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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
I shortened the back of the bed today. I cut through the spot welds of the rear stake pocket box, and exiting along the top of the rolled edge so as to be able to cut a fresh end when it's all welded back together.
https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...8s-672x378.jpg https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...6s-672x378.jpg https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...9s-672x378.jpg https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...5s-672x378.jpg https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...8s-672x378.jpg |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
For the front, locate the spot welds:
https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...9s-672x378.jpg Remove the steps: https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...0s-672x378.jpg Get some first aid because thin rusty metal bites when the bolt breaks (yes, my Tetanus shots are current, I -do- work with metal): https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...8s-672x504.jpg The bottom two spot welds were drilled from outside (easier to get to): https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...1s-672x378.jpg Mark cutting lines (14.5"), cutting right through the spot welds: https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...2s-672x378.jpg Weld a brace onto what will be the new front of the bed: https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...ld-672x378.jpg Cut along the cut lines, removing the 14.5" section. Pay attention to which side of the cut line you cut on: https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...-1-672x377.jpg Remove the front, and clean up the spot weld remnants on the flanges: https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...ff-672x378.jpg Shove the front half on to the shortened bed: https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...4s-672x378.jpg Bask in a fuzzy picture of accomplishment: https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...6s-672x378.jpg |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Nice.
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Nice, looks like you and I have the same idea on shortening a LWB Step Side to keep the patina if it is worth saving.
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
nice work
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
The tentative plan for colours (roof/bumpers/trim "Cameo White" - body "Grabber Orange" - bed wood "Beach House"):
https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/p...rs_mmthumb.jpg |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Or a more gray wood.
https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/p...er_mmthumb.jpg Or more vanilla ice cream? https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/p...er_mmthumb.jpg |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
if you're asking for a vote, I say Vanilla Ice Cream is pretty good looking.
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Matching up, welding up, grinding, and smoothing those beads on the step part of the shortened running boards is going to consume some time, I imagine.
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Challenge accepted!
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
A narrow window of dry weather meant I could blast the areas I needed to deal with. This is now Christmas break 2020, and I'd like to get the bed assembled and on the truck by the time I go back to school. The hope is to have the truck ready for paint in the summer.
Trex "Winchester" composite deck board were ordered. In order to fit these, an eighth skid strip had to be ordered since these boards are much narrower than OEM. The single skid strip came with no holes, so I had to drill and then file square. https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...0s-672x378.jpg Also picked up some 2x4" 0.120 to raise the bed floor, and some 2x4" 0.063 to raise the rear of the bed frame. https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...6s-672x378.jpg The bed header (?) was disassembled, and the board flange raised 4". Also spent a LOT Of time trying to straighten and shrink and true the panel. I have no idea what I'm doing; I'm figuring this out as I go. https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...e1-672x378.jpg |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Started figuring out how to raise the bed floor, but what I put together warped all to hell, so I need a different approach. I have a new plan up my sleeve to reduce warping, but still do the deep.
Off to Metal Supermarket tomorrow. |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
I got it pretty close to straight. I'm not going to chase this panel to perfection - it's just going to get dinged up as -I- use the truck.
https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...4s-672x378.jpg First, some brainstorming, because people don't seem to have a lot of detail in their builds to follow. That, and maybe I'm a little fussy: https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...ng-672x477.png I sliced the 2x4x0.063" rectangular tubing to an "L" that is 1-1/4"x4", and welded some flats on the ends so I can plug weld them to the bed. This is a LONG stretch to weld, and it's going to warp all the heck, so plug welds are a good idea. I will place a length of 1x2" to create a new "back" to this, to recreate the raised stop at deck height. Should all look like this: https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...8s-672x378.jpg https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...1s-672x378.jpg Then I cleaned and scrubbed all the skid strips, angle strips, and blasted bits and epoxy primer. I'll give that a few days, and then weld the front and back back on. https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...8s-672x378.jpg |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Sprayed some more epoxy on parts/spots I missed.
Measured the old angle strips (1" tall) and the new angle strips (1-1/8" tall), then did some math for the raised bed floor, plus the thickness of the composite boards (15/16" vs 3/4" pine) to figure out where the new strips need to be mounted. Drilled holes for plug welding the new strips. Removed one offending fender bolt (offender?) which is right where the strip needs to go. Hung the doors on the cab, and sat on some lumber to make some vroom vroom noises. Placed the inner fenders and front fenders just to gaze once again at the awesome hard park height. Hoping to get the bed on soon. General tidying of the shop. |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
I guess I shouldn't also tell you that before I went into the shop at all yesterday, I snow-blowed the driveway to the house and around back to the shop.
Also cut down and chopped up my neighbour's low growing pine which didn't withstand the heavy dump of snow (and was now blocking shop access), then hauled all the evidence to the dump. All the while wondering what the hell I did to my back, because it hurt to move, and Robaxacet wasn't helping. I move even more like the old man I am. Sweeping the shop is easy "productivity" when I'm in pain. As of now, it's 12:37pm, and so far I made bed floor risers out of 2x4x0.120" rectangular tubing, which also required TIG-welding my bandsaw blade back together (this is the 3rd repair I've done, and then it broke again almost right after!). Also made some 4" extenders to move the "step" mount lower. Home Depot called to say the composite decking is in. Once I finish my tea, I'll head down. And pick up another bandsaw blade, too. Oh, and you guys are a tough audience. I wanted to post a pic with the bed on, but here you go: https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...9s-672x378.jpg |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Oh yeah, that's gonna be super nice!
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Home Depot couldn't find the Trex boards, so I went home. I called this morning to see if they found them, and they had, so I went down again.
Looks like forklift operator tagged something immobile, and chipped two boards and broke another, so another length is ordered, but I brought what would work home. Be a couple weeks for the replacement to come in. And, it seems my '77 is now stuck on "turn right" mode. Not sure what's up with that - steering box issue? |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Found the "turn right" problem on my '77. This was unexpected.
https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...9s-672x378.jpg |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
I had alignment shims fall out of a Caprice once. Drove ok, but the right spindle would move fore and aft about an inch and a half when on/off the brakes. Apparently it's pretty common. My cross shaft bolt stayed in, though...
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Oh dang, that's sketchy
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Bolt/stud rot away?
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Not rotted at all. Shank is cherry, and the clean break has zero corrosion at all on it. Not sure why it failed.
In other news: Boards just set in place with strips for that "feel good" moment: https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...0s-672x378.jpg https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...1s-672x378.jpg |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
I like the board set-up. Wish they came in 'to spec' widths. I couldn't find anything available in wider widths when I searched.
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Fascia board come in 8" or 12" width, but the 3/4" thick fascia boards I found didn't come in colours I wanted, and the colours I wanted were either 1/2" or 9/16" thick.
Fascia boards would have cost me $650CDN, whereas these deck boards were $240CDN, which is cheaper than buying white oak in raw planks (zero waste for the Trex). To fit these boards meant having an extra skid strip. |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
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The 'better' widths didn't come with color options desired. Color options limited width choices or thickness of the planks. |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Started welding it back together today.
https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...20-672x378.jpg https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...7s-672x378.jpg https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...7s-672x378.jpg https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...1s-672x378.jpg Added my 4" floor riser at the rear. Turns out the Trex decking is 0.850". Spot welds mean less warping. https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...7s-672x378.jpg https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...7s-672x378.jpg |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Nothing photo-worthy of today's adventure in the shop.
I dressed up some pin holes and welds, epoxy primed over the shiny metal area, attached the bed header and wire-wheeled the fasteners. Also dragged out the gas tank (S10 EFI Blazer tank), contemplated how to attach it, and braced the rear frame ends together in anticipation of cutting out a crossmember. Also primered the welds on the floor patch. |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
That's some nice progress. I like your way of filling in that area caused by raising the bed floor
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Bed supports now located at their new height:
https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...7s-672x378.jpg https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...6s-672x378.jpg 4" Bed risers, made of 2x4" rectangular tubing: https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...7s-672x378.jpg I need to lower the step braces 4" as well. Thank you GM, for being drunk and disorderly on the assembly line: https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...2s-672x378.jpg |
Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
You're really showing some serious skill. Thanks for posting the videos too!
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
Damn fine work sir!!! i am inspired with some ideas from this!!!
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Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
I lengthened the Step Brackets by adding a 4" length of 2x4" box tubing, with one end cut off. I then transposed the mounting holes 4" down.
I also fully welded the bottom "stand" of the bed brace since I want to hide the bed mounting bolts. These are merely spot welded from the factory, as the whole shebang is clamped down by carriage bolts - but I don't want that. https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...9s-672x378.jpg The step was shortened by removing the box brace underneath, and I cut 14.5" out, removing some stress-fractured holes. The undercoating was wire-wheeled off (knotted wheel on an angle-grinder), and the step was clamped to my welding table (1/2" plate steel), washed with lacquer thinner and TIG welded with zero filler (though I kept a length of 0.023" MIG wire in my hand for the three spots that needed it). https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...9s-672x378.jpg https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...4s-672x378.jpg I went TIG on this, because TIG welds are so much more malleable than MIG welded, and if I needed to correct any misalignment of the "beads" I wanted it to be easy. MIG tends to crack as you beat on it. I went -against- Oxy-Acetylene, as I'm finding it harder to work with such a large Heat Affected Zone. With TIG I set it on pulse to keep the heat down. https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...8s-672x378.jpg https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...2s-672x378.jpg |
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