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  #31  
Old 12-06-2017, 10:26 PM
dribble dribble is offline
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Default A beginners journey.

Hi Dave , love the plan! When making your frame you might want to think about cutting the sides of the frame out then using flat bar to cap the top and bottom. Use box section for straight sections. Their are lots of shows,youtube clips that show this way of construction. Most 120 thou,3mm plate can be cut with a good !! Jigsaw.

Cheers dribble (dave)
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  #32  
Old 12-08-2017, 02:34 PM
Dave K. Dave K. is offline
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Dribble,
Thank you kindly! I will look into it. I am trying to learn everything I can!
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  #33  
Old 12-08-2017, 09:13 PM
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Kerry Pinkerton Kerry Pinkerton is offline
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Dave, I made my roadster frame from 3x2x3/16 tubing with a step up in the rear and a full X member. Long story short, the frame was too springy and I had great trouble getting the doors and other gaps right as it would move a good bit when I raised the lift or jacked it. I measured this by putting a magnetic laser on the rear and seeing how much it moved on the front end when I raised the coach. It was nearly 1/4"!!!

I ended up putting a 2x2x1/4 on top of the side rails. After welding, the laser spot does not move and the car feels much more 'solid' when driven. I was early enough in the build that it did not cause me too much pain to change the frame.

I'm pretty sure it's documented in my build saga.
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  #34  
Old 12-09-2017, 07:05 AM
Dave K. Dave K. is offline
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Kerry,
Thank you very much! I know you know your stuff, so I will study what you have provided and apply as I go forward.

I have a lot of structure left to build and will reinforce the corners. I am probably going to add more structural support than necessary, but since I am a novice builder and welder, I want to ensure that the chassis is very safe and very stiff.

I was just really excited to have joined the three many components together for the first time.

As of yesterday, I am starting to build vertically with the main tubing between the engine and driver's compartment. It is hard for me to contain my excitement!! As I am starting to see my dream unfold from an idea to a tangible object.

Thanks again, and your guidance is always well received! Happy Holidays!
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  #35  
Old 12-10-2017, 04:45 PM
steve.murphy steve.murphy is offline
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Hey Dave,
If you don't have it already, there is a book called Chassis Engineering by Herb Adams that has an interesting approach to designing a automotive frame where you make a small model from wooden sticks that you can manipulate by bending and twisting by hand to validate if your design is good. Not unlike those school projects where you make a bridge from matchsticks or popsickle sticks.
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Last edited by steve.murphy; 12-10-2017 at 10:18 PM.
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  #36  
Old 12-10-2017, 06:45 PM
Dave K. Dave K. is offline
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Steve,
Awesome advice, thank you! I will look into the book!
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  #37  
Old 12-12-2017, 01:46 PM
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idickers idickers is offline
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The balsa model is really useful. Here's one I built for a roll cage I built recently. I don't have the book at work, but if I remember the 1/8" balsa is approximately a 1:12 scale for the 1.5" round tube I used for my cage. You glue it up with hot glue. You can get clever and put levers on it to measure deflection under weight, but I mostly added cross pieces and felt how it flexed or stiffened up, and used that to guide my construction.

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Last edited by Steve Hamilton; 12-12-2017 at 01:59 PM.
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  #38  
Old 12-13-2017, 07:27 AM
smottin smottin is offline
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Default Falsh corosion in humid air

Well I am not lucky enough to live in Florida, but I do live in Wales and humidity is a massive problem on this side of the Atlantic as well, usually coming in large droplet form...

I phosphate all my bare steel with solutions I make up myself using 20% of around 90% V/V orthophosphoric acid solution and making up to volume with 80% tap water, I add a little sodium nitrite as vapour phase inhibitor a 1/4 tea spoon or less (sprinkle) to the finished mix and then just paint it in to the steel with a 2'' paint brush.

It protects the steel for years and can be easily sanded off givers a good key to paint as well.

I put this on all steel - frames body sheet the lot - and it is much cheaper than buying it in, thus you are not sacred to use it!
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  #39  
Old 12-13-2017, 12:38 PM
Dave K. Dave K. is offline
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Ian, Colin,
Excellent information! Great and thank you both! Very interesting.
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