Caterham Seven Kit Car Murtaza Hussain

Just over a month ago I decided I wanted to build a Caterham Seven Style car. I searched long and hard for what to build and in the end came up with the decision to either build the chassis or buy one readymade.

The problem was that buying a readymade chassis would have cost me nearly £1000, but due to the current low price of metal, the metal would only cost me about £110, so for me it was the obvious choice to build it myself.

I have never attempted such a project before, but had enough experience to know that cutting metal is always a real pain to do, using a hacksaw repeatedly just gets you exhausted, as you then have to file and finish off the piece which really isn't an enjoyable experience.

Many people use angle grinders to cut the metal for constructing the chassis of their car, but, from my experience, the amount of metal dust that ends up on the floor is just a hassle to clean up, and you always end up with black dust in your nose. Another problem with angle grinders, and abrasive chop saws alike is that you end up using several cutting discs, and the cost of these does quickly start to build up.

After reading on some well known internet forums I came across the Evolution RAGE3 255mm TCT Multipurpose Sliding Mitre Saw, which seemed like a bit of a gimmick at first, however after reading reviews and seeing the demo video on the Evolution website I took the punt and bought one.

On first inspection it seemed like any other compound sliding mitre saw, apart from the blade is clearly very different. I went ahead and started cutting wood firstly for my chassis build table, which was a breeze, but I hadn't expected wood to be a problem. It then came to the point where I had to cut 25x25mm mild steel box section. On my first cut I went slowly through the metal, as I wouldn’t have thought it would be able to cut any faster. However, after a few more cuts I realised that the Evolution RAGE3 did a great job of cutting the box section. It does it in one clean, effortless and almost spark-free motion, which was very important for me as it meant no more black noses!

I really was surprised that I didn’t have to finish the cut in any way; my files haven't come out of the toolbox yet! When someone saw my metal that had been cut, I was asked "when did you get a metal milling machine?" as only mills usually produce cuts like these, however I was quick to point out that it was all the RAGE3.

The place where the RAGE3 really shone though is cutting compound mitre angles as there as so many difficult angles to cut in building a chassis and these are almost impossible to do accurately and easily with a hacksaw. Reading peoples comments on forums about how hard they found it to cut the metal with a hacksaw and how much having to use a hacksaw affected your build progress really surprised me and this is when I really thought that the RAGE3 was definitely a worthwhile investment. Forums on the Internet are what really initially convinced me to buy this, and I have to agree to what is a pretty unanimous opinion on the Internet, that the Evolution RAGE3 Sliding Mitre Saw makes the whole process much easier and quicker.

My chassis is nearly completed now in what is really a very short amount of time, largely helped by this saw. It has done me well even in the most complicated joints, and is cutting the metal rather than grinding which, from what I can see, means virtually no more sparks, metal and a blade that is cold to touch after each and every cut, meaning the metal doesn't discolour or get hardened whilst cutting, which is perfect for me.

'I really was surprise that I didn't have to finish the cut in any way; my files haven't come out of the toolbox yet!'

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