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Brite spark
1,158 posts
70 months
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mondeoman said: Where did you get this cutter?  Off topic, didn't think it was a good idea cutting copper with this kind of disc, has one disc already exploded?
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bigbubba
833 posts
88 months
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Brite spark said: Off topic, didn't think it was a good idea cutting copper with this kind of disc, has one disc already exploded? That doesn't look like copper? It looks like steel tubing and as has been discussed this is an American photograph.
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mondeoman
Original Poster
6,758 posts
135 months
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bigbubba
833 posts
88 months
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mondeoman said: There is a reason why this bender is so cheap. I would steer clear of these types of bender. In my experience they kink the pipe around the die rather than bending it. You will have a series of flat spots along the internal radius at best. At worst it will just be one kink in the centre of the bend. Don't believe the videos that tell you to fill the tube with a medium such as sand prior to bending either, it will improve it but not to a satisfactory standard. Unfortunately the only way to get a great bend is to use a mandrel bender but these are thousands. The next best way to get an OK bend is to use a ratchet die bender such as JD bender, Pro Tools, Baileigh etc. You can get one of these for about £500. HTH
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julian64
9,840 posts
123 months
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His bender is actually fine as I have one very similar from clarkes and it works a treat.
As long as the pipe isn't caught at one end it bends while the pipe is moving and does a similar job to the JD type. In fact I bought an old JD type off the internet and it wasn't much use because you could never fix it anywhere to get enough purchase on it. Eventually I ditched it in favour of the clarkes type because the clarkes type didn't need to be fixed anywhere.
Never needed to fill any pipe.
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bigbubba
833 posts
88 months
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julian64 said: His bender is actually fine as I have one very similar from clarkes and it works a treat. As I said, it was in my experience, it depends on the wall thickness. I was using thin wall tube and the clarke type of benders are rubbish at it. If you want a professional job then they are rubbish. If they worked well then there wouldn't be any other benders being sold for thousands!
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mondeoman
Original Poster
6,758 posts
135 months
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A bit more thought on the bender then - I remember using something similar for exhaust pipes back in the day, and there was sand involved... so I have to assume it didn't go to well. It is thin wall tube I'm designing with - 1.2mm wall, but I don't have £500 extra to put into this yet, so back to the drawing board for that one.
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julian64
9,840 posts
123 months
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Shame you aren't closer. You'd be welcome to come and try some of your pipe on mine to see what happened.
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moustachebandit
195 posts
12 months
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OP – if you looking at a pillar drill forget anything new like Clarke / Draper / Axminster
The old makes are the ones to go for -
Fobco
Meddings
Progress
Boxford
Startrite
These drills were made back in the day when they did actually make things to last. If you look on Ebay you can snag some total bargains. 3ph units go for very little if you can be bothered to convert the motor.
A number of those makers also did drill / mill set ups – so you can cover 2 bases with 1 unit
I bought a Fobco Star a few years back for 65 quid. Amazing machine. Total brute and despite being used by an engineering firm for the best part of 60 years drills straight, has the grunt to chew through anything and doesn’t miss a beat.
Cheers
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mondeoman
Original Poster
6,758 posts
135 months
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As a child of the seventies (!), I grew up working with Colchester lathes and Bridgeport mills: the abuse they got off apprentices was shocking, but they just kept going.
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Smiler.
5,384 posts
99 months
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Brite spark said: Smiler. said: Anyone got a recommendation for a chop saw to cut steel channel (unistrut)? Use the evolution chop saw range at work on unistrut, goes through it like a hot knife through butter, cold cut and reasonably clean end unlike the abrasive disk cutters. Orange blade is ment to go through most materials and it does Blue blade is for steel, others for stainless etc Available as chop saw, cut off saw or mitre Blades are interchangeable, have a steel blade in the "rage" saw and it isn't short of power Fairly cheap from machine mart or even b&q, just watch out for the various blade sizes though. If you have makita lxt stuff the battery metal chop saw is also excellent Cheers. Which model Evolution do you use?
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Brite spark
1,158 posts
70 months
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eliot
5,318 posts
123 months
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That Mill/Drill looks too small to do anything useful - I would focus on a proper mill - perhaps an old one.
For cutting ally I would use parafin not WD40..
I use a clarke band saw with a decent quality bi-metal blade (avoid the clarke/draper branded blades they blunt and break very quickly)
The clarke pillar drill isn't too bad - avoid the bench mounted versions though, not powerful enough and chuck too small.
I briefly had one of those chop saws that have the cutting disk in them - never again, noise, sparks and dust everywhere.
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Smiler.
5,384 posts
99 months
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Brite spark said: Ta 
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SystemParanoia
8,497 posts
67 months
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julian64 said: In fact I bought an old JD type off the internet and it wasn't much use because you could never fix it anywhere to get enough purchase on it. you make a post and bolt it to the floor...
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PGM
1,537 posts
118 months
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Sorry for asking this question, but here goes!
I know what a lathe does but what would you actually use it for in the home garage? Making parts and things you can't get hold of?
Just wondered how much use one would be and whether it's worth making room for one when I build my new workshop.
My main job is restoring and maintaining my classic mini, maintenance on 911 and possible later addition of off roading Landie to work on.
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julian64
9,840 posts
123 months
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SystemParanoia said: you make a post and bolt it to the floor... I tell you what. Make a post bolt it to the floor, stick a big handle on the top and see how much force it takes using that lever to pull the bolts out of the floor. Then look at the clarkes tube bender and marvel at the size and power of the hydraulic ram its using to bend 2" pipe and imagine all that power using the lever into the post and your bolts on the floor. Thats why I said a JD hand operated isn't much use. My floor wouldn't take it and there was no way I could pull a 2" pipe. A hydraulic JD type would be great as it would have all the benefits but no downsides, but try to google the price of one of those and compare it to the clarkes bender price. 
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julian64
9,840 posts
123 months
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PGM said: Sorry for asking this question, but here goes!
I know what a lathe does but what would you actually use it for in the home garage? Making parts and things you can't get hold of?
Just wondered how much use one would be and whether it's worth making room for one when I build my new workshop.
My main job is restoring and maintaining my classic mini, maintenance on 911 and possible later addition of off roading Landie to work on. A lathe can pretty much do anything. It can do anything a mill can, but a mill can't do everything a lathe can. The only reason you actually need a mill is for convenience. You have asked a very big question, and I can't really do justice to the answer, but if I was starting out in a workshop and could buy just one machine, it would be a lathe
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mondeoman
Original Poster
6,758 posts
135 months
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The engineers best friend is a big ballpeen hammer or a f  k off big wrench!
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mondeoman
Original Poster
6,758 posts
135 months
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