welding

[andyuk697]

hey everybody ive been bust again today the main chassis is complete i am now starting the transmission tunnel rear suspension frame work,

before i start i was wondering, where d3 and d1 meet u3 and br3 and br1 for example do i need to fully weld br3 br1 u3 then put d1 and d3 in place or do i tack weld as i go then weld where i can get to? the same with the corner of br12 and br5 do i fully weld that then put sb1 on top then weld round the bottom of sb1 or do i tack br12 br5 then put sb1 on top and weld round the bottom

does that make sense?
also when should i start fully welding bits together?

Andy

[HandyAndy]

not saying this is what everyone does but this is what i did....

fully weld the joints of the BR1/BR3/U3 & same on drivers side then i ground flat the points where the diagonals D1/D3 etc meet these points so that you get a very close mating of the surfaces for when you fully weld the chassis, if that makes sense too same idea at the SB1 area too.

as for fully welding, do this when everything is tacked into place & you,ve checked all measurements are correct using page 38 & 43 & 45 as dimension checks.

Ash G has suggested that to get a weld into a tight area such as where D1 meets BR1/U3, then to have a spare welding shroud & carefully squeeze the end enough to allow easier access with the welding torch but don,t allow the welding tip to touch the squashed shroud.

hope this helps.

andy

[londonsean69]

I gave them a couple of good tacks, then ground them down. IMO they are going to be welded on the other 3 sides anyway.

When tacking, I usually have the MIG set quite a bit higher than while welding. It gets the heat straight in without causing a massive blob of weld on the surface.

Sean

[andyuk697]

well i tacked in place then put on top and plan to fully weld round the exposed sides that are left if this is suitable i will carry on as i dont fancy taking it all appart again lol

im looking at getting the 19mm tube for the rear and the plates for the chassis plates next what should i get? i cant seem to find any thinkness of plate in the book

thanks Andy

[londonsean69]

Originally Posted by andyuk697

well i tacked in place then put on top and plan to fully weld round the exposed sides that are left if this is suitable i will carry on as i dont fancy taking it all appart again lol

im looking at getting the 19mm tube for the rear and the plates for the chassis plates next what should i get? i cant seem to find any thinkness of plate in the book

thanks Andy

Andy

Most of the chassis plates are 3mm. If you look at the technical drawings at the back, they state "3 Plate", or in certain cases "1 plate" (cp17 as an example) There are also 5mm and 10mm plates needed

Hope that helps

PS - the 5mm and 10mm bits, it's well worth getting them from 3GE, it's a pig to cut. I did my own diff plates in the 5mm and it was a learning experience.

I bought the 10mm bits from 3GE.

Next time I'm buying a plasma cutter

Sean

[andyuk697]

thanks
so how much 3mm sheet should i be ordering will i need it in lenths at certain widths or sheets
also what are the suspension brackets made from

thanks Andy

[londonsean69]

Originally Posted by andyuk697

thanks

No bother, it's what this forum is for

Originally Posted by andyuk697

so how much 3mm sheet should i be ordering

I'm not sure actually, I managed to blag some during a site visit but.....

Originally Posted by andyuk697

will i need it in lenths at certain widths or sheets

I did buy some seperate lengths of 3mm strip, because there are quite a few parts that are say 25mm wide, 3mm thick by xx length, same for 30mm and 40mm

Originally Posted by andyuk697

also what are the suspension brackets made from

Suspension brackets are 3mm steel (look on page 184). Suspension brackets x16, 128 x 40mm
shock brackets are 3mm steel (look on page 184). Shock brackets x8, 122 x 40

Unless you have access to a press brake or fly press, buy them. I tried bending a few in the vice, just made a mess.

I got mine on Eblag, a guy called Dave Oxley (Rogue Engineering). 3GE do them as well, or you could always approack a local engineering/fabrication firm, and have them create the channel shape to the correct dimensions, then just chop it up and drill it yourself.

Sean

All of this info is in the book, it's just not laid out in a 'shopping list' format

[HandyAndy]

i bought a 4ft x 4ft sheet of 3mm steel & still have lots left, cost me £30, its nice to have some spare as i,m sure i,ll use it up making odd brackets here and there,

andy

[mark]

I definately agree with londonsean69 on the suspension brackets, i made a jig and bent them all myself in a vice and it took me ages to do never mind drilling them accurately and putting all the radius corners on aswell!

Definately just buy them............. unless you wanna spend a full weekend in the garage swearing like i did