Guest ON3GO Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 did a few searchs and some really helped.. thanks Grummyvette! but i still have a few un-answered. i think i want to start going crazy on really building some nice parts for my Z's and i want to start on piping. i know i wont beable to make such nice parts like headers, exhaust piping, and etc like James or others on here but i wont get better if i dont try right. so besides the welders what other tools should i get? i cant afford a nice bender so i guess ill have to do it the hard way and JDM way, no bent pipes just abunch of little parts of piping welded together to form a bend. i know this is VERY hard to do but i want to try it and if i cant then i just have to keep on trying. so please no comments telling me not to do it that way.. thank you .. so what kind of saw will i need to cut nice cut pipes, and thin cuts at that! and im guessing ill need a type of file so can shave down some pipes in some areas. also remember im broke and a young student, but i do want to start doing this because im thinking this is my calling for my work in life, and i really would love to learn you know. but just like i said im broke so if i can find used tools then thats great, cuz i think i have 32 bucks in my bank account as of today, its awesome being me! so thanks guys and wish me luck! mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 Bending pipes that way is not hard at all. You just cut 80% of the way through a pipe and bend it open. Then you take another pipe and cut little wedges with a chop saw. Take your wedges and weld them into the original pipe. My whole exhaust system on my truck was done that way by a friend of mine about 10 years ago. Easy. Easier still is just buying mandrel bends and cutting and welding them, especially when its a relatively simple exhaust system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ON3GO Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 ya i understand what your saying but i want to be different and make things the more exotic way. if i plan to make a life off this later on i need to be a step head of everybody else and i just love custom work. plus i dont have money to by nice bent pipes again so i gotta do it the way i said mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love-my-V8-280Z Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 You may even consider taking a part time job at a muffler shop. They pay so little I would think it would not be to hard to bug one of them into hiring you. This way also you could find out if this is what you want to do for a living,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHO-Z Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 If you are really interested in welding and all, you might want to check into becoming an pipefitter or evan an electrician apprentice. I worked as a pipefitter for almost 20 years and enjoyed it until a career ending back injury. Check with the local unions and sign up with thier programs if you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 Bending pipes that way is not hard at all. You just cut 80% of the way through a pipe and bend it open. Then you take another pipe and cut little wedges with a chop saw. Take your wedges and weld them into the original pipe. No, no, no, no, no, no... I keep hearing the Beverly Hillbillie's them running through my head. Jon's s econd suggestion is so much better: Easier still is just buying mandrel bends and cutting and welding them, especially when its a relatively simple exhaust system. Do it right the first time. I can't frickin' believe some of the crap I see that wears the holy "JDM" moniker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ON3GO Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 Do it right the first time. I can't frickin' believe some of the crap I see that wears the holy "JDM" moniker. i didnt want to say the JDM word around here but i had no other way of saying what i ment. i dont know if you read my post.. im very broke right now and i just want to practice, hell on any cheap pipe. i dont care if i use the pipe at all but i wont learn how to do it correct if i dont do it at all. i cant afford nice pre-bent piping, i can afford or FIND and nice straight pipe that i can cut and cut and cut to make bends. yes its the hard way but thats all i really have to work with. And even if it doesnt flow as good (which i cant believe is true) it will still help my welding get better and better. so you see what i have to work with now? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 And even if it doesn't flow as good (which i cant believe is true) it will still help my welding get better and better. Its true, its very true. Use that kind of stuff for practice, but don't put it on a car. Buy some 1.5" diameter .095 wall mild steel tubing. Cut it into 4" lengths and then fish mouth the ends using a file. Weld the tubes perpendicular to each other (like tube joints in a roll bar). You'll learn how to make the fish mouths correctly (nice tight fits to the other tubes) and how to weld tube joints. When you're happy with 90 degree joints (make sure they are exactly 90 degrees), start doing 45, 30, and 60 degree tube joints. This kind of practice will help you become proficient much quicker then butt welding exhaust tubing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ON3GO Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 thank you very much John for helping me out on this, I thank you much! i'll try what you said and just keep trying to do better each time. reason why i like this type of work so much is i have a good eye, i can see when something is just a TAD off and im good with my hands, and plus i think i can make something of myself by doing this. im not one that needs lots of money to live happy, as long as i can pay my bills and have enough left over to support myself and my family and maybe a little bit left to get some car parts ill be happy! thanks again Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-TARD Posted May 23, 2004 Share Posted May 23, 2004 For any kind of pipe work, I'd recomend at least two pieces of equipment: Chop saw (like a radial arm wood saw kind of, but with an abrasive blade for cutting metal), and a combination disc/belt sander. Chop saws are great for making thin cuts (1/8") in thinwall exhaust tubing, although it does leave a lot of ragged metal on the ends of the cuts that needs to be ground off. This is where the sander comes in handy. You can also use it to fine tune the fit up of an exhaust system by removing small amounts of metal to make all the angles on a joint line up. The "pie wedge" style cuts are actually called miter cuts, and any manual on pipe fitting should have a detailed section on how to lay out and fabricate bends using this technique. Done correctly they should flow pretty well, but not as good as a mandrel bent pipe. An example I've seen of this was on saltwater piping on a ship for an engine cooling system. An emergency repair was done on an elbow by using a miter cut section of pipe. The pipe was welded with an internal argon purge to prevent oxidation of the weld on the inside, so there were no protruding weld deposits on the inside to resrict flow. After installation on the system the pipe only lasted for 3 weeks before the salt water had worn its way through the pipe on the backside radius of the miter cut bend. Later we were able to use a mandrel bent section of piping for a legitimate repair. Under the same PSI and flow rate as the miter cut section, the mandrel bend was still holding up fine over 2 years later. I realize that engine exhaust flows with just a tad less resistance than saltwater at 150 PSI, but it does put into contrast the flow resrictions imposed my miter cut bends. I think the difference would be much less significant on cars exhaust though. You'd probably never notice it unless you were racing at high engine rpm's for long periods of time. I also can't stress enough the importance of using stainless tubing for making miter cut bends. Regular aluminized tubing will lose the aluminized coating anywhere within about an inch of where it is welded, so all of your sweet looking welded bends will end up looking like pooh within a short period of time. Other tools that might be nice: Tubing notcher (like a combination drill press/hole saw) Hand held electric grinder (for making "fish mouths" with lightning speed) Hope this helps out a little, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-TARD Posted May 23, 2004 Share Posted May 23, 2004 Here's a pretty good TIG machine if you're on a budget. TIG is always kinda pricy, but I've used one of these before and they are definitely worth it. Plus it runs on 115 Volts so you can weld in your living room A google search for Miller Maxstar 140 might be able to come up with better prices as well. http://www.jandrweldingsupply.com/store/Maxstar140.html Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsumner Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 If you want to go low budget use a hacksaw to cut your pipe and check into renting a welder for a day or weekend. You might also talk to your local welding supply shop about practicing on their demo equipement. Later ,Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdmz Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 For cheap tubing go to your local thrift store and get several old bicycles. I have purchase bikes for $1 before. Just cut them up and paractice away! You can also make stuff like recumbent bicycles or mini choppers. This will give you a feel for how strong your weld are turning out. Make a bike and ride it - if it falls apart you still need to practice. IMO if you make things that function you will learn faster. It will also give you an excuse to make jigs for allignments. BTW, Harbour Freight has a metal cutting chop saw that sells for about $50, if you can afford one it will really speed your work up. Otherwise a hack saw and file will work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 these guys know what it takes for tubing to be done right. This is from their tech section on their website, search around their homepage, and you will find out all sorts of stuff about tubing! http://www.burnsstainless.com/TechArticles/Construction/construction.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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