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notcher on the cheap??

truck7575

truck7575

NAXJA Forum User
Location
georgetown
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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 said:
I use the woodward fab notcher from Summit. (they are sold other places too, probably cheaper.)

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

~ Stump
Click to expand...


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.
 
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'...
 
hadfield4wd said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
P1060337.jpg
 
stumpXJ said:
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.
Click to expand...

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 said:
You could always just use the chop saw notching technique. Search pirate for it.
Click to expand...

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?
 
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.
 
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.
 
bails85 said:
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.
Click to expand...

he built my coilover setup ;)

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.
 
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!
 
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