Best method for holding small pieces of tube while fish mouthing??

[Rockridge]

Im having a hell of a time trying to hold small (1/2" to 1/4") pieces of 3/16" tubing so i can file the fish mouth both ends for braceing in my southern buggy im working on. I have tryed using a vice, vicegrips, hell ive even tried just holding it. Everytime it either slips or it crushes the tube Some pieces r taking upwards of half hour and several atemps to get right There has to be a better way!!

Any help is welcome

[BigSki]

I always use my bench vise. I just clamp as much of the end of the tube as possible so it doesn't move when I'm filing the fish mouth.

[stanmondz]

mount your file in the vice and rub the tube on the file with your hand

[Rockridge]

Originally Posted by stanmondz

mount your file in the vice and rub the tube on the file with your hand

not a bad idea never even crossed my mind.. ill have to give it a try

[Rockridge]

I konw they make a tube vice for bigger tube (like 2")..... do they make somthing similar for 3/16" tube?

[Skunkworkz054]

If you have a drill press and round file or stone you put the file in the chuck and as it spins hold the tubing up to it

[CadToChrome]

Couple of suggestions you might try...

Cut the fish mouth on one end of the tubing before cutting to length, this would leave you with 1 end to do to a short piece.

Take a piece of wood, plastic, aluminum, pretty much anything you have around and drill a hole same size as the O.D. of the tubing to a depth that will leave the end sticking out enough to fish mouth.
The hole will support the tubing while you file away..

[Rockridge]

these r all excellent methods that will definetly be trying out. thanks for all the replies

[bob1961]

i use my bench grinder on the corner of the stone for fish mouthing tube....just a quick second or two to get a groove started and finish up with my 3/16" chainsaw file, bout 4 minutes and done........bob

....

[sidehiller]

Does any use a dremel to fish mouth there tubing?

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[SMR 510RR]

Use a pin vise that has a chuck on it!



Perfect for holding onto small round stuff and really handy for cleaning up holes with drills and stuff like that.

[Rockridge]

Originally Posted by SMR 510RR

Use a pin vise that has a chuck on it!



Perfect for holding onto small round stuff and really handy for cleaning up holes with drills and stuff like that.

where would one go about finding a pin vise. seems like thats just what ive been looking for

[SMR 510RR]

Originally Posted by Rockridge

where would one go about finding a pin vise. seems like thats just what ive been looking for

Mcmaster has them, any machining supply place will have them and maybe some craft stores.

[Rockridge]

Originally Posted by SMR 510RR

Mcmaster has them, any machining supply place will have them and maybe some craft stores.

thanks looks like im off to go find a pin vise

[Rockridge]

so with it being sunday not much is open which left me with only one option, search around the garage and see what i could come up with.... Well after some serious brain storming this is what i came up with....(still gonna see if i can find a pin vise this week, but for now) I found a drill Chuck that clips into my 1/4 drive cordless impact driver ( u know the one that fits screw driver bits) put it in the vise and vola.
I also found that useing a pice of solid stock that fit inside the tube worked well for when i needed to fine tune my fishmouth. clamp it in the vise and slide the tube over it...

[SMR 510RR]

Originally Posted by Rockridge

so with it being sunday not much is open which left me with only one option, search around the garage and see what i could come up with.... Well after some serious brain storming this is what i came up with....(still gonna see if i can find a pin vise this week, but for now) I found a drill Chuck that clips into my 1/4 drive cordless impact driver ( u know the one that fits screw driver bits) put it in the vise and vola.
I also found that useing a pice of solid stock that fit inside the tube worked well for when i needed to fine tune my fishmouth. clamp it in the vise and slide the tube over it...

Yea basically the same thing as the pin vise just without the handle.

[Postclanker]

Originally Posted by bob1961

i use my bench grinder on the corner of the stone for fish mouthing tube....just a quick second or two to get a groove started and finish up with my 3/16" chainsaw file, bout 4 minutes and done........bob

....

Great tip Bob....

[Rockridge]

ya the bench grinder sounds like a great way to start the cope, unfrotunatly as of now i do not have a bench grinder to test it out its on the list of "to get items"

[C*H*U*D]

I just took some pictures for another thread I was about to start, but this is a great place for some of them.

First off, I don't consider 1/4" to 1/2" small. At least not for what most of us do. 3/16" is usually the norm, so that's what I'll show pictures of.

One of my favorite bench tools is my Palmgren Machine Vise. I got this from toybuilder, and use it all the time. For this application I really like the grooved stationary jaw.



It allows me to clamp round stock one of two ways:





When holding small pieces, I clamp it in the vise and then hold it with my thumb and middle finger:



This acts as a guide for the file.



Then just file until you get the desired depth

[TURTLE]

Originally Posted by sidehiller

Does any use a dremel to fish mouth there tubing?

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Yep, but I also use solid rod. My angle grinder and bench grinder also work really well.

Food for thought, my Dremel was around 50.00, but my bench grinder was 30.00 and angle grinder was only 20.00, both from Harbor Freight. The bench grinder I have had for 2 years now with no issues.