Cheap(ish) Tube Mitring Solution

[bencooper]

Thought people might be interested in my cheapish tube mitring setup - Instead of having separate setups for chainstays, seatstays and main frame tubes, I can mitre every frame tube with one kit. It's based on an Alex Meade seatstay jig and a Pro Tools tube notcher. First, chainstays:



I added two threaded holes to the baseplate so the jig bolts on at exactly 90 degrees, and Alex made me special tubing blocks to hold chainstays. Next, seatstays:



Simple, the jig bolts onto the adjustable angle plate. Finally, of course I can do main frame tubes with the standard tube clamp:

[Guillaume]

Cool! But I always thougth these notchers where flimsy and not very precise. What about your's?

[bencooper]

Yup, I wasn't sure it'd work, but this one is a very solid lump of aluminium - there's no flex or wobble. I'm also using 10tpi saws which probably helps.

[Lyle Vallie]

That looks more solid than the notcher I had. cool setup!

[bencooper]

A quick example of the mitres I'm getting - this is a Columbus Zona seat tube:



I've got a lovely Silva cutter I was going to adapt to use on this jig, but these hole saw results are so good I don't think I'll bother ;-)

[18bikes]

Ben,

Where do you get the 10tpi holesaws from?

Matt

[bencooper]

They're Cobra-Tech ones from Stakesys :-)

[Mike Mcdermid]

They're Cobra-Tech ones from Stakesys :-)

Ben are they the variable pitch ones? Stakesys guy basically didn't have anymore constant pitch fine left hence why i was looking at the AET'S
Hes actually looking to find a new supplier of fine tooth saws

Out of interest do you power it with a drill? And just push it?

[bencooper]

Fixed pitch - these ones:

Hole Saws, Hole Saw

Yup, cordless drill and just push - it needs a light touch, high rpm and cutting fluid to get best results without snagging I find. It's possible to shave off very thin layers - on tubes like the down tube, I start slightly long then shave it down to get a perfect fit. Always a faff by hand, very quick and simple with the jig.

[acorn]

Oops. Sorry. I had to delete this reply because I accidentally cross posted it to another thread. It's about an icing method to doing a miter. It's amazingly cheap and so far very effective.

Here is the link to the other reply I made to some guy's posts about tube notchers.
http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum...one-34325.html

[bikecycology]

Next, seatstays:



Ben, I like this a lot and have contacted Alex to see about getting one of his fixtures to do the same thing. Are you still using this setup? In the above picture when you set up for seatstays, how do you assure that the jig is 90° to the cutter? Seems like it would want to get "kicked" fairly easy. Last, one you do get it 90°, how to you easily get it set to the centerline of the cutter?

I ask because I want this system to work for me. I don't have any machine shop tools and this seems like a great solutions over hand layout, cutting, filing, etc.

Thanks, Wil

[Will Neide]

Next, seatstays:



Ben, I like this a lot and have contacted Alex to see about getting one of his fixtures to do the same thing. Are you still using this setup? In the above picture when you set up for seatstays, how do you assure that the jig is 90° to the cutter? Seems like it would want to get "kicked" fairly easy. Last, one you do get it 90°, how to you easily get it set to the centerline of the cutter?

I ask because I want this system to work for me. I don't have any machine shop tools and this seems like a great solutions over hand layout, cutting, filing, etc.

Thanks, Wil

Centerline of the cutter is 3" from the aluminum deck, so knowing that makes it easy to set everything else up. Just make sure your tube/gadget/contraption centerline is 3" and you should be OK. Definitely curious to hear how it's going for him though. I switch back and forth between this and hand/file. Both are pretty quick.

[bencooper]

I've been using it this week to make a tandem trike - even worked for the oval drain tube.

What you can't see in the seatstay pic is I've made some mounting blocks under the jig to raise it up to the correct centreline - when I set up for seatstays I just make sure the jig is sitting on those mounting blocks (they're permanently bolted to the angle plate) and clamp it tight.

For chainstays, I have a spacer between the jig and the baseplate.

The bit that actually takes longest to set up again (need to work on that) is setting up for normal tubes - but I'm reluctant to fix that because I want to still be able to do offset cuts, and it only takes 5 minutes.

I find if I don't run at full speed - around 1200rpm - then it can kick. But run at full speed with light pressure and some cutting oil and all is good.

[bencooper]

Move the clamp over and it'll do head tube vent holes too:

1499435_643806132324421_482939744_n.jpg