Author Topic: Homemade Chopper  (Read 5141 times)

Offline Cliffy B

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Homemade Chopper
« on: September 09, 2012, 07:15:22 AM »
Evening all, check out what I made this afternoon; a homemade Chopper!





Made it from some scrap wood and some hardware I got at Lowe's; total cost was about $5 and that included a Coke at the checkout counter  ;D

The base is a left over piece of a 1x8 and the handle is a scrap 1/4" thick piece of basswood.  The handle is hinged to the base with two 1" angle brackets (for furniture/shelving repair) with a 1/4" bolt with washers between the handle and the brackets and two nuts to keep them from backing off after repeated movement.  The bolt came from the "misc" parts bin in the garage, hence the patina, and should probably be hack sawed shorter but it doesn't really bother me.

The blade is a stock razor blade screwed to the handle with the smallest wood screws I could find that fit perfectly into the notches in the blades.  This way I can replace them with ease and when the holes wear out I'll either move the blade slightly or just make a new handle.  I cut a groove in the base to allow the blade to pass completely through the plastic with a hand saw.

For a straight edge I used a "reinforcing plate" again for furniture repair and screwed it to the base after squaring it up with the handle.

The handle was originally just a rectangle until I realized the back was hitting the base before the blade did so I did some trial and error shaping and viola, it works like a charm!

So there you have it, for about $5 and about 2 hours you can have your own chopper.  Its nothing fancy but it works just fine.
"Radials growl, inlines purr, jets blow!"  -Anonymous

"Helos don't fly.  They vibrate so violently that the ground rejects them."  -Tom Clancy

"If all else fails, call in an air strike."  -Anonymous

Offline arkon

  • Paper Building Maestro
Re: Homemade Chopper
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2012, 11:19:53 PM »
nice! i was just thinkin about buildin something like this last nite!
the paper gods demand sacrifice

Offline Cliffy B

  • Ship Whiffer Extraordinaire...master of Beyond Visual Range Modelling
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Re: Homemade Chopper
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2012, 03:47:57 AM »
If you do, I forgot to mention that you need to mount the blade at a slight angle (lower corner TOWARD the the hinge) so that it slices through the plastic instead of presses through all at once.  Slightly cleaner cuts that way and less of a chance for the cut piece to enter the 4th dimension.
"Radials growl, inlines purr, jets blow!"  -Anonymous

"Helos don't fly.  They vibrate so violently that the ground rejects them."  -Tom Clancy

"If all else fails, call in an air strike."  -Anonymous

Offline ysi_maniac

  • I will die understanding not this world
Re: Homemade Chopper
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2012, 12:10:38 AM »
:icon_surprised: I thought you were building a helicopter in your garage :icon_ninja:

Online Frank3k

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Re: Homemade Chopper
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2012, 01:12:22 AM »
I bet yours works better than the 10x as expensive commercial choppers. I don't think their blades are angled (at least not by much) so yours is even better.

mailman7777777

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Re: Homemade Chopper
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2013, 01:34:01 PM »
I have the original "Chopper". Whenever cutting something the blade always bends and I get an angle cut. I'm thinking about putting some guides on each side of the blade.

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Homemade Chopper
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2013, 06:20:33 AM »
Now that's ingenious! I bet you could start a cottage industry marketing those!

Brian da Basher

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Homemade Chopper
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2013, 09:50:57 AM »
That 's a great idea! I have all that stuff laying around, just have to gather it up.......

Offline Cliffy B

  • Ship Whiffer Extraordinaire...master of Beyond Visual Range Modelling
  • Its ZOTT!!!
    • My Artwork
Re: Homemade Chopper
« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2013, 10:01:06 AM »
Just make sure properly align everything and drill the holes PRECISELY!!!!!  I found that mine has the tendency to move left to right when cutting through square stock.  Too much slop in the handle so I go to tighten it and I screw up its alignment.... Gahhhhh!!!  :icon_twisted:  Thinking I'll just tighten it extra tight and make a new alignment part to ensure square cuts, don't know.  Might just take it apart and re-drill the holes.
"Radials growl, inlines purr, jets blow!"  -Anonymous

"Helos don't fly.  They vibrate so violently that the ground rejects them."  -Tom Clancy

"If all else fails, call in an air strike."  -Anonymous

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Homemade Chopper
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2013, 01:09:36 AM »
Just make sure properly align everything and drill the holes PRECISELY!!!!!  I found that mine has the tendency to move left to right when cutting through square stock.  Too much slop in the handle so I go to tighten it and I screw up its alignment.... Gahhhhh!!!  :icon_twisted:  Thinking I'll just tighten it extra tight and make a new alignment part to ensure square cuts, don't know.  Might just take it apart and re-drill the holes.

Make one hole in the alignment part a slot so you can adjust it, then tighten it down.
I'm using 1.5" x 1.5" angle aluminum for the hinge parts so hopefully the blade will stay square.
Live, learn and improve!

Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Homemade Chopper
« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2013, 11:48:16 AM »
Yes, that is just the biz

I have a cheapo plastic jobby, but for 90% of straight cuts.. this is all you need.