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Planning my garage - fab tool recomendations

Shaggy

Shaggy

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I'm starting to plan some big tool purchases but I want to get recomendations from those "in the know". I prefer to buy quality gear so I don't mind spending some money to get good stuff. I'd like to keep the total out-of-pocket for these tools to under $5k if possible, but I can go higher if neccessary. My garage has 220v and up to 100amps available.

I need recomendations for the following fabrication tools -

Welder
Plasma cutter
tubing bender
chop saw
tubing notcher

I have plenty of hand tools and air tools already, I just need the big boys now.:D

And any other tools that would be recomended for a small garage fab shop. I'm going to use the two car side of a 3 car garage as my shop, so I should have plenty of room. Any recommendations would be great.
 
Sheetmetal brake, notcher, good welding table.
 
Instead of the chop saw, look into a decent bandsaw for metal.. The cuts will be more acurate...I really like my Pro-Tools Bender. No complaints here. Even talked to the owner over e-mail about a concern I had. He was very helpful and polite. Never gave me the impression I was bothering him. Top notch service!!
I have their cheaper notcher also, but haven't used it yet.

May also want to add a drill press to your list as well...
 
Emmettology 101 said:
Instead of the chop saw, look into a decent bandsaw for metal.. The cuts will be more acurate... ...
Click to expand...

Only if you get a real good band saw. the cheap ones are worse than a chop saw. ;)
 
Yeah, I want a drill press too but that shouldn't be too hard to figure out on my own.:D

Which Pro-Tools bender do you have? I was looking at their One Shot hydro bender. Seeing as how I'll only be working on one truck I don't know if the convenience of hydro is worth the significant cost increase.
 
I was going to mention drill press, looks like you've got that covered.

A hydraulic press may be a good idea.
 
Shaggy said:
Yeah, I want a drill press too but that shouldn't be too hard to figure out on my own.:D

Which Pro-Tools bender do you have? I was looking at their One Shot hydro bender. Seeing as how I'll only be working on one truck I don't know if the convenience of hydro is worth the significant cost increase.
Click to expand...


I have the MB-105.... Right now it is manual, but someday I'd like ot get a hydro conversion. Whether hydro is worth it would be a personal opinion.. I can get along just fine without it, but it would be nice to have it someday. It's not real high on my list of priorities.

Tim had a good suggestion with the press also...

As far as the band saws go. 70k5 may have a point. The one I used to use was a good one, but it was just older.... Cut really nice. A friend of mine just got a cheaper Clark one from Tractor Supply. The cuts from it were pretty decent and it was about $200.

I am going to try a metal cutting - metal blade on my chop saw next. See hwo that works.
 
Yep, the press falls into the category of "easy to figure out" too. I'm thinking about building my own shear once I get the stuff, there are designs on the internet for building various brakes and shears for thinner materials, which is all I'd ever really do anyways. Probably be cheaper in the long run to pay a shop to cut big stuff then to invest in a HD shear anyways. The plasma will do alot of that kind of cutting, for that matter.
 
OK , no one said "BEER FRIDGE" yet LOL:laugh:

Get the equipment you need for what you plan on doing:dunno:
There is all kinds of specialty stuff you can get (you lucky b***ard)

I wish I were in your shoes , happy shopping:cool1:
 
I would recommend gettting a Portaband also. They are great tools to have. My roomate has one and I love the thing. Another tool that I would recommend having around is a cutting torch. They are a sweet tool if you know how to use them well.

I watched a guy I know cut 1" plate steel with a torch last weekend. The torch cut threw that 1" plate easily and did a very clean job on the cut. I was really surprised at how clean the cut was on a 1" plate.

Harley
 
big jimmy 91 said:
OK , no one said "BEER FRIDGE" yet LOL:laugh:

Get the equipment you need for what you plan on doing:dunno:
There is all kinds of specialty stuff you can get (you lucky b***ard)

I wish I were in your shoes , happy shopping:cool1:
Click to expand...

Kegerator :D
 
This is a portaband. They are an awesome tool to have access to.

6Z346.JPG


Harley
 
After posting I see Hoss beat me to it, same thing I was gona post. Portaband is badass, works for everythin Ive ever built for a truck.
 
I don't know if this is the type of bandsaw Mike was talking about...
This is the one I'm looking at from Mcmaster-Carr.

4204ap1l.gif


It's nice to drop some steel in...and let it do the work.
 
Make sure the drill press you get has enough spindle travel to use with the notcher (if you are getting the notcher that uses hole saws). I have an inexpensive band saw that looks alot like the one in the picture. sometimes it is more of a pain than it is worth spend more coin on the bandsaw and you will be much happier. Make sure to get the fab tools you need to make the ones you can't afford right now:cool1:
 
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