How Do You Do It
#1058716
08/21/11 04:40 PM
08/21/11 04:40 PM
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY
OP
Master
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OP
Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
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I'm taking a break at the moment and was thinking how some of you guys work on your cars with limited equipment... I was thinking more in the line of welders, mill, lathe things like that... yeah I'm building a car pretty much from scratch but got to thinking of others 
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Re: How Do You Do It
[Re: MR_P_BODY]
#1058718
08/21/11 05:11 PM
08/21/11 05:11 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,038
MN
JERICOGTX
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,038
MN
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Barter system. I have friends with Welders, and another friend is a machinest, and can pretty much make anything I can dream up. They help me, I help them with stuff I have and they do not. It's not always car stuff that they need help with. I'm also lucky to have access to having things powdercoated at my work for free.
I'm slowly getting more and more tools for the garage, but it isn't easy on a tight budget. Auctions are a good place to get tools cheap sometimes.
In this picture, the work bench, and vice came from a auction at work, the drill press, and belt sander came from my Grandpa. When my birthday, and Christmas come around I ALWAYS ask for tools, or gift cards for tools.
69 GTX
68 Road Runner
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Re: How Do You Do It
[Re: Kindafast]
#1058719
08/21/11 05:11 PM
08/21/11 05:11 PM
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY
OP
Master
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OP
Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
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Quote:
Old body man here , I do have welders and air tools but I have always had to think and build outside the box. A level floor and a tape measure goes a long way. 
I was a fabricator for 35 years and did bump and paint
before I went into the military and a bunch of other
types of work.... here I think I'm limited with what
I have... I sure would like to pick up a shear and a
nicer break... but I get along with what I have
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Re: How Do You Do It
[Re: smokinwoody]
#1058721
08/21/11 06:02 PM
08/21/11 06:02 PM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,330
Lynchburg, VA
Leon441
master
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master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,330
Lynchburg, VA
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I weld about anything with my Lincoln 175. Sure, I'd like to have something bigger with a water cooled torch and adjustable arc. The little wirefeed I have does great for those needs. I have a box break that is only 48", that's its only limit. I would love to have a 52" foot shear. But, it's down on the list cause money is an object. I have a lathe that got broke in the move so the current project's owner brought his little one over for me to use. I have a cheap mill attachement for my big Harbor Freight drill press. It will do the little stuff just fine. But, I have to go to a freinds shop to use his Bridgeport when the big stuff needs to be done. Probably will be hitting him up when I get the new block.LOL
Leon
Career best 8.02 @ 169 at 3050# and 10" tires small block power.
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Re: How Do You Do It
[Re: Leon441]
#1058722
08/21/11 06:35 PM
08/21/11 06:35 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 21,345
Marysville, O-H-I-O
70Cuda383
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 21,345
Marysville, O-H-I-O
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one word. creativity.
I'm tackling the restoration of my cuda with a cheap harbor freight flux core wire feed mig, some body hammers, an angle grinder, and a cheap harbor frieght air compressor.
I don't have a shrinker/stretcher. I don't have a sheet metal brake. I don't have a wheel.
so far, I've done ok by taking flat steel, using the work bench, C-clamps, and hammers to do 90 degree bends in flat steel.
then, as I fab patch panels for the outer wheel well under the quarter, with the radius of the wheel opening, AND the lip that lines up with the outer quarter panel...I've found it easiest to bend the lip into the panel, then cut "relief" cuts and bend the piece to match the radius, then weld into place and weld the cuts closed, or add a triangle of metal if the cut is too wide to just weld closed.
it's not the prettiest, and I'm doing a lot more welding than if I could take a flat sheet and just "english wheel" myself a giant patch panel with all the curves and radius' in it.
as I continue on this project, I'll probably try to build my own "sand bag" to pound metal against, and try watching some more you tube videos of guys hand forming steel with just hammers. some of those old school guys are simply amazing at what they can do! I saw a you tube video with a guy using a round wooden hammer, a piece of tree trunk with a cup carved out of it, use that tiny little cup to pound the big flat steel into a bowl...like it was as easy as walking out to the mail box!
**Photobucket sucks**
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Re: How Do You Do It
[Re: 70Cuda383]
#1058723
08/21/11 06:47 PM
08/21/11 06:47 PM
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY
OP
Master
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OP
Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
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Quote:
one word. creativity.
I'm tackling the restoration of my cuda with a cheap harbor freight flux core wire feed mig, some body hammers, an angle grinder, and a cheap harbor frieght air compressor.
I don't have a shrinker/stretcher. I don't have a sheet metal brake. I don't have a wheel.
so far, I've done ok by taking flat steel, using the work bench, C-clamps, and hammers to do 90 degree bends in flat steel.
then, as I fab patch panels for the outer wheel well under the quarter, with the radius of the wheel opening, AND the lip that lines up with the outer quarter panel...I've found it easiest to bend the lip into the panel, then cut "relief" cuts and bend the piece to match the radius, then weld into place and weld the cuts closed, or add a triangle of metal if the cut is too wide to just weld closed.
it's not the prettiest, and I'm doing a lot more welding than if I could take a flat sheet and just "english wheel" myself a giant patch panel with all the curves and radius' in it.
as I continue on this project, I'll probably try to build my own "sand bag" to pound metal against, and try watching some more you tube videos of guys hand forming steel with just hammers. some of those old school guys are simply amazing at what they can do! I saw a you tube video with a guy using a round wooden hammer, a piece of tree trunk with a cup carved out of it, use that tiny little cup to pound the big flat steel into a bowl...like it was as easy as walking out to the mail box!
I do have a leather bag for hammer forming... I dont
think I'll ever own a english wheel but have always
wanted one... my shop is FULL already... LOL
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Re: How Do You Do It
[Re: MR_P_BODY]
#1058724
08/21/11 07:26 PM
08/21/11 07:26 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,103
East Coast, NJ
fig426
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,103
East Coast, NJ
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A small mig, some heavy hammers to move metal, small hammers for light work, an 18" section or so of railroad rail, awesome curves and flats, a small vice, a concrete floor, pieces of wood of every size, vice plus wood = sheet metal brake, vise mounted bead roller/shear, and that's about everything for metal work. Tubing bending comes from tie straps, trees of varying sizes, and heat. No joke it works well.
Chris from New Jersey
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Re: How Do You Do It
[Re: 340B5]
#1058728
08/22/11 01:03 AM
08/22/11 01:03 AM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,165
Central Ohio, USA
Bigbeep
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,165
Central Ohio, USA
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I have the welders, grinders, lathe, tubing bender, bead roller, and hand tools. Still wanting the lift, mill and sheet metal brake.
Side note to all. Invest in a good alarm!
Some "no good SOB" broke in my shop last Monday morning at 2:37am. Not sure if it was the alarm or me in my jockeys with 45 that scared him/them off. Kind of glad I didn't catch them. I was PO'ed.
Beep
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Re: How Do You Do It
[Re: Bigbeep]
#1058730
08/22/11 08:32 AM
08/22/11 08:32 AM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 21,345
Marysville, O-H-I-O
70Cuda383
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 21,345
Marysville, O-H-I-O
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Quote:
I have the welders, grinders, lathe, tubing bender, bead roller, and hand tools. Still wanting the lift, mill and sheet metal brake.
Side note to all. Invest in a good alarm!
Some "no good SOB" broke in my shop last Monday morning at 2:37am. Not sure if it was the alarm or me in my jockeys with 45 that scared him/them off. Kind of glad I didn't catch them. I was PO'ed.
Beep
Glad you scared them off and they didn't get anything!
my garage is about 150 feet away from the house, and there are no windows on that side of the house. and it's "downhill" from the house. and dark. and at the end of the street where no neighbors can really see the garage.
so yea, it's easy pickings for a thief.
but the house alarm is hooked up to the garage, and the control board for the alarm has it on a 'partition' so that I can have the alarm to the shop on all the time, even if the alarm inside the house is off...like when we're up and walking around at night after dinner, before bed.
**Photobucket sucks**
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Re: How Do You Do It
[Re: Bigbeep]
#1058731
08/22/11 08:49 AM
08/22/11 08:49 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,011
Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
gregsdart
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,011
Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
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Quote:
I have the welders, grinders, lathe, tubing bender, bead roller, and hand tools. Still wanting the lift, mill and sheet metal brake.
Side note to all. Invest in a good alarm!
Some "no good SOB" broke in my shop last Monday morning at 2:37am. Not sure if it was the alarm or me in my jockeys with 45 that scared him/them off. Kind of glad I didn't catch them. I was PO'ed.
Beep
Glad to hear it worked out the way it did. I'm like you, a little afraid of what I might do in the wrong circumstances!
45,s put a rather nasty hole in people. Then ya got the cops and lawyers to worry about.
8..603 156 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky
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Re: How Do You Do It
[Re: Bigbeep]
#1058732
08/22/11 09:52 AM
08/22/11 09:52 AM
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,532
off the grid
340B5
pro stock
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pro stock
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,532
off the grid
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Quote:
I have the welders, grinders, lathe, tubing bender, bead roller, and hand tools. Still wanting the lift, mill and sheet metal brake.
Side note to all. Invest in a good alarm!
Some "no good SOB" broke in my shop last Monday morning at 2:37am. Not sure if it was the alarm or me in my jockeys with 45 that scared him/them off. Kind of glad I didn't catch them. I was PO'ed.
Beep
If nothing else, a motion detector light in the garage works. I have 2 alarms, all I have to do is feed'em. They can hear the wife's Nitro from about 700' even before she turns down our street.
Yeah, it's got a smallblock.
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Re: How Do You Do It
[Re: MR_P_BODY]
#1058733
08/22/11 12:50 PM
08/22/11 12:50 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 7,506
Az
Crizila
master
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master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 7,506
Az
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Before I retired in 02, I ran a large 17 bay general purpose shop. I had access to just about everything except machining equipment. It all went away suddenly when I retired, so I had to pick up the bare essentials ( parts cleaners, mig welder, sand blaster, etc.) in a hurry. There is a lot of good used stuff out there right now. Luckely, I had all my own hand tools and engine building tools, so that wasn't a problem. Built a 30X30 shop and I was back in business. Then we moved. I had to down size to what you see. It's a 24X30 shop with an 11' ceiling ( thinking about installing a lift in the future ?.) I can do just about anything I need to do except engine machining work. Also gave up all my valve grinding equipment.
Last edited by Crizila; 08/22/11 12:50 PM.
Fastest 300
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Re: How Do You Do It
[Re: Crizila]
#1058734
08/22/11 02:14 PM
08/22/11 02:14 PM
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,532
off the grid
340B5
pro stock
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pro stock
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,532
off the grid
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As far as milling goes, a friend i work with used a cross-slide vise in a drill press for light milling.
A couple months ago I ported through an iron head and had to weld it. The machine shop tried to spot-face where the head bolt goes and sent it back saying it was too hard and didn't want to risk tooling, so I bought a grinding stone, dressed it and did it myself in my drill press.
Yeah, it's got a smallblock.
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