The Drift Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 So I'm going to admit, when it comes to fabbing and welding I'm a noob. Actually to be perfectly honest I'm clueless. But I'm out to start learning. I decided that I'd like to try making a set of skids to began my learning process. As much as I'd like to just order the BP skids I want to start fabbing stuff for my truck slowly learning over the course of things. THe skids should be pretty easy...except one thing. How in the heck do you make nice clean bends in 3/16" steel? Heat it up and pound it? I know a lot of you fab, weld etc. Besides my bending question what kind of advice do you have for a newb to the game of making stuff for the rig? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Without a hydrolic press/break about the easiest way to bend the metal cleanly would be either heat and hammer (really not so clean of a bend, if you're a beginner) or to make a break out of a jack or 2 and a good heavy stationary object. Example: Using your Pathy frame and the ground, lay a piece of material down with a good straight edge on it (2x4) perpandicular to the frame. Then lay the metal over that with the place you want bent sitting at the edge of the 2x4 and set a jack over the metal and 2x4, raise it till the truck just starts to lift. Now set another jack on the side you want bent and raise it till it begins to bend the metal. For a wider piece you may want a second 2x4 under the second jack to spread the load/bend across the sheet more evenly. Yeah, I'm a redneck engineer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87pathy Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 If you want to fab, first thing is this, make sure you have the right tools. Minumum, Welder (and not a little 110 buzz box), 8" vise, grinder, torch, and multiple clamps. For making nice breaks without a press, put it in your Vise, heat it right where it enters the vise. It will bend about 1/4" above this.(trust me) make sure its red before bending or it will not be controled. TAKE YOUR TIME Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vengeful Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 When I first saw this...I thought it said "mental." Ryan and Jeremy have given some very good suggestions, and they would know better than I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Drift Posted July 18, 2006 Author Share Posted July 18, 2006 Thanks for the info so far guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87pathy Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Oh ya, one thing i don't have that i wish I had was a chop saw. If you got the money buy one, if not a good sawzall and Milwakee "the torch" blades, you can cut most anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 i bought a corded ryobi for like $60 at home depot...the only problem i had with it was they didnt lock tite the studs for the guide and they vibrated out so i put some on them tightened it up and if u've seen the pix it let me cut up wheelmans pathy into 3'x3' squares in less than 2 hrs...those blades are awsome i went thru 2 of them but thats b/c i should have gotten a 6" instead of the 9 and bent it a couple of times which lead it to break b4 too long... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Oh ya, one thing i don't have that i wish I had was a chop saw. If you got the money buy one, if not a good sawzall and Milwakee "the torch" blades, you can cut most anything. Actually, most handy tool for metal is a 5" angle grinder. You can put cut wheels on it and cut any size or shape, grind wheels for heavy material removal, flap discs for light material removal or even polishing, and wire wheels for removing scale (rust). If I had the money I would get a Port-a-band over a chop saw; cleaner cut, less mess(no pile of grit), less heat put into the material being cut. (Of course a cold saw beats all, but unless you are indepentantly wealthy, or a professional fabricator don't even bother). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Actually, most handy tool for metal is a 5" angle grinder. Sometimes you don't want the comets tail of sparks... I don't form a lot of metal, I cut it... Most of the info seems right, but you can substitute some of the items just be being clever and not being afraid to experiment. The minimum required is a torch, vise, hammer, jack, 2x4's (etc) and some thought. That'll take you a long way and can even be fun... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLApathy Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Actually, most handy tool for metal is a 5" angle grinder. You can put cut wheels on it and cut any size or shape, grind wheels for heavy material removal, flap discs for light material removal or even polishing, and wire wheels for removing scale (rust). If I had the money I would get a Port-a-band over a chop saw; cleaner cut, less mess(no pile of grit), less heat put into the material being cut. (Of course a cold saw beats all, but unless you are indepentantly wealthy, or a professional fabricator don't even bother). where can i find these disk things, ACE? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Any hardware store should carry them. I get mine at Harbor Frieght these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Drift Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 When I get to work on this I will have to make a documentary out of it. I have a feeling hillarity will insue. But I did come up with a cool concept for a skid.......if it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Pathfindero Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Agree on the angle grinder its almost a swiss army knife when it comes to metal, but a Dremmel tool is easily a close second- used one to prep the metal on my rack, cut my fender flares back, and take rust off my grill guard If you want to fab, first thing is this, make sure you have the right tools. Minumum, Welder (and not a little 110 buzz box), 8" vise, grinder, torch, and multiple clamps. For making nice breaks without a press, put it in your Vise, heat it right where it enters the vise. It will bend about 1/4" above this.(trust me) make sure its red before bending or it will not be controled. Miller makes pretty damn nice "110 buzzboxes" there '87 We have one at school and it will outweld anything in the shop when you're running 3/16 or smaller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87pathy Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 ya, buzz boxes are pretty good if you don't care about penetration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 ya, buzz boxes are pretty good if you don't care about penetration. 110 ain't bad if you don't care about duty cycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manik Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 ya, buzz boxes are pretty good if you don't care about penetration. I've got one of the 110v buzz boxes running Lincoln inner core flux core wire, .035 to be exact. I run it on highest power possible and it gets good penetration on 3/16 and smaller. Surface need to be clean though. I'm working on getting a TIG setup to add to the home arsenal of fab tools. Bubba..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manik Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 110 ain't bad if you don't care about duty cycle. I've run my 110 full on and haven't hit the duty cycle on it yet. Although a better MIG is also in the works. Bubba..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manik Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 When I get to work on this I will have to make a documentary out of it. I have a feeling hillarity will insue. But I did come up with a cool concept for a skid.......if it works. Just take your time and don't rush it. When you start to rush things, bad stuff happens that just adds time to the project. Bubba..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 (edited) Actually, most handy tool for metal is a 5" angle grinder. You can put cut wheels on it and cut any size or shape, grind wheels for heavy material removal, flap discs for light material removal or even polishing, and wire wheels for removing scale (rust). X2 - Angle grinders are very useful in the welding world. I have two of them at school. The most common size is a 4.5" - which you can then run a 5" sanding pad on. Don't forget your PPE though! (Personal Protection Equipment). If you have to ask why, just google "Angle grinder injuries". I prefer the ones with the paddle switch. It acts as a dead man switch, and turns off power if you let go of the handle. I've not had much luck using wire wheels to remove mil scale - but a fresh 36 grit sanding pad usually does the trick. Without a break or other bending apparatus, with an angle grinder and straight edge, score a line in the plate, and that will assist in bending it. 110v Migs have there place. Mostly for portability and working with thinner sheet metal. Get into the larger machines, and you have trouble finding rollers for smaller diameter wires. I concur with GrimGreg on the saws. I've never used a cold saw, but all we really use at school is band saws. If I had the money and the space, I'd buy an Ellis. http://www.ellissaw.com/. We have an abrasive chop saw, but it's really only brought out for specialty cases, working with hardened metals, etc. Edited November 14, 2014 by Harbinger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manik Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 X2 - Angle grinders are very useful in the welding world. I have two of them at school. The most common size is a 4.5" - which you can then run a 5" sanding pad on. Don't forget your PPE though! (Personal Protection Equipment). If you have to ask why, just google "Angle grinder injuries". I prefer the ones with the paddle switch. It acts as a dead man switch, and turns off power if you let go of the handle. I've not had much luck using wire wheels to remove mil scale - but a fresh 36 grit sanding pad usually does the trick. Without a break or other bending apparatus, with an angle grinder and straight edge, score a line in the plate, and that will assist in bending it. 110v Migs have there place. Mostly for portability and working with thinner sheet metal. Get into the larger machines, and you have trouble finding rollers for smaller diameter wires. I concur with GrimGreg on the saws. I've never used a cold saw, but all we really use at school is band saws. If I had the money and the space, I'd buy an Ellis. http://www.ellissaw.com/. We have an abrasive chop saw, but it's really only brought out for specialty cases, working with hardened metals, etc. Definitely x2 on the PPE you can't just grow a new body part. It may not totally prevent damage, but, will definatly minimize it. A good pair of z87 certified safety glasses, face shield, ear plugs and whatnot. Personally I prefer the wrap around frameless safety glasses so my vision is not impaired. Bubba..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormtrooper Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 When you are starting out, Harbor Freight, Garage sales, and want ads are your go-to places. Tools I would recommend is a full face shield, the angle grinder, a ball peen hammer and a 2.5 lb hammer, a big vise, a small drill press, and a sanding station. Maybe some different hand files for smoothing your work. A small welder would be good. I've bought two stick welders at garage sales for $40.00 and $10.00. The full face shield is a must if you use an angle grinder. I've had a kick back once using a cutoff wheel. Put a 3 inch scratch in the shield. Other than the welder, you could still buy all the tools listed for around $300.00. Get some use out of the tools you start with and upgrade as your skills and funds expand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebayfish Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Angle grinders should be in every tool box, just as many uses as a drill! My rule on welders is if your new to it, get a wire feed(mig) & if it doesn't used compressed gas, its not strong enough for most jobs. A decent torch goes a long way too! Next most needed tool (besides safety equipment) is a drill press with a bunch of bits & hole saws(make sure to oil while cutting), a band saw, magnetic corners, pipe bender (pump up works, I got a hydraulic bender from a closed muffler shop, this often doubles as my vise & bearing press). A 3 lb. Cross peen hammer, bench vise, bench grinder is nice to have too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 My rule on welders is if your new to it, get a wire feed(mig) & if it doesn't used compressed gas, its not strong enough for most jobs. A decent torch goes a long way too. Agreed to a point. Wire feed (mig/gmaw and flux/fcaw processes) are the easiest welding processes. However, the innershield flux core wire that doesn't require a shielding gas has more penetration than the solid wire mig process, which requires a shielding gas. This is due to the oxidizers in the flux that add heat to the arc. It also makes for an ugly bead with more spatter. This is why most cheaper 110v welders use innershield flux cored wire. The other form of flux core wire, commonly known as dual shield does use a shielding gas. You wont find this wire in a smaller welder though, ad it requires a lot of power to use it properly. Ie in spray transfer, not short circuiting. Sent from my LGLS740 using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toughroad Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I believe using a hydrolic press will surely give you a prefect bend, but if you will doing manual well it will take a lot of time plus its a trial and error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebayfish Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 A pump up mandrel pipe bender from harbor freight is fairly cheap....also, earlier I forgot to mention a sheet metal break Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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