Been busy working on getting the details buttoned up and learning more and more about welding...this time around I seem to have overcome some obstacles with regard to thicker steel....in short, trial and error combined with tips and tricks, techniques and material prep helped the most.
The tonneau cover frame is all one piece now...a big item to cross off the list. I was also able to use my buddies shop to build and bend the front panel of the trailer in once piece.....I have access to a metal brake and work tables there too and its nice and clean....unlike the garage at home where the trailer IS the work table sometimes!!!....
I re-welded some of my earlier attempts...grinding out welds that were too cold and did not penetrate the metal enough and replaced them with much hotter (flux core) welds.....its a whole different set up with the machine...and I ran several test "sculptures" in order to get my technique acceptable.
here is my "sculpture"...complete with "Mr Bill" face welded into the 3/16" steel.....
This one is where the tongue exits the body of the trailer....I ground out the old weld, like i said before, and dug a ditch with the grinder which I then welded into. I know the weld will hold now!....(for those that know or care....I used an uphill upside down "V" technique as I was welding an inside corner and the inverted V was the way to go...machine on 10 for power and 5 for wire speed...030 flux core)
Ill get more pics once I get these welds done...Ive had these panels on and off so many times Ive lost count!
A bit of fun, here.....I cut the outer roof away from the frame and turned it upside down and damn if it was not close to the right shape...(I have a deep need to recycle stuff, I guess!)
I could not figure out how to shape this piece in one piece, so I decided to cut it into two workable pieces and join them later.......this way the parcel shelf is nice and flat...and the rear panel elevates easily with a gentle compound curve up to the trunk.
Heres the "drivers" side door that only needs one more skim coat of bondo and then it will be nice and smooth again:
well thats about it for now...
thanks for looking!
JP