Hey guys, I got my crossmember built now but I have to fit it to my frame. I thought I was moving right along until after I marked off and cut the crossmember and fit it up only to find out the bottom of the frame is narrower on both sides be about a quarter inch mayber a bit less but its not niticeable with the calibrated eyeball. It angles in towards the back (which I could definitely tell) BUT angles out at the bottom requiring a compund miter to get my crossmember to fit up cleanly. Like most I dont have a saw that can do compund miters for metal and as tempting as it is to grab the expensive DeWalt sitting in the garage I dont think Im gonna risk ruining a perfect tool to accomplish a few cuts. So now Im here scrathing my head as to what I should do. I thought I might be able to angle the crossmember up in the air and get the second miter but I couldnt even clamp it like that let alone cut it. Then I thought about a cutoff wheel but figured that only the edge of the crossmember would contact the frame since I dont think I can accurately cut a line with a cutoff wheel at the right angle. Same goes for the plasma cutter. I thought about the sawzall but I dont think thats the best way to make precision cuts on a piece of steel that your looking to make flush joints with. More or less I looked to see if any of my tools would accomplish the job and short of the sawzall I dont think I have any. A tilted base, cutoff bandsaw (thinks thats the name for the saw that you just lay on the work and let it cut on its own) could do it but I dont own one nor could I even afford one. So I need some major help figuiring this out. Im about to grab the grinder and wittle out by hand but hopefully one of you guys has a better solution to a problem Ive never run into.
Make your first miter cut in your saw to the long point of the miter. Then layout and scribe your next cuts on the tube from the cut you just made. You'll only be cutting three sides this time. Carefull cuts with a cutoff wheel just outside your line and then you can fit it a bit with a grinder.
The miter towards the back, angle along the tob and bottom of the crossmember, was marked and fits great. It was the undercut I didnt know existed and thats why I ended up with a nice little suprise.
thats what I was figuring I was gonna have to do. I just wish I would be able to figure a way to get a nice smooth machine cut that drops in but then again I guess this is metal not cabinet building..... some times I wish they were the same. Thanks
dont have either unfortunately. Im also lacking a brake, bandsaw, mill, lathe, TIG, shrinker stretcher, english wheel. power hammer, bead roller... hell I dont have much of an arsenal of the cooler tools but I make do with what I got. If a grinder is how I gotta do it, then a grinder is how its gonna get done.
grinder and a cutoff wheel got it taken care of in about 15 minutes. Good thing is I dont have any gaps along the joints so it should weld up nicely. Thanks
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