Welded up a bandsaw attachment today.

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I wanted to have a way to repeat good strait cuts on vehicle pillars to hopefully have no gaps to fill. Whipped up this baby today out of the scrap bin. I even ran out of steel filler so I had to use scrap filler as well. These are the sorts of projects I always save a few piston wrist pins for. Nice and smooth and make a perfect hinge!Used a bushing in the receiving end to keep a nice tight and smooth motion.On the pillar, I can put the mount on the pillar and then just slide the saw on and make the cut.I made sure it would sit and make a perfect 90 degree cut the pillar.
Reply:Took a minute for it to hit me....but very clever! Nice retrofit. Just love retros.  POVERTY...is the Mother of InventionMillermatic 211Millermatic 140Miller Thunderbolt XLArcOne 100STS inverter w/TIGThermal Dynamics 38XL Victor Oxy/AcetyleneJancy Slugger Holemaker IIJet 5x6 BandsawNever enough time & sleep.
Reply:Yeah it is hard to show how it exactly works without a video. When I have a few days to do the work and get the glass here and ready to go I will make a video of cutting a pillar with it. Hell it might not even work lol.Pre-cut position.Full motion.
Reply:Neat-o!!...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Finally a better explanation of the attachment. lolI didn't take any during process pics really, just a video on the last pillar and some pics of the new roof lined up.The new roof clamped on.Good fit up on the both front pillars!Passenger rear big pillar.This is the only pillar that has a gap. However I am still going to look into it more, there may be just a inner panel hanging up or something. I think this because the gap is nearly the same front to back as you can see in the pic. Also on this one pillar the bandsaw didn't have a deep enough throat to cut the whole pillar, I had to cut the last 1" by hand.And finally a short video of cutting the last pillar on the truck. The front pillars were cut with a measurement between the "oh crap handle" bolt holes and the rears I just butted the bandsaw clamp up against a metal lip. Worked flippin excellent!
Reply:Awesome little setup. I may have to borrow that.  :-)But one thought - aren't pillar repairs/splices to be done using a stepped cut, and not just a but joint. Its been a while since dealing with structural body repairs.Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Reply:I would have loved a setup like that back when I was doing rack work and rebuilding "totals".  That part of my life ended around '92, but I find myself about to rekindle those skills since my wife got hit and we can't find anything we like for replacement.  Got to section out the left quarter, inner, outer, C pillar, and well.  I expect I'll be making a rig like that for Portaband to do my C pillar cut.  I don't think I ever achieved a fit up that good.  Very nice, great work.
Reply:Originally Posted by dcoffmanjrAwesome little setup. I may have to borrow that.  :-)But one thought - aren't pillar repairs/splices to be done using a stepped cut, and not just a but joint. Its been a while since dealing with structural body repairs.Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Reply:I like that I am going to make one.
Reply:Realistically "butt joint" is (or at least was) how it's almost always done on most run of the mill repairs.  I always hulled out parts of the discarded inner structure and tack/rosette welded them inside to form a backer for the joint so I could be sure of getting a full weld without open exposure on the back side, and pushing the edge trying to avoid blow out.  And I only did the intentional gap on the outer layer(s), and it was more like 0.050 to 0.100" rather than "wire width".  That gap let me easily get a strong full penetration weld on the inner structural members, then weld the (mostly) cosmetic layer filling the small gap above that.  Minimal grinding and a thin layer of filler completed the splice.  I had one Camaro RS come back totaled 3 times, the final time was bull dogged with the firewall on the ground and front wheels in the air.  That time I had to cut the whole front off at the fire wall, and the now mangled repairs all held up better than factory joints.  Never had a repair fail.
Reply:Welded up the pillars today. The gap I had in the one rear pillar was from the 1" of hand cut section. Once I straitened that out it sat nice and tight like the rest. I was thinking of using the tig but the mig is just so much easier. lol There was no gap needed the MM250 had no problem blowing right threw if I didn't hold the gun just right. I know my mig skills lack everything, at least I know when I put in a sound weld or not even if it isn't pretty. Most roof and pillar jobs are done with a strait cut like this however I will agree it is better to stagger the sections if possible. Even better is drilling all the spot welds down to the floor or roof and replace the sections as a whole and spot weld them in.I took these pics to explain to some one else on another forum how I get at the inner structures of the pillars.First I weld the very inner section.Then fold over flap and weld second inner section.Then fold over yet another flap and tack it up.Then weld it up.Then go around with the grinder and clean it all up.Only took me 7 hours today to weld up all the pillars and grind them down. The front pillars get totally covered so I just gave them a shot of black rattle can. I rattle caned the inside of the rear pillars but will get some color matched paint for the outside. Not going super nice with it, just a color matched rattle can. I will go over the outside with some glaze filler just to smooth out the grinding marks and stuff.
Reply:Well we didn't make a fancy attachment like yours  but i like that ideaWe just used tape to square the cut when we did the Lotus Cortina that and the end of this posthttp://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...elp&highlight=And as you can see we were real close on the fitupBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:That is darn nifty. I expect this could be modified for cutting all kinds of shapes. Kind of a clamp on horizontal band saw. Patent? I'd send it to Lisle and see if they want to market it to body shops.
Reply:Killdozer that is a hell of a project there! Lookin very nice!forhire, You know I have had a few people tell me that I should try for a patent. I honestly don't know how a guy goes about that, how hard it is to get, how much it costs, and if it is even possible or worth it. However after thinking about it some I bet it would be handy with a mag base on it!
Reply:great idea ,, great outcome
Reply:Awesome job on that. Pretty clever and neat work.  Cool set up.PlasmaCam CNC cutterLathe and Band SawClamps
Reply:Thanks!Pillars are painted and getting glass this week. Truck should be all done by the weekend.