# Cheap tubing notcher for your lathe



## Tmate (Aug 10, 2020)

A milling attachment is heavy and cumbersome, and there is always the chance of accidentally dropping it on the ways.  I came up with this piece to cut notches in tubing without resorting to a milling attachment.

Chuck up a hex shank hole saw, mount this little attachment, and you are good to go.  The longitudinal power feed makes it automatic.  It cuts solids like butter as well.


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## Superburban (Aug 10, 2020)

Wow, so simple, yet so great. I will borrow that idea.


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## Aukai (Aug 11, 2020)

I might have made use of that a bit ago.


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## kb58 (Aug 11, 2020)

Same here, and I made due with an actual tubing notcher and drill press. The biggest problem I found wasn't so much holding it, but that fine-tooth hole saws aren't available.


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## mickri (Aug 11, 2020)

Added to the top of my project list.


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## DavidR8 (Aug 11, 2020)

kb58 said:


> Same here, and I made due with an actual tubing notcher and drill press. The biggest problem I found wasn't so much holding it, but that fine-tooth hole saws aren't available.


Man that's a great looking car!


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## kb58 (Aug 11, 2020)

Hah, You can build your own! www.midlana.com 

1800lbs complete, 350–530whp, depending upon boost and dyno type.


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## ttabbal (Aug 11, 2020)

Cool idea! I have a cage to build here soon-ish, I should make one of these.


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## pontiac428 (Aug 11, 2020)

I own and drive two vehicles, both have full cages.  I don't know how I feel about hanging a long piece of tubing off of my tool post, but it seems obvious that the lathe is a better platform than a wobbly jig on a drill press table.



kb58 said:


> Hah, You can build your own! www.midlana.com
> 
> 1800lbs complete, 350–530whp, depending upon boost and dyno type.



Wow, I thought I had the best whp/weight ratio in town.  Not even close, those numbers are crushing!  Do you have to use a restrictor plate for autocross to keep it under control?


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## Aukai (Aug 11, 2020)

I have to get back to working on the Chevelle, machining has been a fun distraction.


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## kb58 (Aug 11, 2020)

pontiac428 said:


> Wow, I thought I had the best whp/weight ratio in town.  Not even close, those numbers are crushing!  Do you have to use a restrictor plate for autocross to keep it under control?


I grew out of autocrossing and now just do trackday events, but yeah, I'm a little scared of it. It's very unlike anything I've driven before, where every time I come out of Turn 9 at Willow Springs onto the front straight, and get pushed back into the seat, I sort of murmur "geez, this thing..."

BTW, the comment about different dyno types is actually a big deal. The hub-mounted type versus the in-floor drum type are different by about 20%. 20% doesn't seem like a lot but when the former says "500whp" means that the latter will read "400whp", which is an enormous error in design as far as I'm concerned. At the end of the day, dynos are just for tuning, not getting accurate numbers, but the in-floor drum type with its lower number is likely more accurate.

And yeah, I know I've totally hijacked this thread...


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