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How do YOU cope tubing/pipe?

Not that I haveever done it, but if I did I'd do it on the lathe. I first saw on American Chopper, where they used a "special" machine to do it on some tubing. "****!", I says, "thats just a lathe with an end mill the same size as the tubing chucked in the 3-jaw." I'm sure I could fit a milling vise to my compound slide and do the same thing. The biggest end mills I've seen on sale from Enco or MSC are 2", but I don't think I'd need to go ay bigger than that. But, not everyone has a lathe, in that case i'd go with the special fixture like harbor freight sells for use with a drill motor and a hole saw.
 
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scuse me for my ignorance, but what does "coping" mean?

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Cutting the end of one tube to fit nicely around another one. Think of making a "T" with tubing and wanting to weld all the way around the joint.
 
It cuts really clean, I have seen it done before with that thing, I will be getting one soon. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
I'll be cutting pipe...probably 1" or 1.25" for an off-road go kart frame. How many hole saws will I go through? The good ones are cheap. /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif
 
I dunno really...I'm still in the designing phase and haven't done much "research" yet. This thing is going to be heavy duty...and heavy, I know. I'd love to use some thin-wall tubing but don't have the means to bend it (I'm going to have to buy an $80 hydraulic pipe bender as is).

Probably won't be 1.25 inch pipe, but for some of the frame components and rear suspension I'm sure I'll be using 1".
 
Are you using pipe or tubing?? Pipe might be kindove scray for suspension stuff /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif
 
For the front suspension, I'm using the a-arms, knuckles, hubs and brakes from a Yamaha Blaster. For the rear, I'm going to essentially build a big swingarm that will hold a Polaris ATV engine and auto transmission. The "swingarm" will also serve as the mount for the axle and rear shock, etc. So, it needs to be heavy duty. That's why I'm not sure on the size. I don't want it too grossly big, but it also can't be flexible. I'm kinda leaning towards making the "swingarm" out of rectangular tubing and just having 90 degree corners so I don't have to sacrifice strength for weight. /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
 
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Are you using pipe or tubing?? Pipe might be kindove scray for suspension stuff /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif

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Why? Pipe is much heavier than tube.
 
pipe is designed for burst/pressure loads. Tube is designed for structural loads. Pipe works fine for go carts and cargo racks, and even armor. I would not recommend (sp) it on links, cages, or frames. Cast iron is heavier than steel, which would you rather use for a to support a load? Hell wood is heavier than aluminum so it must be stronger with that kinda thinking.
 
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WTF are you making??

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I told ya...an offroad go-kart. /forums/images/graemlins/pimp1.gif

Think of it this way...it's going to be a 2 wheel drive ATV, but you sit on it differently and have a steering wheel and pedals.

Here are the finer details of the build:
-Yamaha Blaster front suspension
-Some sort of rack and pinion steering
-racing seat with 4 or 5 point harness
-full roll cage
-rear suspension
-Polaris ATV engine and constantly variable "automatic" transmission with forward and reverse (no shifting, and no getting out to turn the cart around when you're up against a tree or can't make a turn)

Here's what inspired my build...I'm on the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Mini-Baja team. They're so much fun to work on/drive I want to build my own too.
Here are some links:
Virtual web-cam to see what's going on in the shop
various pics
official SAE Mini Baja site
Much about these cars is similar to what I'll be doing with a few exceptions.
1) all components are fabbed in-shop
2) engine is restricted to a stock 10hp briggs (max speed is about 25...I should be able to go around 35-40)
3) rear suspension is independent
4) we use a Polaris CVT but since we custom machined the gear box, we left out the reverse gear (don't ask me why...as far as I'm concerned, reverse is a must!)
The suspension on these cars is amazing. Going over jumps and bumps, you don't feel a thing. Of course they have soft performance-tuned shocks whereas I'll have stock Blaster shocks...I can't expect mine to ride this nice.



Uhhh, back to the topic at hand...coping pipe. Anybody got some helpful suggestions for lining up/centering the hole saw if I were to do it on a drill press and not use one of those jiggy things?
 
The best way to cope tubing is a tool from lowbuck tools
www.lowbucktools.com
It is their tubing notcher. I have used it to build probably 50 cages. Stills works like new, and dont have to buy all those expensive hole saws(those things are like $15 a piece, and you will go through at least two a cage) I was the best $300 I spent, next was the $500 for their lowbuck bender /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif

Dan
 
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