[firestopper]

Will have to remember the DD 214 from now on. Thanks

L8R

First log on to ID me and upload a photo of you DD214. You can block out your SSN but leave everything else. Once you do this any other place like Lowes or HD that offer veterans or active duty discounts the ID Me is the verification they use.
Log onto Home Depot and set up an account followed by your ID Me verification and you're all set. Set up a HD widget (short cut) on you smart phone so when your at the store shopping, you have access to the QR code. The code changes often so that's why I recommend the Widget. The register person will scan your phones QR code at checkout. As far as shopping at HD.com (online), your discount is automatic every time you log in after your initial signup.

 

[Ben A Gonna]

First log on to ID me and upload a photo of you DD214. You can block out your SSN but leave everything else. Once you do this any other place like Lowes or HD that offer veterans or active duty discounts the ID Me is the verification they use.
Log onto Home Depot and set up an account followed by your ID Me verification and you're all set. Set up a HD widget (short cut) on you smart phone so when your at the store shopping, you have access to the QR code. The code changes often so that's why I recommend the Widget. The register person will scan your phones QR code at checkout. As far as shopping at HD.com (online), your discount is automatic every time you log in after your initial signup.

Thank you.

 

[Ben A Gonna]

Reading your feedback reinforces my purchase decision. Glad you like them.
I have a deep cut portaband, a 90º 1/2' high torque drill, and sawzall all corded but Milwaukee, Had them for years now.
The battery tools have been a sore subject for me in the past.
I also purchased a M18 air compressor, This this is cool as hell. It has four PSI presets and shuts off automatically.
I checked the pressure using a Matco digital gauge and its spot on. Super light and great for traveling.

Will have to check that out. !
L8R

 

[firestopper]

Ironclad

Last September I scraped, primed, and repainted all exterior wood on the house. All went well until I got to the main entrance header. This header is the only wood that has corbels. All other headers are single heavy timber. The main entry faces the west so it gets hammered by the sun from just past noon until about 7:30 pm during the summer.
The problem was with the heat expansion a small crack developed between the header and the corbel and being up 12' I never saw the small gap. This invited water to enter during the previous monsoons and with the rest of the paint being serviceable, it held in copious amounts of water. In fact as I began to scrape the area I had water dripping from the effected area. It became clear that I had a significant amount of punky wood that required removal. Using an Oscillating saw, I was able to cut the punk wood away until I had hard wood again. The area was left open for about two weeks until I was sure it was dry. I initially contemplated replacing the header but that would have required extensive stucco and parapet wall rework. Since the rot was isolated away from the structure I decided to repair the damaged area.
This is what the header looked like after cutting away the punky wood. Notice the gap (right) between the corbel and the header. The left side was filled in with wood bondo and blended in.

I took some metal lath and formed a corner keeping it about 1/4" below the finish surface.

Using a Bradly nail gun I secured the lath with 18 ga. staples.

I didn't want to put 50 pounds of bondo so I used expanding foam to take up 85% of the space.

After foaming.

Took about four applications of bondo to finally get the results I was after.

Sealed and primed the repaired header.

First coat of paint.

Finding the rot left me bummed because I knew the problem would persist due to the heat exposure.
My wife then asked if I could do something with steel. I immediately had a vision of a completed ironclad.
The problem would be the the length as it was longer than 8'. Splicing was out because I didn't want to use anything thicker than 14 ga. due to the weight. I also didn't want anything so light that it would oilcan and give a wavy appearance. I sourced a remnant long enough to cover the front and still have some for the 90º return along the bottom.
Not cheap the 14 gauge remnant cost me $150. That same piece would have ran under $50 a couple of years ago but I had to do it.
I made a template from butcher paper then transferred it to a 3/16" piece of pressboard. Working alone this got tricky with the slightest breeze and up 12'. I drilled a 1/16" hole in the middle top of the template and tacked it in place with a finish nail. I then drilled two more holes to the left and right of center so I could check thefitmenwt on the ends. The head of the center finishing nail was cut leaving basically an indexing pin for subsequent fit-ups. This ensured I would be placing the template in the exact location each time I made slight adjustments for the reveal I was after. Once I was satisfied with the template fit-up, I transferred it to the sheet and hand cut the pattern using a plasma.
To be continued...

 

[firestopper]

The shape of the iron clad prevented me from using a break to bend the 90º so it was TIG welded using a corner joint.
A corner joint on 14 gauge is pretty darn small and the smallest filler rod I had was 1/16". I wanted to use filler because
autogenous welding would have resulted in a radius corner after blending. I wanted a one piece look when done.
This ArcZone tungston grinder does a fine job prepping tungsten.

The weld joint was close to 74". To maintain the corner joint small autogenous tack were done every 6-8".
The welding was done in back step fashion to prevent warping keeping each bead about 3-4" long.

A close up shows the weld joint compared to the filler rod.

After blending, the corner joint presented with a nice sharp corner giving the ironclad a one piece look.

The same three holes were transferred to the ironclad with the center hole indexing onto the pin (headless nail) still on the header.
The right end fit with paintable silicone sealing the entire edges.

The left end. These small 1-1/4" screws were used to secure the ironclad until the silicone cured.

A view of the bottom return.

I sourced some old school square head 5/16"X 1.5" lag screws as well as five cast iron star washers.
Each screw was removed and the metal was drilled to 5/16" and pilot drilled for the lags. Prior to setting the lags the holes were filled with the same silicon to prevent any water from entering.

A close up of the lags and star washers. you can witness the silicone seal around the heads. A bead formed under the star washers in sure because I pumped a generous amount prior to driving in the lags.

The overall ironclad installed. This will be left to rust naturally and will match the four front garage doors. The star washers give a nice focal point to the main entry. I no longer will have to worry or paint that header.

My wife idea, my execution.
Next up, delete 8 exterior window and replace all exterior doors with commercial steel frames and doors that swing out.
The front main door will also be upgraded. Im still designing it. The house is undergoing hardening to keep parasites out.
Thank for visiting...

 

[OkDually]

Beautiful work!

 

[Ben A Gonna]

Very nice job
Many hours involved.
Why is it when the better half gets an idea, that idea relates to hours of labor, and shop work, let alone the cost of material.
You da man

L8R

 

[firestopper]

When I was building the ironclad, I had problems with my Syncrowave powering up. I would have to cycle the power switch several times before it would fire up. The digital displays would momentarily light but then go dark. After finishing the project, I began to trouble shoot the machine. With the skins off I checked incoming voltage to the switch. L-1 and L-2 were hot. T-1 and T-2 not hot with the switch off (good). Switch on I had power to T-1 and T-2 so the switch checked out but the machine not powered up.
I looked for any obvious conditions to no avail. I called miller and spoke to an engineer (supposedly) and he had me do the same things I had already done prior. He stated I needed a new main board. This board runs over $1K and I was not convinced this was the issue because again, I could get the machine to fire up when I cycled the switch several times. We hunf

Beautiful work!

Thank you sir! It should look nice when rust set in.

 

[firestopper]

Very nice job
Many hours involved.
Why is it when the better half gets an idea, that idea relates to hours of labor, and shop work, let alone the cost of material.
You da man

L8R

A good question brother. My knee was complaining as I lost track of how many times I was up/dwn.🤣

 

[firestopper]

When I was welding the ironclad, my Syncrowave was acting up. The Miller Syncrowave 250DX was purchased new back in 2007 and has ultra low hours. I bet she has under 40 hours total time. Anyway the problem I was having was when I flipped the power switch the digital readouts would lite momentarily then go dark. The machine failed to fire up with the power on. I could cycle the switch several times rapidly and eventually it would latch on.
I pulled the skins off and was looking for anything obvious to no avail. I traced the schematics but with so many enclosed potted components I was lost for the most part. The Fluke indicated I had incoming power to L-1 and L-2 of the switch with no power passing through the switch (off) to T-1 and T-2. With the switch on I had power to T-1 and T-2 so I assumed the switch was ok. I called Miller and spoke to an "engineer". He had me do the same things I had already done. At this point he indicated I needed a new main board to a tune of over a grand. I asked him why if my board is bad can I get the machine to fire when I cycled the power switch rapidly. I was thinking a relay was failing to latch but everything is solid state on this unit. We hung up and I kept fiddling with it. I began to tap on the face (moderately) of the machine with the switch on and got it to fire. I then took a wooden handle and began to tap in a isolated fashion softly and noticed as I got closer to the switch I could get the machine to fire. I then went inside the machine and tapped gently on the switch itself and could get the machine to fire at will. I knew the connections were good and tight and I also witnessed bright copper connections so no corrosion. I unplugged the machine and removed the switch and rilled out for rivets and saw this;

Combing through the schematics I realized why I had power to T-1 and T-2 side of the switch with it on. Turns out T-1 was back feeding T-2 tricking me into thinking the switch was fine with the machine plugged in and switch on.
I looked at the IPB and got the part number for the switch. Turns out Miller discontinued selling the switch alone and now sells it with the four #4 cables already installed with terminals at the other end. They sell this assembly (same switch) for $280. The switch is a simple 60A 600VAC double pole single throw. I took the model catalog number from the switch itself and found a Hubble/Bryant (same switch) on Ebay NOS for $97. It shipped from Louisiana and I had it in two days. The toggle is itself is conventional were the same switch made for Miller has a flat style toggle. No bid deal, a set of jewelers file made short work of the face and the switch fit nicely. I now know why miller sends out the leads already installed. They barely fit into the side mouse holes of the switch.

A view of the switch inside with the four #4 cables.

Flip the switch and bam we have power. Notice the slightly modified face to accommodate the toggle for a savings of $200.

Im so glad I doubted the Miller fella. I would have spent over $1K and still needed a switch. Plus you know how they are about electronics once they've been plugged in....No returns.
It all worked out.
Turn and Burn!

 

[OkDually]

Money well saved with today's economy

 

[firestopper]

Continental spare tire

Had a fella ask about building him a continental spare tire kit for his 1953 Chevy Belair. He did provide me with an example although in rough shape I was able to duplicate the pattern. I had the liberty of choosing different material and improve on the example without reinventing the wheel. Whom ever built the deck plate example I used to pattern off of, used very thin sheetmetal and as a result they then built up the flimsy deck with fiberglass. The other material change was the thickness of the flat bar used to extend the OEM bumper.
The entire 16 gauge material was free hand cut using the Hypertherm plasma at 60A. I could have used a much smaller Amped tip but I like to move faster than most as I feel I am smoother.
The gray colored is the example piece used to duplicate the deck plate. The wing or shark fin as I call it will be profiled to match up the the lower rear rocker.

The profile I'm aiming for.

The center opening is to accommodate the spare tire. I believe a tub of some sort drops in encasing the lower half to the spare.

I made a special die that fits on the break attachment for the iron worker. Some preplanned lines on the inside were scribed as a guide to keep the radius parallel to the shark fin.

The first one went well and fit close to the example. Im sure the body guy will need to massage the wings some but that's to be expected since I don't have the car here. You can clearly see how thin the material is on the original kit.

Rinse and repeat.

Notice how flimsy and wavy the example is compared to the one I cut from 16 gauge. The 1/8" X 1/2" flat bar was drilled every 4" and will be rosette welded creating a frame around the spare tire opening.

Here you can see the thinner section framed in with the flat strap material.

More to add...

 

[firestopper]

The rosette or plug welds are a good way to weld this narrow reinforcement in. It allows for skipping around the heat applied preventing distortion. It's also a clean and non protruding weld.

The same stock was used to continue the reinforcement along this end of the deck plate.

On the remaining reinforcements I choose 1/8" x 1" and was able to punch all the 5/16 holes for plug welding.

This is a spare support tire bracket I made (right) using the left as an example. I did use 1/8" plate to fabricate the tire mount ad the example piece was made from 16 gauge and was too flimsy for my liking. The wheel studs were pressed in and welded from the back side. The actual mounting brackets were made from 1/4" x 1" flat bar and drilled on the CNC mill using the DRO for accuracy.

With six reinforcing sections welded in, the deck plate is almost as ridged as I'd like, but still needs four more sections.

A different angle.

More to follow...

 

[firestopper]

Some details on the spare tire bracket.

The L shaped bracket mounted to the inside supports a swing bracket that secures the top half of the spare tire cover. It utilizes a slotted hole that when the two are mated (closed) the hole appeasers round.

The bracket id ready for pressing in the wheel studs.

Hard to see but the example bracket's (left) face is distorted from being too thin for the weight of the spare.
I ended up removing the wheel studs and flattening the face followed by a new 1/8" plate on the inside to beef up the entire support. New wheel studs pressed in and good to go.

The bumper extensions are made from 3/8" x 2.5" flat bar. The examples are made from 1/4" x 2.5" so not adequate IMO. I didn't have a slotted punch small enough so I used 5/8" round to create slots followed by a clean up pass on the Mill using a 1/2" four flute end mill.

Set up on the mill, two passes were made to clean up the slot.

Back on the spare tire bracket. The wheel studs pressed in and 1/2 welded from the back side to complete the bracket.

The completed bumper extensions complete. The upper (black) is original and only 1/4" thick.

With all the reinforcements complete on the deck plate the wings were welded in solid on the outside followed by blending. Back welding was used to keep the heat buildup low.

The blended finish. I used a 3M 50 grit 2" Roloc disc on a 90º die grinder. Those discs used to cost .17 each. Now they're $1.00 each and don't last very long. Need to find another alternative. Ive been a fan of those Roloc for two decades.

Almost done.

 

[firestopper]

The details on the completed deck plate can be seen since its upside down on the floor. The use of flat strap for rigidity will also allow the body guy to preform any irregularities out while fit-up.

The S/T bracket mount is also made from 3/8 x 2.5.

Another detail of the pivot bracket that secures the top half of the S/T cover.

This shot shows the finish side or top portion of the deck plate. Nice and flat too.

The customer was stoked with the results. The price I gave him was more than fair since I had everything except the 3/8" x 2.5 flat bar. He ordered two more kits. The kits found on line run $1,800 and made from much thinner material so there's that.

This is an example of how the Continental spare tire kit looks when done. The deck plate needs to be flat and somewhat rigid. It takes up the unsightly gap created when mounting a spare tire. The wings or shark fins take up the gap created at the lower portion of the rocker panel. The heavier bumper extensions push the rear bumper out while the deck plate rests on those bumper extensions. Two rod braces support the tips of the wings and provide more support.
The spare tire mount and support brackets also support the spare and spare tire cover. I'm hoping the gap you see in the photo between the deck plate and spare is minimal on the kit I built but again, I was provided a substandard example.

Back to some structural steel projects I have on deck...
Thanks for the visit and as usual, any questions, good, bad, or indifferent comments are always welcome.

The Bonus!
Valkyrie (L) and Hercules. They sure put a smile on my face!

 

[OkDually]

Awesome work

 

[firestopper]

Awesome work

Than you sir,
I hope it all fits properly.🤞

 

[IdahoSteve]

Double that, Awesome work

Is there anything you can't do? (I already know the answer)

You have such a nice shop along with all the proper machines & tools.

 

[firestopper]

Double that, Awesome work

Is there anything you can't do? (I already know the answer)

You have such a nice shop along with all the proper machines & tools.

Haha you'r too kind brother, thank you.
I like variety of work for sure but one thing I can share unequivocally that I have always failed at or can't do...Investing money in the market. Seems I only know one way to make a living, and that's using my back.
The equipment keeps me humble because not too long ago (1987) I started off with a 4" Makita grinder, a 14" Makita chop saw, and a Millermatic 200. That said, I invest in tools/equipment that helps me stay competitive. The thing that most of us don't realize is the time it takes to keep the shop, vehicles, equipment running smoothly not to mention the cleaning involved. Not complaining one bit but my body sometimes protests certain positions I once took for granted.
In short, our brother here (Thankful) whom posts a daily prayer has a perfect signature statement that reads as follows:
Everything I have belongs to God. He allows me to use things while I'm here. When I die, it all stays here.
Thanks again for the visit and have a great weekend brother.

 

[firestopper]

Porch swing anchors
My BIL fell some 30” onto his tailbone when the anchor failed that was supporting a single person “soft swing” basket. The bad was he had lower back surgery back in February.
He was lucky to have only brushed his tailbone.
I set out to make him a couple of strong anchor from scrap.
Using some 1/4” flat bar and some chain links two new anchors were made to rehang the his/her swing baskets.

a simple strong solution.