Hey fellas!
Tech Tip from Voodoo Vintage and Monstercraftsman...
Fastest way to "re-new" that rust ridden piece of tubing prior to bending, notching, and welding...
Anyone who's bent tubing knows how bad rust will crap-out a $300 bending die after only a few uses!
You can sand your tubing by hand: Get carpal tunnel insurance!
You can use a grinder with a flap disc: As long as you don't mind gouges and waves in the surface!
You could throw down $800 and get one of these...
Or... You can modify a simple barrel sander for around five bucks!
Here's a 1.5" sanding bit from your local tool-in-the-box:
Notice the rather large washers at the bottom of the above photo. You can purchase these from the same tool-in-the-box or you can fabricate your own by drilling a center hole in some rounded stock. Then, simply mount them on each side of the sanding tool like this:
Guess where it goes next... That's right Einstein! In the drill!
And here's the star of the show! Our length of 1-1/8" DOM that's rusted enough to make a rat-rodder proud!
Up close:
What we show next is a 1" x 30" oxide sanding belt you can pick up from the previously mentioned tool-in-the-box. Be sure to turn it INSIDE-OUT! INSIDE-OUT! INSIDE-OUT!
Position the belt over your fancy new tube sander like this...
And then loop it over your tubing like this...
Be sure to keep a decent amount of resistance on the belt as you work it back and forth over the tubing and keep your drill parallel so that the sanding belt rides in the middle of your fancy new tool.
Rotate your drill over and under the tubing sanding the back, top, and bottom. Repeat the process on the other side making a complete pass over the tubing surface.
DO NOT LINGER IN ONE SPOT!!! EVER!!!
Another TIP: Have a full charge on your drill. Or better yet... Use a corded power drill like I did after my battery crapped out...
And this is what our shiny new tube sanding tool will produce...
Again... Here's a comparison between our clean DOM and our RUSTY $10/foot DOM tubing as supplied by our local materials depot. (Hey $&@#$#, Thanks for the quality finish by the way!...)
We are in the process of developing an actual billet steel bit that fits in your 4-1/2" angle grinder. It will be based on the same theory. Stay tuned to Monstercraftsman and Voodoo Vintage for details!!!