Kwik Fab Stiffies

I'll hop on the list for a welded set if there's room this batch

 

Added you to the list!

Still appreciate everyone's patience; waiting on a replacement module as my system has been down for about a week now

Pictures for entertainment purposes

Lots of troubleshooting, narrowed down to this little module





The bad resistor; R8 is burnt but take a look at the cold solder joint on R9 as well



While I wait, decided to tap into power the alternative method versus using the cnc port











Should be back up and running by the end of the week!

 

R9 ain't a cold solder joint, it's a no solder joint

 

I'd grab a welded set from you if there's still room!
No rush on my end, good luck with all the equipment! Gotta love fixing stuff that's around to fix stuff...

 

Put me down for an unwelded set!

 

Just wanted to provide an update!

So far the order list is on post #69

I will no longer take any orders for welded sets until I can complete existing orders.

What I can do is from time to time sell a WIY kit as those require no labor on my end after cutting.

Thanks for understanding!

 

Had a question recently both about bending and welding these up; not every weld-it-yourself set has been purchased by a seasoned welder so thought I'd chime in with a few helpful hints and pictures.

To start, all you really need are some clamps, and a surface to attach your now-flat stiffener to.

Even though I'm using a vise in the pictures, you can also clamp one leg to the edge of your welding table and bend downward until you achieve the appropriate angle ensuring both ends are 90 after bend back -





Now it's ready to turn your piece, and rezero your angle finder -







You can see that you do not need a press at all to achieve these bends due to the long relief cuts.

Keep in mind, you will not bend each part in the same manner. You have a L orientation and a R; whatever way you bent your first part, bend the other in the opposite direction.

Next up you want to make sure it is square -



For many that are just getting into welding, one thing you may have recently noticed is that your parts tend to warp after you're done welding. This is normal as the high heat causes expansion and contraction of your weld metal and base metal.

Normally, you want to address this with a jig or clamp fixture and the best way to alleviate the issue is by applying a force opposing the direction of pull.

Even then, a simple jig and the patience to allow a part to cool completely, will more than suffice in this situation.

Here's an example of a quality tool/jig -





However, a simple DIY setup is just as helpful to use as long as you've ensured it is square to begin with -





Now that your parts are bent, and you have your jig ready, it is time for some welding.

I normally advise placing a tack weld here as it will add rigidity in preventing deformation at the base of the legs -



And although the relief cut spans near the entire length of the stiffener, it is not necessary to fully weld up -



As shown below, I did some stitch welding with 1.5" length beads with approximately 2 1/2 " centers on one leg and maybe 4 1/2" centers on the other -



MIG is by far the fastest and easiest method of welding, and if you choose to go this route I would suggest dialing in between your settings for 1/8" to 3/16". The open corner (depending on your experience) may lend you to use something closer to 1/8" as it can be easy to blow through the corner for a novice welder.

If you are TIG welding, I suggest the use of filler rod again due to the open corner welding.

If anyone has any questions please feel free to reach out!

And if you're in the Central Valley and would like to purchase a set, I'd be happy to provide a free welding lesson or two to get you started.

 

Update, all parts cut!



Wanted to add, I have 1 extra set cut out in 3/16" if anyone wants to go from 10 gauge to 3/16" (it is extra)

I won't be cutting any more in this thickness as it is not necessary to have

 

Go ahead and upgrade me from 10 gauge to the 3/16" if it is still available. If not, I'll stick with the 10 gauge. Thanks Kwikvette!

 

Updated

I have one extra 10 gauge set to offer up as a weld-it-yourself for anyone watching.

 

What sucks is I'll have to cut another one out as I'm pretty sure I burned through it; I hit duty cycle on my welder as I was burning these in non-stop

 

Have you gotten around to making these for 3rd gens or do you know if these work on them? I would definitely be interested in a welded set.

 

Waiting for @KRAMERICA to confirm fitment on his 2nd Gen, as it would be the same for a 3rd Gen.

As for welded sets, after these 7 I will be offering weld-it-yourself variants only for a few months as it takes some time to weld and clean up; my time is spent watching our 6 month old as I'm a stay at home dad.

Just glad everyone else is patient with their orders! It's mainly why I don't take payment until they're ready to ship.

 

Plan to get these cleaned up in the next few days so for those willing to pay now I'll start off Sunday and will get them all knocked out this week.

Every set is bent and welded already.

And for anyone else inquiring, I will be offering weld-it-yourself variants and those normally take 2-days turn around to cut and ship out.

@gruntspeak - 1 welded set 3/16", delivered
@03tacodude - 1 welded set 10 gauge, delivered
@snopyro - 1 welded set 3/16", delivered
@techfinsoup - 1 welded set 10 gauge, welded
@BillyFargon - 1 welded set 10 gauge, welded
@Captain Magma - 1 welded set 10 gauge, delivered
@Wyoming - 1 welded set 10 gauge, delivered
@Wanderlust Bus - 1 unwelded set 10 gauge, delivered

 

Do you fab other stuff as well? like maybe a bed rack?

 

That'd be pretty simple and easy if using square/rectangular tube

I just don't have a tube bender so I don't do anything with round tube

I make motor mounts for LS swaps for a local shop, crossmember mounts, rear shock tabs, and have made many one-off parts for an air compressor mount, bed mount items, tire holder, and more

 

Sweet! I prefer squared/rectangular. Where are you located?

 

Be a much smaller project than this was



I'm located in the Fresno County, and work from home