocommended something like 700 RPM or so! Good Luck!

Someone correct me if I am wrong please because this is coming off of memory and a little cloudy on this as I haven't done any building in a long time!

 

[o2bnmud]

I have a HF notcher, bolted it to my drill press, used a new hole saw, ran it slow with cutting oil, and fine tuned with a sander. Worked well for my cage.

Brian,
Check with Big Rick, I'll bet he has what you need.

 

[langester]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHBanmfn_CA

Its just as effective to do it this way and saves on a notcher. Works on strange angles as well.

 

[nvrstuk]

Drill's not an issue...got my old Milwaukee Hole Hawg that'll wrap ya in circles around it...

 

[ntsqd]

So this is probably not an option?

https://www.mittlerbros.com/mittler...ded-variable-speed-ultimate-tube-notcher.html

;D

 

[nvrstuk]

Yeah, that looks like a budget buster!!!!!

 

[ntsqd]

meh, it's only 16.25 times the price you're complaining about. Get two!

 

[Yeller]

I started with a HF one for a good while, it will build a few cages, I've since bought a protools that I've used for a lot of years. IMO there are a lot of better options out there now than what I have. When you kill the HF one its real easy to make a bearing holder for the shaft after the bushing gives up, did one for a buddy that was tired of driving over to use mine.

IMO a lot of guys get way to carried away with notch fitment, it needs to fit but seeing daylight that is less than the thickness of the material isn't an issue, I'm sure I'll get flamed for this but weld material is stronger than the tube and in pipe fitting guess what, they gap the every weld so its got weld material all the way through. it needs to fit and it needs to be close but absolutely tight fitting isn't necessary.

 

[ntsqd]

A tight fit is much more important to the guy who is going to TIG weld it than it is to the guy going to MIG weld it. MIG doesn't have the same penetration as TIG, the gap is what gets it there. TIG doesn't fill the gap very well, but does penetrate though it may need a "wash-weld" second pass to get a large enough fillet.

I think of all welds as "on-site castings" (thank you, Carroll Smith). Whether they're stronger or weaker than the base metal is too subjective. However, as a class they are more brittle in and around the HAZ than is the base metal unless some post-weld processing is done or the technique includes pre- and post-heating.

 

[nvrstuk]

Good stuff...sounds like my old metallurgy and welding process classes... course, all I remember are the titles 'cause it was soooo long ago! lol