Making a Tube Clamp for a Tube Notcher

The guys in the NAU Mini Baja SAE team on the local campus bought a Harbor Freight tube notcher to make be able to cut and fit the Mini Baja SAE race cart they are building for their final engineering project (and to race).  No, I didn’t go back to school.  The son is on the team.   You know how there are some hidden gems in the Harbor Freight tools?  This isn’t one of them.

I was going to extend the base so they could position to make the longer shallow cuts, but when I checked the tube clamp it not only wasn’t at the same height as the arbor, but it didn’t hold the tube level.  The arbor actually isn’t to terrible.  I decided to make them a new clamp for the tube first.  Its made so a wtap around clamp can be made for it, but the strap clamp allows you to turn the clamp/vise in either direction.  I might not even have to extend the base.  The wrap around clamp gets int he way and only allows you to turn the vise in one direction.

The tube notcher still uses hole saws which aren’t great, but if I make one for myself (I probably will) I think I’ll set it up to use annular cutters.