Anything welding

It was lol. Between work and kids this week, I'm running on vapors right now. I need to get some sleep!

 

I bet man. Hope you get some because running on no sleep is god awful as I have learned.

 

Sleep is overrated. You'll get plenty of it when you're dead.

 

Fuck that. I love my sleep and it all got taken away 3 months ago when my son was born. Thank goodness he’s not as bad at sleeping anymore so I’m getting some back.

 

Just curious about the custom fuel tank ratchet strap .

Another project just not finished yet ?

 

That’s holding up the skid plate. My gas tank skid is a sheet of HDPE plastic and is held up with straps on the 4 corners for a totally smooth bottom.

 

Consistency is key. Some hot glue action from last week

 

Those are beautiful welds. Forgive my ignorance, but what are those?

 

Appreciate it. They are a piece for a more complex moving ramp for a customer. Pretty random and non truck related

 

USPS threw this out in my front yard today, literally. Based on emails, expected delivery was not until Friday. I was not home. A neighbor called and alerted me there was a box laying out by the street in my front yard. The box was original packaging telling exactly what was inside, so anyone tempted might have know it was a fairly expensive item. I know the weather is bad, but I would have preferred they just take it back to the post office and request I pick it up.

Anyway, I had someone run by and secure it before it was stolen. So, I now have no excuse for poorly constructed joints, pieces that are a bit too short, angles that don't quite line up,... I've been using cutoff wheels and my porta bandsaw for years, but never can get good results. Always end up trying to grind things for a good fit.

No chance to try it yet, but I did unbox it and drool over it.

https://tinyurl.com/y58nmzdb

 

@EatSleepTacos

I was going to get the one you have after I saw you were happy with it, but I have some area farmers who come by occasionally wanting a repair on some broken farm implement. Those guys are hell on steel. Their turbo diesel tractors have too much HP. I felt I might get some use out of the extra capacity. If it had just been my own hobby stuff, that Rage 4 would probably have been plenty for me.

Plus, I have my tax refund and the stimulus money coming, soooo

 

Get some good ear protection. That saw cuts clean and fast but it’s loud as hell. I have the older version.

 

I would’ve gotten the bigger one too if I could have swung it at the time! You’ll love it.

 

I posted this on the DIY armor thread but didn't get much response, so posting this here as I know more than a few of you have made your own bumpers. Been planning a rear bumper for a while but am (finally) getting close to getting started. I plan to model it after the C4 overland high clearance bumper with a hidden tow receiver behind the license plate (see photos below). I've been playing around in 3D Builder (a 3D printer program that was already on my computer) to sketch up the concept of the skeleton, namely the frame brackets, towing receiver, a 2x4x1/4" tube to connect them, and the recovery points. Further below are a couple different sketches of what I've come up with.

C4 Overland High Clearance Bumper (stock photos)


My plan is to cut openings in the 2x4 to run the receiver through it and weld on each side of the 2x4. Similarly, I'll cut openings in the frame brackets and run the 2x4 through them and weld. That seems consistent with what I've seen on how many tow hitches connect to the frame brackets, and seems more solid than just fillet welding to one side. Note the C4 bumper doesn't use a 2x4, but instead relies on the plate bumper to transfer the load from the receiver to the frame brackets; I feel the 2x4 will be much beefier since I occasionally pull a 4,000 boat/trailer out of the water. Also, while not shown, the other end of the receiver will be welded to the bumper (similar to what is shown in the second photo above).

The arrangement below is very conceptual and crude, and I still have to work out the geometry. I may need to go with an 8" wide plate for the frame bracket to lower the 2x4 and receiver so they can line up with the bottom of the license plate, or if need be, angle the 2x4 up to the frame brackets (which I would hope to avoid doing). I would appreciate any feedback or suggestions on the concept before I start buying steel.

Sketch of bumper "skeleton," front view


Sketch of bumper "skeleton," rear view

 

Here’s the internals of a mobtown bumper that is similarly in line with your plans to give you some sort of idea. Instead the hitch is welded to the bottom of the square tube on all surfaces as well as the face of the outer skin. People have towed at the tow rating of a tacoma with no issues with this. Hopefully this can give you some inspiration.

My bumper is designed around a 3”x4”x1/4” rectangle tube and it’s decently hefty so if you did that plus added an outer skin, it would be too heavy IMO.

 

This is great, thanks. It's really hard to find photos of the "business side" of a bumper, most vendor photos and photos posted on TW of homemade bumpers are of the front side, so this is really helpful. The wheels are turning in my head...

 

Instagram is a great place to find pics like that if you scour hard enough

 

Think my welds are getting good enough to do some fun welding projects! Whats some small projects you guys have done?

 

Thats sweet haha.