have i lost my mind????

[BB70c10]

Originally Posted by slammed1

I think you are doing a great job wih your progress and such especially with the amount of work your project is going to take top see it to the driveable stages again. Please dont fall out of interest or get down if something goes wrong........step back,take deep breaths and come back in and read some threads or check out some galleries for ideas. I dont think anyone here who can read your thread wouldlet you walk away with a project upset about it to the point of selling or trading. stick with it and spend time and money as it comes and if spent wisely you will have the project done sooner than planned abd may have saved some bucks if you do your homework.

The best thing is that this learning experience is going to be a stepping stone for the next project if you decide to tackle one and doig most of this yourself as you are and patiently working and studying will only help out in the long run.

Major props to you and if I can help let me know,as others will join in also.

as you can tell,i cant say thanks enough.this site makes you feel like you can do anything.i could be the poster boy for how usefull and high the level of information is on here.im basically proving that you can have no knowledge of metal,paint,and body work and accomplish the tasks using that information.it still blows my mind.everytime i talk to somebody new about building my truck,i give all the credit to this site,and tell them how i feel like you guys have kinda taken me under your wings.
as far as my next project,hopefully that will be building my son his first car or truck when he's old enough.he's only three now,but he's already into muscle cars and daddy's truck.hopefully he'll stay interested and we can build it together.
again,thanks for the encouragement.its pretty easy to stay motivated with you guys around.

[BB70c10]

finally got the frame welded together this week.my buddys son helped me weld it at work and i was pretty happy with how it turned out.i took slammed1's advice and watched him weld a few times.after he got the cuts welded back together,i decided to give it a try on the plates.the welds were no where near as nice as his,but he said they would hold no problem, so i ended up welding a good portion of the braces.the vertical welds sucked(we had the frame tilted on its side,strapped to the lift) so im going to practice on those a bit.maybe if i can figure those out,the flat welds wont be so bad.

he left the welder at work,so the next day i decided to box the frame where it was cut so i could practice a little more.after about 3-4 hours of making two little plates for boxing,i fired the welder up and went at it.i aint never been so excited about work in my life.i actually took a flat piece of metal,cut it down to the size i needed,welded it in and it actually fit.HOLY CRAP!!!!i got just about everybody in the shop to come look at what i did like i was a three year old who just colored his first picture.to some of them it may have looked like a bunch of scribble,but to me it was a masterpiece.im thinking about asking my wife if i can hang it on the refrigerator,but i dont think thats gonna go over too well.i know they're far from perfect,but looking at the pictures of my first attempt with the scrap sheet metal,i was pretty happy with the results(even though i know welding steel is easier than welding sheet metal).anybody that has any tips on what im doing wrong from the pictures and how i can improve,please tell me.dont worry about raining on my "welding" parade.i know you cant expect to master welding on your second attempt,but im just so excited with what i did do,that i'm ready to learn how to do it right.any tips on whether i was going too fast,too slow,too hot,too cold,wider,skinnier,anything that i can improve on or change,will be taken as help,not criticizm.im actually going to buy a welder this weekend(hopefully, if my tax refund makes it tommorrow) and plan on welding everything in sight.
one thing i did find out is that the frame isnt square.you can see on the left side that it hit something.one of the body mounts on the frame at the very front is bent back a little.theres apprx. 1/2'' difference when measured crossways and i've heard it should be no more than 1/8" off.so its going to the frame shop tuesday to be straightened out.the cuts in the frame actually lined up the first time.all we needed to do was bevel the edges and knock the paint off.i just knew we were going to spend all night grinding the cuts to get it to line up and then weld it on friday.we actually had it welded and braced in one night(minus boxing).not sure how i did that,but im glad i did.after and little tweaking of the frame and few more hours of grinding,the frame should finally be done.

[BB70c10]

heres a few of the box plates i used to cover the ugly braces on the inside of the frame.i actually used the old diamond plate bumper to make the diamond shaped middle brace.the vertical plates are from the scrap left over from the middle section cut out.on the welds on the diamond plate(they're not all mine,im sure you can which ones) was from the first night.i pushed the tip and made circles with the wire.on the pictures below,i pulled and made little c's with the wire.i felt more comfortable that way,and feel like they turned out better.when i was pushing,i could tell i wasnt moving my hands forward to keep my stick out consistant.i was actually lifting the tip to strech the weld out farther,causing the weld to build higher.when i pulled it,i had to move my hands along as i went(without having to think about it) so i could concentrate on my actual welds better.not sure which way is better or worse,thats just how i was more comfortable doing it.im just not sure why mine has a grey coating over them and his were nice and shiney.
sorry about the picture quality,i couldnt figure out why my camera wouldnt focus up close

[slammed1]

Looks like you have gotten a great start. Good thing to have a buddy who can weld so that you can watch and see techniques at work.

I am worried about your "boxing" plates,as I think you mean you boxed in the section where you shortened the frame after all the gusseting and bracing was done.........if thats the case,you may not ever easily remove the transmission crossmember again if the "boxing" is where I think it is.

Great job and show more pics when you can.

[BB70c10]

Originally Posted by slammed1

Looks like you have gotten a great start. Good thing to have a buddy who can weld so that you can watch and see techniques at work.

I am worried about your "boxing" plates,as I think you mean you boxed in the section where you shortened the frame after all the gusseting and bracing was done.........if thats the case,you may not ever easily remove the transmission crossmember again if the "boxing" is where I think it is.

Great job and show more pics when you can.

i think you're right.i boxed it in between transmission cross member and the rear cross member that the trailing arms bolt to.it was cut to fit very tight as well,actually butts up to the top and bottom of both cross members.i was told the next day that i was going to have to cut them back from the trans. crossmember because i'm going back with a 400 trans. instead of the 350trans. and the cross member has to be moved back for it to mount.if thats the case,can i just mark its new position and cut the plates back a little more, or am i going to have to remove them completely.i guess its better to have found out now while the frame is bare,then after everything is back together.

i just looked at a picture of the frame and think i see why you say that.i knew the trans. cross member was bolted inside the frame rails, but it didnt hit me until now that in order for it to be removed,it has to be turned side ways if im not mistaken.im used to seeing them bolted to the bottom of the frame rail on newer vehicles.i guess i should have tried to remove it first to see how it comes out before i welded the plates in.i would like to leave them in and just cut them back if i can(for piece of mind),but if they need to be removed completely,then i will cut them out no problem.thanks for catching that and bringing it to my attention.

[slammed1]

for the tranny crossmember to be removed its made to slide rearwards and drop out of the small cut out portions of the frame (seen in the pics). Its Not impossible for the crossmember to come out now as you can always cut it out or get it out some clever way but its always been easier to slide it rearward to the cutouts.

Its nothing you cant work around,just making sure you knew about it before everythings back on and you have to remove the tranny once everythings complete and your scratching your head.

Again nice work,and your doing fine.

[Spray-Bomb]

Just build a custom X-member & you'll be fine
Drill some holes in your "box" plate, stick a nut behind it & weld it in... tada instant blind nuts

[slammed1]

My post said nothing about it being impossible or not being able to work around the whats been done. I was mearly stating to a person whos first build is going on a few things to kind of keep an eye out for before just grabbing plate and welding it on,as many things need to work together.

There are quite a few aftermarket crossmembers that can replace the original that will work in this application where the plates can be retained and not even be modified. I myself wont run the original tranny crossmember when mines said and done as lots of others arent running stock ones either.

My whole point was to let BB70c10 know that there may be some more work involved now that the tranny crossmember wasnt considered/taken into account before the added boxed section was welded on.

he is doing a great job.

[BB70c10]

no progress on the truck this weekend.im having the frame straightened tuesday and if i can,i hope to take pictures of it on the frame machine.the local body shop my company uses is going to straighten it for me as a favor for my manager(i guess we send them alot of work),so i owe both of them big time.

i decided to buy a welder this weekend because i realized i could use one more often than i had access to one.after welding on the frame,i was hooked,and i realized how much more work i could do myself with a little more practice.i figure by the time the frame work is done,the bedsides are welded together,exhaust is made,and anything else that needs to be welded that i havent even thought about yet,the welder will probably pay for itself.now all i have to do is figure out all the settings and what pressure i need to run the gas at,and i should be ready to become a regular stop for the willow springs fire dept..i've already started rummaging through the scrap metal guys truck at work looking for metal to practice with,so i can build some weird looking contraption to give back to him the following week.

im pretty excited about the new welder,so i took some pictures of it to post.my wife thought i was crazy for taking pictures of it,but she said get some good ones because we'll probably have to sell it to buy groceries with next month.she's such a kidder.i hope she was just kidding?

its not the most eye catching setup in the world,but i needed it to fit in my car.so i bought a folding cart from harbor freight and just strapped everything to it, basically just to secure the bottle.










the helmet is the cheapest auto darkening i could find from northern tools but it had great reviews.for $50 bucks,i figured id try it and it seems to work fine.i just didnt like the cheap looking stickers they had on it so i decided to customize it myself.im not a huge skull fan,but it was the best i could do with the sticker choice i had,and i kinda like how it turned out.it does scare my son,though.






if anybody has any tips on how to set the welder up,basically a good starting point,i could use the help.right now im just laying beads on flat steel until they look halfway decent,but im sure theres more to it than that.the guy at the welding store told me that a good rule of thumb for gas pressure was 35 psi but the welders manual says 20 psi.im not sure how to tell if i have it set right?i've also read that you can change the settings while welding,but the manual says not to adjust voltage while welding.im a little confused at this point.the welder is a hobart handler 140 mig.im using .030 wire because i was told it was good all around(welding the sheet metal and frame).i plan on practicing on scrap sheet metal first before i weld on the bedsides,but a little reassurance about everything first would make me alot more confident.

also wondering if there was any harm or benefit in welding the rear cross member(that the trailing arms bolt to) and the frt crossmember(that the frt control arms bolt to) before i go too crazy with the welder.i was planning on welding the rear one because i had to grind one of the rivets off to get the forward most bed mount off,and decided i would weld the frt one in while i was at it,mainly for support(because the frame has already shifted one time).im not sure if this would be a mistake or not?

[72 Cheyenne402]

BB70C10,

Nice welder looks lik a Handler 140 or 175. I bought a HH210 from Tractor supply back in November on sale 100 bucks off. I love it. and have used it on almost everything I can find. I need to get some argon mix though I plan to try my skills out on some rockers and cab corners soon.

[gringoloco]

I've had good luck using the guidelines set inside the door on the Hobart 140.

[BB70c10]

Originally Posted by gringoloco

I've had good luck using the guidelines set inside the door on the Hobart 140.

i tried it today using the settings inside the door.im using .030 wire and the best i can tell the frame and plate i used is 1/8" thick.i set the welder at 4/40 and the gas at 30 psi and welded it on.i was happy with the way the welds looked,but im not sure how to look at them and tell if everything was set up right.thats one of the reasons i added the plates to the outside of the frame.since im new to welding, i figure the more bracing,the better chance my welds have.and when i was done grinding the outside welds flush,i wasnt sure if there was enough weld left.i guess i'd rather sacrifice looks for safety my first go round.heres a few pictures of my welds from today.i know some people can look at them and tell if speed,heat,penetration,etc. is right or not.sorry about all the welding questions,i just need a little advice so that i can quit dwelling on it and start enjoying it.

[Richard8971]

Heyyyyyyyy whatssss upppp???

How's the project going? Any work done on the bed? I know, I know, I'm being a pest. Keep us updated!

D

PS Your welds are looking pretty awesome, I wish I could weld that good!

[BB70c10]

Originally Posted by Richard8971

Heyyyyyyyy whatssss upppp???

How's the project going? Any work done on the bed? I know, I know, I'm being a pest. Keep us updated!

D

PS Your welds are looking pretty awesome, I wish I could weld that good!

hey man.i know,im ready to work on the bed so bad its killing me.all im waiting on is the body shop to straighten the frame for me(you know how those body shop guys can be).in the meantime i'm going to practice welding on the sheetmetal i cut from the bed.i was thinking about posting pictures of it and maybe get your opinion on it before i actually weld the bed if you dont mind.if if they look good enough to work,then hopefully i can get it welded this weekend or the next.im hoping things will go a little faster now that i dont have to worry about when i can get somebody to weld it for me.i've only had the welder for 5 days and i can already tell its the best money i've ever spent.as far as the welds,i appreciate it,thats a huge compliment coming from you!

[BB70c10]

still no progress on truck lately.still waiting on body shop to straighten frame.
i want to weld the bed together on the frame so everything lines up right,so it
will be at least another week before i can get started.it has given me time to
practice welding the sheetmetal together,so i guess it hasnt been a complete
waste of time.i was gonna post some pictures of the practice welds so maybe
i can get some input on how it looks before i actually attempt it on the bed.the
pictures arent real clear(cant figure out why yet),but i basically played with the
settings on the welder until i could get the best penetration in the shortest amount
of time.i ended up using a 4/30 setting with .030 wire and tacking panel as far
apart as possible each time.i held it for less than 2 seconds each tack(if i had to
guess) and had full penetration to the other side(with about 1/4 the amount of
weld on the other side of the panel).the panel didnt seem to warp much(if any),
and the gap didnt seem to change any from top to bottom.the heat ring didnt look
to big to me,but i have no idea if any of that even matters.i didnt weld the entire
panel because it was just for practice.when i actually weld the bed,the tacks will
be alot farther apart and i plan on cooling the welds like you guys told me too.i
also bought .024 wire if that would be better.sorry about all the posts about welding
and no build progress.i just had some down time on the truck and am trying to take
advantage of it to get my welding up to par.you guys have a pretty respectable site
here and i want to do my best to keep it that way(except for my long posts,run on sentences,
and lack of punctuation and use of capital letters-not too good with a keyboard).

[slammed1]

Your doing quite well.

[BB70c10]

Originally Posted by slammed1

Your doing quite well.

thanks.and i found a transmission crossmember from cpp that im planning on using since i jumped the gun on boxing the frame.im glad you pointed that out before i found out the hard way and had to wait on it to be shipped.this build is taking long enough without having to wait on parts i didnt think about needing ahead of time.i think it will look better too,but now i want the upper and lower control arms to match.


http://www.classicperform.com/Store/...uck/CP9427.htm

[slammed1]

I have a link for a tranny crossmember with engine mounts also for a real good price.

look here for some good priced stuff also.......CPP,ECE and others are good,just give this link a shot and check out their stuff.

http://www.performanceonline.com/sto...cat=461&page=1

[67L30WGN]

Those welds look a whole lot more consistent than the ones I started out making on my Nova project. You might be able to get rid of the hole in the middle of each spot by giving the tip a little jiggle/spiral just as you release the trigger.

Personally, I feel the resulting weld bead is probably strong enough with the holes in them, so I don't worry about them too much. I do try to get them filled with a skim of bondo or paint fairly quickly so moisture doesn't collect in the holes that don't grind out. I don't want them popping up later.

Don't worry about moving too slowly on the project. All your prep work will pay off in the end.

I'm getting ready to skin my first door this week. Wish me luck.

[slammed1]

door skins are fun,good luck.........there is a product out that is a bonding mix that is supposed to make door skin replacements a breeze with no welding ........might ask around.

[72armyswbtruck]

Man, you have done some good work, and I can't wait til I get moved so i can start down your same path. keep the updates coming and pictures coming.

[BB70c10]

Originally Posted by 67L30WGN

Those welds look a whole lot more consistent than the ones I started out making on my Nova project. You might be able to get rid of the hole in the middle of each spot by giving the tip a little jiggle/spiral just as you release the trigger.

Personally, I feel the resulting weld bead is probably strong enough with the holes in them, so I don't worry about them too much. I do try to get them filled with a skim of bondo or paint fairly quickly so moisture doesn't collect in the holes that don't grind out. I don't want them popping up later.

Don't worry about moving too slowly on the project. All your prep work will pay off in the end.

I'm getting ready to skin my first door this week. Wish me luck.

appreciate the tips.i'll give it a shot.and good luck with your doors.its hard to beat the feeling you get when you try something for the first time and it actually turns out like its supposed to,and im sure they'll turn out great!!

[BB70c10]

Originally Posted by 72armyswbtruck

Man, you have done some good work, and I can't wait til I get moved so i can start down your same path. keep the updates coming and pictures coming.

thanks man,so far so good.good luck with your truck,and hopefully you'll have a big garage,cause man it takes up alot of space!

[BB70c10]

well ive started welding the bed back together,but the upper body line is kicking my butt.i cant figure out how to get them to match up no matter what i do.i've tried a dolly from behind,but there's not enough room for me to make anything work.i was hoping to get a little advise from you pros because if it wasnt for that hang up,id probably be done by now.i've actually considered cutting a hole on the inside of the bed to access the body lines from behind and patch the hole when i'm done.but then i realized i was just getting desperate and that probably wasnt a good idea.my next thought was to use a stud welder and pull the line on the low side and tap it in on the high side using the slide hammer but im not sure if that will work or if would do more damage than good.it seems like it would work in my head,but i thought i would run it past you guys before i screwed it up.im sure theres an easier way to do it, but so far my ideas are going to call for more body work.any advise would be a life saver!!!!

[BB70c10]

well i actually conquered it.the bedsides are finally welded back together.this month has been busy,so the truck has been on the back burner for a while but hopefully i can start making some progress again.the rear body lines were by far the biggest challenge.i started on the right rear aligning the top and the bottom up and welding them together.once i was at the top body line i couldnt match them up.so i decided to stop before i got frustrated and and welded the frt back together.that went pretty easy so i was feeling good about it again.on the left rear i decided to work the lines before i did any welding on it and it seemed to make all the difference in the world to me.with the bed apart i could play with it until it looked good and then weld it,instead of weld it together like on the right rear and then fight it from the outside.once the other 3 were welded up i just pushed,pulled,and cussed the other one until it lined up.i basically used the butt weld clamps and a small screw driver to slowly match it up but it took longer to line that one part up as it did to line all the other 3 combined.i guess what im getting at,is that if this is your first time trying this like me,save yourself some headache and get everything lined up before you lay the first tack.that may be pretty obvious to most people or maybe the wrong way to do it entirely,but being a first timer it made my life a whole lot easier.and for you pros that make it look so easy,my hats off to you guys.it took me all together about 8-10 hours to get everything lined up and welded just on the outside of the bed.i still have grinding,filler,and the inside of the bed to deal with(not sure what im going to do inside yet,planning on making a new bed floor and sides if i can?).its still fun though,and a heck of a learning experience.if your thinking about trying this yourself,and have more time than money,i say go for it.i dont regret a minute of it,YET!!

heres a few pics of the progress.im not calling it a success yet.i want to get everything ground smooth and sanded down because i still cant tell how good the body lines match up with the welds and two tone paint.im pretty sure i'll have to work them a little more before any paint is laid on it.im just excited that they're back in one piece kinda.