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Does anyone else do this, or am I just the only one. pics

rdn2blazer

rdn2blazer

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I take the time to Debur EVERY PIECE that goes on my truck. I use several types of tools, air tools to files, Counter sinks for holes, whatever it takes to Radius or Chamfer a sharp edge. I HATE busting my knuckes on sharp edges. Who else deburs their parts? Some parts have edges that are razor sharp!

I believe in attention to detail. If you had the option to buy a part Debured or Sharp edged part what would you choose? I don't think a sharp edged part would EVER sell if a debured part was offered. I think all parts should come Debured from the get go. I know as a machinist You had to debur EVERY sharp edge unless specified on the drawing as a "Sharp Edge Required"

Paint or powder coat does not cover sharp edges well at all. It builds up on each side of an edge. A radius allows even coating of an edge break.


Now just because these are DIY shackle flips, and Ruff Stuff's Diff cover, dont go saying Im picking on Kert on Dan cause Im not. I have bought from just about every Vendor here and would and will again in a heart beat. Im just saying NO ONE does this, No part from ANY Vendor on CK5 or anywhere else for that matter deburs their parts that I have purchased.

Thats fine, I can and allways have done it myself, But, it would be nice not to have to. How much more would a little more attention to detail cost for a part? Im not sure but I think I would be willing to pay for it. I spend a ton of money on sanding pads, roll sanders and what not to do it myself.

Thoughts, comments, flames? agree? Disagree?

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I agree, but I'm a machinist also.

Mike
 
I de-burr my stuff too. I about go ballistic on some of the machinist's at my work who will pass on a 'finished' part to a coworker with enough sharp edges to cause some serious leakage. I have definitely spent at least a thousand hours of my life de-burring parts.

While we're at it, as a fabricator I see so many pic's of home welding and some are pretty decent. I have never seen anyone take the time to remove the spatter and smoke though...I use a couple of old files that are sharpened up to remove most of the spatter, then a small cold chisel for in the tough corners. Stop-Starts get a quick blend with a small grinder, inside corners sometimes a small blend with a die grinder. If you run a wire brush over the weld it removes the smoke and brightens up the weld very quickly. This takes no time at all and makes the job look so much better.

When I pass a part on to be painted, or coated I know it'll come back looking sexy.

This again isn't a poke at any vendor's either. I know how tight the margin is on what they sell, so spending even an extra 20 minutes on a part can be a deal breaker.

If you're doing it for yourself though...let your pride be your guide.

Rene
 
I used to do all my own powder coating on small parts that would fit in my electric oven in the garage so I would grit blast all my parts too. I dont have a grit blast cabinet anymore. I will have another one someday. Grit blasting ofcourse removes all the smoke and smoothes out the grinding from deburing.
 
For me, it depends on what the use of the part is and where its going.

I know what your saying about finishing parts but honestly, when I build my truck 95% by myself, I spend enough time working on it already. I certainly have several hundred hours in my truck and if I spent the time to clean up every little weld spatter and imperfect edge I could easily double that.

I'd rather be on the trail with an imperfect rig than have it sit in the garage unfinished for years. I don't build anything that's underdesigned or unsafe.

Of course, I'm not a perfectionist. My .02 ;)
 
It's not OCD, it's mostly from working in the trade IMO. When you're required to provide that level of finish 8 hours a day, every day as your bread and butter it's very difficult to leave a part 'unfinished' when it's going on your own rig.

These are the shackle flip brackets I built for myself a while back. Didn't get any pre-paint pic's, but you can see there is no spatter or sharp edges anywhere.

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Rene
 
tRustyK5 said:
It's not OCD, it's mostly from working in the trade IMO. When you're required to provide that level of finish 8 hours a day, every day as your bread and butter it's very difficult to leave a part 'unfinished' when it's going on your own rig.

These are the shackle flip brackets I built for myself a while back. Didn't get any pre-paint pic's, but you can see there is no spatter or sharp edges anywhere.

shackleflipetc005.jpg


Rene
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That's ridiculously good looking fabrication :pimp:

A lot more effort than I would go to, as I said before. Its all function over form for me.

I certainly can appreciate the quality of work that you guys produce :thumb:
 
Thanks...;)

Realisticly i spent no more than 5 minutes cleaning those up, and maybe 2 hours to throw them together.

Function is certainly more important than form, I completely agree. As a Fabricator I'd be embarrassed to have any of my fab work look shoddy or rough on my truck though. Just professional pride...

Rene
 
Speaking of the splatter from welding, the engine crossmembers made by dcubb show no splatters at all. I would say Dave already takes the time to clean up everything on his 'members before coating them with paint/primer.

I can appreciate the cleanliness of parts like everyone above has been mentioning. While I don't have anything worthy to deburr or clean up, I do think about that a lot. Maybe one of these days.... :rolleyes:
 
That was the first thing I noticed about dcubb's X-members. Priced agressively too IMO.

Rene
 
If I were to make parts that I sold to other people I would surely clean it up, people always want to buy things that look top notch.
 
dcubb can do that cause he's still small business (no offense). Personally, I'd rather deburr parts myself if I knew the price would be cheaper. I don't get crazy with it though, mainly just the edges/areas that people will see.

Kert (DIY4X) does run over some parts with the grinder, but it doesnt bother me that the edges aren't deburred. Kert doesnt even have time to work on his own truck let alone deburr all your parts :p:.
 
I'm still voting for the OCD, not that its bad you just have an obsession with every detail regarding it. Is it a good thing yeah the parts look really good, if I was selling stuff would I want my work to look he same yup.
 
The worst thing someone could say about my work is "Who the f**k did that!". Quality workmanship shows pride in ones work. I'm no fabricator of heavy metal, but my HVAC installs need to look neat and clean. Those extra minutes, or hours, show in the finished products. The majority of the work done here (CK5 vendors and individuals), is impressive. I have learned alot on this site in particular. All you guys have given me the knowledge and information to work on my own truck. I'm gonna be 42 in a month, and this is the first vehicle I've owned that I've done ALL my own wrenching. Thanks!
Sorry for the rambling hi-jack!:o
 
Well i guess i might qualify, but i dont think im as bad as some. The most recent thing i made was a cross member for a mid-shaft bearing for the DD. When you don't have a rig you have to work on something, glad I finally picked up another. Anyways, here is a before and after shot of the same piece. I could be really anal and mention the pits that could have been filled in. A few extra minutes spent is well worth it though when you know you will have to look at it again. I am my own worse critic. Not the smoothest beads, but i know they're strong.

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In Kert's case, he's not kidding about the DIY part. He does the welding/cutting/forming stuff that we don't have the tools, jigs, or skill to do ourself ... but it doesn't mean you get a finished piece, the way you would from, say, ORD.

I'm absolutely fine with that as he passes the savings, as they say, onto the customer. I know that buying a metal piece from Kert will get me exactly that, a metal piece -- and for the price, I can't and don't expect him to nicen it up. If I want it nicer looking, I have *that* skill, at least =)) if not Kert's welding :bow:

(And considering that half the stuff I've bought from him has been shock tabs or custom disc brake mounting stuff that will immediately get cut up and/or welded, why would he bother?)

I've not seen RuffStuff's products so I can't comment on theirs. The stuff I've gotten from ORD, like their shackle flip for instance, has been very nicely finished, but you do pay for that, and I suspect they spend more time finishing the edges than they do writing the instructions :surepal:

Anyway, that's my .02. I absolutely concur that a finished metal piece does look more professional, but in Kert's case it's a team effort; he does his part, we gotta do ours ;) Most of the parts on my truck are fairly well finished, as I find that a finished part not only looks better but works better ... but occasionally I'm a bit sloppy.

And Rdn2Blazer, you might be OCD even for a machinist -- but that's okay. One of the most compelling reasons, for me anyway, to join up and stay with CK5, has been the wide range of ideas and techniques I am exposed to, from utterly anal perfectionist, to crazy redneck welding frames atop each other... and everything else inbetween. I can find a happy medium, therefore, for me to use on my build. Keep up the good work and keep posting pictures. ;)

-- A
 
I believe in attention to detail. If you had the option to buy a part Debured or Sharp edged part what would you choose? I don't think a sharp edged part would EVER sell if a debured part was offered. I think all parts should come Debured from the get go.
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Personally, I'd rather deburr parts myself if I knew the price would be cheaper.
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If I had a choice over smooth or rough , and they were priced accordingly , Id be willing to pay less and clean it up my self.
BUT no one does that so vendors should spend the extra 10 mins to clean them up esp for the price there charging.:rolleyes:

And I also like my stuff smooth like the O.P. , not QUITE as
bad but close.;)
 
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