I had been looking high and low for a tool to seperate my 3" SS exhaust pipe, because with the guillotine clamps the crimp the tubes together.
The only ones that I have been able to find go up to 2.5"
Like this one:


There has been some undercar detailing I have been wanting to do, however, the exhaust has been in the way.

A couple of weeks ago I was at Corvettes at Carlisle and saw a vendor selling a 2-2.5 seperator, he had no 3". (He said he could not make any more and just could sell what he had on hand because of patent problems).

So I mentally took a picture and made my own when I got home. It turned out great. Luckily I have a metal bandsaw and small mill. Here is how it turned out.

 

Sorry, no I will not make more, it's just for me and I shurly don't want patent lawers calling me either.

However, it is 3/4 thick plate, 1/2 threaded rod and 3" exhaust clamps minus the lower part.

the plate is 2.25" tall and 5.5" long

shot #2

 

neat.


tell me more about this small mill though? what kind is it, where did you get it, ect?

 

The mill is an old Emco Maximat 7, made in austria in the 50-60's,lathe mill combo that a co-worker gave me many years ago because he was not using it.

Here is a pic (if the link works)


It is by no means great for precision work, mostly due to its age and wear. However, for stuff like the clamp where a few thousandths don't matter it works like a champ. Harbor Freight sells ones like this fairly reasonably, however, I could not speak to its quality.

I've seen them in my local store they look like the lathe below but also have a mill head like mine.

 

Not that they couldn't be made by any local machine shop for a price, the blocks you are machining are the only thing Home Depot or the likes would not have. What does this mean? Sell the blocks as heavy duty versions of the stamped steel pieces that usually come with U-bolts. What people do with them is their business, be it an exhaust clamp or separator.

 

Good Point.
However, with the amount of time I have in the blocks It probably would end up being close to what a machine shop might charge!
My intention was not to sell them just to show how one can be made if someone wanted the idea.

Just like anything else in this hobby. I don't figure my time cost into something I do for myself, and if I had to pay someone else to do it I couldn't afford it.

I sort of went the long way about making the blocks, because I had a chunk of steel laying aroud and just cut it up to make them instead of buying 3/4 thick plate.

Probably have 2 hrs just in bandsaw time cutting it to size. Not extremely cost effective if you factor in time. You figure ($40 per hr rate = $80 in just cutting)
The actual piece of plate if I had to buy it I have no Idea of cost maybe $20? Don't Know.
Like I sad steel free *my time (free when I do it for myself)= Free


Here is two pics of the chunk I started with. First got rid of 1/3 I didn't need and the second you can see the layout lines for the two plates left and right of the block.

 

Next pic:

 

Have you used the tool yet?Does it work?

 

Yes it works, I'm not sure how well it would work on non stainless daily driver pipes. Since mine are stainless and a summer only car, I did not have to compete with rust.

After using the tool you need to use a pipe expander to take out the original crimp and the new crimps from the tool.

 

RIIIGHT... *wink and a nod*

Hehe, I hear ya. Very cool new toy!

Only thing I can see as maybe a problem, is that it doesn't look like it can really 'grab' the pipe without actually compressing it... the tool is too smooth. IMO, you should maybe weld a small, sharp tooth onto each of the U-bolts right in the top/middle, so it can bite into the pipe a little better.

 

The "crimp" created by the u bolt seems to work, however, I have considered that. I was thinking of putting a strip of self adhesive abrasive paper there, for that purpose. The weld also seems like a good Idea.