JoeyTA22 0 Posted July 2, 2011 (edited) Most guys are starting threads for all there fab work which is fine, but i only just started doing the occasional hobby stuff which probably doesnt deserve a new thread everytime.... so for some of the guys who wish to post some pics of there latest work, chuck it up here... I'll start off with my rear strut brace on my 180. Just purchased my first mig and wanted to test it out.... Bent up some plate to fit around the strut (pain in the ass) and tacked it on, found it pretty hard to find the right amperage setting without blowing through the original sheet metal. Cut some pipe to fit. Finished and painted! Found the mig is pretty crappy on the lowest setting and struggled seam weld the original thin material. Edited July 2, 2011 by JoeyTA22 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 2, 2011 mig's are so useful when it comes to chassis work u plan on adding any more to that bar? if u dont ever plan on putting the rear seats back in i would cut out that tray and tie the bar into the main hoop Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeyTA22 0 Posted July 2, 2011 (edited) Yeah they sure are, i'm starting to find that i probably should have spent more on a decent mig instead of more on a tig which i probably wont use near as much, live and learn i guess. Car is a drift hack only so wouldnt have any dramas cutting out that tray, thanks for the idea. I plan on adding a few more bars to the cage aready there (rear cross bars), but being a bolt in type im not sure how effective it will be with the amount of flex it will have in the joints. The original pic is similar to what i have atm but my one extends to the front of the car aswell. I plan to add the bars in red and the yellow one is the rear strut brace i did today: Have you got any tips for welding vertically (as in the underside of the bar)? When trying to weld mine i had to lay the gun practically flat and angle it up, it didnt fuse very well and kept spraying off little molten balls everywhere. Edited July 2, 2011 by JoeyTA22 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 2, 2011 this is how i have mine here is another picture to give u a better idea looking forward to seeing more work also personally i would rather have a tig then a mig tig is just so much neater and u can do so much more with it compared to a mig Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeyTA22 0 Posted July 3, 2011 Cross bar added to the main hoop today... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 3, 2011 Looking good mate be sure to post up more pics as u progress Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeyTA22 0 Posted July 3, 2011 Cheers dude. Starting to find that notching is a pain in the ass and longest part to get everything fitting right, not really worth investing in a $200 notcher for these small jobs tho. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 3, 2011 A decent notcher is a lot more then 200 How are u notching? U can notch by eye of u know how Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeyTA22 0 Posted July 3, 2011 The way i do it is by tracing around half the circumference of an offcut onto the end of the piece i want to notch, from there i cut a "V" into it and use one of the circular sanding pads to shape the semi-circle. Normally requires fitting and modifying 2 or 3 times before im happy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 3, 2011 its hard to tell u how to notch by eye so i drew it up in ms paint hope it helps if u got any questions just let me know once u have it all marked out just grind the insides of the tube a bit so it fits nicely onto the other tube your joining it to mark out the centre line then mark the edges once u have done that just draw a line connecting both edges together but go through the centre line Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dave1600 0 Posted July 4, 2011 (edited) Starting to find that notching is a pain in the ass and longest part to get everything fitting right You can download a free program called "tubemiter" that will work the notching out for you, then print it on paper so you just wrap it around the tube and follow the pattern. There's also a few websites that do the same thing "online", but these rely on having an internet connection available at the time. You also need something to measure the angle that the tubes intersect at - I use an old woodworking adjustable protractor-type thingy I found in my father's shed, or you can work it out with good old-fashioned maths (trigonometry, sum of the squares of two shorter sides equals the square of the longer side, that sort of stuff) Edited July 4, 2011 by dave1600 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 4, 2011 ^ ive got that program it works a treat u can also use one of these http://www.motorsport-tools.com/benders-notchers-c-17764.html?page=1&sort=20a Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nic19 0 Posted July 4, 2011 heres the finished product on the tubs and rad support i made, car was in an accident so front end was a bit bent when i got it. was my first fab job really. been learning heaps while building this car. [edited by STR8E180] picture resized Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 4, 2011 good stuff mate! this thread was a really good idea Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeyTA22 0 Posted July 5, 2011 (edited) Thanks for the advice guys. Last night i tried to measure up the angles for a brace from one of the rear arms to the main hoop, to be able to use the tubenotcher program. Turned out to be an absolute headf**k! I used a piece of string taped up to both to get the length and angle i wanted, but because it wasnt coming from a parralel line to the hoop i wasnt able to figure out how to get the angle! (as in it was meeting at two different axis). Just thinking about it now, if i extend the string down past the rear arm to where it meets the body and from there draw a straight horizontal line until it meets up with the main hoop, that should give me an angle to work out on the same axis. Sound right? EDIT: also, thanks for the drawing STR8E180, just wanted to confirm with the 15mm... do you always come in 15mm or is it just half the diameter of the pipe you are wanting to notch? Edited July 5, 2011 by JoeyTA22 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 5, 2011 mate if i was u i would just do it the way i posted up with the MS paint drawings its the easiest way to do it for a first timer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeyTA22 0 Posted July 5, 2011 Yeah i might just give that a go. Can you confirm about the 15mm/half diameter? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 5, 2011 How much u come in depends on the size of the tube and for roll cage tubing it's always 15mm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 5, 2011 Remember once u make the cuts get a grinder and grind out the inside of the pipe In fact I'll do a little right up tomorrow with pictures if u need me to?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
battery 0 Posted July 5, 2011 heres some of my recent stuff... Got a bunch of mild steel pipe for almost free and just had a go with the OXY. I had done brazing before but never welding so it was a learning experience you can see my progress in this next pic, first welds on the left pipe took a while to get the tips right. Only thing i couldn't do was weld the flanges onto the dump and decat in the end i gave up and took it to someone with a MIG... any tips for this? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Simon-S14 80 Posted July 5, 2011 not my work but my sponsor AM Performance.. check out the intake pipe he did for a customer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 5, 2011 i wouldnt have a clue with oxy welding ive never done it b4 but i do have a question for u what turbo is that ? ive never see that logo on a compressor housing B4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 5, 2011 i was thinking about going stainless lobster back piping but didnt want the extra weight but still love the look of it tho this my intake pipe at the moment Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
battery 0 Posted July 5, 2011 i wouldnt have a clue with oxy welding ive never done it b4 but i do have a question for u what turbo is that ? ive never see that logo on a compressor housing B4 Kando_dynamic/Kinugawa T67-25g (get them off ebay) Did this on e85 at 18psi... fullboost 3600ish, wanted to push for more but maxed injectors Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 5, 2011 they the Japanese budget turbos ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
battery 0 Posted July 5, 2011 they the Japanese budget turbos ? Trust/Mitsubishi copy cores with taiwan made housings I believe. Nigel uses one in his td06! Go lobster man soooooooo much cooler Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STR8E180 2,214 Posted July 5, 2011 they the Japanese budget turbos ? Trust/Mitsubishi copy cores with taiwan made housings I believe. Nigel uses one in his td06! Go lobster man soooooooo much cooler yeah ive heard about them B4 think ill keep my aluminium intake pipe for now ill try talk my brother into going lobster back intake pipe Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeyTA22 0 Posted July 5, 2011 Remember once u make the cuts get a grinder and grind out the inside of the pipe In fact I'll do a little right up tomorrow with pictures if u need me to?? If you could do that, that would be much appreciated dude, just to help me get my head around it. Oh and nom nom nom and the lobsterback intake pipe. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dave1600 0 Posted July 6, 2011 Only thing i couldn't do was weld the flanges onto the dump and decat in the end i gave up and took it to someone with a MIG... any tips for this? The trick with oxy is to manipulate the torch so that the two pieces are evenly heated (ie you don't melt the thin piece, ie the dump pipe, before you even get the thicker piece slightly warm, ie the flange). Just trial and error really, if you see the thin bit getting ready to melt before the thicker one, just make sure you position the flame so that most of the heat is aimed at the thicker bit. I keep the torch angled more towards the thick bit, and have it pointed at it a little as well - see the diagram below. You may get a little "undercutting" of the weld bead on the flange, but for this type of work it doesn't really matter. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pig1jz 1 Posted July 10, 2011 some of my work,i do all my fab work myself.just as a hobby. neede to get myself a better welder,maby a 240amp. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
