Rebuild on a shoestring.....continued

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

Any/all advice appreciated. Like I said...my biggest issue (besides inexperience ) was not being able to see what I was doing...couldn't see how far the tip was from the metal and even where the gap was to weld...
...before I try again I'm definitely going to practice on some clean scrap sheetmetal...to get the speed down and distance and try to adjust the welding helmet so I can see

Any advice on that? (adjusting the welding helmet) it's electronic

One thing that really helps me is a 3x magnifying lens that I put in the welding helmet. It really makes a difference in your ability to see what is going on.

Try making the helmet filter lens one shade lower so what you see is not so dark. If you go to light it will hurt your eyes so don't go way down. Just go one shade at a time lower until you can see properly.

[68 TT]

Oh yea, I also added a dark rag to the back of the helmet that covers the back of your head. It blocks out much of the light coming in from behind you or overhead so the contrast between your eyes and the welding area is higher.

It really helps in a well lighted shop or outside.

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

One thing that really helps me is a 3x magnifying lens that I put in the welding helmet. It really makes a difference in your ability to see what is going on.

Try making the helmet filter lens one shade lower so what you see is not so dark. If you go to light it will hurt your eyes so don't go way down. Just go one shade at a time lower until you can see properly.

Originally Posted by 68 TT

Oh yea, I also added a dark rag to the back of the helmet that covers the back of your head. It blocks out much of the light coming in from behind you or overhead so the contrast between your eyes and the welding area is higher.

It really helps in a well lighted shop or outside.

Good idea on the rag, and I will play with the settings the next time I weld. I think my main problem other than not being able to see what I'm doing as soon as I drop down the helmet is that I don't want to damage the tip of Glenn's welder so I am keeping it too far away and the gas isn't working for me at that point.

Headed over in a little bit to pick up the truck so I can have it in my garage to work on it. Will get a lot of items done before bringing it back to his shop for final welding needs and then paint!!!

[VA72C10]

Got back from picking up the truck. Ran great again. And the repairs look really good! Nice and solid floors now! Put the door latch in so I could keep the door shut on the way home But going to leave the rest of the guts in it until paint.

Got home cooked some cheap steak on the grill and now my wife is going to the store with the older girls...I really wanted to work on the truck so I'm bummed I'm on baby watch as she sleeps...but oh well...I'll watch tv/check the board, and make it a late night and get something done still hopefully Pics to follow later...

[heeroyue2002]

i wanted to do some work today too! my boys on my lap watching cartoons as i browse the truck site. he'll randomly look at a build pix or truck pix and say "thats tight" its actually been sprinkling over here so i had to run outside and pick up some of the tools and cover some stuff up. wanted to roll the windows up on the van but my boy hid my keys.

[RCbowtie69]

Just getting to catch up on your build,congrats on the little one,your build is looking good & keep on truckin'

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

Good idea on the rag, and I will play with the settings the next time I weld. I think my main problem other than not being able to see what I'm doing as soon as I drop down the helmet is that I don't want to damage the tip of Glenn's welder so I am keeping it too far away and the gas isn't working for me at that point.

Headed over in a little bit to pick up the truck so I can have it in my garage to work on it. Will get a lot of items done before bringing it back to his shop for final welding needs and then paint!!!

Don't worry about hurting the tip of the MIG torch. It is all copper and the weld material just scrapes off for the most part.

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by heeroyue2002

i wanted to do some work today too! my boys on my lap watching cartoons as i browse the truck site. he'll randomly look at a build pix or truck pix and say "thats tight" its actually been sprinkling over here so i had to run outside and pick up some of the tools and cover some stuff up. wanted to roll the windows up on the van but my boy hid my keys.

Yeah, ended up doing more with the kids than on the truck....I'll have time next week....

Originally Posted by RCbowtie69

Just getting to catch up on your build,congrats on the little one,your build is looking good & keep on truckin'

Thanks!

Originally Posted by 68 TT

Don't worry about hurting the tip of the MIG torch. It is all copper and the weld material just scrapes off for the most part.

Thanks for the tip about the tip

[VA72C10]

I am having issues fitting the truck in my garage

I forgot the project that left the garage was a swb...with no bed on it..so this lwb with a bed is about 2 feet from fitting until I move around a bunch of my storage bins of parts....fun fun fun

[VA72C10]

By the way....it's 2 feet from fitting....with no room to walk around it at all so I gotta clear more than 2ft

[VA72C10]

Well, I just got in from moving things around in the garage. Got the truck in.....barely with room to walk (squeeze through) at the back and on the passenger side.... Will have to work on selling some more stuff on here to make room

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

By the way....it's 2 feet from fitting....with no room to walk around it at all so I gotta clear more than 2ft

If you cut it down and make it a short bed it will give you some room to work.

[heeroyue2002]

i dont rember how the garage looked. how about hanging some cabinets and racks for the parts. orrr build a mini shed out in the backyard for some stuff. think mine was cheap at home depot for $300. but i bet with your guys crazy weather that a sturdier one would be safer

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by heeroyue2002

i dont rember how the garage looked. how about hanging some cabinets and racks for the parts. orrr build a mini shed out in the backyard for some stuff. think mine was cheap at home depot for $300. but i bet with your guys crazy weather that a sturdier one would be safer

I have a small backyard and three young kids so no shed But I have been trying to add more vertical storage and have hung some smaller items like bumpers and long trim at the ceiling...I added a ton of shelves...it's just a matter of too many parts and too little space at this point

[heeroyue2002]

oh dang. i thought everyone on the easy had humongous yards lol

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

If you cut it down and make it a short bed it will give you some room to work.

I have a swb frame in my back yard.....but that's for a future build...unless I were to find a cheap swb bed locally

[litew8]

load up the lwb - easy fix!

[gcburdic]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

I have a swb frame in my back yard.....but that's for a future build...unless I were to find a cheap swb bed locally

I know where one is

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by litew8

load up the lwb - easy fix!

I did a little bit...but gotta unload it to work on it now

Originally Posted by gcburdic

I know where one is

Local?

[gcburdic]

is 2.5 hours local? For a nice swb bed...it is!!!

[heeroyue2002]

Originally Posted by gcburdic

is 2.5 hours local? For a nice swb bed...it is!!!

i drove a good 2-3 hours each way to get mine.

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by gcburdic

is 2.5 hours local? For a nice swb bed...it is!!!

Originally Posted by heeroyue2002

i drove a good 2-3 hours each way to get mine.

Yeah, but did it have lwb sides cut down and not finish welded

I am looking at a swb truck and a lwb locally for different reasons...the swb has a perfect bed on it and the lwb is rust free and has lots of new parts with it. Kinda thinking of buying both and making a nice lwb, a nice swb, and parting out the rest of it....we'll see how cheap I can get everything

[heeroyue2002]

lol my van with no seats is the equivalent of a LWB.

[JRBECK64]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

really? Compared to most of the trucks around here this thing is cherry

Seriously though this is better than most of the trucks in my area.....

It might be, I have heard that that east coast trucks are a lot more rusted than up here in the NorthWest. I still want to take my hat off to you in tackling such a big project. Its going to look great when its all done. Ive been looking at My 56 Bigwindow and believe it or not its got way less rust on it than the 67 Im restoring had in it before we cut it all out and replaced it. Im actually looking forward to restoring that truck because I think I am not going to have to replace anything on it.

JRBECK64

[VA72C10]

Sounds like fun! I really want to have the joy of restoring a truck from out west one day The bed I had for my 72 super was from out in california and bolts came undone like they were just put on....it was ridiculously easy working on it compared to the rusted/fused parts we deal with in the east or those in the rust belt, the south, or up in Canada...