Tube Notching - Fabrication Series: 05 

I can’t thank you enough. So simplified and straight to the point. No BS and I love that you don’t hype up the tube notcher because not everybody has them. As goes with most things the more you do it the better and quicker you’ll be. Thanks SO much for this vid!

You know I struggled welding up some pipe for horse corrals years ago and now I'm buying and building another kit car and I want to do a lot of fabricating on the frame before I go much further as it has room for improvement. This series on notching is nothing short of a blessing. Thank you very much

This blew my mind. "Make your cuts parallel to your straight tube". Wow, and lined up!

Vent hole..... I've watched my share of fabrication videos and unless I've missed it every time, your the first guy that's called out for venting a project like this. Dam... As always worth the watching. Ya learn something every day no matter how much ya think ya know. Taking the time to watch a video on just the basics pays off huge. So much info! Thanks to you.

Best way to explain mitering this I’ve seen. I’ve been way over-thinking it, and this just solved a lot of my mathematical quandaries.

This is my second time around watching your video... I am in The Philippines with less then the bare necessities for tools and making it happen is easier because of videos like your video... Thank you .......

Great point about the cuts just being straight cuts. If you are a perfectionist like me, it's real easy to "overthink" stuff like that and end up chasing your tail all day. Great vids.

You know, the VENTING, that is a good thing to do for other reasons as well.. I have built TRUCK BODIES, Like for say a FLATBED TRUCK, I have built the frame for the bed with SQUARE TUBING and I "vented it" like that except I used a little bit bigger hole, so the *FRAME could be utilized as a Compressed Air Tank* Always had AIR fro a TANK that took up NO ROOM anywhere. I could also hook the "Bed Tank" in to a Compressor on the job and it would allow the COMPRESSOR tor have a bigger capacity to run Impact tools etc. Good video, BB

With the vent holes interconnected, and open ends capped. It is very easy to check for cracks. Fit a Schrader valve in the end of a capped tube, put about 2-5psi IN the tubes and spray soapy water on each welded joint. A crack will show bubbles. No bubbles, No cracks. Very good videos!

Thank you for simplifying the cope/notch process, Mr. McAmis. You're absolutely correct in stating that people over-think the joint. I'd overthink it to the point that it would be nowhere even close and the more I worked it, the worse it got. Went out to the shop and tried a couple of straight-cuts; awesomesausage-on-a-stick! Huge thumbs-up and an even bigger THANK YOU, Mr. McAmis!

I've done a back half on a S10 and a roll cage and it took a long time and I see places where I could have done better. I went with the 2x3 back half and after watching this, I now know I should have gone with the 1 5/8 tube option. What scared me was two things, is it going to be strong enough and notching the tubes. After watching this video and the simple understandable approach Tim uses, made me realize I was overthinking it. This was soooo simple! Thanks for turning on the light bulb for me Tim! What would be helpful is providing some tips and tricks about tubing measurement for length on bends etc. Thanks again for posting these!

Awesome tutorial. You made it very simple and thoughtless. 👊. A welder here who started a job building gates and when i started, the guy who had been there 25 years was fitting with huge gaps that he didn't fill very well. He wasn't a welder and even though i can fill those gaps properly, i feel it takes too much time and like you said with a proper fit you get more structural integrity. Its just a stronger structure Thank you for making my life easier. My boss is buying me a chop saw now 😂😂

This is great, most chassis builders do not bother on how to work on things, you do a lot and you do it for free. Thank you !!!

this has got to be the most absolute best video I have ever seen for a person that just works out of his garage at home I have watched videos for 3 days now on notching this was absolutely the best now I can do it with just what I have here in my shop and not have to go out and buy a notcher thank you so very much

Was researching notching to build a cage and came across this video. Thx for the straightforward info, it made my project less stressful. and it’s going smoothly.

Really great video. So many of these tube notching videos on here give overcomplicated (and actually incorrect) advice, that I've thought about making my own video about this, but you have it totally covered. I think this is the first video I've seen that mentions that a tube notch is made of two straight cuts, and that's the most important thing that people need to realize. All you need in order to make excellent fitting tubes is an angle grinder and a drum sander, but having access to high quality notchers is a nice bonus! But especially for tubes joined at small angles, it's much faster to use this method than a holesaw-type notcher.

Best video on youtube! my tube chassis plan just went from "maybe next year" to "buying some tube" love it, thanks!

blew my mind just now!! thank you for concept of just straight cuts.

From Michigan: I want to thank you for this video. this video is the only one that i have watched, and i have watched a lot of them, that makes any since. april 2018

This video has made my life easier! Thanks for sharing. It is exciting to learn something new every day.

This video has helped me more than I know how to tell you. A huge thank you from someone that you just helped out.

These videos are an awesome resource. Thanks. I’ll be sure to order some supplies from you when I do my cage next winter.

Badass video, love it when companies help the average guy out like this. Sharing simple but usable knowledge that others like to keep a secret for some reason. Awesome stuff.

I really look forward to these videos every week! thanks

Simple explanations are usually the best, thanks. Learned more in these few minutes...

Great videos Tim you are a great instructor! Amazing attention to detail and great craftsmanship. Well done 👍🏼

I just learned SO MUCH from you, man...THANK YOU!

Great video, thanks a bunch. Just made boat stands for my 26 ton sail boat. Was able to use free tube steal from an old cyclone wire fence.

Nice video I have a dozen or so of off cuts with a line scribed with the lathe 2” from the end each of the offcuts is around 8” long and has different standard angles on them. Basically use them to get a nice angle and measure between the two lines to get your total length of the piece Makes fit up fast and very low wastage

Thanks for the tips. These are great videos.

Very helpful video! Thanks TMRC

Great video. Thanks Tim.

Wow! Master teacher passing on the craft! I see that I can do my cage in my car with the tools I already own!

This series is exactly what I need I'm taking notes watching the videos one by one and have a huge tool list to slowly aquire but this is my dream I am so glad I didn't pay 15,000$-25,000$ for a welding school to teach me anything I'm pretty much RU-vid taught and practice but I'm a 22 year old rookie on the mig welding allot usually 3 hrs a day at work over head often installing buttplates onto dumptrucks I wish we did tig work at my work so I could get practice with that I'll eventually invest into a tig

Great , valuable information. Many thanks.

I love this channel and you are so gracious for teaching us. On that frame just off your right shoulder there is what looks like a bend that comes down at about a 45 degree angle. How do you make those types of bends and how do you make them maintain structural integrity?

Just the simple straight cut on my drop saw thing will help me along nicely .

Great video, THANKS!

Great tutorial. Thank you!

best explanation! nice job

Tim your videos are awesome, can you possibly do 1 about a chassis table ? and maybe a alternative to someone doing a chassis at home without a table,thanks for sharing your vids

Great video !

Im addicted, you sir are my new hero

Thank you!

Awesome video

Watched 2022 great video. Biggest take away was venting tube.

Thank you for this!

Thanks I'll try

Brilliant. thank you!

Super, thanks for the ideeas.

Brilliant info............

Tim, awesome vid, thanks. For a VW bug, dune buggy build, tube chassis, that needs to hold about 500 to 550hp at the wheels, what tube diameter and wall thickness would you use for the frame?

taken the mystery out of tube notching thank you

Great content bro i like it

Wow, thank you!!!

You’re the best Tim,thank you so much for all you’re videos my favorite is the Pro Mod Kit I almost pissed my pants watching that one to funny👍

Thanks for the video

Very neat...

Thank you Tim! An old dog like me can learn a new trick!!

How do doors work on your kits? I'm very interested in getting one of the chasis kits from his website for my first build as it would really speed things up and to an extent simplify the designing/engineering I'd have to do but I honestly don't see how a door would fit on your kits... It looks like I'd have to remove the welded cross sections and design a door and door opening of my own...

Good video

Would you vent if you mig tubing also

How can I use my everlast plasma cutter to help me notch tubes?

Great video for a beginner like me. Thank you!

I don't know if this has been asked already... Does it matter much how far off the center line of the tube you cut the corner(s) off? As close to center as possible? Always just off center to the cut side? i was shopping for a tube notcher the last couple days, but now i know their is no need for one.

His performance is top notch in this movie

What is the thickness of the steel use?

What is your opion of the williams low buck tube notcher? I have found that the cheap drill press hole saw notchers are junk. Hole saws cut over size need to use slug cutters.

Hello Brother, I’m in process to manufacture a beach buggy attribute to Honda Rincon 680 cc using Daihatsu 3 cylinder car engine 650 cc how ever it’s more 20 hp than the one in the Honda Ricon , now my question is what is the appropriate tubes that should be used for this project in terms of the tube diameter and thickness and the steel fabrication specs ....

How do you do a straight T branch?

Wish I could click the thumbs up button a bunch of times for this one!

Thanks

What diameter tubing are you using in the video when you are using the 1.5" drum sander.

Is most of the chassis filled with argon at any point in the assembly?

From Brazil: THANK YOUUUUUUUU

are these drum sanding bits factory made or hand made?

I gather the difference between a professional and everyone else essentially is the fine details of tuning the fitment of the tubing it seems.

I have 2 ends of 1 1/8" steel tube to notch. No chop saw. Can I do the same thing with a hack saw, 4 1/2" grinder and files?

I think Tim practiced the fitting off camera...lol...probably thousands of times over the years!!!

id love to have him as a boss

If u butt tack weld then slide the sleeve in case where u don't want to pipes same size butt jointed. Start it joint if needed w/flux, then slide sleeve where needed & weld & u don't hve to "sweat" the pulling of the weld heat messing w/your seams. 1 diameter will heat diff then other diameter, simple tack or flux worth the time if worried about it, & sleeving to b sure not same diameter insures good strength lasting seam & fit, 1st time every time.

I'm doing this very thing right now. My issue was when I notch one end, lets say the cross bar or back brace across the main hoop, getting the notch perfectly identical on both sides of the tube seems to give me trouble. Like one side will be perfect but the other side may be clocked just a few degrees so you end up with one side that is fits great and the other side off. What is the trick for putting a cut along the exact same cenrterline or on the same plane?

👍

Personally I haven't vented any chassis I've built. I weld 95% of a tube and then let it cool before finishing. I DO still have blowouts time to time, but they're usually preventable.

Good video, i love that you don't care to cuss. Lol

I have built 2 cars with this method first car was with a pipe bender from harbour freight sorry Tim I know you love China stuff lol but it is effective I have better tools now but it just speeds up the process hang in there guys keep building cars as not everyone can afford one of Tim chassis but with patients and hard work you can build a quality car

You may have just saved me a shitload of time on my cantilever gate building project. I am guilty as sin of overthinking things. Its crippling for me.

Thank you! Now I just need to learn how to weld 😕

This is so crazy I have watched dozens of videos those people trying to teach you how to notch tubing, he just simplified the f*** out of it . . Just like tying your shoe . . everyone else is like a half of this, behind that, 1/3 of that, this angle and that . . Nooooooo . . Just TWO (2) CUTS . . And when I saw it . . All I could do was laugh 😂 . . thanks P. S. . . I just watched another video of a guy with a Special Jig and he kept saying over and over again (About 5 or 6 X's) about how he was going to cut a . . ' Complex Double 45 ' . . He clamped the tube in the device, marked it with another tool that helped him find the starting point, started cutting with the hole saw bottemed out, flipped the drill portion of the device 180° to finish the first cut . Used the other tool again to find the placement of the second 45 . Used a snap collar to locate the starting point for the drill . He spins the tube to begin the cut on the opposite side . Then drills out the other 45 with the hole saw . . And after he completed the 10 - 12 step process, he said once again how the ' BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH ' Device can cut the ' Complex Double 45 ' . . With EASE I suppose . . I can't remember but I believe I was laughing almost the Whole . Entire . Time. 😂 Thanks Sooooooo Much Again. 👍😏

comments 93 showing: best way to get a good fit angle butt joint is to make sure the 2 pipes being fit together r never the same diameter. Even if u hve to add a cover sleeve.

Fab shop using fiber wheels.....

There's no substitute for a good eye, I know people who care figure, "Round hole, Square Peg" ..

Can I have a job 😎, I have no skills but am willing

I usually don't use this type of language but what's a shity spot?

three minutes in, swearing and no contend, ill pass