51 Ford

[chimp koose]

looks pretty slick!    

[idrivejunk]

Thanks CK.  

I added black areas and widened the front of the stripe. And doctored a couple old views to reflect that. Hmm is all. Is it more threatening this way?



If any of you remember this recent pic and are familiar with long welds, study this and tell me your prognosis for success in this endeavor. I'd consider telling the guy no if others think it will be as problematic as I do-



As if that weren't asking too much, hold onto your thinking caps another moment and I'll ask you to state whether this drawing depicts my idea with sufficient clarity before I present it-



If it leaves you with a question about the shape, ask so I'll know please. Now, as refreshment I present this vacation week scribble for which you can create captions or imagine stories as I did while creating it-

[kb426]

Drawing works for me. Long welds presenting problems: the bed is 16 gauge so that helps but there's no question that there will be some work. How about some kind of 2 part epoxy adhesive to glue the part?

[idrivejunk]

Thank you Bill. It is 16? Well yes that helps maybe a little. I figured it was 18 but hadn't checked. I would definitely want cold rolled 16 ga then.

Or would I be better off zapping 20 gauge to it there? Hmm.

Bonding makes infinitely more sense but when a guy says seamless I take him serious. Maybe thats the mistake I'm making because this don't seem none too practical given the challenge level.

Mainly I'm thinking the rolled rail will go berserk when heat hits it and there will be no way to correct without the whole deal turning into a mess of scrap.

[idrivejunk]

Any of these grab ya? :?:

[kb426]

My 1st thought would be to have a good sheet metal shop form a new bed side to the desired shape and save most of the body shop time. I wouldn't have them weld the lip on the underneath side of the rail, just bend it with some tension to hold it in place. My bed is Mack Products. I don't know if other brands are 16 gauge or not. I'm going to mod the end of my bed rails. I just don't know how yet. That should happen next week.

[idrivejunk]

I wanted to do rounded rail ends but the bed sides came with those end caps he wants to use. Fully welded is what is desired, just not possible and I'll have to confidently refuse that approach. Your input helps establish that fact. If he can't have it that way, he may not want the mod. We already bought bed and tubs so having custom bedsides made will likely be dismissed as a possibility. However, if they could be made in the manner you describe plus include the tub feature... then that might be appealing. I'll have to be prepared to explain that fully welded simply isn't possible and present options. I just don't personally posess enough experience to rule out full welding on my own. Thanks for your support.

[idrivejunk]

Here is a double wall idea that mainly just shifts time from welding to fab and makes the bed heavier. But it does have visual benefits to my eye on the outside. No fender bolts visible inside the bed is at the top of a short list.

I don't think for a minute that anybody would buy it but they might. Sort of a bundled upgrade Anyway I figured it was worth thinking through, and that nothing short of these images could be a decent explanation.

As is-



Modified-



Zoom zoom-





Seems like a bizarre response to just having asked to fill under the bed rails, doesn't it? Well, at least theres not much welding and planishing involved if a guy wanted to do something like that.  

[idrivejunk]

I'm going to mod the end of my bed rails. I just don't know how yet. That should happen next week.

My favorite thought has been like a mandrel bent 90° of round tube the matching size to the rail, patch that in place of the old rail end, then taper the rear part to a point at the gate. Or to keep it round and flow it down to meet the gate top.

Second thought, you could make all manner of cool rail tips at your place with your know how. Little lawnmower piston tips or bullets, that sort of thing. Be creative.

Circling the drain on my third thought... toilet handles might fit there.  

[idrivejunk]

Woops one more. The simplest solution I can think of-



Thats what makes this tough. I could do any of the above or anywhere in between. :?

Oh, and... F1 man committed to round tail lights next to the bumperettes. So scratch that drawing I posted.

[enjenjo]

I like the last idea with just spot welds, and seam seal the gap. I think that would be the fastest way with minimum warpage.

[idrivejunk]

I like the last idea with just spot welds, and seam seal the gap. I think that would be the fastest way with minimum warpage.

And thats probably what she'll get. I'd be OK just bonding that with about 3 plug welds too. I'd have to ask boss if he'd rather have the new panel up against the bed wall to be seam sealed or leave a tiny gap there. Or if a plugged flange at the inside would be preferred. If just touching and sealed is the choice, I could bond there too and maybe weld spots through small holes in the wall. But I still think the owner expects to see it fully welded and radiused like everything else.

I hesitate to even present the double wall idea, and probably won't, but I think it would turn some heads and be unique.

[jaybee]

I've been doing a lot of study involving bonding adhesive. It's used so extensively in late models there's no way to treat it as unproven. Especially in non-structural applications like your bed rails. No heat warpage, it provides its own seam sealer. Even in structural situations like subframe connectors it seems like a natural. It's important to secure the ends of the glued areas with either a spot weld or a steel pop rivet, but I'm sure none of this is new to you with your background in production shops...whereas I'm just talking out my hindquarters since I can't show you anything of the sort I've done.

[idrivejunk]

Howdy jaybee.    We established our solution talking it over this morning. Simpler than simplest. There will be a bit of adhesive used.

I got tubs screwed in place-



I'll probably trim at the outside of the flange. These will be butt welded-

[idrivejunk]

That week off was the closest thing to bliss I've known.



Heard a tale of heartbreak just now from a customer. Anybody remember the yellow 72 Chevelle? The one gapped all over to the thickness of one nowadays thin wooden paint stir stick. Left front wheel came off at around 45 mph. Ouch. Nine grand estimate. I tried to cheer the guy up, he was feeling real bad. Has the suspension fixed but lost his nerve to drive it.

I think it helped, reassuring him that this just means he has done enough rodding that the odds finally caught up to him. Its an awful thing. He had just put coilovers on and got sidetracked by wife wanting a ride. Hate that it happened. Hate that we have to recreate something which required so much fuss. Hate that he had to get a twelve pack and have a cry but thats over and I think he will go for a cruise in it today. These builds are vehicles just like anything else on the road and the people are just people. Sucky deal though.