82 year old rusty frame

Thanks Mart, problem is I do all my posts on my phone. No time to sit at the computer. I am usually on here with at least one eye on the crazy kids. Thankfully they support my Hot Rod addiction and don't tell mommy.



"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

Does this help

?


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

Yeah, that's just the ticket.


Actually now I look again I'm not sure. The picture is below the "Does this help" but the "?" is after the picture. It is below it though, which is good.

Is that how it looks to you?

Mart.

 

Real nice build shine,...you said your havin a little trouble with your welds, are you using argon and co mix?...straight argon gives a rougher looking weld, .....ime looking forward to seeing some tin setting on there, always like your updates


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Yep, and I put the question mark there on purpose. Thanks again Mart, Wyatt.


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

Why thank you so much King. I've been using straight CO. Mostly the welds are hugely inconsistent. I might weld a one inch bead and be happy. When I start up again it can spit, pop and get stuck. I think my welder doesn't have enough nuts to cook through the old tired metal. It definitely does better on fresh steel off the frame.
I too can't wait to get back to setting the cab. After all as we all say here on the HAMB, "it's all about proportion and stance". I still have to decide if it needs chopping. The channel is in the 4" to 5" range but not settled yet cause I have to remake the floor. I'm lining up the bed top rail with the top reveal of the door. I worked this out when the body was still setting on the frame and kicked up the front rails and relieved the grill shell 5" at the bottom sides to line the hood top to the cowl. So if I chop it I will only do 2" max maybe only a inch or inch and half. It has to be right and low key. I wasn't going to chop it at all. My theory that a "bootlegging southern hill truck" guy if he went to channel his PU this might have used up all his energy. And to cut into the top would be a lot bigger project, like cutting the glass and lining it all back up. It now has a lower center of gravity to slide around them old dirt roads. Plus he's got a run to make, can't have this thing tore down in the barn another night.


"I need my mirror boy"

 

Man i love this build!!! Using what you have or what you can afford and making it look awesome!!! That's Hot Rodin right there. Keep it up!! I really like how you are using the old rivets. This is going to be good when its done.

 

I forgot to give a big thank you to Titus for the old Delco finned coil.

I'm trying to figure out a way to mount an MSD inside and still use the old Bakelite top. I think I can do it, wish me luck.


"I need my mirror boy"

 

I suppose I can hijack my own thread one time. This is one half of the reason my PU build is going so slow. I've been building this for 21months and its comin along nicely. Still leaks from the undercarriage, has a major exhaust noise, has poor fuel consumption, and wants to run on after you turn off the ignition to put him away.

His sister project is an ol'mess of a jalopy.


"I need my mirror boy"

 

Now back to serious business. I've had to cut up the rear boxing plates into three pieces plus an extension on each side. It's taking longer than hoped to get it fitted.

Once I can get this buttoned up I'll put the rear crossmember in. After that I'll take into account the upper control arm mounts then finish the x member and don't forget the rear radius rod, lever shocks, and the gas tank mounts.


"I need my mirror boy"

 

Looks like this project is headed in the right direction - definitely a keeper! Love the period correct body covers.

 

Thanks greaser, you can't tell from the pic of a pic with my phone on the kitchen table, but I threw on a pair of NOS Levi's lower panels, cut down one my old black leather "belt line"s for the seem to meet the soft top, and my wife tossed in a black ACE comb in the right rear map pouch for a quick detail at the shows for the ladies.


"I need my mirror boy"

 

Test fit repeat, test fit repeat, test fit repeat, etc, etc, etc...


"I need my mirror boy"

 

Still loving this build. Keep the updates coming!



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Thank you so much TF! You just cheered me up. Not to get too self deprecating, but I've been really down on the quality of my work. I keep coming up short of what I'd like to see, specially where the welding is concerned. I think it's time to sell a guitar or some other cherished possession to by a better unit. Also need to just slow down I keep working like a maniac when I do to get somewhere. Speed doesn't usually equate to quality.
Here's an update for you

I even have to pie cut the rear legs of the X-member! This is because they tie in after where the kick up begins, oh well step 1,000 and 1, check.


"I need my mirror boy"

 

Can you say contraption?

Did this up today

Then lined it up and welded about half way. I can't wait to add the top and bottom strips to form my simulated C channel. But I have to finish the other side and the rear crossmember.



"I need my mirror boy"

 

Well I've been real busy and haven't made much progress since my last post. I was up in MI this weekend racing my little xr75. Also the wife has me building her a walk-in closet. Good news is the lumber and drywall that have buried my cab are slowly disappearing. I made a little headway on the driver side c-notch and shaping the boxing plates. The crossmember is looking better and almost finished. But mostly I'm giddy for starting my simulated C channel...

I've warned you all before, the welds are ugly!

Maybe I should cover them with seam sealer or just lie to myself that they're traditional and are supposed to be that way.


"I need my mirror boy"

 

It might be a good idea to take a step back and see what is up with the welds. Mig, right? Using gas? argon mix? Get some scrap and play with the settings and it should come right. The welds really are ugly, there's no need to perpetuate the ugliness.

I only say this, because I had the same myself. I bought a new regulator, got a decent bottle, new glasses(can't see close up any more) and lastly a new self darkening mask. A bit of time playing with some scrap remnants soon got the combo dialled in.

Mart.

 

As always thanks Mart. It gets even worse

This is new metal to new metal

I can get a bead going that I'm happy with but when I stop and start a new( which I do after and inch or so depending on how much heat I'm laying in there) it won't repeat the same weld. Maybe I just suck at this in my old age. I've welded for my day job in my past and I've had education, not that I retain everything.
I won't even show the front boxing plates. All this is making me want to scrap this heap! I want my hot rod more than anything but the welds almost make me cry, and yes I've thrown my self darkening mask across the garage and it's the only welding tool I'm happy with. Mart it's straight Co with and nonadjustable regulator. Welder is turned all the way up, wire feed is down real low like at 10-13 or so, I'm now using .024 wire. When I was rockin the flux core it was .030 and .035 but that stuff really piled up and seamed cold although you could see good penetration.
I've tried so much tricks even putting the ground real close, cleaning the ground spot, un-twisting the whip, grinding and brushing before a weld, I even preheated the metal with a torch once to see how it would do.


"I need my mirror boy"

 

It might be worth trying a CO2/argon mix. I can't offer real expert advice as I'm not a trained welder, just a long time self taught amateur. I tend to play with the wire feed until it works ok, I don't think slower is necessarily better, I don't turn mine all the way down. New tips help. Mine does have a regulator, I don't have a specific setting, though, I just hold the torch by my ear and listen. I turn it up from zero until I can hear a steady stream, but not too strong a rush.

If I were there, I would try and help, it hard to do remotely.

Mart.

 

Just out of curiosity, are you pushing or pulling the weld?

 

Pushing, at an angle. I've tried pulling in spots and some times that looks better. I've tried endless distances(from the metal), patterns, angles, and torch travel speed. I can't give it much more wire feed or it gets real ugly. Some times I think I'm not moving fast enough which I try to improve but I can't keep a good pattern in my hand movement.


"I need my mirror boy"

 

Can you see, really SEE what you are doing? Good mask, glasses (stronger than normal) if need be. Can you stare right into the weld?

Being able to do that helped me, same went for gas welding. New goggles were needed there.

Pushing is correct for mig.

Try slowing down. Less wire feed, nice gentle gas flow, less amps if need be. Take your time. Try longer beads too, if it's going ok, why stop? There doesn't have to be hand movement, don't wave around. leave the stack o dimes to the tig guys. Just smooth straight motion. Have confidence and take control of what is happening.

God I ought to be a motivational speaker.

Mart.

 

I suggest slowing down too. Really pay attention to your puddle.

 

My glasses are year old but my eye sight isn't real bad yet(I'm almost 42), actually it's fine up close, maybe I should try without my glasses, I've never tried that before. I can see the puddle usually fine it's just a matter of getting it to make one before it piles up into a mound. I don't like the way the welds start, especially after you wait and start back on the end of a bead. I don't weld continuous because of warping and over heating the welder which I did a couple times a year or two ago. I warped the frame a little already last year without welding continuously even with tack welding first which I always do.


"I need my mirror boy"

 

I side note it seems like I'm not fast enough with all of it. I notice in my mind I want the welding process to slow down. I use to remember slowing down wire feed to the point where you could see it melting back towards the tip if it was to slow or hot. That's not happening here, maybe I should find that point of reference and work back up from there? I don't know if my feed will slow down anymore, I've had it at the bottom( 10 ) welding thin stuff.


"I need my mirror boy"

 

Suggest trying a different source or brand of welding wire....I know it has made a difference with the quality of my welds. Also, I always buy the smaller spools, and only when needed so the wire isn't contaminated with corrosion.

 

Yeah I agree Greasy one. I've used on this build: Lincoln, Hobart, some stuff from Praxxair, Harbor Frieght, and Menards. Always clean new tips., must have a pile of 30+ from when I was using Flux core.


"I need my mirror boy"

 

This is with the feed turned all the down! But it sounded and felt good.
And it still feels like I'm not traveling fast enough. Then when I switched back into the c channel corner it was even worse. It seems like not enough heat. I'm thinking maybe it has something to do with the shielding gas. It welds its worst inside pockets, corners, and cubby holes. I think the gas backs up there then cools to much?


"I need my mirror boy"

 

What is your gas flow set to when you are welding inside corners and what is the angle of the torch and your hold off. I trust you are using 75/25, also is there a fan nearby that can be blowing your shielding gas away?

Your weld looks good, I can't tell from the picture if you are getting enough penetration or not on the top plate, the side plate looks you are getting enough penetration. I am not a certified welder, but I have been welding a real long time, the folks at weldingweb.com weld day in and day out and I have found them very useful when I run into issues.


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