For years I've had shops do fabrication for me as I haven't had the equipment to do it myself. You know, little things like patch panels, floors, etc. I had 2 dirt bikes until someone decided they wanted one of them more than I did. With 1 bike left and my boys older and doing other things, there was no reason to keep just the one any longer. I traded it for an old Miller 35 mig, and a newer Esab plasma cutter.... both in very good condition. Now I can do a lot of those little things (and more) that I couldn't before, but what other equipment is good to have around for sheetmetal and general fab work? I'm looking around for a chop saw, but what about the more obscure, smaller items? As much as I'd enjoy it, I don't have the room for english wheels, sheetmetal brakes, etc.
Hammer and dollies Cut off wheel/grinder regular grinder right angle grinder tools with roloc disc Shrinker/stretcher bead roller Air sheers These are a few things I keep around the shop and do a lot of work with!
That Miller 35 is a cl***ic. Miller tried to clone it some years ago and failed. Small shrinker stretcher 4.5 angle grinder Used horizontal bandsaw instead of chop saw. Can be used upright to cut things that would not be able to be held in a saw-vice
Very useful! Mine is a Ryobi I got at Home Depot, the handle turns and locks in different positions so you don't have to stand on your head to use it on some items...
A right-angle grinder is definitely on the list. I have a straight die grinder, and though it works, there's times (especially with rolocs) that I sure need one. I have hand-held and bench grinders, horizontal and vertical belt sanders, vertical band saw, drill presses, polishers, and parts cleaners, but these are more geared toward restoration and not sheetmetal fab. Also explains why I don't have enough room for larger equipment.
Got that covered, but got me thinking about other small hand tools. How about things like the vise grip flange tool?
how bout some of those br***(?) s****s for holding behind small holes your welding up. seen them on eastwoods page.
That kind of thing, too! I'm removing body side mouldings on a OT project, and I've got holes to fill!
I've been on the lookout for a nice used Beverly shear - so handy! And like several mentioned I couldn't get by without my 4" angle grinder and cutoff wheels. I even bought a Porter Cable cordless unit - works really nice.
I use this vertical disc sander daily, with the adjustable square you can make acurate angles when needed, and contour brackets or polish/smooth steel of all shapes. I also use a good angle grinder too for flap discs and cut-off wheels, i burn through 4 or 5 grinders a year.
Along with your miller 35( me too ) and plasma cutter The 4 inch grinder/cut off tool is the end all do all tool, I have 2 ( dewalt ) hammers and dollies snipes curved and straight a good vise mounted on a table a strong table ( a must ) mines 6ft x 6ft and 1/2 think steel good lighting get a good pair of leather gloves, not the heavy welding kind, the thinner working kind use pipe clamped to your table for curving metal or the edge of the table for hard bend in sheet metal Vise grips long and short and C clamps a torch for heating and bending shrinker/stretcher Those are my top tools along with basic hand tools (wrenches/ sockets ect.) they have served me well for almost 20 years. You will spend more time making jigs and forms to shape metal not having a english wheel or panshing hammer. But it can be done. search the HAMB for "home built" or "Home made", you will be amazed at the complex builds with just the basic tools.There are some awesome completely homemade cars/trucks on here. MrC.
Ya know, I was gonna say Beverly shear myself. And as much as I hate to say it....... The HF one works pretty damned well. I was surprised.
one more vote for beverly shear. kinda pricey though. I have an air nibbler for sheetmetal that cuts pretty good, though not really straight, as well as a Milwaukee hand shear... that will cut straight lines more accurately but won't work in all applications when cutting part off of a car, works fine when cutting up fresh sheetmetal for making patches and stuff though. I like to mount it in my vise and feed the metal into it rather than use it by hand. don't forget a good old jigsaw for sheetmetal as well. 4" grinder with cutoff wheels work well but make a messs and sparks fly all over.
This little die grinder from harborfreight is worth its weight in gold. Also reasonably priced at $60.00. You just have to fight the wheel guard off.
A set of cleco tools can be worth it too. And a new index of really good drill bits. My friends bought me a small size index from Wurth for my birthday a few years ago...they are awesome and i havent broke one yet!
The Jalopy Journal
