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I'm sure that harbor freight welding table is nice, but 
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Mar 8, 2022 09:15
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| # ? May 24, 2024 15:39 |
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Imagine hitting your shin on the corner of that.
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Mar 8, 2022 17:18
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Suburban Dad posted:Imagine hitting your shin on the corner of that. You mean "shattering your tibia".
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Mar 8, 2022 17:27
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Back of the napkin says that table weighs about 185lbs!
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Mar 8, 2022 17:30
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Suburban Dad posted:Imagine hitting your shin on the corner of that. At least it wouldn’t be anchored down and might move a bit.
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Mar 8, 2022 18:34
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ryanrs posted:I'm sure that harbor freight welding table is nice, but Jesus, can you even buy 9 square feet of 1/2 hot roll for that these days?
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Mar 8, 2022 19:35
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kastein posted:Jesus, can you even buy 9 square feet of 1/2 hot roll for that these days? Not anymore, heh. It's sitting in the van now. Now I just need some big square tube for the legs. How high should my table be, I wonder?
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Mar 9, 2022 06:01
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I would say about waist height, maybe a little higher.
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Mar 9, 2022 08:30
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i like my work surfaces about belt-level, so somewhere between waist and hips my dad was telling me recently that the ideal height was at your thumb's knuckle when standing in a neutral pose with your arms at your side, but that seems too low to me. he was coming at it from a woodworking perspective, though, where you'd need to be applying some downwards force on the work (like planing or rasping) and also you might have some bulkier/taller fixturing than metalworking tends to have are you going to just tack your stuff to the table, or bolt on a vise, or...?
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Mar 9, 2022 08:35
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Raluek posted:are you going to just tack your stuff to the table, or bolt on a vise, or...? I could! I also have a lot of clamps. Does a 36x36x0.5 inch table need a ladder frame or other stiffening structure? Or is it plenty stiff already and I just need to weld on some legs?
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Mar 9, 2022 08:57
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It really depends on what you're going to do with it. 36 inches by half an inch isn't super stiff but it'll probably be fine IMO as long as you aren't horrible at fitup (the wider the gap and the hotter you're welding, the more the weld will shrink and warp) and tack things plenty before full welding, you should be alright. If anything I would weld some stiffening onto the bottom but then you have to decide if you risk the flatness more by doing that than you do by just planning around how stiff it is when working on your projects.
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Mar 9, 2022 20:41
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The metal shop is nearly done! We have: - ESAB Rebel EMP 215ic welder (mig/stick/tig, dc only) - 80cf argon/co2 - acetylene torch - 14" giant cold saw for chopping steel - 5.5" cordless cold saw - angle grinder, and many, many discs - bench grinder - 36x36 welding table (need to add legs) - 5" vise - assorted clamps, squares, magnets - lincoln electric Weld Defect posters (free edu material from lincoln) - pile of PPE If you're in the SF Bay Area and need to weld a thing, I might be able to help!
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Mar 13, 2022 04:27
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I just finished building my welding table (traditional first welding project).   This is my 800 sq ft metal shop, which is really just a bit of vacant commercial real estate owned by a friend of a friend. I could lose it at any time if a paying tenant shows up, but it would need to be built out first. It's medium-term temporary, I guess. Now that the shop itself has reached baseline functionality, I can get back to van projects. In terms of welding, the skid plate needs some ribs, and I need to make a grille to go with the bumper. Both should be pretty easy now that I can weld. I think I need to fix the gas tank. Yesterday I ran out of gas after 250 miles of freeway and suburban driving. I just managed to sputter into the gas station, but could only put in 15.9 gal. The tank is supposed to be 20.9 gal, so apparently I've lost a whopping 5 gallons of capacity due to dents. It would also be nice to have a working fuel gauge again. Replacement gas tank options: 1) OEM tank + make skid plate 2) Aftermarket tank + skid plate? 3) Weld my own gas tank(!!) The guys at the welding shop thought I should just fabricate my own. But I do not think my skills are there, yet. There is lots of space under the car for a bigger tank. I think a big box would fit fine; it doesn't need to be a weird shape. I do like the idea of making a structural gas tank out of heavier steel, with laser cut strengthening baffles. I think I could design the sheet metal in Solidworks without too much trouble.
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Apr 3, 2022 02:56
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Honestly I would put a new factory tank in and build a skid for it. Most OEM tank designs and the space-claim they fit into on the chassis are optimized for either stamping a clamshell from mild steel sheet and seam welding at the centerline, or blow molding. All the corners and hangars will be designed for sweeping radiused corners, every angle will be weird and intended for optimal hose routing and die/mold draft rather than ease of sheet metal fabrication. Plus, making a structural weld and making an airtight, gastight weld are two different things, especially as a beginner. And you have to pass CARB tests/EVAP monitor has to work, right? I looked up the 00 sienna tank on rockauto and whoooboy. It's not even a simple one, there are a LOT of funky shapes and contours on the top trying to squeeze every bit of fuel storage out of a funky shaped opening in the undercarriage. There are also two designs, one appears to have an extra port in the top, I'm guessing for a leak detection pump assembly or other emissions equipment that was mandated beginning on a certain date. Making your own tank is something I'd honestly do anything in my power to avoid attempting, and I've been welding since 2009. By contrast a skid plate can be mostly flat with some stiffening ribs and gussets and brackets as needed.
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Apr 3, 2022 03:55
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Yeah, especially if a new tank is only $350.
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Apr 3, 2022 04:00
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So how hard is it to do a gas tank swap? In addition to the shop space, there is a large, fenced parking lot I can borrow over the weekend. I wouldn't want to do it in my apartment complex parking (literally under the building), but outside seems safe enough for gas tank work.
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Apr 3, 2022 06:01
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ryanrs posted:So how hard is it to do a gas tank swap? In addition to the shop space, there is a large, fenced parking lot I can borrow over the weekend. I wouldn't want to do it in my apartment complex parking (literally under the building), but outside seems safe enough for gas tank work. I've done them before but I had the luxury of a lift and a transmission jack. They weren't that difficult, less so whenthe tank is nearly empty. Is there any way to access it from the top to disconnect fuel lines? Thats a big part of how much of a pain it might be. Usually getting at the filler neck, evap lines etc is fairly easy, its the fuel lines that are the problem Also, be prepared with new straps and mounting hardware. Infact, don't even bother trying to reuse the old poo poo.
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Apr 3, 2022 16:13
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I agree with Ken. Turn left dale! Run your tank dry as possible. get some jackstands and a floor jack or two. piece of piss. Ratchet straps are pro for holding the tank in place until you can get the proper straps installed.
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Apr 3, 2022 17:04
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 It even has a drain plug!
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Apr 3, 2022 18:25
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I guess California isn't the rust belt, but I do admire your optimism that the drain plug will be easy to remove. On the plus side is you don't have to worry about it going back in. Since you're going to have the tank out, you might consider replacement of other stuff while you're in there. Pump strainer for example. Fuel pump? Keep the old one for a spare?
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Apr 3, 2022 19:51
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Oh that tank will be easy as to remove. You have to drop the entire rear subframe on some cars to replace the tank. That drain plug should be pretty easy, and since the tank is getting trashed anyway, who cares if you make a mess of it?
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Apr 3, 2022 21:10
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Drain will help a lot and that doesn't look to horrible. Make sure you put the plug back in before you drop it, and be ready for a sudden weight shift when it starts to move. Once one corner drops any remaining gas will head for the low spot and start to throw it's balance off. With the drain it won't be bad but it will happen. What I can't tell is if you'll have to drop it a little to disconnect anything. If you can get it all unplugged before lowering great. If not you'll want a helper to keep it balanced on the jack while you disconnect whatever's left. I got to watch a pickup do half a front flip of a lift one time when the full gas tank got unbolted.
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Apr 3, 2022 22:21
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wesleywillis posted:Since you're going to have the tank out, you might consider replacement of other stuff while you're in there. Pump strainer for example. Fuel pump? Keep the old one for a spare? Everything in there is 22 years old, and the sender isn't working, so I'd think that calls for replacement. However, the dealer seems to want $425, which I hope is for the full assembly, but maybe not lol. Rockauto fuel pumps definitely don't come with the sender, but at least they're only $100 for a reputable brand. It is quite likely the sender float is just bent or somehow bound up, and doesn't need to be replaced. The whole pump assembly is on springs, so if you dent the tank, the pump and sender can move without being crushed. This feels like the kind of repair where I should drop the tank first, then decide what needs replacing, if anything.
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Apr 4, 2022 03:13
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That's a good idea. Looking at the bottom of that tank, yeah that's gonna be easy to build the main skid for. The mounting arms I'm not sure about, but the main skid should be cake. I'd start with a piece of quarter inch plate and add ribs around the outside with either square tubing or angle depending on your preference, then mount the legs to that, done. Try to get the van tilted such that the drain plug is at the lowest point before draining, and definitely start with the tank as empty as you can in the first place, the less gas you have in buckets the better. That drain plug is a neat feature, I've never seen a car with one on the gas tank and it would have come in handy a dozen times for me by now.
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Apr 4, 2022 14:24
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 Front bumper upgrades. Magenta: 1.75x0.12 steel tube (same as existing upper tube). Cyan: 1x2x0.12 rectangular tubing. Not shown: 3/4" x 9ga expanded metal grille. The idea is to reinforce the 'chin' so it doesn't bend as much when I smash it into rocks. I might cut out the damaged section of the bottom tube and weld in a new piece, since that's pretty easy now that I have a welder. I'm also going to cut off the little mounting tabs and weld some expanded metal over the front to keep out rocks. I thought about mounting the expanded metal in a little frame that bolts to the existing tabs, but that's more work and probably less strength than just welding it directly to the tubes.
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Apr 5, 2022 04:00
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ryanrs posted:I might cut out the damaged section of the bottom tube and weld in a new piece, since that's pretty easy now that I have a welder. it looks like it's bent as far up as where it meets the recovery point part of the bracket, at least the tube exiting the bracket looks like it's pointed up
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Apr 5, 2022 04:23
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Well, there are degrees of 'bent'. The point is to gain a little more clearance between the radiator frame and that big kink in the middle of the lower tube. The real fun comes when I hit a big rock and instead of bending the bumper, I snap the studs holding it to the unibody.
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Apr 5, 2022 04:36
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  Some of those welds are pretty ugly, but I'm fairly sure this beast is not going to fall apart. The expanded metal grating gets welded in place this weekend.
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Apr 16, 2022 04:31
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 Next week, paint.
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Apr 17, 2022 02:35
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Put it on hinges so you can say "check out my sweet grill" before you flip it forward and make dinner. Serious note, looks good. Metal fab is fun and satisfying isn't it?
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Apr 17, 2022 02:54
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Yes, but it turns out "welding" is really 10% welding and 90% grinding. It's also pretty physically tiring, much more so than software, lol.
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Apr 17, 2022 03:12
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Are you doing most of your grinding before or after welding? If after, that'll definitely drop once you get better. If before, tape measure and CAD (cardboard aided design, naturally) will get you closer with practice as well. Seems simple, but sure as hell took me a while to get used to.
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Apr 17, 2022 04:25
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Yeah, I really hate the grinding and drilling and chop saw cutting aspect of metal fabrication. I guess if I got good drill bits the drilling part would be a bit more tolerable. But the grinding and chop sawing noise even with ear protection is obnoxious. Then theres the metal shavings dust that gets everywhere. Including in my nose. Yes I can and probably should wear a mask but thats annoying too. More so than wearing ear pro.
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Apr 17, 2022 04:27
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I didn't grind my welds unless there was some catastrophic flaw and I needed to redo it. The biggest pain in the rear end was notching the rectangular tubes. Man, I really need a drill press. I think most of the cheap benchtop ones are just crap (at least mine was). I think I need a nice floor standing model.
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Apr 17, 2022 05:07
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Tube notching is a huge pain and yeah it's all prep.
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Apr 17, 2022 13:59
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ryanrs posted:
Don't know what your budget is, but I can highly recommend this one from Lowes. https://www.lowes.ca/product/drill-presses/porter-cable-15-in-floor-12-speed-drill-press-78742 Thats Canadian dollars though, so it would be less in your freedom bucks.
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Apr 17, 2022 15:51
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That is an extremely useful suggestion, because I have a lead on one of that exact model, for fairly cheap! e: Got it. $360 and I will get to put a dial indicator on it before bringing it home. ryanrs fucked around with this message at 20:00 on Apr 17, 2022 |
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Apr 17, 2022 16:11
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ryanrs posted:
siiiiick
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Apr 18, 2022 03:37
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ryanrs posted:That is an extremely useful suggestion, because I have a lead on one of that exact model, for fairly cheap! Sweet! You now need some decent quality drill bits and your set up will be fuckin dope.
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Apr 18, 2022 17:28
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| # ? May 24, 2024 15:39 |
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When I go to pick up the drill press, I'm first going to measure the runout with a dial indicator and a precision shaft. What should my threshold be for runout? How bad before I torpedo the deal? I probably won't be able to do any debugging like pulling the chuck.
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Apr 18, 2022 17:39
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