The Lair

Randy, what are your thoughts on making your own front bumper? I know you did some custom stuff with the front crossmembers that necessitated the more custom approach, but would you do custom again? I've really been enjoying welding recently, and making my own skids has been pretty fulfilling (other than cutting 3/16" plate with a grinder lol). There are some 4th gen bumper options that I like that have weld together kits, but none that I love, so was thinking about designing and making my own with elements here and there from ones I like. I fully expect it to take a long time to get everything together and may result in me spending more money on tools like a plasma cutter, but I also think it might be fun. So I'm torn haha

 

I say build one. Let's say a bumper costs $1000. Or spend $300 on steel and $700 on new tools, still be out $1000, then have new tools for future projects. That's my philosphy. I was able to sell my previous front bumper and that funded the steel AND tube bender for my front bumper. Build a bumper isn't hard per say, what's hard is making it look nice. Cardboard is your friend for mocking it up.

 

Thanks, the look nice I've definitely found to be time consuming and I'm an absolute ape with a grinder. A die grinder and small sander wheel has helped my beautification efforts. Certainly can use saved money to buy some new toys, that is a good point. Plasma cutter is on the list for sure, I've been going through cutting wheels like tik taks.

I started using Cardboard halfway through making the skids. I liked to trace without measuring, that was nice

 

Plasma is really nice. I built my rear bumper with my shitty little welding table and angle grinders, nothing else. Of course like two months later is when I built my giant welding table and plasma cutter. Oh well, live and learn. It was nice having those things for the front bumper.

If you plan on building your own, just study various designs. Look on their IG and see if you can find pics of the internals. Get an idea of how they're building the main center section where the winch goes and go from there. Soak it all in and use that when you create your own design so you can ensure yours will be strong enough.

Is your welder 240v? I will say that I wouldn't attempt to build a bumper without it. Typically the main body of it is 1/4" (where the winch sits) and it's just so much easier to get solid penetration with a 240. Same with recovery points since those are 1/2"-3/4" thick. IIRC your current welder is flux, based on the pictures I've seen of your skids. IMO I would invest in a 240v gas machine before going to a plasma.

 

Yeah its a flux unfortunately, which does make the whole weld-it-yourself bumper idea kinda fall apart. In kind of a sticky situation with having a place to actually weld. I'm in school and have a driveway there to work since I live in a duplex, but no 240v. Doing an internship right now in MD, where I don't really have a place either and have been going back home anytime I want to weld something. Also no 240v at home.

They do have 240v welders at school, but they're not free for all. Have to be with a club or something that has access, so maybe this could be a "club project"

 

Where is your dryer plug at your place? I don't have 240 in my garage but my dryer is right inside the house by the garage door. I built a 30' extension cord and just plug into there. This goes in line with the plasma too. My plasma will do 120v or 240v and on 120v it's pretty worthless. Like it takes forever to cut 1/8" and trips the breaker, whereas on 240v I can fly through 1/4" with no issues. So I wouldn't invest in a plasma until you have some sort of 240v source. It's too bad you're so far, otherwise you could just come use my stuff and pay for consumables.

 

ohhh dryer is near back concrete patio at school, where I usually have done my welding so that may be an option. Extension cord wouldn't have to be too long. 120 has been alright for me, but the 3/16" is getting close to the limit of what the little toaster can do with adequate penetration. I see you've had two different of the higher end HF welders, so I'll be looking into those. I really need to get a big boy job, with a big boy pay check, and a big boy garage lol.

I appreciate the offer, wish I was closer. my really good friend just got a job in the COVA area, so may end up there in 2 years when I'm done school haha. Nice that theres a group in the area as well

 

Build it all!

 

I was plenty happy with the titanium 120v welder from them so I have no doubt the 240v one for an extra $100 would be nice too. I just really like the autoset feature on the vulcan that I currently have. Just turn the dial to what thickness I'm welding and that's it.

 

Rip off....

 

Sucker

 

Did buy some jd fab spindles today tho. Well, his kit welded on then.

 

Nice, I got mine in with the rest of my stuff. I look forward to burning them on.

 

Just need some reinforced lca's then I can almost rebuild my front end

 

Page 4000!

 

A nice middle ground is Coastal Offroad. Then you save the headache of designing and just get the fun of welding and save money DIY.

 

only 5001 more to go.

 

I almost pulled the trigger on sliders about a month or two ago and I came up with Randy's logic. My wife still thinks I'm crazy lol

 

Yeah theirs is the one I like and was going to go with, until I got this silly idea to make one myself. Will probably go with theirs, but my welder still puny. I saw somewhere, someone got theirs minus the wings and replaced with bent tube to make it a hybrid, which was nice and unique.

 

Sticker day. Got Betty and my giant power tank sticker in.