Tools

Speciality Tools You Need In Your Props Shed! 

Tube Roller- If your design has curved elements you need this! A tube roller will bend a curve in EMT conduit. Use it to make any arches or hoop shapes. The Harbor Freight Tubing Roller is $169 and does the job. You can bolt it to the work table I describe below. You will need to make a modification. The drive roller for each roller size only has 3 set screws to hold the roller to the shaft. You will need to increase this to 8! I drilled and tapped ours for four 1/4 X 20 set screws on each side of the roller. And filed flats on the shaft for each screw. The socket head cap screws will need to beveled on the ends so they do not mushroom. If you do not do this the ends of the screws will mushroom under the pressure of rolling and you will not be able to remove the screws without ripping the threads out of the roller destroying them. And only snug the screws when securing the roller to the shaft. The rollers are made from cast iron and are brittle and the metal will break out of you tighten the screws down too hard. After modding the rollers do the same for the handle by adding 2 more set screws. While rolling the tubing stop occasionally and wiggle the handle back and forth and check for looseness. If there is re-snug the set screws. It is the price you pay for a cheap tool. Pro tube formers cost thousands! Additional rollers for square tube and other sizes of round tube can be found HERE. If you have a HF Tubing Roller and want to upgrade it to an electric drive,  a kit can be bought HERE by some really clever guys at Swag Offroad.

Miter saw -  With wood and metal cutting blades.

Welder- Always buy the best tools you can afford and the welder is no different. Welders can get expensive and many bands can not afford the expense but an inexpensive welder will work.

The Harbor Freight 90 amp flux core welder can be had for $129 and works on the EMT conduit. It will make an ugly weld but the audience will never see the welds so no worries! As a builder a good welder will speed up the job and give you much better quality welds.

Buy extra rolls of flux core wire at your local welding supply for much less than at Harbor Freight. $7.50 vs $19.99 at HF. And use the .035" flux core wire instead of the recommended .030". In my area Airgas has several outlets where I can buy welding wire.

HF also has a decent auto darkening welding helmet you can get on sale for $49. Don't forget to get welding gloves too.

Precautions:
Do NOT use an extension cord longer than 50 feet or smaller than 12-2 with ground or you may destroy the welder. Do not plug anything else into the same outlet as the welder. It has to be on a circuit by itself.

The EMT thin wall pipe is zinc plated and when you weld any thing zinc plated zinc oxide gas is made. The zinc coating on this EMT is very thin and produces very little zinc oxide gas but be cautious and place a fan to blow the fumes away from you and weld outside. I have never used it but if welding hot dipped galvanized pipe I have been told you have to grind away the thick zinc plating before welding.

Always be ready to douse a fire. Get an ABC fire extinguisher, but the best fire extinguisher is a bucket of water with a large towel in it. A clean wet towel will put out and cool a clothing fire faster than anything, including a CO2 fire extinguisher. Just keep the towel and water away from anything electrical!!!

Wear only cotton clothing while welding.

4 1/2" high speed grinder - Can be bought at Harbor Freight for $29.00. Get 60 grit sanding pads and metal cut off wheels at the Home Improvement store. A grinder with a metal cutting blade is the most dangerous tool you will use. Use good safety glasses along with a face shield and good leather gloves using this tool!!! And always keep a good grip on it with both hands. They tend to kick back and that metal cutting blade will cut right through leather gloves in a flash! If the blade shatters it throws pieces at a very high speed!

Tubing Notcher - This tool is used to notch steel or PVC pipe so the pipe can be welded or glued to an adjacent pipe at nearly any angle. You purchase a hole saw bit matching the pipe size at the Home Improvement store and use your corded power drill to cut the pipe. The HF notcher is not very good quality but does the job.

Work Table - I like to use 2 sawhorses topped with 2 or 3 2 X 12 X 8' pieces of wood. Very sturdy and stores easily. Works fine as a welding table. Yes it will get scorched!

Extension Cords- Several 12 gauge 50 foot extension cords. Walmart is a good place to get these. Look at the cord and make sure it has 12-2 with ground stamped or embossed on the wire.

Air Compressor - A small air compressor is very useful but avoid the little pancake compressor from HF. Get a decent one with at least a 5 gallon tank.

Portable Light - For when you roll up to a venue and they place you putting your props together in the dark behind the school. One with two 300 watt lamps with telescoping legs work well.

Sawzall - No need to by an expensive Sawzall. Get wood and metal cutting blades. You will use it all the time!

Cordless Impact Driver - And a nut driver set for it. Again you will use it all the time. From driving lag screws and nuts and bolts. I speeds the job tremendously!

Corded Drill - Cordless is fine but you will need the corded version for the power.

Long Drill Bits - 18 in long high speed steel bits in 3/16", 1/4", 5/16" and 3/8" sizes.

3000 Watt Inverter - Only buy one if there are venues with no power close by and if you get one permanently mount it in your equipment truck.