Attention fabricators: What tools do you guys use the most?

[milehightoyz]

Hi guys,

My birthday is coming up and Im going tool shopping soon. Im wanting to get more into air suspension and fabrication etc and am wondering what kind of tools you gurus out there would recommend. Ive got the basics:

compressor, plasma, welders, bandsaws, drill press, grinders, sawzalls etc.

things on my list to get are:

hydraulic tube bender/notcher (building rear bridges cross members etc.)
6ft break (fabbing floorpans, trans tunnels etc)
planishing hammer ( not sure id use this much for frame stuff but be cool for patch panels etc.)

can anyone out there lend any more advice on what else i should be looking for? anything im missing? thanks in advanced for the help.

john

[DM310]

**** I wish I had what you already got......... haha that list sounds pretty good to me. Get a tig unless you already have one. Oh a lathe/mill would be good

[dwcsr]

A good 40 ton press, not the bottle jack kind. You can get some dies for bending 1/4" to 3/8" brackets like the bends on the c notches and bag mounts. A good cabinet type sand blaster is also very helpful for cleaning up parts and nut, bolts and the like.

[mbgmike]

YOU NEVER HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED. i will reply when i remember what i use the most. this a hard question. i use everything i own most times. The most thing i use is a vise. I have brakes and shears and lathes and crap but i would say a vise. I wish i had a good anvil outsside

[dwcsr]

I agree an Anvil is a good item to have.
Hydraulic vise is nice to, but damned expensive.
I saw one guy had a chain hoist on a 12' swing arm. He could pick an engine out of the truck and set it on a bench or anywhere in the 360 degree reach of the swing arm.
You can never have to many clamps. C clamps, pipe clamps, quick release clamps.
A good solid welding table. With the square stake holes in it so you can clamp the work instead of having to tack it to the table.

[7T7]

You'll never go back to an abrasive again once you use one of these Dewalt DW872 chop saws.
Also a good two post lift is a Godsend.

[cdowns]

a good bead roller/shrinker strecher/beer refrigerator/ english wheel/as far as pounding out metal a few thins i've found very handy for curves are a bowling ball and bowling pins/blast cabinet/exhaust fan in the shop/ you can never have too many lightsor clamps different shapes and sizes/ as far as tubing benders don't expect a harbor freight pipe bender to bo of any use expect to pay 2-3 thousand for a good one with a few sets of dies a thousand to fifteen will get a hobbiest unit/ a good slip roll for driveshaft tunnels

[milehightoyz]

thanks bead roller definitely on the list, english wheel too one of these days when i learn how to use one. im not familiar with a slip roll, can you lend any additional info?

[cdowns]

Originally Posted by milehightoyz

thanks bead roller definitely on the list, english wheel too one of these days when i learn how to use one. im not familiar with a slip roll, can you lend any additional info?

a slip roll is similar to a brake you put in flat metal and roll and it comes out tubeular it's adjustable to the circumfrance of the tube// places like northern hydraulics.harbor frieght, and others carry them

[dennislbrooks]

I am envious of 7T7's Dewault chop saw --- I have a Dewault but it uses abrasive blades and removes 1/8 " of metal. The blades for the DW872 are over $100 but I expect payback is dependent on how often you use it - I want one. Chop saws are a must but I use my sawzall for cuts that I need to remove less metal.

Milehightoyz---you have a shop now that most of us dream of --I do have a mill/drill besides my drill press that comes in handy. Also I use a 12 inch stationary disc sander to square things up. My Miller 180 SD --TIG/Stick and my MIG-- the TIG is good for welding down to razor blades. I use it mostly for aluminum tho.

Probably if a half dozen of us lined up we may have near all and save some money.

[Longstep70]

dennislbrooks, I've been looking at the Miller 180 SD tig. How do you like it?

[AirMale]

Originally Posted by 7T7

You'll never go back to an abrasive again once you use one of these Dewalt DW872 chop saws.
Also a good two post lift is a Godsend.

I want one

[dennislbrooks]

Not a production type welder but a good work horse, 220volt/compact very smooth with stick weldingAC/DC--TIG is air cooled --up to 1/4 aluminum. I build aluminum Paraplegic hockey sleds mostly with the TIG. Use it for accurate welds on thin and thicksteel including stainless. I like it. It does everything I need it to do. Cost me about $1500. I use 100 % argon --that works with both aluminum and steel.

[Longstep70]

Thanks. I didn't mean to hijack the thread but since I've been thinking about going for a tig machine and that's the one I've been looking at I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get some real-world feedback.
I notice you say you have a mig too; what do you choose to use that for over the Tig and why? I don't have a welder at all but I'm thinking of going for a tig machine and not a mig.

-Andy

[dennislbrooks]

Longstep70 ---- PM'd you