Anything welding

haha, I remember that same feeling!

 

Been working on this lately:







Lots of welding here.

 

enjoy it man! I look back on some of the stuff I fabbed in highschool and shortly thereafter, and it was pretty cool.

after getting a job as a fabber, my mind apparently closed substantially. i was at a get-together a while back when i suddenly noticed the bbq we were cooking on was one i made in high-school. i was able to admire the creativity that went into it as i can no longer do that today.

all cuts free-hand torched, tubing bends made by notching, bending, welding, and blending smooth. (using a cutoff wheel to remove material every inch and "kinking" bends). just seems like i cant do shit anymore that isn't ok'd by and engineer (they only like squares and triangles. . . right triangels), cnc cut, and fit to perfection.

i fucking over-think everything i do on my own now, and am trapped by it. bottom line: if you want to continue being a good fabber, don't get a job as one, especially in a shop that caters to industrial/commercial needs.

for the record, i am no longer an in-shop fabricator, i run piping for the same company. layout, fit, and weld. fun stuff, but in learning piping, i was groomed to no longer trust any joint not covered in 7018. . . fml

 

well that's not very fair now is it? wheres mine?

seriously, what axle are you running?

and my main question is, why no leaf sprun solid axle 2nd gens out there? i want to see that, so i can copy it

 

Soon you'll be the old guy

Me to!

I'm the opposite kinda, when I'm making stuff for myself i hardly even think about it, my anal self somehow disappears. kinda annoying on things i actually want to look good but i like not cutting to some crazy decimal number, just hack the shit off!

 

not seeing any warping in the last pics. You need some tools to blend yo welds.

 

How thick is the plate?

 

1/4" will still warp if over heated as well so just watch out for that.

 

Try cutting those sides with an angle grinder to avoid warping.

 

You could also use some agle or channel with a slight bend in it, and weld it to the inside. A lot of the armor plate I used to weld had to have "bars" installed to keep everything straight and square. Used lots of gussets too, but removed them after material was cool. 1/4"- 3/4" steel armor, & 1/2"-2" aluminum armor. All done with tig and spray arc. Shit would bow like CRAZY without the gussets and reinforcement bars

 

I learned to tig at 14. Hands down, the most usefull thing I ever learned in school, 'cause it pays my bills. I don't know what your career plans are, but welding is always in demand, and a great back-up career if another one doesn't work out

 

I hear ya. I work in a shop, and tig stainless pipe 95% of the time. Easy money. I tinker with truck stuff on the side

 

Yeah when welding the tube chassis of our baja car the only way to keep it from warping was to tack it down to our 3/8" steel fab table in several spots. It was a pain cutting it out and cleaning up all the tacks after but definitely necessary.

 

What are you using to cut it?

 

why do a solid axle cheap on a $25k - $30k truck? and links flex better and are nearly as strong if done properly

 

Also there's no bolt on kits so might as well go all out.

First gens have few companies that make Bolt on kits which is nice but there leaf springs.

 

Its a 1979 Ford KingPin Dana 60-upgraded with:
-35 spline Cromo Yukon Shafts
-Spartan locker
-Ballistic diff cover
-Longfield Spindle Bearing eliminator bushings
-Chassis Unlimited High Steer arms (custom double shear)
-Yukon Hardcore Locking Hubs

Leaf Sprung doesn't articulate as much, and generally speaking you end up with a high ride height.

Links I can stay low, lots of travel, and no axle wrap.

I do have files to make replicas of my frame end brackets, which is really the hardest part of the second gen SAS since the frames aren't straight, if anyone is interested in a set down the road, shoot me a PM.

 

Still trying to spend some time after work and practice tigging tubes. This was by far the thickest material and the highest amp I have ever used. I haven't been welding for a few weeks so it was nice to get back at it. I start to miss it! Any advice, suggestions? I noticed that the tube would start gapping a bunch because I didn't really tac weld it very well. I also had the amperage at 200 and the rod I used was a thicker one than I normally use.

 

That looks really good. Your technique and heat level look great. Only advice I'd give you is to clean the joint better before welding. There should be zero mil scale on any of the metal that is within a half inch or so of the weld.

I use a wire brush wheel on a bench grinder for the cleaning, then a quick wipe with acetone.