Jump to content
HybridZ

WOW this would help with making headers or cages....


80LS1T

Recommended Posts

I wish I would have found this when I made my header! I just saw them on ESPN while watching a show in drag racing. They seem like a good idea for making headers or cages in cars! Seem kind of pricey but if you are making a set of headers or a cage they will seem like chump change when you look at the cost of pipes that are in mandrel bends. Costs a lot less to make the cut once!

 

http://www.pipemastertools.com/

 

 

http://pipemastertools.com/store/page1.html

 

 

Guy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Got 'em. They work well but are kind of a luxury item. I watched Dave Kent use cut up empty beer cans to find the contour (he had lots of those lying around the shop). He would cut the top and bottoms off with tin snips, split the can, wrap it around the bar and secure it with duct tape, and then slam it into the pipe joint.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used the cardboard paper towel inner roll. Used scissors to cut the end to the shape I needed, then slipped it over the tube and transferred the shape. For tubing larger than the roll, I cut the roll lenth-wise ans taped 2 rolls together to make it a larger diameter template. Works great and is free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In line with this thread, I noticed that blindchickenracing uses and recommends a cheap tubing notching jig from Harbor freight. Seems to work. http://www.blindchickenracing.com/Tools/Tube%20Notcher/Tubing%20Notcher.htm

 

I like JohnC's beer can procedure for truly complex cuts. (Especially emptying the cans whilst contemplating the level of difficulty involved).:mrgreen:

 

 

.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have that tubing notcher A.G. Works really well, surprisingly. The main problem I have is that it takes a 1/2" drill and my 1/2" air drill must flow 30 CFM or something, because the minute I hit the trigger the air compressor kicks on. :lol: Guess I need an electric drill. I did have to shim the notcher just a hair. It was cutting off to one side of the pipe just a bit. I put a super thin washer in between the frame and the part that holds the drill and now it's hitting dead center on the tube. I had pretty much decided I was getting this tool, then the guy who bent my rollbar suggested it as well. He builds rally cars and does all of his cages with the same HF special notcher. I know some guys who build rock crawling buggies and they actually fish mouth everything, and that just seems like a huge PITA.

 

If my cage required more elaborate connections of 3 or 4 pipes into the same node I would definitely consider the tool that started the thread. In fact I was at the welding supply place getting some more gas and they had one on the counter. I asked for a price but they couldn't find it, and they didn't have the right size in stock either, but I did get to play with their demo model and it seems to work really well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You guys are all too fancy.

 

Just butt the squared off pipe to the side of the other and make multiple passes with the MIG.

 

Fills in real good.

 

 

I'm inclined to do the same, but I think this is "cheating". Sort of like mandrel bends on exhausts that aren't radius cut.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You guys are all too fancy.

 

Just butt the squared off pipe to the side of the other and make multiple passes with the MIG.

 

Fills in real good.

 

Why bother building a piece of safety equipment that isn't safe? False security... likely to get you killed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Relating to a cage's purpose: The pipe is made under controlled proccesses. Backyard welding introduces more vairiables like contamination, lack of fusion, etc... While a weld may often be stronger than the base metal, the point is, it's still subject to more uncontrolled proccessing (especially in the eyes of the governing body, SCCA, e.g.) that's why it's mandated that the main hoop be a continuous piece and not a cobbled together multi-piece curve.

 

 

 

Think of it this way, if all your welds were crappy and gave way, the mechanical joint (in the properly fitted cage) would still provide some strength. In the cheated cage, it would shear at the butts, and fall apart.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When adding roll cage tubes I use PVC pipe to notch and test fit. I cut it using my tubing notcher on the drill press. After test fitting I re-adjust the notcher and cut it until the angle is exact. I then leave the setting and notch the D.O.M. tube. The O.D. on the PVC is 1 1/4 which is close enough to my cages 1 1/2 inch tube. Schedule 40 PVC leaves more surface when cut and is easier to tell if the angle is correct when checking its fit on another pipe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...