What is the bit called for notching the ends of the tubular steel for welding a cage together.. I want to say Chamfer but all i can find is wood bits..

A little help?

 

Around here it's called a hole saw.

 

here is a cheap version.

http://www.harborfreight.com/c...35782

 

Don't cheap out on the holesaws. Get a genuine Milwaukee or Lenox.

Buy the size that matches the tubing (outside) diameter you are using. You did buy a 'tubing notcher', right? If not, it will be a major PITA.

 

we have a 7 foot drill press here with all kinds of wheels and attachements and special vises for pipe .. we tested it with hole saws and it worked ok but i have watched proffesionals with a special bit that looks like a tap and they push the pipe into it as it spins and it notches the pipe, but i guess a hole saw will have to do

 

Sounds like you are talking about a metal lathe to me. While that would certainly make it easier for fish mouthing tubing past the range of the commercial notchers, the holesaw works pretty well.

 

I call it a Fish Mouth Saw.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ViZ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">we have a 7 foot drill press here with all kinds of wheels and attachements and special vises for pipe .. we tested it with hole saws and it worked ok but i have watched proffesionals with a special bit that looks like a tap and they push the pipe into it as it spins and it notches the pipe, but i guess a hole saw will have to do</TD></TR></TABLE>

I believe what you're describing looks something like this:



I think it's referred to as an end mill, or an end mill cutter. The bits are several hundred dollars by themselves. Here's the first link I found: http://www.vansantent.com/tube...r.htm

 

Bah! A bench grinder and a zippy stripper are all you need if you're a real man

 

kind of like this right?

it's an end mill

 

thats it that is the bit i need, i figured it would be a few hundred

 

you need more than a bit...you need an end-mill...which is designed to take sideways forces...

 

Don't forget, you will need the machine to hold the end mill too. Minor detail.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Angry Joe &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Bah! A bench grinder and a zippy stripper are all you need if you're a real man </TD></TR></TABLE>

Good luck if you are TIG welding.

 

We tried about 7 different brands of hole saws, and Milwaukee are the only ones that worked for us. And work. And work. I think we've done 3 cages on the current saw. It doesn't even look like it has any teeth left yet it still keeps cutting. And yes, we have a tube notcher. Not as nice as that end mill, but it works, and it was 1/5 the price.

 

did you try dewalt hole saws? i have a crapload of them here at our shop

and the comment about the side load sounds about right, i dont want to destroy my drill press

 

Hmmmm. The DeWalt ones that I have seen, IIRC, are designed for wood, not steel.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MightyMouseTech &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Good luck if you are TIG welding. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Unless I'm in a hurry the gaps are plenty tight

 

Unless, you have only 1 sized stock tubing then you'll need various bits for different connections (ie big bar to small bar).

I second using a bench grinder. Periodically check the fitment and you'll have zero gap once you get some experience.