"Jim Wilkins"-a wrote in message news:10o799a$29dn0$1@dont-email.me...
Although not a help to you but perhaps a hint, my Shopsmith serves
pretty well as a horizontal or angled boring machine for wood, between
the spindle quill feed and the table elevation screw. Its main advantage
as a drill press is the two tube support, so the head and table can't
twist out of position. The quill feed and depth stop enable very fine adjustments to the rip fence gap for precise joinery. Most of the panel cabinet doors I made on it would hold together by friction.
If you had a spindle with a shell OD of 1" or less it could mount in a
5C spin index for manual feed.
"Jim Wilkins"-a wrote in message news:10o799a$29dn0$1@dont-email.me...
Although not a help to you but perhaps a hint, my Shopsmith serves
pretty well as a horizontal or angled boring machine for wood, between
the spindle quill feed and the table elevation screw. Its main advantage
as a drill press is the two tube support, so the head and table can't
twist out of position. The quill feed and depth stop enable very fine adjustments to the rip fence gap for precise joinery. Most of the panel cabinet doors I made on it would hold together by friction.
If you had a spindle with a shell OD of 1" or less it could mount in a
5C spin index for manual feed.
"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message news:10o799a$29dn0$1@dont-email.me...Remember that weldments are generally pretty brute force rough
...
"Bob La Londe"-a wrote in message news:10o7gbv$2c6df$1@dont-email.me...
I alluded to this in my initial write up, but I'm not afraid to spend a
few hours extra making something if its going to save me 20/30 minutes
every time I set it up and use it.
--------------------------------
I could use a motorized vertical spindle for light indexed spot drilling
and milling on the lathe, as some parts are too large for collet block chucks. Though maybe too fast and feeble for hole sawing adapting a Porter-Cable laminate trimmer to the lathe milling vise attachment looks promising. A lathe milling vise could become your spindle mount and leadscrew feed.
IIRC those trimmers ran at around 22k RPM , way too fast for most drilling/spotting operations .
Snag
After modifying the cheap Harbor Freight tube notcher so it (should)
work okay for the NAU BAJA SAE team, I had a realization.-a All you need
is a clamp and a spindle.-a In theory I could use (almost) any half
decent swivel base vise with pipe jaws or prismatic jaws, and improvise
a spindle.
Yes, Jim, you could certainly CNC it, but programming and modeling to
get good results I think will take longer than just doing it with a
manual purpose built tool.-a (a live tooling CNC lathe would be better
than a CNC mill, but it would likely cost a lot more.)-a-a It would only
be beneficial if you could more fully automate it with a parts loader so
you could walk away and let it run multiple parts on its own... and then there is the fact that my CNC machines are better spent cutting more valuable parts in the small quantities I would make.
Here is my idea.-a Make the spindle with two expanding locating pins that drop into the standard grid on a welding table.-a Fabricobble something similar for a purpose built vise, or just use a swivel base vise with prismatic jaws.-a 5/8 (nominal 16mm) holes on a 2 inch grid are the most common grid pattern on hobbyist and small production tables, but it
could be made for any size grid table.
There would be no need to make a fancy indexable telescoping spindle
mount like I did for the Harbor Freight monstrosity.-a Just position the vise and the spindle where ever you need them to make the cuts you need
to make.-a If you need to reposition for long 30 degree notches you just move the spindle.-a Alignment will remain as good as the grid holes on
the table.-a It's self indexing.-a A cheaper to make, but more pain to use version is to just have threaded holes in the alignment pins and bolt it from the bottom.-a Even more crude/simple options can be done for single
or low use as well, but the less time you spend in design and build the
more time you spend in use.
Here is the biggest benefit.-a Because my shop not only suffers from HSD (horizontal surface disease) it suffers from ACUTE HSD (yes its killing
me), the notcher can be tossed in a box on a shelf or in drawer when not
in use, and it only requires clearing the edge of the table when needed.
The only major requirement that requires some planning really is that
the vise tube slot and the spindle axis of rotation are parallel, and
the tube when held and the spindle are at the same center height.
Roughly by machining standards.-a We are after all talking about
fabrication work, not machine work.-a That being said as long as both
center lines are parallel to the mounting surface, the height can be
shimmed if need be for an improvise solution.
I think I could build such a notcher in a fraction of the time it took
me to make parts to make the harbor freight notcher work better. Partly,
of course because I have already figured out some of the problems by
fixing the Harbor Freight notcher.
I doubt I would make and sell this.-a I'm not a machinery dealer, so I am putting it out there in the open.-a Maybe its a dumb idea.-a Maybe its a great idea.-a I don't know, but its worth atleast as much as you paid for it.-a Maybe Jason over at Fireball Tools would be interested in making something like that as an accessory to his welding tables.-a He has the reputation to be able to sell something like that at a price that would
make money, and the knowledge and skills to produce them efficiently.
P.S.-a After picking up the HF notcher my son told me he is going to try
to get the team to put TWO (of my stickers on their race car.-a One on
each side.-a LOL.-a Me?-a I'm going to try to get them to all wear my company hats anytime they don't have a racing helmet on.-a LOL.
HERE IS THE BIG PROBLEM.-a My welding table doesn't have any holes in it.
-aI don't do a lot of welding and fabrication.-a Most is repair work in situ, and often outdoors and out of position.-a For the few repeat assemblies I've done on the table that require repeat indexing I weld
stops on the table and grind them off when I am done.-a I have a solution for making the grid pattern. I've got a mag drill and the right size
annular cutter.-a I've got the steel to make the giant t-square and grid hole spacers for aligning and moving the square.-a I just haven't had the three days I think I'll need to do it.-a Well, I haven't had them and not wanted to go fishing more.
On 3/3/2026 9:30 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:
After modifying the cheap Harbor Freight tube notcher so it (should)
work okay for the NAU BAJA SAE team, I had a realization.-a All you
need is a clamp and a spindle.-a In theory I could use (almost) any
half decent swivel base vise with pipe jaws or prismatic jaws, and
improvise a spindle.
Yes, Jim, you could certainly CNC it, but programming and modeling to
get good results I think will take longer than just doing it with a
manual purpose built tool.-a (a live tooling CNC lathe would be better
than a CNC mill, but it would likely cost a lot more.)-a-a It would only
be beneficial if you could more fully automate it with a parts loader
so you could walk away and let it run multiple parts on its own... and
then there is the fact that my CNC machines are better spent cutting
more valuable parts in the small quantities I would make.
Here is my idea.-a Make the spindle with two expanding locating pins
that drop into the standard grid on a welding table.-a Fabricobble
something similar for a purpose built vise, or just use a swivel base
vise with prismatic jaws.-a 5/8 (nominal 16mm) holes on a 2 inch grid
are the most common grid pattern on hobbyist and small production
tables, but it could be made for any size grid table.
There would be no need to make a fancy indexable telescoping spindle
mount like I did for the Harbor Freight monstrosity.-a Just position
the vise and the spindle where ever you need them to make the cuts you
need to make.-a If you need to reposition for long 30 degree notches
you just move the spindle.-a Alignment will remain as good as the grid
holes on the table.-a It's self indexing.-a A cheaper to make, but more
pain to use version is to just have threaded holes in the alignment
pins and bolt it from the bottom.-a Even more crude/simple options can
be done for single or low use as well, but the less time you spend in
design and build the more time you spend in use.
Here is the biggest benefit.-a Because my shop not only suffers from
HSD (horizontal surface disease) it suffers from ACUTE HSD (yes its
killing me), the notcher can be tossed in a box on a shelf or in
drawer when not in use, and it only requires clearing the edge of the
table when needed.
The only major requirement that requires some planning really is that
the vise tube slot and the spindle axis of rotation are parallel, and
the tube when held and the spindle are at the same center height.
Roughly by machining standards.-a We are after all talking about
fabrication work, not machine work.-a That being said as long as both
center lines are parallel to the mounting surface, the height can be
shimmed if need be for an improvise solution.
I think I could build such a notcher in a fraction of the time it took
me to make parts to make the harbor freight notcher work better.
Partly, of course because I have already figured out some of the
problems by fixing the Harbor Freight notcher.
I doubt I would make and sell this.-a I'm not a machinery dealer, so I
am putting it out there in the open.-a Maybe its a dumb idea.-a Maybe
its a great idea.-a I don't know, but its worth atleast as much as you
paid for it.-a Maybe Jason over at Fireball Tools would be interested
in making something like that as an accessory to his welding tables.
He has the reputation to be able to sell something like that at a
price that would make money, and the knowledge and skills to produce
them efficiently.
P.S.-a After picking up the HF notcher my son told me he is going to
try to get the team to put TWO (of my stickers on their race car.-a One
on each side.-a LOL.-a Me?-a I'm going to try to get them to all wear my
company hats anytime they don't have a racing helmet on.-a LOL.
HERE IS THE BIG PROBLEM.-a My welding table doesn't have any holes in
it. -a-aI don't do a lot of welding and fabrication.-a Most is repair
work in situ, and often outdoors and out of position.-a For the few
repeat assemblies I've done on the table that require repeat indexing
I weld stops on the table and grind them off when I am done.-a I have a
solution for making the grid pattern. I've got a mag drill and the
right size annular cutter.-a I've got the steel to make the giant
t-square and grid hole spacers for aligning and moving the square.-a I
just haven't had the three days I think I'll need to do it.-a Well, I
haven't had them and not wanted to go fishing more.
Getting back to the original idea.
By using a commercial or commercial like welding table as the base:
1.-a You don't have to make a base plate.
2.-a You can adjust the distance between the cutting spindle and the tube vise without loosing your angle.
3.-a The base plate (table) is going to be flatter than the typical bent
and welded base plate that comes with many tube notchers.
4.-a Its an out of the box solution that will produce quality repeatable results without spend half your day cobbling up a makeshift solution.
I've spent way to much of my mental budget thinking about this, and I
have solutions for tables with different dog hole sizes and grid pattern spacing.-a To a limited extent even for tables with erratic grid spacing, but maybe not for tables with radically erratic dog hole sizes.-a LOL.
Making the spindle fit multiple tables is easier than making the vise do
so, but both are possible.-a You still have the same accuracy (more or
less) as the grid itself.
On 3/4/2026 12:30 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
On 3/3/2026 9:30 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:
After modifying the cheap Harbor Freight tube notcher so it (should)
work okay for the NAU BAJA SAE team, I had a realization.-a All you
need is a clamp and a spindle.-a In theory I could use (almost) any
half decent swivel base vise with pipe jaws or prismatic jaws, and
improvise a spindle.
Yes, Jim, you could certainly CNC it, but programming and modeling to
get good results I think will take longer than just doing it with a
manual purpose built tool.-a (a live tooling CNC lathe would be better
than a CNC mill, but it would likely cost a lot more.)-a-a It would
only be beneficial if you could more fully automate it with a parts
loader so you could walk away and let it run multiple parts on its
own... and then there is the fact that my CNC machines are better
spent cutting more valuable parts in the small quantities I would make.
Here is my idea.-a Make the spindle with two expanding locating pins
that drop into the standard grid on a welding table.-a Fabricobble
something similar for a purpose built vise, or just use a swivel base
vise with prismatic jaws.-a 5/8 (nominal 16mm) holes on a 2 inch grid
are the most common grid pattern on hobbyist and small production
tables, but it could be made for any size grid table.
There would be no need to make a fancy indexable telescoping spindle
mount like I did for the Harbor Freight monstrosity.-a Just position
the vise and the spindle where ever you need them to make the cuts
you need to make.-a If you need to reposition for long 30 degree
notches you just move the spindle.-a Alignment will remain as good as
the grid holes on the table.-a It's self indexing.-a A cheaper to make, >>> but more pain to use version is to just have threaded holes in the
alignment pins and bolt it from the bottom.-a Even more crude/simple
options can be done for single or low use as well, but the less time
you spend in design and build the more time you spend in use.
Here is the biggest benefit.-a Because my shop not only suffers from
HSD (horizontal surface disease) it suffers from ACUTE HSD (yes its
killing me), the notcher can be tossed in a box on a shelf or in
drawer when not in use, and it only requires clearing the edge of the
table when needed.
The only major requirement that requires some planning really is that
the vise tube slot and the spindle axis of rotation are parallel, and
the tube when held and the spindle are at the same center height.
Roughly by machining standards.-a We are after all talking about
fabrication work, not machine work.-a That being said as long as both
center lines are parallel to the mounting surface, the height can be
shimmed if need be for an improvise solution.
I think I could build such a notcher in a fraction of the time it
took me to make parts to make the harbor freight notcher work better.
Partly, of course because I have already figured out some of the
problems by fixing the Harbor Freight notcher.
I doubt I would make and sell this.-a I'm not a machinery dealer, so I
am putting it out there in the open.-a Maybe its a dumb idea.-a Maybe
its a great idea.-a I don't know, but its worth atleast as much as you
paid for it.-a Maybe Jason over at Fireball Tools would be interested
in making something like that as an accessory to his welding tables.
He has the reputation to be able to sell something like that at a
price that would make money, and the knowledge and skills to produce
them efficiently.
P.S.-a After picking up the HF notcher my son told me he is going to
try to get the team to put TWO (of my stickers on their race car.
One on each side.-a LOL.-a Me?-a I'm going to try to get them to all
wear my company hats anytime they don't have a racing helmet on.-a LOL.
HERE IS THE BIG PROBLEM.-a My welding table doesn't have any holes in
it. -a-aI don't do a lot of welding and fabrication.-a Most is repair
work in situ, and often outdoors and out of position.-a For the few
repeat assemblies I've done on the table that require repeat indexing
I weld stops on the table and grind them off when I am done.-a I have
a solution for making the grid pattern. I've got a mag drill and the
right size annular cutter.-a I've got the steel to make the giant t-
square and grid hole spacers for aligning and moving the square.-a I
just haven't had the three days I think I'll need to do it.-a Well, I
haven't had them and not wanted to go fishing more.
Getting back to the original idea.
By using a commercial or commercial like welding table as the base:
1.-a You don't have to make a base plate.
2.-a You can adjust the distance between the cutting spindle and the
tube vise without loosing your angle.
3.-a The base plate (table) is going to be flatter than the typical
bent and welded base plate that comes with many tube notchers.
4.-a Its an out of the box solution that will produce quality
repeatable results without spend half your day cobbling up a makeshift
solution.
I've spent way to much of my mental budget thinking about this, and I
have solutions for tables with different dog hole sizes and grid
pattern spacing.-a To a limited extent even for tables with erratic
grid spacing, but maybe not for tables with radically erratic dog hole
sizes.-a LOL.
Making the spindle fit multiple tables is easier than making the vise
do so, but both are possible.-a You still have the same accuracy (more
or less) as the grid itself.
How about a portable version . The spindle is on a pivot with the other
leg a pipe clamp . Clamp the device to the pipe/tube , set the angle ,
and Robert's yer mother's brother .
On 3/4/2026 12:11 PM, Snag wrote:
On 3/4/2026 12:30 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
On 3/3/2026 9:30 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:
After modifying the cheap Harbor Freight tube notcher so it (should)
work okay for the NAU BAJA SAE team, I had a realization.-a All you
need is a clamp and a spindle.-a In theory I could use (almost) any
half decent swivel base vise with pipe jaws or prismatic jaws, and
improvise a spindle.
Yes, Jim, you could certainly CNC it, but programming and modeling
to get good results I think will take longer than just doing it with
a manual purpose built tool.-a (a live tooling CNC lathe would be
better than a CNC mill, but it would likely cost a lot more.)-a-a It
would only be beneficial if you could more fully automate it with a
parts loader so you could walk away and let it run multiple parts on
its own... and then there is the fact that my CNC machines are
better spent cutting more valuable parts in the small quantities I
would make.
Here is my idea.-a Make the spindle with two expanding locating pins
that drop into the standard grid on a welding table.-a Fabricobble
something similar for a purpose built vise, or just use a swivel
base vise with prismatic jaws.-a 5/8 (nominal 16mm) holes on a 2 inch >>>> grid are the most common grid pattern on hobbyist and small
production tables, but it could be made for any size grid table.
There would be no need to make a fancy indexable telescoping spindle
mount like I did for the Harbor Freight monstrosity.-a Just position
the vise and the spindle where ever you need them to make the cuts
you need to make.-a If you need to reposition for long 30 degree
notches you just move the spindle.-a Alignment will remain as good as >>>> the grid holes on the table.-a It's self indexing.-a A cheaper to
make, but more pain to use version is to just have threaded holes in
the alignment pins and bolt it from the bottom.-a Even more crude/
simple options can be done for single or low use as well, but the
less time you spend in design and build the more time you spend in use. >>>>
Here is the biggest benefit.-a Because my shop not only suffers from
HSD (horizontal surface disease) it suffers from ACUTE HSD (yes its
killing me), the notcher can be tossed in a box on a shelf or in
drawer when not in use, and it only requires clearing the edge of
the table when needed.
The only major requirement that requires some planning really is
that the vise tube slot and the spindle axis of rotation are
parallel, and the tube when held and the spindle are at the same
center height. Roughly by machining standards.-a We are after all
talking about fabrication work, not machine work.-a That being said
as long as both center lines are parallel to the mounting surface,
the height can be shimmed if need be for an improvise solution.
I think I could build such a notcher in a fraction of the time it
took me to make parts to make the harbor freight notcher work
better. Partly, of course because I have already figured out some of
the problems by fixing the Harbor Freight notcher.
I doubt I would make and sell this.-a I'm not a machinery dealer, so
I am putting it out there in the open.-a Maybe its a dumb idea.
Maybe its a great idea.-a I don't know, but its worth atleast as much >>>> as you paid for it.-a Maybe Jason over at Fireball Tools would be
interested in making something like that as an accessory to his
welding tables. He has the reputation to be able to sell something
like that at a price that would make money, and the knowledge and
skills to produce them efficiently.
P.S.-a After picking up the HF notcher my son told me he is going to
try to get the team to put TWO (of my stickers on their race car.
One on each side.-a LOL.-a Me?-a I'm going to try to get them to all
wear my company hats anytime they don't have a racing helmet on.-a LOL. >>>>
HERE IS THE BIG PROBLEM.-a My welding table doesn't have any holes in >>>> it. -a-aI don't do a lot of welding and fabrication.-a Most is repair >>>> work in situ, and often outdoors and out of position.-a For the few
repeat assemblies I've done on the table that require repeat
indexing I weld stops on the table and grind them off when I am
done.-a I have a solution for making the grid pattern. I've got a mag >>>> drill and the right size annular cutter.-a I've got the steel to make >>>> the giant t- square and grid hole spacers for aligning and moving
the square.-a I just haven't had the three days I think I'll need to
do it.-a Well, I haven't had them and not wanted to go fishing more.
Getting back to the original idea.
By using a commercial or commercial like welding table as the base:
1.-a You don't have to make a base plate.
2.-a You can adjust the distance between the cutting spindle and the
tube vise without loosing your angle.
3.-a The base plate (table) is going to be flatter than the typical
bent and welded base plate that comes with many tube notchers.
4.-a Its an out of the box solution that will produce quality
repeatable results without spend half your day cobbling up a
makeshift solution.
I've spent way to much of my mental budget thinking about this, and I
have solutions for tables with different dog hole sizes and grid
pattern spacing.-a To a limited extent even for tables with erratic
grid spacing, but maybe not for tables with radically erratic dog
hole sizes.-a LOL.
Making the spindle fit multiple tables is easier than making the vise
do so, but both are possible.-a You still have the same accuracy (more
or less) as the grid itself.
How about a portable version . The spindle is on a pivot with the
other leg a pipe clamp . Clamp the device to the pipe/tube , set the
angle , and Robert's yer mother's brother .
Harbor Freight already makes that and its terrible.-a LOL
On 3/4/2026 12:23 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
On 3/4/2026 12:11 PM, Snag wrote:
On 3/4/2026 12:30 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
On 3/3/2026 9:30 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:
After modifying the cheap Harbor Freight tube notcher so it
(should) work okay for the NAU BAJA SAE team, I had a realization. >>>>> All you need is a clamp and a spindle.-a In theory I could use
(almost) any half decent swivel base vise with pipe jaws or
prismatic jaws, and improvise a spindle.
Yes, Jim, you could certainly CNC it, but programming and modeling
to get good results I think will take longer than just doing it
with a manual purpose built tool.-a (a live tooling CNC lathe would >>>>> be better than a CNC mill, but it would likely cost a lot more.)
It would only be beneficial if you could more fully automate it
with a parts loader so you could walk away and let it run multiple
parts on its own... and then there is the fact that my CNC machines >>>>> are better spent cutting more valuable parts in the small
quantities I would make.
Here is my idea.-a Make the spindle with two expanding locating pins >>>>> that drop into the standard grid on a welding table.-a Fabricobble
something similar for a purpose built vise, or just use a swivel
base vise with prismatic jaws.-a 5/8 (nominal 16mm) holes on a 2
inch grid are the most common grid pattern on hobbyist and small
production tables, but it could be made for any size grid table.
There would be no need to make a fancy indexable telescoping
spindle mount like I did for the Harbor Freight monstrosity.-a Just >>>>> position the vise and the spindle where ever you need them to make
the cuts you need to make.-a If you need to reposition for long 30
degree notches you just move the spindle.-a Alignment will remain as >>>>> good as the grid holes on the table.-a It's self indexing.-a A
cheaper to make, but more pain to use version is to just have
threaded holes in the alignment pins and bolt it from the bottom.
Even more crude/ simple options can be done for single or low use
as well, but the less time you spend in design and build the more
time you spend in use.
Here is the biggest benefit.-a Because my shop not only suffers from >>>>> HSD (horizontal surface disease) it suffers from ACUTE HSD (yes its >>>>> killing me), the notcher can be tossed in a box on a shelf or in
drawer when not in use, and it only requires clearing the edge of
the table when needed.
The only major requirement that requires some planning really is
that the vise tube slot and the spindle axis of rotation are
parallel, and the tube when held and the spindle are at the same
center height. Roughly by machining standards.-a We are after all
talking about fabrication work, not machine work.-a That being said >>>>> as long as both center lines are parallel to the mounting surface,
the height can be shimmed if need be for an improvise solution.
I think I could build such a notcher in a fraction of the time it
took me to make parts to make the harbor freight notcher work
better. Partly, of course because I have already figured out some
of the problems by fixing the Harbor Freight notcher.
I doubt I would make and sell this.-a I'm not a machinery dealer, so >>>>> I am putting it out there in the open.-a Maybe its a dumb idea.
Maybe its a great idea.-a I don't know, but its worth atleast as
much as you paid for it.-a Maybe Jason over at Fireball Tools would >>>>> be interested in making something like that as an accessory to his
welding tables. He has the reputation to be able to sell something
like that at a price that would make money, and the knowledge and
skills to produce them efficiently.
P.S.-a After picking up the HF notcher my son told me he is going to >>>>> try to get the team to put TWO (of my stickers on their race car.
One on each side.-a LOL.-a Me?-a I'm going to try to get them to all >>>>> wear my company hats anytime they don't have a racing helmet on.-a LOL. >>>>>
HERE IS THE BIG PROBLEM.-a My welding table doesn't have any holes
in it. -a-aI don't do a lot of welding and fabrication.-a Most is
repair work in situ, and often outdoors and out of position.-a For
the few repeat assemblies I've done on the table that require
repeat indexing I weld stops on the table and grind them off when I >>>>> am done.-a I have a solution for making the grid pattern. I've got a >>>>> mag drill and the right size annular cutter.-a I've got the steel to >>>>> make the giant t- square and grid hole spacers for aligning and
moving the square.-a I just haven't had the three days I think I'll >>>>> need to do it.-a Well, I haven't had them and not wanted to go
fishing more.
Getting back to the original idea.
By using a commercial or commercial like welding table as the base:
1.-a You don't have to make a base plate.
2.-a You can adjust the distance between the cutting spindle and the
tube vise without loosing your angle.
3.-a The base plate (table) is going to be flatter than the typical
bent and welded base plate that comes with many tube notchers.
4.-a Its an out of the box solution that will produce quality
repeatable results without spend half your day cobbling up a
makeshift solution.
I've spent way to much of my mental budget thinking about this, and
I have solutions for tables with different dog hole sizes and grid
pattern spacing.-a To a limited extent even for tables with erratic
grid spacing, but maybe not for tables with radically erratic dog
hole sizes.-a LOL.
Making the spindle fit multiple tables is easier than making the
vise do so, but both are possible.-a You still have the same accuracy >>>> (more or less) as the grid itself.
How about a portable version . The spindle is on a pivot with the
other leg a pipe clamp . Clamp the device to the pipe/tube , set the
angle , and Robert's yer mother's brother .
Harbor Freight already makes that and its terrible.-a LOL
Damn-It Snag!-a I just visualized a portable version that would work far better than the Harbor Fright version.-a It has one of the same problems
as the HF notcher.-a You either have to make part of it telescoping, or
make part of it really long with a really long spindle sliding assembly.
-aI made the HF notcher telescoping so you could move the spindle base position.-a Of course it has another problem solved by using a commercial welding table as the base plate.-a You have to make a base plate.-a The
base plate is actually more complex (although maybe easier to make accurately) than the bent and welded base plate with the HF notcher.
There is another issue with a portable version that solves all the other problems.-a It may be too big, heavy, or just awkward for some folks to wield effectively.-a I guess it could be made out of aluminum...-a LOL
On 3/4/2026 12:30 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
On 3/3/2026 9:30 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:
After modifying the cheap Harbor Freight tube notcher so it (should)
work okay for the NAU BAJA SAE team, I had a realization.-a All you
need is a clamp and a spindle.-a In theory I could use (almost) any
half decent swivel base vise with pipe jaws or prismatic jaws, and
improvise a spindle.
Yes, Jim, you could certainly CNC it, but programming and modeling to
get good results I think will take longer than just doing it with a
manual purpose built tool.-a (a live tooling CNC lathe would be better
than a CNC mill, but it would likely cost a lot more.)-a-a It would
only be beneficial if you could more fully automate it with a parts
loader so you could walk away and let it run multiple parts on its
own... and then there is the fact that my CNC machines are better
spent cutting more valuable parts in the small quantities I would make.
Here is my idea.-a Make the spindle with two expanding locating pins
that drop into the standard grid on a welding table.-a Fabricobble
something similar for a purpose built vise, or just use a swivel base
vise with prismatic jaws.-a 5/8 (nominal 16mm) holes on a 2 inch grid
are the most common grid pattern on hobbyist and small production
tables, but it could be made for any size grid table.
There would be no need to make a fancy indexable telescoping spindle
mount like I did for the Harbor Freight monstrosity.-a Just position
the vise and the spindle where ever you need them to make the cuts
you need to make.-a If you need to reposition for long 30 degree
notches you just move the spindle.-a Alignment will remain as good as
the grid holes on the table.-a It's self indexing.-a A cheaper to make, >>> but more pain to use version is to just have threaded holes in the
alignment pins and bolt it from the bottom.-a Even more crude/simple
options can be done for single or low use as well, but the less time
you spend in design and build the more time you spend in use.
Here is the biggest benefit.-a Because my shop not only suffers from
HSD (horizontal surface disease) it suffers from ACUTE HSD (yes its
killing me), the notcher can be tossed in a box on a shelf or in
drawer when not in use, and it only requires clearing the edge of the
table when needed.
The only major requirement that requires some planning really is that
the vise tube slot and the spindle axis of rotation are parallel, and
the tube when held and the spindle are at the same center height.
Roughly by machining standards.-a We are after all talking about
fabrication work, not machine work.-a That being said as long as both
center lines are parallel to the mounting surface, the height can be
shimmed if need be for an improvise solution.
I think I could build such a notcher in a fraction of the time it
took me to make parts to make the harbor freight notcher work better.
Partly, of course because I have already figured out some of the
problems by fixing the Harbor Freight notcher.
I doubt I would make and sell this.-a I'm not a machinery dealer, so I
am putting it out there in the open.-a Maybe its a dumb idea.-a Maybe
its a great idea.-a I don't know, but its worth atleast as much as you
paid for it.-a Maybe Jason over at Fireball Tools would be interested
in making something like that as an accessory to his welding tables.
He has the reputation to be able to sell something like that at a
price that would make money, and the knowledge and skills to produce
them efficiently.
P.S.-a After picking up the HF notcher my son told me he is going to
try to get the team to put TWO (of my stickers on their race car.
One on each side.-a LOL.-a Me?-a I'm going to try to get them to all
wear my company hats anytime they don't have a racing helmet on.-a LOL.
HERE IS THE BIG PROBLEM.-a My welding table doesn't have any holes in
it. -a-aI don't do a lot of welding and fabrication.-a Most is repair
work in situ, and often outdoors and out of position.-a For the few
repeat assemblies I've done on the table that require repeat indexing
I weld stops on the table and grind them off when I am done.-a I have
a solution for making the grid pattern. I've got a mag drill and the
right size annular cutter.-a I've got the steel to make the giant t-
square and grid hole spacers for aligning and moving the square.-a I
just haven't had the three days I think I'll need to do it.-a Well, I
haven't had them and not wanted to go fishing more.
Getting back to the original idea.
By using a commercial or commercial like welding table as the base:
1.-a You don't have to make a base plate.
2.-a You can adjust the distance between the cutting spindle and the
tube vise without loosing your angle.
3.-a The base plate (table) is going to be flatter than the typical
bent and welded base plate that comes with many tube notchers.
4.-a Its an out of the box solution that will produce quality
repeatable results without spend half your day cobbling up a makeshift
solution.
I've spent way to much of my mental budget thinking about this, and I
have solutions for tables with different dog hole sizes and grid
pattern spacing.-a To a limited extent even for tables with erratic
grid spacing, but maybe not for tables with radically erratic dog hole
sizes.-a LOL.
Making the spindle fit multiple tables is easier than making the vise
do so, but both are possible.-a You still have the same accuracy (more
or less) as the grid itself.
How about a portable version . The spindle is on a pivot with the other
leg a pipe clamp . Clamp the device to the pipe/tube , set the angle ,
and Robert's yer mother's brother .
On 3/3/2026 9:30 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:
After modifying the cheap Harbor Freight tube notcher so it (should)
work okay for the NAU BAJA SAE team, I had a realization.-a All you
need is a clamp and a spindle.-a In theory I could use (almost) any
half decent swivel base vise with pipe jaws or prismatic jaws, and
improvise a spindle.
Yes, Jim, you could certainly CNC it, but programming and modeling to
get good results I think will take longer than just doing it with a
manual purpose built tool.-a (a live tooling CNC lathe would be better
than a CNC mill, but it would likely cost a lot more.)-a-a It would only
be beneficial if you could more fully automate it with a parts loader
so you could walk away and let it run multiple parts on its own... and
then there is the fact that my CNC machines are better spent cutting
more valuable parts in the small quantities I would make.
Here is my idea.-a Make the spindle with two expanding locating pins
that drop into the standard grid on a welding table.-a Fabricobble
something similar for a purpose built vise, or just use a swivel base
vise with prismatic jaws.-a 5/8 (nominal 16mm) holes on a 2 inch grid
are the most common grid pattern on hobbyist and small production
tables, but it could be made for any size grid table.
There would be no need to make a fancy indexable telescoping spindle
mount like I did for the Harbor Freight monstrosity.-a Just position
the vise and the spindle where ever you need them to make the cuts you
need to make.-a If you need to reposition for long 30 degree notches
you just move the spindle.-a Alignment will remain as good as the grid
holes on the table.-a It's self indexing.-a A cheaper to make, but more
pain to use version is to just have threaded holes in the alignment
pins and bolt it from the bottom.-a Even more crude/simple options can
be done for single or low use as well, but the less time you spend in
design and build the more time you spend in use.
Here is the biggest benefit.-a Because my shop not only suffers from
HSD (horizontal surface disease) it suffers from ACUTE HSD (yes its
killing me), the notcher can be tossed in a box on a shelf or in
drawer when not in use, and it only requires clearing the edge of the
table when needed.
The only major requirement that requires some planning really is that
the vise tube slot and the spindle axis of rotation are parallel, and
the tube when held and the spindle are at the same center height.
Roughly by machining standards.-a We are after all talking about
fabrication work, not machine work.-a That being said as long as both
center lines are parallel to the mounting surface, the height can be
shimmed if need be for an improvise solution.
I think I could build such a notcher in a fraction of the time it took
me to make parts to make the harbor freight notcher work better.
Partly, of course because I have already figured out some of the
problems by fixing the Harbor Freight notcher.
I doubt I would make and sell this.-a I'm not a machinery dealer, so I
am putting it out there in the open.-a Maybe its a dumb idea.-a Maybe
its a great idea.-a I don't know, but its worth atleast as much as you
paid for it.-a Maybe Jason over at Fireball Tools would be interested
in making something like that as an accessory to his welding tables.
He has the reputation to be able to sell something like that at a
price that would make money, and the knowledge and skills to produce
them efficiently.
P.S.-a After picking up the HF notcher my son told me he is going to
try to get the team to put TWO (of my stickers on their race car.-a One
on each side.-a LOL.-a Me?-a I'm going to try to get them to all wear my
company hats anytime they don't have a racing helmet on.-a LOL.
HERE IS THE BIG PROBLEM.-a My welding table doesn't have any holes in
it. -a-aI don't do a lot of welding and fabrication.-a Most is repair
work in situ, and often outdoors and out of position.-a For the few
repeat assemblies I've done on the table that require repeat indexing
I weld stops on the table and grind them off when I am done.-a I have a
solution for making the grid pattern. I've got a mag drill and the
right size annular cutter.-a I've got the steel to make the giant t-
square and grid hole spacers for aligning and moving the square.-a I
just haven't had the three days I think I'll need to do it.-a Well, I
haven't had them and not wanted to go fishing more.
Getting back to the original idea.
By using a commercial or commercial like welding table as the base:
1.-a You don't have to make a base plate.
2.-a You can adjust the distance between the cutting spindle and the tube vise without loosing your angle.
3.-a The base plate (table) is going to be flatter than the typical bent
and welded base plate that comes with many tube notchers.
4.-a Its an out of the box solution that will produce quality repeatable results without spend half your day cobbling up a makeshift solution.
I've spent way to much of my mental budget thinking about this, and I
have solutions for tables with different dog hole sizes and grid pattern spacing.-a To a limited extent even for tables with erratic grid spacing, but maybe not for tables with radically erratic dog hole sizes.-a LOL.
Making the spindle fit multiple tables is easier than making the vise do
so, but both are possible.-a You still have the same accuracy (more or
less) as the grid itself.
Having neither I'd consider the mill table as the base. Plates below the sides would align to the tee slot or table edges, coarsely adjustable
with parallels as spacers.
On 3/4/2026 12:11 PM, Snag wrote:
On 3/4/2026 12:30 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
Making the spindle fit multiple tables is easier than making the vise
do so, but both are possible.-a You still have the same accuracy (more
or less) as the grid itself.
How about a portable version . The spindle is on a pivot with the
other leg a pipe clamp . Clamp the device to the pipe/tube , set the
angle , and Robert's yer mother's brother .
HEY!-a YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE DIDN'T YOU!-a You took me down a rabbit
hole away from the original idea on purpose.-a What the heck was... OH! BRIGHT AND SHINY.
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