Cant figure out the chop saw notchcing...

[Fordman500]

I have got a 2" main hoop and a 1.75" harness bar. I am trying to join a piece of tube into the junction (which is 97.8*) and from there I am going to tie into a piece of rectangular tube which is running through the floor into the frame rails (subframe connectors). I measured the angle (on the right in the first pic and I got about 23 degrees. I dont know where to go from here... I read you subtract and add from the base angle which is 28 so id get 51 degrees for one cut and like 4 degrees for the other cut. it doesnt sound right...

[Fordman500]

Anyone? That was a practice piece but I still cant get it to fit right. Should the point of the tubes come together right in that corner as well?? I read all the other topics but those didnt tell me much other than doing a 90.

[Myanarchy]

save your paper towel tubes and use them to make the notches:D

[Fordman500]

save your paper towel tubes and use them to make the notches:D
I dont see how I can make that work if I cant notch a regular piece of tube....

[fj40forlife]

thats what I do........cut it and then you could see where you need to cut. works all the time

[Fordman500]

I just cant get the tube to fit at all, no matter how I cut it.. It doesnt slip over the joint.

[rockrknockr]

it looks close enough to just dress it up with the angle grinder?

[Fordman500]

it looks close enough to just dress it up with the angle grinder?
Well the point isnt in the junction right. DO I just remove material with the angle grinder where its hitting until it all rests flat??:idea:. Strength isnt huge here, I am just tieing the subframe connectors into the cage..

[Fordman500]

When I grind down the edge it doesnt tuck in right, just makes a bigger hole.... Man this is frustrating

[rockrknockr]

if you seen my notch/tie-in/welds you wouldn't be taking my advise but what i see in your pic looks close enough to me to start welding. but maybe i can't see it too well, i dunno. i know i have filled in some pretty big gaps on my cage and it is still strong.

[Fordman500]

I cant fill these with my stick welder, I really wish I had a mig at my house, I can fill anything with one of those.. I would rather it fit right and looked better though...

[Fordman500]

fawk this 50$ tommorow and I will just get a damn HF notcher

[DownNDirty]

Should just save your money. That HF notcher is worth almost as much as the scrap yard will give you. Your tube looks close enough to work by hand with a grinder and in about 5 minutes it would fit perfectly. A chop saw won't get you a perfect notch into a complex node. You have to get it close and then use your brain to get it to fit. If the opening gets bigger, you are grinding in the wrong place.

[foley]

Hack it with the chop saw until it looks like it might fit, then get the angle grinder out. Test fit it and mark everywhere the tube touches the mating part. Grind down where you've marked and re-fit. Now you'll have new places where the two tubes touch, but the overall notch will be closer to fitting. It's just an iterative process from there, keep marking and grinding and marking and grinding until it mates up around the full perimeter of the notch.

It takes a while to get the hang of it. I tend to get a lot of "green" help around my shop when I'm doing favors for people, and it's almost funny to watch someone learn how to do it. They get really pissy and frustrated but it just takes practice and you learn how to visualize the way the two tubes will go together.

[Fordman500]

I borrowed a buddies notcher and got some other work done today, finished the rear x (well almost) and got it all takced together. The only thing I should have done was build a new main hoop and make a nice node right in the drivers corner, but I think once its done there should be plenty of triangulation in that area. WHat I figured with the chopsaw thing ina node such as mine, you need to notch it so that the angle is correct on one tube, then work the side that meets up with the other tube with the grinder. I messed up making the "x" a few times so I ran out of tube, but I feel I am getting the hang of it a bit better. Thanks for the tips guys.

[howyadoin]

fawk this 50$ tommorow and I will just get a damn HF notcher

ummmmm.........that thing is the biggest POS ever.....pretzeled one on the very first cut....spend the money on something better!!!:grinpimp:

[Fordman500]

ummmmm.........that thing is the biggest POS ever.....pretzeled one on the very first cut....spend the money on something better!!!:grinpimp:
I have heard of doods using them so I figured that might be one of the 1% of good things from that store. Guess not :laughing:.

[Lil'John]

I'm one of those d00ds that had good luck with the HF tool... even did SEVERAL pieces of 1.5" DOM .5" wall thick. Did one at about a 60 degree angle:eek:

[Wicked_S10]

ummmmm.........that thing is the biggest POS ever.....pretzeled one on the very first cut....spend the money on something better!!!:grinpimp:

LMAO, on the HF one I tried, I twisted the threaded end off. Made a new spindle for it, and the next time I bound a hole saw, I wrapped the whole jig around the shaft. To it's credit, I straightened it back out, bolted it down flat on my 1/2" welding table, and finished my cage, but it was not worth the $50 or so. I ordered a pro tools one with my bender, and it is tits.

**Edit** And BTW, I have never been been able to get a notch to come out correct at a bend or node with just a notcher. I always hand grind the complex notches.

Later,
Jason

[Fordman500]

Yeah I see its harder than I thought. I didnt want to waste mroe tube, so I just ran it to the harness bar. It will be fine that way just maybe not as visually appealing. Speaking of visually appealing all I have at my house is a god damn stick welder and it looks ugly as fawk when I weld tube with 6011.:laughing:

[CJBoxer]

Try 6013 then, 7018 is easy to weld with also.

[Fordman500]

I have got some 6013 and it looks much better, also have the 7018ac. Ill probly mess with thta later today..

[Azrckcrawler]

fawk this 50$ tommorow and I will just get a damn HF notcher

I have done 3 builds with my HF notcher. They work good if you mount it to a drill press. If you must use a 1/2" drill you'll want to get one with a slow speed and clutch.

[Myanarchy]

I dont see how I can make that work if I cant notch a regular piece of tube....

Umm, put it on the tube and cut it till it fits at the angle you want, slide it over your other tube and mark it.


Then pull out the torch or plasma and make quick work of it.