Any tips and tricks for coping the upper Hardtail rubes to meet the backbone?

[GSBobber1980]

(Obviously I meant “tubes!)

Just trying to formulate a plan before I start cutting and grinding. I don’t have any real coping tools but I have a chop saw, angle grinders with cutting and the rounded grinding wheels and a pretty decent amount of common sense.

The space between the backbone and the left and right tubes will be 4 1/4” to be lined up and parallel. So some amount of tubing will be cut off the backbone (top) ends to get that 4 1/4”.

Anyway, anything you guys can add will help greatly! Thanks in advance!

*The “backbone” below isn’t the actual piece because the actual backbone is on the bike. This piece has the exact same dimension however.

[Guest]

I do all my notching via cut off wheels and die grinders. Cut off wheels at an angle give you a nice cope as an added bonus. Patience. Layout, cut long, trim to fit.

[nmaineron]

There are programs online where you enter your material and angle info and a template is generated that you can print .

[Sky]

Hole saw in a drill press vice

[TriNortchopz]

hole saw:


Old School Chopper Frame Fabrication

https://chopperhandbook.com/oldschool1.htm

[DustyDave]

Ya could do the tube ends like Honda and beat them in with a hammer. I was amazed the first time I cut the neck off a VT frame and instead of cutting the tube to fit they just smashed it in with a hammer or something similar. Hard to tell for sure after I scarfed the welds out but what ever they used to crush the tube left multiple marks like a hammer.
Dusty

[GSBobber1980]

I’m pretty strong but I can’t picture myself smashing down .120 wall tubing like that.

I need to make the notches at a 25 degree angle and really don’t want to screw it up.

[DoomBuggy]

I used a cheapy from HF. https://www.harborfreight.com/pipe-t...q=tube+notcher

After checking the interweb and making the slight mods out there it seems to work pretty well. I certainly would want better for exacting work, but it is better than a hammer!

[DustyDave]

I’m pretty strong but I can’t picture myself smashing down .120 wall tubing like that.

I need to make the notches at a 25 degree angle and really don’t want to screw it up.

I didn't say you should just that Honda did. I really like the tube notcher that I got from Grizzley works way better that the Harbour Freight one my friend bought. I think you ought to try on a piece of scrap and report back on how hard it is. They fit surprisingly well for such a crude method.
Dusty

[TriNortchopz]

And another option, do it by hand:

The Fabricator Series (TFS): How to Notch Tubes Without a Tube Notcher

[GSBobber1980]

No, I know you didn’t mean for me to actually do that.

I have a lot of stock frame left over that I’ll practice on before the real deal. I’ll post here as I go.

[xMPRx]

As stated above there’s a bunch of options. I’ve used the online templates and they work pretty well. If this is something you will be doing again in the future then investing in a notcher will be worth it but if you only have a a couple then cut off wheel and a few files can get you results just a little time consuming.

[Guest]

And another option, do it by hand:

The Fabricator Series (TFS): How to Notch Tubes Without a Tube Notcher

That’s how I do my cuts, except with a cutoff wheel.