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Notch tubing with a chop saw?

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Meach
Senior Member

Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 200

Notch tubing with a chop saw? #1

01-16-2006, 07:34 PM

I was about to buy a Low Buck (Brand) tube notcher as I notch a lot of tube. I did a search on this board and found the
following post from JIML. I tried it very quickly using a HF cheapo abrasive chop saw and the result was actually
extremely good. The time it took to complete the cope was so much faster than using my existing bi metal hole saw
type notcher it wasnt even funny. When I first read the post I thought "Right that wont work!"
I am going to forgo the tube notcher and use this method. It really works for me. Thought there might be others out
there who would like to try it FWIW - Mark

Heres the post:

Just use a chop/bandsaw. I didn't invent this method, I found it on pirate4x4.com. It works great though and it's a lot
faster the using the hole saw notchers. Here's the info:

"The chop saw method,if understood , is a science. With known tube size and joint angle, tube can be notched with
great accuracy. The notch is acheved by cutting two opposing angles on one end of a peice of tube, to form a point.
The cross-section of this cut will be an elipitical cut due to the shape of the tube. Changes in boath of the two angled
cuts must be made for the intersection angle and the size of the two tubes being joined. The only real limitation is the
max angle of the chop saw.

You start with what I call the base angle. This is the angle of boath cuts if the joint was 90*. For an example, I am
fitting Two tubes together that are boath 1.75", at an 90* joint. The base angle, or the angle of boath cuts is 28*. These
two cuts must meet at a point, and the point must allso be centered on the tube.

What if I want an 15* joint with my 1.75" tube???? You must start with your base angle, witch was 28* for 1.75"
(remember above), and subtract 15* from one cut, and add 15* to the other cut to form a perfect notch. So now I must
make a 13* cut and an 43* cut , with the point centered on the tube. Perfect coped joint, with no grinding.

Remember your base angle will change with the tube being cut and the tube that you are fitting to.

Here are a few examples of base angles...

2.0" to 2.0" tube, base angle of 30*

1.75" to 1.75" tube, base angle of 28*

1.5" to 1.5" tube, base angle of 26*

1.25" to 1.25" tube, base angle of 22.5*

1" to 1" tube, Base angle of 20*

Now to fit diffrent size tubes together

1.75" to 2" tube, base angle of 25*

1.75" to 1.25" tube, base angle of 45*

1.25" to 1.75 tube, base angle of 20*

1" to 2" tube, base angle of 12* "

Tags: None

fastblast
Member

Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 84

01-16-2006, 09:21 PM #2

what is the formula for finding the base angles? that method sounds like its goin to come in handy.
 Rivet
Member

Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 47

01-19-2006, 04:51 PM #3

This is a quick and easy way to notch tubing. There probably is a formula for calculating the base angle, but I’m sure it
involves trigonometric functions.

Theoretically, the angle would be 45° if the wall thickness were zero. But, because it’s the inside wall of the notched
tube that has to fit around the outside wall of the other tube, the angle has to be shallower to avoid interference.

A few practice cuts should get your angle close enough that a file or grinder can make it right.

MMW
Member

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 98

01-19-2006, 06:01 PM #4

I use a method very similar to this when doing railings. It works very well.---MMW---

MM250
TB250g
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Pangea
Senior Member

Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 1166

01-19-2006, 08:16 PM #5

Us po-boys been doing it that way since fo evah .

Two turn tables and a microphone.

Bowtieman31
Senior Member

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 152

01-19-2006, 09:54 PM #6

10-4 junior, when ya don't have the money for them fancy tools, ya gotta use good old fashion ingenuity!

Hobart Beta-Mig 200

Millermatic 251
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Victor O/A

bemster1971
Junior Member

Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 1

01-21-2006, 07:57 PM #7

Notching with a chop saw

I read the posting about using your chop saw for notching using base angles and such. My question is, What angle
would you use for 1.5" tube if you wanted a 45* angle? 26* (base) minus 45* equals negative 19*. Would the first angle
just be 19*?

Meach
Senior Member

Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 200

01-21-2006, 11:07 PM #8

Originally posted by bemster1971

I read the posting about using your chop saw for notching using base angles and such. My question is, What
angle would you use for 1.5" tube if you wanted a 45* angle? 26* (base) minus 45* equals negative 19*. Would
the first angle just be 19*?

I re-read my original post and tried to figure it out. For a 45, it seems one angle would be your base 26 + 45 which =
71...... The other side base 26-45 is negative so I really dont have a clue. I will have to do it the old fashion way and
figure it out with pipe and saw in the shop

PaulG
Junior Member

Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 11

03-08-2006, 01:05 PM #9

Actually this info is inaccurate. The base angle will be the same no matter the diameter of tube used. A 30 degree
angle will fit well on any size tube as long as it fits to the same size tube at 90 degrees. If it fits to a larger tube the
angle will decrese and increse for a smaller tube.

Download tubemiter.exe and you will see it.

fallon416
Member

Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 91

03-08-2006, 01:53 PM #10

Better link.

http://www.ihpva.org/tools/tubemiter.exe

Neil

The more I learn the less I remember.

nitsuj
Senior Member

Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 443

03-08-2006, 03:40 PM #11

Ok, I downloaded tubemiter. It doesn't seem to do anything. Am I missing something?

Justin
If you expect the unexpected, doesn't that make the unexpected, the expected?

TJJ
Senior Member

Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 560

03-08-2006, 07:32 PM #12

It seems to work OK for me.

After you download and run the setup, click on "File" and then click on "setting". Fill in the parameters and hit OK. The
template is generated. Print it out (I didn't try the print out) and use the template by wrapping it around the pipe you
want to miter and mark the cut profile onto the pipe. Cut along the mark and it should fit up. Old time pipe fitters
showed me this back in the old days at the plant. They used template kits. I don't remember much of it now. It's been
28 years, one marriage and two kids ago. Too many hard days in the trenches since then.

nitsuj
Senior Member

Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 443

03-08-2006, 08:43 PM #13

AAHHHHHH! It makes a template that you wrap around the pipe! Now it makes sense. I was thinking it was going to
spit out an angle telling me what to cut, but it came up with this goofy shape that didn't look like a notched tube. Now
that I know it's a template that goes over the pipe, it makes all the sense in the world. Thanks!

Justin
If you expect the unexpected, doesn't that make the unexpected, the expected?

Kingtal0n
Member

Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 59

03-15-2006, 11:26 PM #14

What does this do? I still dont get it. what application?

student

Sberry
Senior Member

Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 11647

03-16-2006, 08:14 AM #15

that miter pattern would be handy from time to time.

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