Fabricating Roll Cages and Tube Chassis, Simple but effective 3D printed tools

3D printing is changing the game.

Today it easier than ever before to 3D print at home or in the shop. One way this has changed our lives is the tools we make and use. Fabricating tube chassis and racing roll cages is not easy for most people. The tools to do the job are often times expensive and not accessible to the DIY crowd. We built for a long time with little tools and did everything by hand and eye. But we wanted to reduce the number of times we had to grind and fit each tube. Here is what we came up with.

Tube Notching By Copying, The Tube Tracer

Like it’s name implies. The tracer copies the shape that you are trying to fit the tube to. It uses pins held in a plastic housing by friction. The housing is 3D printed and the pins slide till they stop on the object being copied. Then the tool slides over the tube you are going to cut or notch and a marker is used to follow the pins shape and mark out the cut. You are now ready to make your cut and fit your tube into place. No matter how many tubes meet in one place or how square or organic the shape is the tracer can make an accurate copy. When a hole saw can’t cut the shape or the number of angles and joints is too much to keep track of, this tool will help you get the perfect fit.

3D Printed Tools at Home or the Shop

These tools are 3D printed using hobbyist machines like the Ender 5 and Anycubic 4Max or even Prusa I3Mk3. The STl files are available from us as a purchased download. This purchase is fully supported and help is provided by email, texting and phone. Making your own tools with 3D printers is still not as easy as click and print. So lots people will need trouble shooting help. But don’t be afraid, jump in mess up and learn. It’s fun and very rewarding when you get it right. This is just the beginning of what 3D printing can do for you in the shop or the home garage. Fabricating roll cages and tube chassis is only going to get easier. And that is the whole point. Get the job done and get out on the track.