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What is the difference....

docjake

docjake

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Looks like the second one has a larger capacity for tube, and can notch curved tube.

The first one has a stand with it.

I would go with the second one and build as sstand for it.

Bruiser
 
alf4444 said:
This is the one I like...My buddy bought one 3 years and many cages ago and it works great:D

http://www.pro-tools.com/hsn501i.htm
Click to expand...

I have used one like this, they work great!

79BRUISER said:
Looks like the second one has a larger capacity for tube, and can notch curved tube.

The first one has a stand with it.

I would go with the second one and build as sstand for it.

Bruiser
Click to expand...

It does look like you can notch closer to the curve with this one, that's a nice feature!
 
alf4444 said:
This is the one I like...My buddy bought one 3 years and many cages ago and it works great:D

http://www.pro-tools.com/hsn501i.htm
Click to expand...



This is the one I have, It a good notcher. It has it's limits. You can't do notching on a radius but you can't with any of them. Only one company makes one you can notch on a rad with and it is pricy! The shaft was a little sloppy in my book, but being a machinist I'm picky with tollerance, more then most. And thats an understatement. The offset notching feature is great. I'm streatching the threads on the screw on mine cause of how tight you have to have it to notch. If you don't the tube will rotate slowely while notching. So you have to crank it tight. When this thing dies I'm going to re-machine parts for it only make it WAY better. Hell I might just design one and make myown. It will be able to notch how ever I want it to.
 
Making my own was sort of my plan. I don't have anything to wrench on over here so I was going to draw something up and sneak into the machine shop and make it when I have downtime
 
HOLY chit! 800 bucks for a coping machine.... buy a torch and a a bunch of grinding wheels.
 
Fabrimacator21 said:
HOLY chit! 800 bucks for a coping machine.... buy a torch and a a bunch of grinding wheels.
Click to expand...

Compare apples to apples please...I don't care how good you are with a torch and grinder, you're never gonna get the same results, and it's gonna take you 5 times as long to achieve those sub-par results. One roll cage with a torch and grinder and you will definitely be thinking that $800 (or $300 for the other one) is a bargain.

I look at tools like that this way. I only have so much free time, so if a tool can save me an assload of time, and produce a much higher quality end result it's worth it to me.

Rene
 
I agree with you 100% Rene... a coping machine makes things go ALOT easier and faster, and is no doubtedly the way to go for cages....

I am a cheap bastard (well I can't afford 800 bucks for a coping machine) so I try to buy tools that may not get one job done perfectly but will be very versatile. For me a torch would be the way to go because I have a ton of projects where a torch would be much more handy then a coping machine.

You guys are probably bringing down alot more then me... and a torch is critical for the type of stuff I'd do.

All comes down to what type of projects your gonna do, how much use you would get out of either tool for the money, and what your time is worth.
 
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I would be terrified to use a torch at home...all wood structure, wood benches and shelves. A grinder makes me nervous enough.

A coping tool is just the right tool for the job. If I had one or two simple copes to do I'd use a cut-off wheel on my grinder (chopsaw method). I have a coping tool from VanSant that I bought in 2003. Not as elaborate as those two, but does a good job and was under $100 if I recall right. It saved me a bunch of time when I did my cage and bumpers, and I got results much cleaner and more accurate than if I had hacked it out any other way.

Funny aside about coping...

The last place I worked for they often build handrails that go with the jobs they normally do. Most common is the pipe handrail with Cast steel 90's so no bender required. We had 30 or so handrails to build and my boss comes to me and tells me that the coping machine was busted at the other shop. What do you think we can do?

I asked him why he cared if the coper was busted...we have a cold saw here capable os a 55 degree miter. My boss is looking very confused, so I grabbed a couple of 18" pieces of pipe we had near the saw and showed him the "chopsaw method" of coping. Two cuts at 28 * and I had a perfect cope, just needed a little de-burr. He was stunned at how simple it was, and how good it worked. I was stunned that I was showing him something he'd never seen on coping...

Rene
 
That is a pretty funny story. When I was building the bumper for my tacoma, I will post pics later it was my first major fab project and a coping machine would have save me hours away from the bench grinder and angle grinder. Funny story about that after I had finished my project the guy whom shopped I borrowed for my work showed me this cool tool he had just bought, a coping machine......I laughed and gave him his beer
 
IMG_1206.jpg


This was my first big project I thought I did ok, but just in case my flame suit is on
 
No need for a flame suit. It looks sturdy and clean to me...beyond that it's all personal preference as to looks and even some function.

Rene
 
tRustyK5 said:
I would be terrified to use a torch at home...all wood structure, wood benches and shelves. A grinder makes me nervous enough.

A coping tool is just the right tool for the job. If I had one or two simple copes to do I'd use a cut-off wheel on my grinder (chopsaw method). I have a coping tool from VanSant that I bought in 2003. Not as elaborate as those two, but does a good job and was under $100 if I recall right. It saved me a bunch of time when I did my cage and bumpers, and I got results much cleaner and more accurate than if I had hacked it out any other way.

Funny aside about coping...

The last place I worked for they often build handrails that go with the jobs they normally do. Most common is the pipe handrail with Cast steel 90's so no bender required. We had 30 or so handrails to build and my boss comes to me and tells me that the coping machine was busted at the other shop. What do you think we can do?

I asked him why he cared if the coper was busted...we have a cold saw here capable os a 55 degree miter. My boss is looking very confused, so I grabbed a couple of 18" pieces of pipe we had near the saw and showed him the "chopsaw method" of coping. Two cuts at 28 * and I had a perfect cope, just needed a little de-burr. He was stunned at how simple it was, and how good it worked. I was stunned that I was showing him something he'd never seen on coping...

Rene
Click to expand...

LOL like you said... you learn something new everyday when it comes to fabbing. Some people do one thing for so long that they assume theres no other way.

I like the "chopsaw method" except if it's a steep angle you can't weld it 100% due to the two peices being too close together to be able to get a gun in there.

100 bucks for a coper sounds more like it... I've been wondering how hard it'd be to build one.
 
Fabrimacator21 said:
LOL like you said... you learn something new everyday when it comes to fabbing. Some people do one thing for so long that they assume theres no other way.

I like the "chopsaw method" except if it's a steep angle you can't weld it 100% due to the two peices being too close together to be able to get a gun in there.

100 bucks for a coper sounds more like it... I've been wondering how hard it'd be to build one.
Click to expand...

This is the one I got...likely over $100 when I bought it. It's been a while :doah:

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

It does work very well though...

Rene
 
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