Not Another Rebuild Thread....

[coulter]

nice man you got them cutouts looking really good!!!

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by piratexpress1369a

that is so cool

.....But wait !! There's More !!

Originally Posted by coulter

nice man you got them cutouts looking really good!!!

Thanks, with the plan I have for them, I dont have to clean them up to factory perfection.
You'll see.

*****************************************************************

The test panel I made for the dash controls with the slugger bits, has proven to be a very nice template for guaging future uses for the bits. I found myself trying to determine which bit to use to create the center hole in these speaker grilles, you know using a caliper and doing math.... bleh.
Then I hit on the idea, how about if I just visualize it with those holes I have already cut?
When I decided on the 9/16 hole, I shot some primer thru it, and that is what you are looking at now.
Both have the suggested spot of paint, the one on the left has been drilled for the slugger bit guide.


By comparison now, the one on the right has had the center hole cut in.


As you can tell, I use a LOT of primer !!
I find it evens things out so I can get a clear photo, which helps to put things in perspective.
I learned with doing my artwork that your brain can be programmed to belive something is right, if your hands made it. To test my art work I usually flip it over and look at it thru a back light. This changes the entire pattern of the subject to my conscious eye, and no longer looks like what I have been staring at for the past few days.....
I find using the camera does much the same thing in doing stuff like this to the truck.


And because you cannot really tell it from the dead on front shots, I did bowl the cutouts....


Next up:
I had been wrestling with the knowledge that I would have a seam on the leading edges of my console side panels where they are to bolt up to the center piece. I had been trying to think of some way to dress it up. Then I saw what Coulter had done in his build on his fender cut out,
(here:http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...449548&page=22 ) and volia!! I had a possible solution!
So thanks man, but I think I kicked the sleeping dragon on this one....


So in the next episode of McMurphy's Frozen Garage..... "To Mesh, or not to Mesh"

thanks for looking guys !!!

[KroAutomotiveInc]

very cool man you are really talent with the metal fab cant wait to see the inside of your cab when its all said and done with all your custom pieces tying it together!

[pdxhall]

Looks great Murph. I know what you mean about the perspective of your art work, I use a mirror.

[clemdaddy]

nice work murph, like the speaker grill idea.

[piratexpress1369a]

is this what it looks like when you look into your scope?

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by KroAutomotiveInc

very cool man you are really talent with the metal fab cant wait to see the inside of your cab when its all said and done with all your custom pieces tying it together!

Tell you what Kro.... When I get it all done, before I bolt the seat in for the last time, I will shoot a video of it!

Originally Posted by pdxhall

Looks great Murph. I know what you mean about the perspective of your art work, I use a mirror.

I used a mirror once or twice, but if it is just thin sketch paper, I will make corrections on the back side....

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

nice work murph, like the speaker grill idea.

Thanks Clem !! Always nice when you check up on me

Originally Posted by piratexpress1369a

is this what it looks like when you look into your scope?

Almost... LoL .... I have a luminated center dot Bushnell at home on my aught-6.... almost looks like that !!

I will post up more photos later today, maybe tomorrow if I get too deep into the build tonight.

[McMurphy]

So about meshing in something....

For those of you who may recall, I got this roll of mesh at Lowes/Home Depot in the HVAC section, it is ventilation screen they use to keep bugs and rodents out with.
I used it on my hood, and my fresh air intake.

Here you can see I dont throw away templates until the project is complete. I used this as a sizer for cutting the mesh.


Then it is a small matter of folding the edges to fit the hole.
You will always want to over size these, as it is the saw-tooth like edges that help to keep them in place if you do this right and they have a bit of spring loaded flex in them.


I started off using this body hammer, but soon switched to my smallest ball peen (or is it pean?) hammer as the egg shaped end proved much more effective.
A trial and error later led me to throw a towel under the grille as I worked this mesh as a bit of cushion. Then it was just a matter of tap tap tap working the mesh down to the center (lowest point) then outwards from center to the edges.
I found this was one thing it was best to do with beer... as slow, slight, and steady won over hard and fast...
Tap tap tap ..... just like Happy Gilmore on the putting green !!


After a while it will stretch and mold into whatever pattern you are doing it against and you will start to get closer to what you wanted.


Then finally the Taa-Daaa !! and the applause goes off in your head, and you realize it is time for a fresh beer !!!


And that gentlemen (and any ladies that may be looking !!) is how you mesh, or not to mesh it in !!

Thanks for looking !

[coulter]

looking good man!! i like the mesh!! the round bar trim turned out nice man

[Ta2Don]

What Vision!!! Very Nice!

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by coulter

looking good man!! i like the mesh!! the round bar trim turned out nice man

Thanks Coulter, but it didnt......couldnt.....stop there!
In the next day or two I will show you what else I did with your idea man !! But for now, see below !

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

What Vision!!! Very Nice!

Thanks Don, I can honestly say I would never have been brave enough to muddle thru my own ignorance in this stuff if it were not for the safety net of helpful people on this site !!!

I know you are just itching to get some stuff done on your rig!!

**********************************************************************

So the speaker grilles done, it was time to mount up the side panels to the console, this was done by welding connector nuts to the inside flanges of the center piece.
I was lucky enough to have some brass screws (seen in the photo) that matched the size and thread of the actual bolts I am going to be using. A note on this kind of welding--- I found the brass screws were less likely to get welded to the inside of my connector nuts than the stainless bolts were.

Coulter--thanks again man, your trim idea was perfect for this!
If you can look closely enough, the top end of the trim goes beyond the top edge of the side panel, and I bent it, then shaved it, so that it looks like it is coming directly out of the dash extension.
I never got into the the Steam Punk genre past the anime, but this really got the brain gas going !!

This photo is the panel mocked up just before I welded the nuts into place. You may notice I made yet another heater vent extension. If you scroll up you will see in the cardboard mock up that I would not be very happy with the heat blowing down on that speaker..... so I wasted an hour on another mod.


This is just a close up of the new extension. I toyed with the idea of making some sort of heat control for it, and directional flue, but decided I had more pressing issues to attend to.


After I got all the above mentioned progress done, I started on actually mounting the speakers inside the grilles. Nothing really of merit there, except I thought this photo would be noteworthy.
For making holes of the nature pictured, using this conical file bit was awesome! You may be able to tell in the pic that I made perfect holes, without the bit grabbing the mesh like a drill bit would have. I was so happy with this I thought I would share it.

[McMurphy]

Well ..................... Hello to Page 34 of McMurphy's Frozen Garage Build .......................................................

Mr UPS is my friend.
I was here on the computer making the above post, when I heard a noise at my front door.

Lo and behold !!

It is like Christmas, in Janurary!!
It is also official, I have a guage cluster that cost more than the entire truck surrounding it !!!


Here you may be able to see the one thing that ultimately sold me on these guages, the way they look at night !! Just the lettering and the needles light up.... ooooooo soooo smoooth !


If that one does not show up well on your 15" monitors, then hopefully this one in red (my thumb over the flash) will be good enough for you to see.



I just loved the font style, the moon tipped needles, and the classic 30-40s era style of the look they have! Every time I see these I think of the movie "Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow". Kinda cheesy I know but that retro-alternate-scifi stuff really appeals to me sometimes

[Bomp]

Dangit Man. You are getting TONS of stuff done.
Keep at it.

[truckzilla]

Originally Posted by McMurphy

Here you may be able to see the one thing that ultimately sold me on these I just loved the font style, the moon tipped needles, and the classic 30-40s era style of the look they have! Every time I see these I think of the movie "Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow". Kinda cheesy I know but that retro-alternate-scifi stuff really appeals to me sometimes

I love that movie! That Buck Roger's serial look and feel! The mix of old and future! Also the fact that it was a movie with an actress that actually had a figure instead of just a stick figure with a face, what's not to like!

Great guages as well! Looking forward to the next video Murph!

[pdxhall]

The speaker grills turned out great.

[Jmorales3181]

Looking good! Can't wait to see ur new addition installed.... Those are some sweet gauges!
Posted via Mobile Device

[flips72]

Man those gauges are sick they will look awesome one your dash and the speaker covers look great as well I have a feeling you will be driving it real soon or at least when he snow melts
Posted via Mobile Device

[Ta2Don]

Originally Posted by Jmorales3181

Looking good! Can't wait to see ur new addition installed.... Those are some sweet gauges!
Posted via Mobile Device

Ditto Murph!!!

[jamesrussell26]

been lurking about your thread for awhile now, great build you got going. i love it. currently it is a sweet toture looking at all the builds going on since uncle sam has me stuck in the sandbox, and my 64 is patiently waiting for my return,lol you have single handedly reignited my desire to get my truck done. thank you.when i get home ive got a good camera and 33.5 days to make some magic happen lmao, btw awesome gauges.

[chad64chevy]

nice work on the speaker panels, and i like your gauges you got!! i'm still thinking of buying the silver autometer ones that dino63 has in the prostreet truck!! keep it up

[clemdaddy]

pretty darn nice gauges murph... will you incorporate the panel to fit your dash? love the way they light up.

we're over the hump now buddy, spring is on the way... winters gloom and doom will soon be fading... keep warm and keep working.

[aggie91]

Those gauges are super nice. I think that they will be great in your truck.

[Low Elco]

Grilles and gauges look great!

[Dinos63]

whoa!!! nice work on those grilles

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by Bomp

Dangit Man. You are getting TONS of stuff done.
Keep at it.

Getting it there!!
I got a little sumthin-sumthin in the mail yesterday.... look for it in my next video!

Originally Posted by pdxhall

The speaker grills turned out great.

Thanks, they are not quite done yet....I have one more little tid-bit of added Hmmmm to do on them.

Originally Posted by Jmorales3181

Looking good! Can't wait to see ur new addition installed.... Those are some sweet gauges!
Posted via Mobile Device

Yeah I was working on the guage cluster panel last night... just wait till you see what I did there !!

Originally Posted by flips72

Man those gauges are sick they will look awesome one your dash and the speaker covers look great as well I have a feeling you will be driving it real soon or at least when he snow melts
Posted via Mobile Device

The word soon makes me drool worse than Pavlov's dogs.... especially when applied to this build!

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Ditto Murph!!!

Thank you for looking Don, you keep me pumped up !!

Originally Posted by jamesrussell26

been lurking about your thread for awhile now, great build you got going. i love it. currently it is a sweet toture looking at all the builds going on since uncle sam has me stuck in the sandbox, and my 64 is patiently waiting for my return,lol you have single handedly reignited my desire to get my truck done. thank you.when i get home ive got a good camera and 33.5 days to make some magic happen lmao, btw awesome gauges.

I am completely humbled.
I hope when you finally get back and lay hands on your build that you take a ton of pics, and share them with us here!!
Dont forget to pop in once in a while and check up on me.
I am a slacker you know..... LoL ...... no, not really.

Originally Posted by chad64chevy

nice work on the speaker panels, and i like your gauges you got!! i'm still thinking of buying the silver autometer ones that dino63 has in the prostreet truck!! keep it up

I started off with a criteria in mind when I began looking at guages, then I found these.....

Originally Posted by clemdaddy

pretty darn nice gauges murph... will you incorporate the panel to fit your dash? love the way they light up.

we're over the hump now buddy, spring is on the way... winters gloom and doom will soon be fading... keep warm and keep working.

Sunny day, and -50 outside.... yeah about that hump.... LoL

Originally Posted by aggie91

Those gauges are super nice. I think that they will be great in your truck.

Man I hope so !!

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Grilles and gauges look great!

Thanks Elco, I appreciate that!

Originally Posted by Dinos63

whoa!!! nice work on those grilles

Well, now that I have your attention.... just wait till you see the next set of stuff I am doing.

Some of you heavy hitters keep checking up on me, starting to make me feel like I know what I am doing around here! Although I may only be the Shaggy in the group, it sure is nice to be riding around in the Mystery Machine with the rest of ya !!

Headed down to the Frozen Garage now..... hope to have some serious updates for you guys tonight !!