notcher on the cheap??

[truck7575]

I am going to make an exo-cage and need a cheap notcher that works good or some good EASY plans for a home made one. Anybody know or have a link to some good plans?

Thanks
Rick

[jdxj]

I bought the Harbor freight one a while back....works good thought t'd be a POS but have used it to build my cage and worked fine. Just have to spend some time to get it adjusted correctly. Also the bolts that hold the black pipe clamp part to the mail body striped out so I replaced them with 3/8 bolts and now it can be tightened enough to hold tight.

Oh and 39 bucks is way cheap. just uses a regular hole saw. one lasted long enough to build my entire cage.

[truck7575]

AWESOME! i WILL CHECKE IT OUT.. THANKS! ANYONE WITH ANY OTHER IDEAS LET ME KNOW THANKS!

[bails85]

i have the h.f. notcher but i cant get the saw lined up with the tube correctly. it cuts either high or low and leaves a big chunk on the tube still. i had to wedge washer between the gray body and the black clamping part to get the holesaw level with the tube so it would cut straight. i did make it work though and wahat i used it on made it worth the money. but when i get the cahnce im buying a better one.

[xcm]

JD2, TN-01 FOR THE WIN.

[bails85]

jd2 does make a nice notcher. but there r others out there. it all depends on what u r looking for. my harbor freight works but i would like a better one.

[_87_XJ_]

HF notcher with a couple washers behind the piece that the shaft goes through to get it centered on the tube, about $45 works excellent!

[stumpXJ]

I use the woodward fab notcher from Summit. (they are sold other places too, probably cheaper.)

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HCK-SPPIPE/

~ Stump

[hadfield4wd]

I use the woodward fab notcher from Summit. (they are sold other places too, probably cheaper.)

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HCK-SPPIPE/

~ Stump


that's identicle as the hf one. The clamp really sucks the most on it. I used mine for a couple years and hated it. The tube would loosen and walk. The clamp would bend. Do yourself a favor and buy good one that has a decent clamp.

http://www.vansantent.com/tube_coping_machines.htm

I have the nothcmaster and love it. Takes a bunch of time off my notches. The "ole joint jigger" is a crappy clamp as well.

Also use a decent drill.

[xcm]

all of the notchers mentioned in this thread have the same weakness.... notching on, or near the bend. i think the next step up for the 'beast' might be rewarding. on bumpers, it never reared it's ugly head, but the minute i started doing misc cage work with smaller peices, my tn-01 became 'OK'...

[stumpXJ]

that's identicle as the hf one. The clamp really sucks the most on it. I used mine for a couple years and hated it. The tube would loosen and walk. The clamp would bend. Do yourself a favor and buy good one that has a decent clamp.

http://www.vansantent.com/tube_coping_machines.htm

I have the nothcmaster and love it. Takes a bunch of time off my notches. The "ole joint jigger" is a crappy clamp as well.

Also use a decent drill.

Had it for almost 4 years now, no issues whatsoever. Have made hundreds of notches with it. If I was fabricating tube every day, that would warrant something better, but very few folks on here do that, myself included. The OP asked for a "notcher on the cheap", thats what I recommend given the above parameters.

[bails85]

hf will work for 1 or 2 projects. 5 or more spend the money on a good one.

[RCP Phx]

Hell,I've had my HF notcher for almost 10yrs,and hundreds of projects.Main thing I've found is just going easy on the start so it doesn't start to "walk",after that give it hell.This was the most recent "tube" project.
http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww220/apayne82/Wheeling/AZ%20Rocks%202010/P1060337.jpg

[hadfield4wd]

Had it for almost 4 years now, no issues whatsoever. Have made hundreds of notches with it. If I was fabricating tube every day, that would warrant something better, but very few folks on here do that, myself included. The OP asked for a "notcher on the cheap", thats what I recommend given the above parameters.

I'm saying that cheap is what you get.

My Grandmother used to say "Only the rich can afford poor quality".

It's documented all over the freaking web that the clamps suck on these. So if the OP wants a HF notcher that will aggravate him and screw up a notch or 20 that's up to him. I'm saying wait a month and save up an extra $100 and get a decent one.

I've messed up way more money in tube with my crappy notcher than the thing was worth.

I don't notch everyday. However I don't buy crappy tools either, anymore.

[stockerwithalocker]

You could always just use the chop saw notching technique. Search pirate for it.

[xcm]

You could always just use the chop saw notching technique. Search pirate for it.

you could also butter your toast with a shovel, the end results will look the same!
some people can master it, so ive heard... but everytime i have to do a notch without my notcher (due to being too close to the
bend), it has made me more than willing to man up and purchase the better $400+ notcher....

notching with a chop saw is for suckers... would you mind if i asked you how many projects youve done, with your chop saw? and can i see close up pics of the end results?

[bails85]

dude why are u always wrenching everyones gears. were just giving him a few options. and yes there are ways to notch without a notcher. maybe u just cant fab worth a shit so u would rather blast everyone elses ideas. ur probably the guy who would cut off your finger trying to notch with a chopsaw. dont forget your just a glazer. stick to caulking glass.

[xcm]

whats the matter, cant afford the proper tool for the job?

yeah, im a glass guy, it afford me basic luxories, like a $120 notcher.

[GrimmJeeper]

dude why are u always wrenching everyones gears. were just giving him a few options. and yes there are ways to notch without a notcher. maybe u just cant fab worth a shit so u would rather blast everyone elses ideas. ur probably the guy who would cut off your finger trying to notch with a chopsaw. dont forget your just a glazer. stick to caulking glass.

he built my coilover setup ;)

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w37/grimmpics/coilovers/DSCF3306.jpg

not too bad for just a glazier :D All he is saying is it is well worth dropping the coin on a decent setup. I've notched with a grinder before and its a pain in the ass, grind fit grind fit grind fit... with the notcher it was notch, next tube, notch, next tube. Don't take stuff so personal, it was well worth the $ in saved time and clean edges.

[RCP Phx]

Can't image doing bent pieces with a chop saw,but for about 10yrs at my old shop all we ever used was a sawzall.Its fast,accurate,and conveinent.I put out about 200 tube chassis a year and hardly ever used the wet saw!

[Metal Head]

You could always just use the chop saw notching technique. Search pirate for it.

I have seen and used this method it's actually not bad.

[bails85]

coilover setup did come out pretty nice. no doubt it saves time to use a good notcher. but u dont have to make the guy who cant afford one at the moment feel like shit because hes asking for other ways to get the job done. yes having the right tools for the job is great but sometimes its not in the budget. xcm u might do things one way and thats fine but u dont need to call everyone out on every thing and make them feel stupid. were all suppose to be friends here.

[stockerwithalocker]

you could also butter your toast with a shovel, the end results will look the same!
some people can master it, so ive heard... but everytime i have to do a notch without my notcher (due to being too close to the
bend), it has made me more than willing to man up and purchase the better $400+ notcher....

notching with a chop saw is for suckers... would you mind if i asked you how many projects youve done, with your chop saw? and can i see close up pics of the end results?

Here is my jeep. The guy who built the cage used the chop saw method on this and his KOH car (he got tenth in the 09 KOH) so I guess it works for some, you have to put some thought into using it.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj296/cuda273/GravyBowl1.jpg

[hadfield4wd]

xcm u might do things one way and thats fine but u dont need to call everyone out on every thing and make them feel stupid.

But if someone is stupid is it ok to make them feel that way?

I did the chop saw thing, then the cheap notcher then the good notcher. Yes they all can be done but there is a better mousetrap. And it's just not that expensive.
The chop saw method takes time and patience and I always did final fitting with a flap disc. You're tlaking about 15-30 minutes per notch to get it perfect. Now I just put it in the notcher and it only takes about a minute or 2 to notch with very little final fitment adjustments. Figure 50 - 60 notches per cage. So if you save 10 minutes per notch with 50 notchs that's 500 minutes you could save. That 8.3 hours!!!!

were all suppose to be friends here.

I don't recall seeing where I have to be friends with everybody.

[bails85]

another smartass. i love naxja

[aintright]

i know this is old, but i'd thought i'd toss in my 1/2 cent. when i worked at a spiral stair and rail shop we just used a chop saw... if you measure correctly and watch your planes you can make really nice fitting notches, it also helps to have a chop saw which can swivel 90*