Projects COE build thread - "Git r' done"

Forgive me while I rant and rave

I went to pick up my steel gusset plates today. Simple job, a steel plate with one bent edge...simple? Well, maybe I missed something in school...



Apparently, bending a 3" flange onto a piece of metal cut on a slight diagonal, is far more difficult than these workers were capable of doing. It appears that taking a measurement off the edge and scribing a few marks 3" inward was just too daunting.



They said that perhaps they could do it, but since it was so much harder it would cost triple...WTF ???



Needless to say, I did not have them do it. I say fire any idiot who can't do something that simple. (then they can work for our government and be geniuses).

Just think what would have happened if I wanted two bends.. Their brains would have exploded.

 

It's already a Ford, and a bitchin Hot Rod, go Model A!
Glad to hear you're back in business, I've been enjoying your build.

 

I started building the frame gussets. Since I alway seem to overkill everything, I thought, "why not this too." The plates are 1/4" thick and weigh about 30 pounds each. I will tig weld the flange onto the bottom edge, that will be good practice for me. A new 2" diameter tubular style engine cradle will be bolted to the inside of the gussets with a mounting plate and four bolts.



(PS - like my lovely headers? Look close and see what happens when you put the wrong paint on them. It blistered like crazy with 500 degree engine paint, but the high heat primer underneath was fine.)

 

What's happening here? "Z-ing" the frame? Just new engine mount setup? I think I missed a memo.

 

Did you finish the hinge project? Do you have any pictures of when you started building your truck or was it bought as a unfinished project?

 

Before I can mount the storage boxes (and finish them), I have to put the gussets in to address the frame issues. The box mounts will be right in the same area.

My truck was an original one owner from a farm last driven in 1964 and left out in the field. No early pictures, just 8 mm video.

 

KS, I'm a little confused by the picture in post 176 vs picture in post 183. It looks like your original idea was to make the 3" bend, then slice, remove a triangle on one end, then bend that 3" flange, then weld up both ends. Is the piece you ended up with quite different, or is it drawing vs picture confusing me?
If you wanted the fab shop to do all the bending and welding it is a lot more work than just a simple 3" bend. the secondary bending of the flange would be difficult in a press brake, so it would mean heating and hand bending, so it would get more expensive. Remember, a shop assumes everything has to look and measure perfect, also.

 

In 176, left picture. See where is says "bend". That's all I wanted done. The steel supply shop cut the overall plate in half on an angle with no charge. All the press brake shop had to do was make a simple 90 degree bend on each plate 3" off that diagonal edge.

As for my photo, I am still fabricating the parts, it is not finished yet.

 

Now that I have cleaned up from the latest disaster, (F3 tornado passed 500 feet from our house and did tree and house damage), do I dare ask what's next? I hope to actually work on my COE one of these days.

 

Sounds like you and yours made it through the twister, glad to hear. Sorry about the property damage, but it sounds like it could have been much worse.

 

We have nothing compared to others. The chimney caps were quite mangled, but an hour of hammer and dolly work fixed them back up.

 

Arrrr! Cleaning up the trees from my wooded yard has resulted in either severe sprains or systematic poison ivy that is swelling my hands and wrists...at this rate I'll never get this truck done. I need Overhaulin' to come save me. Of course even then I couldn't drive with my hands hurting so much...but I would try.

 

I can look at poison ivy and get it. with swelling, are you sure it isn't poison oak?

 

Doesn't sound like fun, google carpal tunnel syndrome!

 

After handling anything that remotely looks like Poison Ivy/Oak, wash with felsnaptha soap immediately. And see if the doctor will give you a double prescription of triamcinolone acetonide cream. Our place is thick with it. It's even growing up around the actual house and we're hundreds of feet from the woods.

 

My string of "bad" luck continues... first stitches, then the tornado, poison ivy, tick and spider bites, and would you believe that in the last storm, we got hit by a bolt of lightning. Good Grief! Anyway, I am finally back working on my COE.

 

wow ... glad you live a bit of a distance from me. too much excitement for me going on at your house.

 

Sorry to hear about all your bad luck. At least you still have a shop after the tornado. I've got two girls in college and the oldest one just got married. the youngest starts college in the fall. Between all 5 of use I have 9 vehicles to maintain. I've been fixing ball joints and buying tires like crazy lately. Unfortunately non are for any of my hot rods. I hoping in a few months I can get back to finishing some stuff on my 56 Ford 2 dr sedan.

 

Working on box mount brackets. They hook over the sub frame and will bolt on too. The sub frame has to be notched so the bed will lay flat. I still need to add gussets under the bracket arms.

(sorry about the small pictures, I can't get photobucket to work right)

 

Yeah, photobucket is working again... This is the rear bracket for the storage box. This will slide inside the box and be plug welded to the box wall. It still needs a gusset on the underside and as I said earlier, will be mounted in the notch in the sub frame.

 

Making progress. Tomorrow I will start on mounting the passenger side storage box. I plan to use weld through primer where the brackets will weld onto the boxes, but am still on the fence with how to deal with the surface rust on the boxes. If I use phosphoric acid to "wipe" the rust off, I am not sure of the best way to neutralize it and what primer to apply. I am thinking I should use epoxy primer. Any ideas?

 

My bad luck has returned. Heated 1/4 x 3 strap to bend it, then set it aside to cool. A few minutes later, I leaned on it with the palm of my right hand...hurts like heck! No blisters yet, but I expect them soon. Needless to say, I am off the job again.

 

is your name schleprock? would you like it to be?

 

Me thinks, you watched too much TV as a child...ha!

 

you would think correctly. hope you get feeling better and maybe bring a helper to the garage with you. let them find the tools and the hot metal items for you

 

Dude, I thought my luck had a bad streak a while back, but you're definitely giving my stint a run for it's money. I hope you didn't burn your hand too bad.

 

I feel like the guy in Indiana Jones who burned the medallion image into his hand.

(my palm now shows the location of a secret stash of deuce coupes, 67 corvettes and Jimmy Hoffa...all I need is the correct length piston rod)

 

just found this thread...doing a lil looking-around for ideas on my upcomming build. got to say... Awesome job..nice detailed work. i no that it cost ALOT when you do something the RITE way...but, when its dun...its ALL WORTH-WHILE!! Keep up the good work...im tunned in!!!

 

Thanks, I've been doing some more work, and trying hard not to damage myself anymore. I don't have any current pictures, but hope to have a few cool shots in the next week since the weather is going to cooperate.

 

Maybe a name change to" never done" LOL 11 pages of ?