useful gear for fabrication.

[Nicad]

I am setting myself up for trying to make things out of metal that might be useful . I was thinking a notcher and tubing bender would be good things to have in inventory. I have quite a few clamps, grinders, general automotive hand tools, angle measuring devices, etc. Does anything pop to mind as a great thing to have in your fabricators tackle box?

Thanks, Bob.

[Magnetic Mechanic]

For a start, 35 ton press.
Vertical and horizontal band saws.
Good machinists vice w/pipe jaws.
BFH.
52" 16 ga sheer.
48" Box brake.

[jamlit]

I agree that a bandsaw should be up their. The rest will really depend on what you are going to start making. Their are so many directions to go and so many tools to have and want. If frames, roll bars, etc are your main concern at this time then a tube bender and notcher are great tools.

Maybe if we had an idea of what directions you wish to follow, we could help a lot more.

[Nicad]

The first couple of things I want to make are a tire rack to get stuff up over head and welding table for my smallish workspace. I have an idea for one using 1/4" plate that has a removable frame underneath with wheels. My plan is to have a hinge system on the wall that will act as a docking station, so I can remove the wheels and store it flat against the wall. I restored an old Minnesota built horizontal bandsaw a few years ago as well as a Delta 14 inch metal wood model with a gearbox so that is a good start.. Another initial project is going to use bicycle gauge tubing and components. I can mock up stuff in cardboard with a hot glue gun and then transfer the parts to metal with the newly aquired plasma cutter. I think layout aids would come in handy as well as things to hold items in place. Anyway, my thread topic is vague I suppose, because exactly as you have identified...what do you want to build makes all the difference. And being so new to having welding at my disposal I am not sure. So far all I have welded is plates at my night school, so real world stuff is going to feel like I have not much experience under my belt. I guess this is another thread about what things make your life in the shop easier. I will do a search too.

Thanks, Bob.

[adam21584]

One tool I use allot ai my milwaukee dry cut skil saw It will cut almost anything and there is no clean up. I have used it on all my projects. weldfabulous has the best price I have seen

[jamlit]

Thats cool Bob.

When you figure out the first projects you want to make and maybe an idea of the direction you want to take, Post it here and we will try to add idea's. Also some sort of budget would help to, Unless money is no object If this is the case, get one of everything LOL

You might want to check out shopoutfitters.com. They have some great tools for some of the stuff you mentioned.

Good luck

[millman52]

A portaband bandsaw is a good investment till you can get a small floor horizontal bandsaw. I don't have a Vertical but they can be very useful. Typical die grinder, Small cut off tool (die grinder with abrasive wheel & guard). Even the chop saw type of abrasive cut off tool are pretty good on tubing & smaller flats angles & solid rounds.

It all depends on how much you are willing to invest on tools.

You can get by with a good set of oxy/acet torches & a couple of grinders for most fab work. But if you hate grinding as much as I do that will not last long. LOL

[farmersamm]

I started out with a welder, O/A, Makita Chop Saw, drill press, and a 4 1/2" grinder. These basics are still the most used items I own.

I got by with this for over 12 or 13yrs.

I didn't buy a milling machine until about a year ago, and didn't get it set up until about 6mo ago. I have a lathe, but it's not restored yet, and probably won't be online until sometime next winter.

Start with the basics, and work your way out to the amount of precision you require.

I could have built the lift mechanism for my one way disc without a milling machine. It wouldn't have been as nice looking, and the detents would have been less accurate, but it would have worked using a simple hand grinder to make the ratchet teeth.

I guess what I'm trying to say is..........specialized equipment gathers dust for long periods between uses. It's only worth it if you use it on a pretty regular basis. I'm below the level of a job shop, but more advanced than a home hobbyist, and I use my stuff for keeping my equipment going. I have quite a bit of old equipment. I can justify the layout of hard earned cash for this stuff.

[mrandrei]

You should also get a smooth hammer with a flat face, this is a general purpose hammer, and can be used for almost anything, other then heat shrinking, you should also get short and long pick hammers for fixing small up dents and some body lines and crowns in the sheet metal, and two or three different shapes of dollies, you can of course add to this as you need.

[7A749]

Originally Posted by farmersamm

I guess what I'm trying to say is..........specialized equipment gathers dust for long periods between uses. It's only worth it if you use it on a pretty regular basis. I'm below the level of a job shop, but more advanced than a home hobbyist, and I use my stuff for keeping my equipment going. I have quite a bit of old equipment. I can justify the layout of hard earned cash for this stuff.

That's about it right there.

It's not necessarily WHAT you have, but WHAT you can DO with what you have.

A couple GOOD grinders, some cutoff wheels, a set of O/A torches with a variety of cutting tips, an inexpensive band saw, some good clamps, a sturdy table & a stick machine can go a LONG ways. Sure, you can buy more stuff as you acquire a need for it, but a lot of what you are going to do for basic steel fab ( NOT specialized fab, AL work or sheet metal) can be done with what is listed above.

Getting yourself a GOOD American made vise is also a good idea when you get going. An air compressor is also a very useful tool to purchase when you have a need for it.

Get the BASICS & build your skills from there. The other stuff with bigger price tags will come in time. I look for used in most cases. I buy good stuff so I don't have to spend money twice on the same thing.

Remember.....The BEST tool you have is the one between your ears. Put it to good use & think in practical terms as to what you want to do & what you can afford to spend.

Good luck.