build you own........

[james83mills]

would it be possible to fabricate and build the following? is so does anybody have any plans that they could put on here?

these would be suitable mini projects to get your welding up to scratch before attempting the chassis

welding trolley (not the hardest thing in the world i know)
engine mount (for rebuilding and storing the engine)
engine crane (for hoisting the engine into the car or onto the engine mount
wheel dollies for manoeuvring the unfinished car about

does anyone else have any thoughts or idea?

[flyerncle]

They are dirt cheap at Machine Mart these days and no hassle regarding strength of welds and weight capacity etc.

[mr henderson]

Steel and labour is so cheap in China that the items you mention simply aren't worth building, to build them to a satisfactory quality would almost certainly be more expensive than buying (except for the trolley, as I don't know if anybody sells a ready made one)

[AshG]

as everyone else says you can buy proper ones from machine mart for less than the steel would cost to make one.

[fluxcored]

would it be possible to fabricate and build the following? is so does anybody have any plans that they could put on here?

these would be suitable mini projects to get your welding up to scratch before attempting the chassis

welding trolley (not the hardest thing in the world i know)
engine mount (for rebuilding and storing the engine)
engine crane (for hoisting the engine into the car or onto the engine mount
wheel dollies for manoeuvring the unfinished car about

does anyone else have any thoughts or idea?


I'm not really good at MIG welding and plan to fab a welding trolley to get up to speed again. I need to clear out and service the MIG as it has been in storage for the past 4 years + the wire spool is probably rusty by now. Part of my pre-build preparations. :D

Wheel dollies - last time I had a chassis I just tacked industrial castors onto it and moved it around that way. Simple + cheap - stole the idea from somewhere.

I'll rather buy the crane.

I'm not bothering with a mount.

[Land Locked]

would it be possible to fabricate and build the following? is so does anybody have any plans that they could put on here?

these would be suitable mini projects to get your welding up to scratch before attempting the chassis

welding trolley (not the hardest thing in the world i know)
engine mount (for rebuilding and storing the engine)
engine crane (for hoisting the engine into the car or onto the engine mount
wheel dollies for manoeuvring the unfinished car about

does anyone else have any thoughts or idea?

Welding trolley or in my case trollies are always made just after the purchase of the welder.
Engine mount/stand, well worth making, but try n make it "universal". Making it yourself ensures that it is as you want it. I like a removable drip tray underneath and a magnetic tool tray or two.
The problem with making a crane is the hydraulic cyliner one needs, hard to find and expensive.
wheel dollies, wouldn't a pallet truck be better?

[SeriesLandy]

wheel dollies, wouldn't a pallet truck be better?

Cheep if you already have one, however about £350 if you don't

[Land Locked]

Cheep if you already have one, however about £350 if you don't

Ouch, yes that makes it a bit expensive. Though the pallet truck has more use than moving a part built car around.

[ACE HIGH]

"The racers guide to fabricating shop equipment" by John Block,Steve Smith Autosports has most of the projects in it you require plus a whole lot more.Engine stand/Engine hoist(crane),very good uses a 5 ton hydraulic jack/Hydraulic press/Sheet metal brake/flame cutter and chassis stand.Made them all except the flame cutter.All will be better than the Chinese items and you will actually learn valuable skills,and you will make them cheaper.Anyone starting a home built sports car has from day one a simple choice,either become a builder or an assembler.One will have a high level of practical skills with money in the bank,the other will have low level of skills with no money.Also google the net,the USA metal worker forums are full of DIY projects,good luck with your projects.David:)

[mr henderson]

A Machine Mart engine stand can be bought for £57.48.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/ces-750a-engine-stand/path/workshop-cranes-engine-stands


To make one's own for less than that would be impressive. It might be possible if one had cheap access to a steel fabricator's stock and off cuts bin, but otherwise trying to make something like that is just crazy.

Buy the stand and invest the effort somewhere else in the build.

[james83mills]

just bought a brand new sealey 350kg engine stand for £39.99

[ACE HIGH]

I had a close look at the big box shop engine stands and cranes etc and they are nowhere near the quality of my home made units,because:There are 3 sizes of engine stands,some have non swivelling nylon wheels instead of 3 cast iron heavy duty swivelling casters,ends of box sections are not sealed,will rust from the inside out,poorly painted,and the cheapest units have slightly thinner steel,plus the main vertical upstand is bolted to the lower cross member,and is loose in its mount,try moving 200 kg plus sideways with one of these with the main upstand moving around relying on a single bolt to hold it all tight.Also the book has a design for chassis mounts so that one is put each end and the whole chassis can be turned over,this is how the yanks do there Nascar chassis etc,very handy for a project such as the Roadster.These projects are dead easy and anyone who got stuck in would build them better and cheaper than the imported items and they will all last a lifetime.David:D

[Land Locked]

and they will all last a lifetime.:D

Right there is the crux of the matter. I see tools as an investment. If by making it myself I can do it better than the bought goods price becomes a very very secondary consideration.

[ACE HIGH]

Thanks landlocked,the point I have been trying to get through to these young guys (in particular) is that they are "happy to spend with a shovel" on fancy wheels ,engines,guages,paint, etc,and "save with a teaspoon" by purchasing poor quality clamps,cheap hacksaw blades,rubbish work tables that wouldnt even be strong enough for my wifes stained glass hobbies and cheap Chinese tools,some of which are OK but most of which are not.They will still own quality tools as I do,50 years later but their Roadster will be a distant memory,plus most of these young guys will be "bitten by the bug"and go on to make other cars, boats ,trailers,caravans, etc during there lifetime,and will be pleased that they had the good sense to buy,or make quality tools.David:D

[ACE HIGH]

google:popular science power hacksaw for a couple of easy designs of a small power hacksaw using standard 12 inch blades,would be an easy build,I would recommend the version using the Chev con rods,should be OK for the light tubing etc for a roadster.Then you can progress to making your own large power hacksaw,when you find out how handy this type of tool is! David:

[ACE HIGH]

popular science power hacksaw.could not get rid of the face!David

[andyp]

hi i made my own trolley from some offcuts

[Land Locked]

Tripped over this earlier:
http://opensourcemachine.org/

[fluxcored]

Errrr, I'm busy building a power hacksaw at the moment because I'm cutting thicker stock these days - nearly killed myself with a 9" grinder - and refuse to spend money on the low end horizontal bandsaws although they'll cut much faster.

A multimachine is on my list because I cannot afford a lathe with the same size swing that the MM got + I can use it to do some elementary milling. If I can find a decent, inexpensive x-y table then I'll probably start.

I'm mainly using scrap because I'm out of pocket most of the time.:D :D. Came home the other day and found my wife hired help to do the ironing for her. She asked me whether she can use the ladies services on a more regular basis. My reply ...... no problem as long as you know in advance, I'm buying myself a Sierra!!

Drawback is that it takes me much longer to finish a project because I have to scrounge around to find the scrap, then work it until it's useable. I sometimes wonder whether it's worth the effort. Ah well, at least I'm doing my bit for the environment.;)

Reason I revived the idea for building a roadster/locost is that I found myself spending more and more time collecting scrap to turn into tools which I need to process more scrap into something useful.

[Land Locked]

Adendorff (http://www.tooltime.co.za/) sometimes do x-y tables at fairish prices. I just dislike dealing with them cause if you walk in there looking like less than a million bucks you gotta lick someones behind for help.

[fluxcored]

Good for mentioning Adendorff. I'm in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday and plan to pay them a visit.

I just dislike dealing with them cause if you walk in there looking like less than a million bucks you gotta lick someones behind for help.

:D :D Now I know why I get the kind of service I do coz I always look like a bum.

My favorite trick is to insist on speaking Afrikaans and not understanding a word of English. I've been thrown out of the Dept of Labour's offices some time ago due to that. Had a ball of a time screaming about constitutional rights and offcial languages, quotas, etc, etc.

I seem to have a knack for offending people easily. I must say, I really worked very hard at it and over a long period, continously refining my skill.

Regards

[Land Locked]

And here I thought I was a rebel.:D You take it to new heights.

Yep, I also always walk in looking like a bum. Today is a pair of faded, very faded blue jeans and a frayed top (a neat one will be frayed within an hour of starting an electric fence):eek: . The jeans will be dirty within an hour of getting on site, so it would be a very very bad day to try n buy anything from adendorff. Most of my suppliers however are used to the dirty and scruffy contractors and give us good service cause we're the backbone of their monthly sales.:rolleyes:

[ACE HIGH]

andyp good trolley,well done.

landlocked,yours :) is a good link for a multimachine for those on
a budget. David :)