Cutting Tubes

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 9:24 am

I have a second Mark V that I will eventually cut down into a shorty or mini version. It has not been done yet because I keep using it as a drill press.

I have two questions:

1. If I cut it down, will I still be able to use it as a drill press?

2. What method do you recommend to cut the tubes?

pennview · Post by **pennview** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 10:47 am

Dusty, as I mentioned in another thread earlier today, I cut 16" off the tubes of a Greenie and retailed all of the Shopsmith functions, including the drill press mode. It makes a nice sanding station, allowing the belt or strip sander to be mounted together with the disk sander, but it's a bit squat as a drill press.

I used an angle grinder with a metal-cutting cutoff wheel to cut the tubes. I took a piece of printer paper and wrapped it around a tube, aligned the edges of the paper, and then used a Sharpie to mark a ring around the tube. Held the tubes in a B&D Work Mate while using the grinder. Wear eye protection.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 11:38 am

As mentioned(squat) above the table would need to be 'all the way down' to provide any meaningful quill depth range. Now if sitting while drilling is a goal, the low table is not of significance(the quill range remains a potential 'issue').

I used a pipe cutter, but It was a HF piece of crap and I developed huge arm muscles getting two tubes cut. Add to the overdeveloped muscles
(they must have been huge considering the soreness that followed for a couple of days:D)the fact that the pipe cutter created mushroomed(sorta) ends that needed to be tamed.

I think the next time I shall use a cutoff wheel in a hand held grinder also.

SDSSmith · Post by **SDSSmith** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 12:29 pm

pennview wrote:Dusty, as I mentioned in another thread earlier today, I cut 16" off the tubes of a Greenie and retailed all of the Shopsmith functions, including the drill press mode. It makes a nice sanding station, allowing the belt or strip sander to be mounted together with the disk sander, but it's a bit squat as a drill press.

I used an angle grinder with a metal-cutting cutoff wheel to cut the tubes. I took a piece of printer paper and wrapped it around a tube, aligned the edges of the paper, and then used a Sharpie to mark a ring around the tube. Held the tubes in a B&D Work Mate while using the grinder. Wear eye protection.

If I have done one, I have done over twenty-five this way. When making Mini's, I cut one bench tube in half. For the Mini way tube, I center a piece of 3/4" painters tape on a way tube and make a cut on each side of the tape leaving a 3/4" ring. Each side of the tape should be 25-5/8" from the end. Then I dress the ends with a bench grinder and a file.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 12:41 pm

SDSSmith wrote:If I have done one, I have done over twenty-five this way. When making Mini's, I cut one bench tube in half. For the Mini way tube, I center a piece of 3/4" painters tape on a way tube and make a cut on each side of the tape leaving a 3/4" ring. Each side of the tape should be 25-5/8" from the end. Then I dress the ends with a bench grinder and a file.

I have cut a pair(of bench or way) tubes 3/8" off center. Each creates two tubes with one being 3/4" longer than the other half. The longer becomes a mini bench tube and the shorter becomes a mini way tube. No waste, only two cuts.

If a pair of bench tubes is cut, the mini will be 3/8 longer than if way tubes were cut.

Only a single pair of tubes is cut(the other pair is not altered).

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:15 pm

I don't have an angle grinder but I do have a chop saw. Would it be consider safe to mount a metal cutting blade or an edge grinder blade on the chop saw for this task.

NO

Don't do this. I did some research after posting this question and learned that rotational speed is an issue. Metal cutting chop saws operate at a speed about 1/2 that of a wood cutting chop saw.

2bits · Post by **2bits** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:52 pm

Dusty.
If you would like to borrow and angle grinder, let me know. If I start looking for it now I should be able to find it by the time you are ready for it:D I will see what I got for cut off wheels.

SDSSmith · Post by **SDSSmith** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 7:01 pm

JPG40504 wrote:I have cut a pair(of bench or way) tubes 3/8" off center. Each creates two tubes with one being 3/4" longer than the other half. The longer becomes a mini bench tube and the shorter becomes a mini way tube. No waste, only two cuts.

If a pair of bench tubes is cut, the mini will be 3/8 longer than if way tubes were cut.

Only a single pair of tubes is cut(the other pair is not altered).

I believe that the metallurgy differs between some way tubes and bench tubes. My preference is to use way tubes to make way tubes and bench tubes to make bench tubes. To each their own, and I like mine.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 10:37 pm

[quote="SDSSmith"]I believe that the metallurgy differs between some way tubes and bench tubes. My preference is to use way tubes to make way tubes and bench tubes to make bench tubes. To each their own, and I like mine.]

I unnerstand! I have yet to use bench tubes for a mini and the half(+) way tube is quite happy being used as a bench tube.

I just do not like all that extra cutting!:rolleyes:

dcottrill · Post by **dcottrill** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 11:18 pm

You can use a bandsaw to cut the tubes as well. I took my tubes by a local machine shop. The owner cut them for me and dressed the ends for free. He was interested in my project.

He had a metal cutting blade in the bandsaw. A fine tooth blade with not much set. He used some oil to cool the blades.

If you don't mind the work out a hack saw will work as well. Or a saws all with a metal blade. It is amazing what a saws all can cut!

The mini is the new home for my planner.

When you look at the tubes you will notice that the bench tubes and way tubes are different lengths. You will want to keep that dimension the same. The bench tubes are about 3/4" longer than the way tubes.