Cutting Body Tubes

[Daniel Runyon]

I just read a (what sounds to me like) genius method of cutting body tubes over at TRF and figured I'd not only share it here in case you don't travel those grounds, but also solicit any other worthwhile techniques while we're at it.

This fellow (Maagic - NAR #86741) uses a radiator hose clamp... tightens it just tight enough to hold and cuts around the top. Simple, pure genius... IMO.

[barone]

I just read a (what sounds to me like) genius method of cutting body tubes over at TRF and figured I'd not only share it here in case you don't travel those grounds, but also solicit any other worthwhile techniques while we're at it.

This fellow (Maagic - NAR #86741) uses a radiator hose clamp... tightens it just tight enough to hold and cuts around the top. Simple, pure genius... IMO.
I prefer wrapping masking tape around the BT. Usually, just measure the distance for the cut and make several marks at the required length. Then just wrap tape around using the marks for a guide. Centering rings also work when the tube you're cutting is a size to accept it (like BT-20, use a CR20-50).

[Doug Sams]

I just read a (what sounds to me like) genius method of cutting body tubes over at TRF and figured I'd not only share it here in case you don't travel those grounds, but also solicit any other worthwhile techniques while we're at it.

This fellow (Maagic - NAR #86741) uses a radiator hose clamp... tightens it just tight enough to hold and cuts around the top. Simple, pure genius... IMO.
I find that no matter what are used as guide and cutter, cleanup is necessary, and that's when you can end up with an un-square cut.

I use a piece of card stock wrapped once around the tube as a marking guide, then free hand cut with an exacto knife. I've also used my radial arm saw - and still do on large tubes - but it does splinter things a bit.

I used to use a sanding block for cleanup, but still ended up with the occasional non-square cut.

Now, once the tube is cut - for pretty much all tubes 4" and under - I use my sanding station to clean things up. I bought it just for this purpose. Several I saw had flimsy tables attached at the sanding disk, but I picked out this one because of its sturdy table.

With the supplied square clamped to the table, I can put a tube on it at exactly 90 degrees to the disk and get a perfectly square end.

The only catch is to be careful - it's real easy to sand off too much :) Seriously, I simply cut the tubes about an 1/8" long and then sand them to length.

Doug

[CPMcGraw]

I find that no matter what are used as guide and cutter, cleanup is necessary, and that's when you can end up with an un-square cut.

I use a piece of card stock wrapped once around the tube as a marking guide, then free hand cut with an exacto knife. I've also used my radial arm saw - and still do on large tubes - but it does splinter things a bit.

I used to use a sanding block for cleanup, but still ended up with the occasional non-square cut.

Now, once the tube is cut - for pretty much all tubes 4" and under - I use my sanding station to clean things up. I bought it just for this purpose. Several I saw had flimsy tables attached at the sanding disk, but I picked out this one because of its sturdy table.

With the supplied square clamped to the table, I can put a tube on it at exactly 90 degrees to the disk and get a perfectly square end.

The only catch is to be careful - it's real easy to sand off too much :) Seriously, I simply cut the tubes about an 1/8" long and then sand them to length.

Doug

Doug,

Have you tried doing angle cuts, finishing up with that disk? With the recent interest in building FSI clones like the Viking series, your method might just be the solution to the problem -- at least until Carl figures out how to laser-cut those tubes that way... :rolleyes: :D

[Doug Sams]

Have you tried doing angle cuts, finishing up with that disk? With the recent interest in building FSI clones like the Viking series, your method might just be the solution to the problem -- at least until Carl figures out how to laser-cut those tubes that way... :rolleyes: :DHi, Craig,

I can't recall if I used it on either of my Tubers. I used a wrap (funny how it unwraps to be a sine wave, D'oh :) ) to mark it and an exacto knife to cut them, but am not sure whether the sanding station was used or if I just grabbed a sanding block.

If a sanding disk is used, the tube rotation would need to be controlled. Maybe an alignment mark is all that's needed for that.

I know Don Magness is using laser cut tube fins in the Tuber kits he sells, so it's definitely do-able, but upon considering how, I'm not sure. There's definitely a potential for having the beam cut or burn the backside of the tube as it's cutting thru the front if it's not done right.

Doug