Roll Cage building help

[PhillipM]

Does anyone have a suggestion about the easiest way to build templates for my roll cage? I had a buddy tell me to get some thick copper wire and use it to mark the outside radius of my bends. Any other suggestions? Thanks Phillip

[Damn True]

That's the way Stielow does his. Seems like a good idea to me.

[parsonsj]

You can use conduit and a conduit bender to prototype a cage.

jp

[PhillipM]

That is another good idea. Thank you. Phillip

[astroracer]

Alstons has an excellant worksheet you can download. This is what I use. The instructions make the layout portion very straight-forward.
Here is a link...
http://www.cachassisworks.com/cac_worksheets.html
Also many of the tubing bender suppliers have excellant instructions and guidelines for laying out and bending tubing. JD Squared or Pro Tools, check them out also.
Mark

[PhillipM]

I haven't picked up my bender yet so maybe my question will be answered then... but why do they use a 13 5/8 diameter circle? Is this the diamater taht their bender will do? ~Phillip

[FCRacing]

Hey Phil, There are all kinds of tricky tools and sheets, I even have software that will do this ,but the down and dirty, works all the time deal is this.........I use a full size piece of cardboard or full size layout on floor when we do a new cage, measure the widths at the floor,center of B pillar by your shoulders and then at the roof of the B pillar, sometimes it help to use a prebent piece of tube out of your bender to get this upper dim. Then measure up from your floor plates to the center of the bends and leave a bit extra on the ends@3" to final cut in place. then look at the Die you will be using...mine in 1.625 is a 5.5 inch.......you can then use this info for the bends or again grab your dummy bend and make your curves in your template.........remember only the outside dim is important @ meaning the main hoop needs to clear the inside of your body and panels. Important!!!! is think through were you need to start your bend to have your centers line up where you wanted............Email me if you need any more info or picts....Rhys FCRacing