67 cheby's Dropmember build thread (CLOUD 9)

[watahyahknow]

howbout heating it all up with a propanetorch before welding on a lower setting ?

[hotrod1]

do u have all the welds on one side? If so alternate welding one weld on one side and then another. I all the welds are going to be on one side, good luck. You might just have to bend it back. Dont you just love metal some time?

[67cheby]

i didnt alternate from side to side....but then again i thought i wasnt welding enough to get it that hot...live and learn i guess

[hotrod1]

more like opposite sides. This keeps the one side from pulling too much. I would weld one seam, turn it over and weld the opposite side. Then I would go to the other side of the project and do the some thing.

Try and do the same welds on the opposite side (turn it over). That may straighten things out for you.

[big_al_71]

I wish there was something that I could say to contribute other than good luck and keep your head up you will get it right....

[67cheby]

LOL.....thanks Al ...i am feeling the same way right now !!

[67cheby]

thank you Hotrod1 i will try welding more on the other side tonight maybe it will straighten it back out....if not ..i guess off to buy another 45 worth of metal and start over AGAIN !!

[trevorrhine]

Definitely move around on the project to avoid getting one are too hot. I've used a damp rag as well to quench the area after I lay a weld to keep the area cool (sucks the heat into the rag), might be worth a shot to help prevent warping in your case...

[67cheby]

thanks , i am looking for any suggestions like that , i will try about anything if it will help !!

[trevorrhine]

Be sure to use a crappy rag though because if it dries out a little too much, it'll burn some holes in it...

[67cheby]

so.....none of my wifes kitchen towels then...LOL

[watahyahknow]

close off on side make a little bend up on the other side and filling the tubes them selves with water , you prolly need to weld on a higher setting but the heat will spread less

[trevorrhine]

that sounds like a pain lol, plus the inside surfaces of the metal would likely get all rusty before you were finished. I like to keep everything as rust free as I can, that's why I like the rag trick...you don't have water going all over the place either.

[raull]

hey mike i agree the guys , i use to weld 20 to 30 feet beams in rool forming machinery and the trick was to clamp and also change from side to side to let each side cool down and the kitchen towels also help ,

[68 TT]

Great idea to keep from chopping up a perfect tail gate.

Tack the whole thing together with it clamped down and cool it off with the wet rag after each tack to keep it in the shape you want then try only putting down a 1/4" of weld at a time and skip around on the piece cooling it off as you go. The longer the bead the more it will pull the metal out of shape when it cools.

It will take a bit longer to do but should keep it from warping out of shape.

Have you thought about more precise tail gate hinges so it can't shift side to side any and allow misalignment of the ribs between the bed extension and the tail gate? I would hate to see it shift a little to one side and chip your finished paint.

I want to put something together that uses greasable Delrin bushings so the tail gate is quiet when opened but it could also make it more precise in side to side location too.

[67cheby]

hmmmm.....hadnt thought about that ! if you come up with idea for the hinge let me know !

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 67cheby

hmmmm.....hadnt thought about that ! if you come up with idea for the hinge let me know !

I'm thinking an aluminum insert in the tail gate that fits over a Delrin sleeved pivot pin on the stock bed side bracket base with the stock outer portion removed. Shim the side brackets as needed to remove side to side slop once the tail gate is installed.

[heymoe]

Hey Cheby,

Going back to your dilemma with the tube steel. We have to do this all of the time at work. Do you have a metal fab table? We call it back bowing the piece to help keep it the steel from curling up like a banana. You might still be able to back bow it by clamping it down to the table and warm it up slowly.
I would most definitely clamp or weld it down to a table before welding the rest of it up. Have you ever used a product called Heat sink? Most of the welding shops have a form of this and it will help keep the piece cooler while working with it.

Hope all goes well!

[67cheby]

68TT....i like that idea !! Heymoe thanks i will check that out and yes it will be clamped down to try to get the bow out and then clamped down before welding anything else !!

[67cheby]

pg 91 post 2262, thanks Nathan

[67cheby]

well bought my 3rd set of metal to try this back brace thing again today !!

[longbed67]

I gotta give you props your not givin up on this one to do it another way!

[67cheby]

its just a piece of metal...surely i can outsmart a piece of metal.....granted it is taking me a few jabs at it but somehow i am going to beat it !! LOL

[watahyahknow]

mwoah if you cant weld it maibe you can file it out of a solid 1 x 1 inch barstock

[67cheby]

hmmmmmm.....back up plan #4