Project Blue Truck: '83 C20 - Rolling Chassis

[andyblack]

I figured as much. I think a turkey leg would look cool right there though. You know, in case you get hungry.

 

[Deuling]

I figured as much. I think a turkey leg would look cool right there though. You know, in case you get hungry.

 

[FrostBite]

I'd get plenty of iron from it, as it would be covered in grinding dust.

My 2.5" and 3" DOM arrived so I set to work on the towers. All 3 of the spacers were chucked in the lathe to have one end turned to a press fit and the other a slip fit, then each end was chamfered. Each one was press fit into one of the side plates and checked for squareness before being tacked. The press fit and shoulder left from turning them worked like expected, as all three tubes were dead nuts square.

Then the other plate was laid on, clamped, tacked, and then fully welded inside and out.

BEEF, it's what's for dinner.

Tomorrow I'll try to smooth the exterior and get the "cup" under the heim welded in with it's drainage tube.

 

[Deuling]

So awesome dude

 

[andyblack]

Yeah forget the turkey leg, I'll have the...

BEEF

I forsee that your next project will be a fully tube framed custom buggy on Rockwells. Or a monster truck.

 

[FrostBite]

Thanks Broski's!

I ran out of shielding gas, and when I exchanged tanks, they gave me one with 200 PSI in it, so not too much progress. I whipped up a quick and dirty press brake and bent up the side plates and tacked them on. I decided to throw the scab plates on to see the final picture.

As soon as I weld them out, the bracket will be ready to become one with the axle housing. Bbuutttt, my I'm leaving for Tennessee tomorrow to go to a wedding, so I will make no truck progress over the weekend.

 

[andyblack]

Just tell them you've got more important things to take care of. I'm sure they'll understand.

Love the Wilton vise by the way. You da maaaaaan.

 

[Deuling]

Love the Wilton vise by the way. You da maaaaaan.

X2! My dads got that same one at his house. Grandpa welded it right to the work bench back in the day

 

[andyblack]

Those things are real expensive if you buy them new, but worth it because they last forever. My dad has an old one that's similar. He's bent the lever out of whack by using cheater pipes over the years. I guess he'll have to torch one end off to take the lever off the vise to straighten it. He could put it in the vise and use his cheater pipe, but how would he get the jaws tight without the lever in place?

 

[FrostBite]

It is an awesome vise. I actually have another one, but I don't have enough table to mount it to.

Both were freebies I rescued from the scrap pile.

My progress before running out of wire cut me off.

 

[Deuling]

 

[andyblack]

Free huh? Why can't I find anything like that? Sometimes you can find them at flea markets and junk type stores but the jaws are usually beat up.

Tell you what, I'll give you $5 for the big one.

 

[andyblack]

So what's been going on with this thing? You been locked up or what? I know you've been working on it, now post up!

 

[FrostBite]

Man, I actually haven't messed with it in about 3 months. I bought a house in June and then got married in July, so I've been occupied working on the house in my spare time. The truck is still on my family's farm about 10 minutes away, but I'm hoping to get a shop set up here so I can move everything over and get back to work on it.

 

[andyblack]

Well I guess that's a legit excuse. I won't abuse you for not showing us any more cool stuff for a while. Congratulations man.

 

[FrostBite]

Finally, my wait is over! After getting settled into my new house, I've finally started breaking ground on a shop. I'm going to try to keep it pretty simple as I don't plan on living in this house for very long, so I want to be able to at least get some of my money back out of the shop when I sell the house. My plans are a 32 x 40 x 10 pole barn with a 4/12 roof and possibly a lean to down one of the long sides if I can buy everything else cheap enough.

I started felling trees with a chainsaw but decided heavy equipment was needed and summoned the old Ford over to help with the cause.

Backhoe > chainsaw.

 

[andyblack]

Dude that doesn't look to simple or temporary to me. Rock on!

 

[FrostBite]

About 4 hours worth of seat time at this point, and probably 2 more still to go. I really wish I had a rake for the backhoe.

 

[jekquistk5]

I need a backhoe badly for my shop. Granted mine is only a 24x32 x 12. When its all said and done its about 13grand. Concrete is expensive. Do you have to do a rat wall?

 

[FrostBite]

There are no building codes in my county and the ground never freezes here so no rat wall for me. The county won't even know I've built anything until they come around to assess my tax value. I'll just have a floating slab; I am going to run conduit under the slab so I won't pour until I've got that part done.