The Williams Low Buck notcher is great. I've had one for almost twenty years. I also have a Vogel notcher set up for two inch (2 3/8"). The difference between the two is like Williams is a Kia SUV and the Vogel is a Peterbuilt.

But even with the Vogel ($1200.00 plus now) I can't go above schedule forty, .154 wall.

With that stuff you're going to have to use the torch or find someone with a hydraulic punch to notch it.

Most people I know won't touch the used oil field pipe anymore. It's too contaminated with stuff from carceniogens (sp) and some it's even radioactive enough to be considered hazardous to be around.

 

So Harv will the Williams Low Buck tube notcher notch the 2" schedule 40 pipe, used as the replacement for drill stem, ok without giving me a medical condition?

Does it notch from the inside out like the Vogel?

 

I'm not a 100% sure it's oil field pipe, just looks like it, but it is old and rusty and has some back st*t in it, that I dont think is oil, but it also is not 3/8" it is 3/16. As for the health hazard no dobut the black stuff in side the pipe, no matter what it is, cant be health when it starts to smoke from cutting it (hope the nother works).

But you did answer what I wanted to know, which company makes the best one, the ranch is willing to bye it to give it a try and if it works great and if not I'm not out the money, which is always a good thing. ;-)

What about a drill press with a cold saw, how effective do you think that would be to get the fish mouth notches I need?

I dont want to go with a grinder type notcher.

 

The Williams will to about .090 max and you'll be needing extra cutters quickly. That's schedule ten or twenty on the stretch.

You can call Vogel directly. They're great people to deal with (I called on another project and one of the heir-owners answered the phone. We had a great conversation about their original notcher. His dad designed the one my dad taught me how to use forty years ago.)

Somewhere I've done a how to on notching pipe with different techniques I've used successfully. It might be on the web site (click on my "life is good"). Or you might have to do a search on the tractorbynet.com discussion forums.

I stumbled across using a band saw effectively as a notcher one time when notching 2 7/8 (2 1/2" pipe). Basically you take two pieces of the pipe and place the one end of one against the side of the other. Measure the distance between the end of the one and then edge of the other.

Then you take the porta band and do a forty five degree cut using that measurement. Make the same cut a hundred and eighty degrees or straight across from the first one. Your fit should be weldable if the material is schedule forty or thicker. If you material is thinner then you might use an angle grinder to trim it for the fit you want.

I've used this on three and three and a half inch pipe too. In fact I use the same process, measure the gap and use it as a guide, for larger pipe like four, six, and eight. I use a torch of course instead of porta band.

 

FWIW, I have started using a cold saw for all my notching. Much better and faster than by hand. With a price tag between half and a third of the Vogel, I gave it a whirl. I can notch 1 1/4 sch 40 pipe in a minute if I take my time. Just make two angle cuts and weld...simple.

Here are some samples of what I am getting. The first one is of the comparison of hand cut and grinder fit, cold saw cut with three cuts and last cold saw cut with two cuts. The other two pics just show close-ups.

 

What kinda cold saw? The Dewalt in the back ground? I went out and used a chop saw and got great results but it looks like I would go through some blades this way, but the cut is nice and the weld would be faster and better.

I also noticed would need to build some kinda jig to get the cuts even so the saddle would fit even on both sides like a T or really more like and H. On all my cuts, since they were eye balled they were not even on both sides. Got in sugestion on how to get the cuts more even. I need to put these out in a mass production style. Also a concern is the length between the bottom of the saddle needs to be acurate so I can get a snug fit between 2 post already concreted in the ground.

I'm working on this ranch in Northern New Mexico and the moutains in the back ground are awsome. Being from Ft. Worth Texas where it's all flat I'm lovin the veiw up here.

BTW DDA52 the pics were a huge help! Thanks for posting them!

 

No problems. I know how valuable a pic can be. Yes, I did use the DeWalt cold saw. It has tons less blade flex than a chop saw. You shouldn't need a jig. My pipe has a seam on it. I just marked one side of the seam, flipped it over and marked it 180 deg from the other mark. I'd use that mark to line up the second cut center. The cuts aren't completely perfect, but then they don't really have to be. Just weld a bigger bead to cover any gaps. Grind if necessary. Snug fits only mean it will take a little longer to get them cut and then recut when they don't fit. I prefer a little play for line up and adjustment. Not too much, but just enough to keep from using a pound of rods to fill it up.

 

I cant find a DeWalt cold saw, is it a miter saw with a metal cutting blade?

My pipe doesnt have a seem in it but I think I can get it close enough to work better than the torch and close enough the the size I need as well to fit. As far as a gap to fill I have filled some huge gaps from some of my cuts with the torch, I'll know tomorrow how much this will help.

wroughtn_harv idea of useing a porta band saw seems like a good one also I am looking at some porta band saws also.

 

I have never used a porta band, so I can't comment. Looks like it would be good. Harv would know. The DeWalt cold saw is a DW872 Multicutter with a DW7747 blade@ 14". It is much slower than a normal miter saw. Here is the link to DeWalts page for it.http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_detail.asp?productID=159

I found mine on ebay, reconditioned for $350 ish...can't remember. It retails for around $465 or so. Blades were about $80, new. They retail for $150-175. The will last several thousand cuts and are resharpenable. I have used mine a good bit and am quite impressed. Others have recommended the Makite LC1230 as well. It is a 12" and retails for $400ish.

 

i use my milwaukee cold saw the same way. on the seamless tubing i was just putting a mark on the end of the pipe have that pointing strait up then cut turn it to the bottom and cut again. the porta band works good but sometimes the deflection on the blade messes you up. also i think the cold saw is faster.

 

Never mind I found the saw.

 

can anyone put some pics of the lowbuck notcher in action? I might try to build one and I dont have any idea of where to start. Thanks!

 

lowbuck notcher photos

 

Thank you tapwelder, however I don´t seem to get it right :S sorry.

It seems that there are 2 pieces....the one that is lifted with the handle and has a I don´t know, looks like any piece of not hollow steel bar, and the other piece that is attached to the lower part of the tool which is just like a hollow tube (is this what is called die in here?). Seems you just lower the top part and pushes the tube to the lower hollow tube and it just rips it off. Is this how it works?

Thanks for replying

 

The dies are shown in the last photo, they are case hardened steel the holes are drilled off center slightly for fine adjustment. The cutter is the black part, it is adjustable. The part that slides is a solid 3/4" steel, it is threaded on the lower end to accept the dies. The body is 3/8" thick plate flame cut. The handle is about 1/2"X1/5" sq also flame cut, it accepts a 1.5" extension pipe. The tool is substantial, it weighs about 20 lbs and is about 10"sq.