Though it does not work for curved cuts, when I was building rails for my frame, I used a metal blade in a regular circular saw. It goes quickly, with very little heat if you keep an eye on your pace. You have probably already thought of that, but it might help other folks...
yes, I've done that too it takes a wide cut, and goes through blades, discs? pretty fast on thicker material but sure can rip some sheet metal quick!
Yay, no more sending newbies off to the antidote.com! If you dont have an oxy kit, you can just insert a section of 1 3/4" tube in the front and weld that in instead of heating and curling the ends around, thats what i did. thanks for taking the time to do such a clear, succinct description.
ran out of grinder discs, so while the welds cool and before i go get some more, here's an update; measured the stock frame again, this time for the rear taper, I'll make the slice right in the middle of the side, tapering both top and bottom trying to minimize warpage so to end up with a two and a half inch tube height at the end I leave an inch and a quarter top and bottom, tapering to meet at the center 30" forward with a small piecut towards the bottom leaving the bottom strip intact again with the sawsall and grinder with the thin disc the cuts are made, the edges beveled and the rail clamped to the frame table and tacked
and welded, then repeat with the other rail... and sit down to post pictures on the hamb more to follow.
Great job on the tech, and explaining it too! If a pair of these frame rails made there way to the classifieds, what would be the price? And for a basic completed frame? (rails and front and rear crossmembers only)
good questions, I'd have to look into the going rate and weigh my cost and time accordingly.. I'm thinking roughly $400 for the rails as you see them at this stage.. probably have to ask $800 or $900 complete and ready to bolt up, won't know if I could do better than that till it's done.. not cheap, but realistic I'm afraid..
thanks, that was the idea nothing new here, anybody with the basic tools should be able to do it. or if you can't, you can see what's involved in making the one you just ordered.
This is definitely one of the best tech threads I've read. You do indeed make it look easy and you explain the process very well for those like me who are fabricationally challenged. What's your process for alternating your welds in effort to minimalize warpage? I screwed up my crusty A frame by not alternating enough. Thanks for the post, I'm tuned in 'till the end.
Hi Paul! I forgot to mention, this one is six inches longer than stock to make more room in the engine bay and will get a mild two inch step in front, haven't decided on the rear yet, kinda playin' it by ear this will go under the Coupe body, which will be channeled the depth of the frame so, 4 inch channel, two inch step, three inch axle (Ford), reverse eye spring, should all play together to get it down without being pavement scraping too low.
hey Devin, mostly I try to clamp everything and leave it clamped till cool to not concentrate too much heat in one spot to alternate hot spots or better yet to ballance hot spots equally so one will cancel the other out, like the rear taper here, same amount of material top and bottom and side to side, same amount of weld on both sides. so if clamped solid and welded in the same pattern and sequence it will stay nice and true, which it did
Great thread, I am sure many will make use of your info, nice work. Dont you love your frame jig too?? I have a simple homemade one that I don't know how I would do without. As well as giving a great fixture to clamp to and keep it all in shape, I find it kind of acts as a heat sync and absorbs some of the welding heat from the frame to help with warpage. Great progress for a couple days work Dan
Great tech. I love this stuff. It's also pretty well how I made one for a friend earlier this year. I used 2x1 box to gusset the back side of the front crossmember.
thank you Rolf, coming from you that is especially appreciated, your work is very inspiring, very clean and exact
thanks Dan, yeah, it's an invaluable tool that's for sure. sometimes I think I could have made it taller but being the 30" or so off the ground means I can climb in and over it and it's about the right height to place chair up to and sit while welding
thanks! yours looks great! I remember it, it was one that inspired me to do this like I said earlier, this was meant as basic tech, nothing new or exotic, just one more presentation of a proven technique.... by definition does that equal traditional? nah, looks too much like street rod stuff to be traditional I must admit, I still prefer the look of a nicely boxed set of cherry Ford rails to the fabbed 2x4 look but cherry rails aren't easy to find or as cheap as they used to be. around here $200.00 will buy you a rusty pitted barely useable stocker. I haven't seen a really cherry one for years.. at any price. maybe I'm not looking in the right places? anyway, for what it's worth, for this one so far materials are right at $200.00 and time invested is getting close to 16 hours. forget what I said earlier about being worth $400.00 it's beyond that now
Very good post. FWIW I've seen 1/4 wall used (a little heavy, but allows you to tap frame for stuff). Allows a little cleaner look for the little stuff too, no extra tabs etc.
Very nice job. I like what you did making the frame horns out of the tubing so that they are one piece. More work but looks very good. i usuall make the frome horn a separate piece then weld it on. If you get thing lined up straight it looks good too.
I almost did it that way, because I had planned on stepping it at the firewall anyway in the end I did it like this for two reasons, first I may not step it and why create a splice when I don't need to and second I thought it would give me better control of the piece I had thought of building just horns to sell though... say from the firewall forward maybe a four foot length so the customer could put the splice where ever they wanted...? had a ballpark figure of $300.00 a pair in mind..? wonder if that would sell? are there any aftermarket venders selling just the front sections?
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