Tube notcher

As long as your ceiling is high enough to clear the length of tubing clamped to the mill table a milling machine should work well. I think it would actually be better than a tube notcher if you build the righ fixture .

stan

Ivan Vegvary wrote:

Ivan Vegvary wrote in article ...

I use a vertically-mounted rotary table and a 1-3/4" roughing mill to notch .095" wall race car roll cage tubing on a 1 HP mill-drill.

The rotary table just makes it a bit easier to match angles. I can measure the tube location on the car with a protractor, then dial in that angle on the rotary table.

Works great for me!

Bob Paulin - R.A.C.E. Race Car Chassis Analysis & Setup Services

Tried both ways, found the notcher is faster most of the time, easier to set up and results not a hell of a lot different. HF notcher works well, depends more on which hole saws you buy than on the notcher.

Need, probably not. Now WANT is another think entirely :)

It depends on how much notching you intend to do.

The vertical mill with a roughing endmill or a hole saw will do a good job.

Williams Low buck tools makes an inexpensive notcher that does a reasonable job. It is much faster than the mill but the notches are not as form fitting as mill. The gaps require more filler rod to close up.

I have also used a lathe for notching tubing. I put a hole saw in the 3 jaw chuck. I made up a block that mounted on the compound in place of the tool holder. It had a hole bored the size of the tubing. The hole is located at center height of the lathe. I sawed a slit and used a pinch bolt to hold the tubing tightly. The compound is used to control the angle of the notch. I also used a protractor to scribe a bunch of lines around the circumference of the hole that holds the tubing. You can use this to "clock" a piece that has a bend in it. All you need is a scribe mark on the tubing that is in line with the plane of the bend and you can orient the part on the lathe.

Whatcha building?

Erich