The fabrication thread.

[Chamb-O]

Originally Posted by DisEpyon

Looking good Chamb-O. Your on the right track. What is your set up? if you dont mind me asking.

thanks man

Miller dynasty 200
.5 second pulse to keep consistency


are you bolting it to a dummy flange to keep it from warping?
if so good idea!
I usually surface my flanges on a belt sander afterwards

[GSXRJJordan]

Originally Posted by Chamb-O

thanks man

Miller dynasty 200
.5 second pulse to keep consistency


are you bolting it to a dummy flange to keep it from warping?
if so good idea!
I usually surface my flanges on a belt sander afterwards

For something that small, hitting it with a belt sander after is fine. Larger stuff (or really thin flanges) you'd want to torque it down.

[rbs14kouki]

my frind is redoing is s13 !!!

here is a couple of pics ... let us know what you think

[conrad_s13.5]

ill just figure he's replacing rust spots...but looks like a job well done

[Chamb-O]

getting decent with aluminum

[PerilousActs]

Here's a Java applet to help you guys make notches if you don't have a notcher. It allows you to print out a pattern.
Cobra Torch - TubeNotcherPlus

[blu808]

Just wanted to share my fabrication area in our new shop.







CNC plasma cutting system on is on the way as well.

[godrifttoday]

Hey blu808 how did u get into fabrication? What was your first paid project?

[blu808]

Hmm. 1st paid project is kind of hard to remember. There were years of doing stuff for friends for free and of course stuff for myself to learn on. There were always little $20-$500 jobs here and there but I would still consider those hooking friends up and just doing them for fun/cost. Even now it is really hard to decide which jobs to take in. I always try to hook up my friends when they call me, but at the same time I can't have friends broken cars around my shop when I could be making money doing actual customer work. I find that to be the hard part now a days.

[Future_gohan]

Originally Posted by blu808

Hmm. 1st paid project is kind of hard to remember. There were years of doing stuff for friends for free and of course stuff for myself to learn on. There were always little $20-$500 jobs here and there but I would still consider those hooking friends up and just doing them for fun/cost. Even now it is really hard to decide which jobs to take in. I always try to hook up my friends when they call me, but at the same time I can't have friends broken cars around my shop when I could be making money doing actual customer work. I find that to be the hard part now a days.

I feel you on that one, friends always get mad at me if I don't do they're cars for free, I charge less, but never free, I learned that lesson, fake people trying to be your friends for work lol

[Jonnie Fraz]

Originally Posted by Future_gohan

I feel you on that one, friends always get mad at me if I don't do they're cars for free, I charge less, but never free, I learned that lesson, fake people trying to be your friends for work lol

"Thats why it's not show friends it's show business."

I have a couple of guys that I sponsor by doing a bunch of fab work on their cars.

[Sleepy_Steve]

These days I find myself doing things for friends for cost / free, and for myself to practice on. I'm getting a little better at it, but I still have a long way to go before I'd be willing to think about starting to charge for my work.

[godrifttoday]

well for the most part i would hook up friends for free but i been to relax with that, u give them an 1inch they take a mile... but now ... no no no.. i pay for the welding gas, i pay for the elctricity, i paid for all my tools, i pay for all the supplies. its not fair. seriously its not fair! cost me money to do people favor it should cost them too! my close-close friends i just have them cover material cost and whatever else i might need.

[duffman1278]

Started mocking up the frame for a project at school, just getting the tacks on. I'm planning to TIG or MIG it next week, depending on how much time we get.

[shiftdrift]

Originally Posted by blu808

Hmm. 1st paid project is kind of hard to remember. There were years of doing stuff for friends for free and of course stuff for myself to learn on. There were always little $20-$500 jobs here and there but I would still consider those hooking friends up and just doing them for fun/cost. Even now it is really hard to decide which jobs to take in. I always try to hook up my friends when they call me, but at the same time I can't have friends broken cars around my shop when I could be making money doing actual customer work. I find that to be the hard part now a days.

that's the exact stage i'm in right now. doing small jobs for friends and people to get my name out there.

p.s. can i live above your fab area on that loft? it'll be just like fast and the furious.

[Jonnie Fraz]

Originally Posted by shiftdrift

that's the exact stage i'm in right now. doing small jobs for friends and people to get my name out there.

There is nothing wrong with helping friends out and getting your name out there, but here is a good rule of thumb...Charge at least as much as it cost to fill your bottle of gas. That should cover your gas, time and such.

Originally Posted by shiftdrift

p.s. can i live above your fab area on that loft? it'll be just like fast and the furious.

Lol...Luke is the new Han

[Sleepy_Steve]

^ Truth.

Welded my first diff for a buddy recently, looks like shit, really had to push my little 140amp welder. Materials cost wound up being the bottle of map gas I needed for pre heating, and the cans of carb and brake cleaner that were used cleaning all the old gear oil out of the housing. Didn't charge for gas / wire and wound up finishing it off in flux core. But since I got to keep what was left of the map gas and brake cleaner, I figured charging for a small amount of wire and C25 wouldn't be worthwhile.

[kevinphan]

Welding and brake parts cleaner? You are crazy...

Brake Cleaner = Phosgene Article

[godrifttoday]

Originally Posted by Sleepy_Steve

^ Truth.

Welded my first diff for a buddy recently, looks like shit, really had to push my little 140amp welder. Materials cost wound up being the bottle of map gas I needed for pre heating, and the cans of carb and brake cleaner that were used cleaning all the old gear oil out of the housing. Didn't charge for gas / wire and wound up finishing it off in flux core. But since I got to keep what was left of the map gas and brake cleaner, I figured charging for a small amount of wire and C25 wouldn't be worthwhile.

Flux core! I'm sure u got splatter all over the diff, how is it holding up?

[blu808]

Shiftdrift:
You should see our other loft then, it is pretty much just like han's shop. lol

[GSXRJJordan]

And another lift! Holy shit, Gregg's shop is the JAM.

[180wanabe1]

Originally Posted by kevinphan

Welding and brake parts cleaner? You are crazy...

Brake Cleaner = Phosgene Article

this is why you only use non chlorinated brake cleaner.

[Chamb-O]

or acetone

[Sleepy_Steve]

Originally Posted by kevinphan

Welding and brake parts cleaner? You are crazy...

Brake Cleaner = Phosgene Article

Yeah, I'm familiar with that story. And you're right that I could have used some safer solvents for the job. That said, its not like I sprayed the hell out of it minutes before I welded it. Sprayed some of the parts when I was taking it all apart and hit it all with compressed air when I was done... Then two days later I got around to pre heating it on my grill and welding it. Never had any unexpected fumes from the welding or the map gas that I used after it came off the grill.

Originally Posted by godrifttoday

Flux core! I'm sure u got splatter all over the diff, how is it holding up?

I didn't think it was too bad, certainly more significant than MIG but not by much. At least the flux core was able to bite into the material. I don't think I was even getting 1/8'' of penetration on MIG. Right now its not yet gone into my friend's car as I'm having an issue with one of the output shafts seating properly.

The splines are nice and clean on both the shaft and the diff, so I'm not entirely sure what's causing the issue. Unless a ball of slag / splatter got under part of the snap ring that's in there... But it strikes me as unlikely that it worked its way in there.

[Fred Allen Burge]

Anybody recommend a really good quality bench vise? I'm wanting something that will be around long after I'm dead and gone if you know what I mean, I want to be able to beat on it with a 12lb sledge hammer and not wonder if it's gonna break

Thanks

[strawe510]

Wilton Tradesman. Not much better then one of these. You will pay for it but very nice and high quality.

[PerilousActs]

I was reading over some of the changes in the 2011 FD rulebook and came across a line stating that Aluminum bronze and silicon bronze welding techniques are allowed on cages now. Can anyone elaborate on these techniques? A quick google for silicon bronze filler roll cage brings up a bunch of flame wars and other useless bits.

I remember reading on motoiq about using silicon bronze for welding reinforcement plates to a cage/unibody to allow some flex to reduce the likely hood of cracking, but that's the only use of it I've really come across.

[shiftdrift]

Originally Posted by blu808

Shiftdrift:
You should see our other loft then, it is pretty much just like han's shop. lol

let's work something out! i can pay rent! lol

[MidwestMyriad]

Anyone near Chicago (northwest indiana) on here feel like makin a lil dough? Need some stitch welding done: front strut towers and rear strut tower. PM me for more details.

[shiftdrift]

if i was close i would definitely do it for you.