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  •  » What is your favorite spot weld cutter?

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    12/31/2019 3:27 PM  #1

    RV6
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    From: Pine Junction, CO
    Registered: 3/01/2016
    Posts: 1,250

    What is your favorite spot weld cutter?

    Again the wonders of installing aftermarket stuff in my 67 strikes again. It's the new aluminum radiator this time. The new radiator matches the mounting locations, but the bottom tank is the same thickness as the thick core. The radiator  support has a boxed crossmember at the bottom and the box does not make a square on the radiator side and leans toward the engine, hence the bottom tank runs into the crossmember. Not by much, but enough that if you bold down one side of the rad the other side is an 3/4" away from the mounting point. 

    What to do? I could shim out the radiator at the bottom mount about 3/16" and I think this would give me clearance. The other option is to drill out the spot welds at the bottom of the support and push the support forward and weld in place. Seems easy as there are only 9 spot welds. Problem is my Blair spot weld cutter breaks teeth as it goes through the top layer. 

    The cutter I am currently using and need more are:
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JCY3HXW/?coliid=I3HS2J0D069BKT&colid=2OZQLISHO95A9&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

    This looks better
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0082LFO8C/?coliid=I3KSZU4ZD56Q4E&colid=2OZQLISHO95A9&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

    Or this:
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XMMSSE8/?coliid=IFBAZWPPKHH8V&colid=2OZQLISHO95A9&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

    The images below shows how the crossmember is toward the engine on the bottom. I have drilled out a few of the spot welds and now need a new spot weld cutter.  BTW, the radiator support and crossmember were a one piece item from Dynacorn. 



    I also want to know why everything seems so much dirtier in the pictures. 

    Happy New Year everyone! 
     

    Gary Zilik - Pine Junction, Colorado - 67 Coupe, 289-4V, T5
     

    12/31/2019 4:40 PM  #2

    Rudi
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    From: Stuck in the 50's Welland Ca
    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 3,979

    Re: What is your favorite spot weld cutter?

    I grind my own from a 3/8" carboloy end mill, ends up looking like the the last one you have listed.
     It can be sharpened repeatedly unlike the throw away type.
     Basicly you can make your own from a 3/8' HSS twist drill, peferably one that has broken and not as long as the standard jobber drill.

    Good work ain't cheap, Cheap work ain't good!   Simple Man
     

    12/31/2019 5:17 PM  #3

    TKOPerformance
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    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
    Posts: 7,518

    Re: What is your favorite spot weld cutter?

    I've had decent luck with the ones from Harbor Freight.  Reasonably cheap and come with multiple cutter heads.  Once a head breaks a tooth flip it over and use the other side, once that side breaks toss the head and keep going.  They aren't great, but I found I got as much life out of them as the "quality" ones at considerably less cost.  $5 instead of $7 for the tool and $15 for the replacement heads. 

     

    12/31/2019 5:46 PM  #4

    Bentworker
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    Registered: 9/17/2017
    Posts: 473

    Re: What is your favorite spot weld cutter?

    I kind of gave up on those spot weld cutters after watching BluecollarKyle and Trev's Blog on Youtube.

    I got one of those 3/8x13" belt sanders he uses to remove spot welds - works pretty well with a good abrasive belt like a 3M Cubitron in an aggressive grit.  Leaves a 3/8" square shaped hole...

    The sander I got was a Sealey SA35
     

     

    12/31/2019 6:45 PM  #5

    GPatrick
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    Registered: 4/01/2013
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    Re: What is your favorite spot weld cutter?

    I use the Blair line of cutters - several arbors to select and the cutters themselves are replaceable and come in various sizes.  Worked well on all the work my car required.   https://www.blairequipment.com/spotweld-cutters  They are available from a number of on-line tool suppliers.

     

    12/31/2019 8:08 PM  #6

    josh-kebob
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    From: Madison, AL
    Registered: 4/06/2013
    Posts: 2,902

    Re: What is your favorite spot weld cutter?

    Blair is what I used based upon glen and brother Steve's recommendation. Worked great when I removed both quarter panels and did a cowl-ectomy......

     

    12/31/2019 10:30 PM  #7

    Bentworker
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    Registered: 9/17/2017
    Posts: 473

    Re: What is your favorite spot weld cutter?

    I also have a Blair spot weld cutter - it is pretty darn good.

    If you want to go that route they are quality.

     

    1/01/2020 7:29 AM  #8

    TKOPerformance
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    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
    Posts: 7,518

    Re: What is your favorite spot weld cutter?

    Grinding through spot welds is a much faster way, but it has to be on a panel you aren't going to reuse or repairing the grinding is a mess. 

    FYI, the Blair cutter is the one to which I'm comparing the HF cutter.  Not a knock on Blair, just the HF one is cheaper, seems to last the same amount of time, and I can just go buy them locally on a 15 minute round trip. 

     

    1/01/2020 10:11 AM  #9

    red351
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    From: Carlisle, PA
    Registered: 5/31/2018
    Posts: 445

    Re: What is your favorite spot weld cutter?

    Never cared for the standard Blair (they break or split easy).The premium is a hard one to break and can be sharpen with a Dremel. 

     

    1/01/2020 10:51 AM  #10

    Greg B
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    Registered: 4/01/2013
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    Re: What is your favorite spot weld cutter?

    I have used both 3 and 1.   Both have have their positives.  I found the ones from hf seem to work best in a cordless drill on the lighter gauge metal.  I switched to it when I was floorpan cutting.  And in some situations it's best to just go through it with a belt sander.   Like inner fender panels.  So a lot really depends on the panel you are working on.   All the replies are good advice.   It's really a trial and error thing.   Try them all and find what works best for you and your situation.

    If multiple things can go wrong, the one that will go wrong will be the one that causes the most damage.
     

    1/01/2020 1:33 PM  #11

    TKOPerformance
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    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
    Posts: 7,518

    Re: What is your favorite spot weld cutter?

    Rudi wrote:

    I grind my own from a 3/8" carboloy end mill, ends up looking like the the last one you have listed.
     It can be sharpened repeatedly unlike the throw away type.
     Basicly you can make your own from a 3/8' HSS twist drill, peferably one that has broken and not as long as the standard jobber drill.

    This is what the premium Blair ones look like, but I'll bet you make your own for considerably less. 

     

    1/02/2020 8:04 AM  #12

    RV6
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    From: Pine Junction, CO
    Registered: 3/01/2016
    Posts: 1,250

    Re: What is your favorite spot weld cutter?

    red351 wrote:

    Never cared for the standard Blair (they break or split easy).The premium is a hard one to break and can be sharpen with a Dremel. 

    I seem to break a lot of Blair cutters also, hence the reason I was asking for better cutters. 

    Gary Zilik - Pine Junction, Colorado - 67 Coupe, 289-4V, T5
       •Thread Starter
     

     

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