Popular Post ranchhopper Posted January 23, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 23, 2015 As some here know Im going to put a cargo bed on my RS700L to do parades this summer I brought the bed home a couple weeks ago now I started work on it being in the high 20s today what better day to weld outside. Yesterday I cut the rear filler panel out as it was pretty bent up and I wanted to civilianize the military bed a bit. I am a bit of a scrounge so I saved some pieces of eight inch C channel last summer that was going into the scrap bin at work and welded them together yesterday to make the rear filler panel. Today I made a jig to cut the holes for the four inch round tail lights using a torch to cut holes is so much faster than a hole saw but the jig makes them about perfect these have not even been touched up with a grinder yet. After welding the filler panel in I cut some gussets out of the junk filler panel to weld into the rear corners for strength and for a place to mount a clearance light sometime in the near future it will go into the sandblasters to be cleaned up Im not sure I want to remount the tailgate the way it was or reengineer it cutting it in half to swing out each side instead. 7 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezrider Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 looks like some nice work there. nothing like flying sparks and molten metal. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-275569 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranchhopper Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 I would have been much easier in a shop instead of outside on top a car trailer. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-275570 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezrider Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 yes for sure. looks chilly there too. it was mid 40's today here i actually worked with the shop door open for a bit todaymighty fine looking work. look forward to seeing the final product 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-275575 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 A day welding beats a day dealing with the BS on the road any day. Heck, my day started off being run off the road by a cop who didn't bother checking his mirrors before sliding over inches from the bumper of the vehicle that had just cut me off. Considering my bumper was even with his driver's door, you'd THINK he would've seen me. My air horn didn't even seem to phase him...I SHOULD'VE just let him hit me & sent him spinning off into the median, but there's too much paperwork involved in that. Worst part was he wasn't even interested in the dumbass that had cut me off...he was out of his jurisdiction. St Louis County cop on the Illinois side of the river. Oh well...45 miles 'til the weekend. Gonna spend it trying to figure out why the TH400 trans in the new-to-us 1990 GMC Suburban (3/4 ton 4x4) is spitting tranny fluid from the vent...and dig into why the F250 roasted my jumper cables last weekend. Have yet to install the new battery. By the way...in THIS end of the state, we've been in the upper 40's to mid 50's for the past week. Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-275577 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranchhopper Posted January 24, 2015 Author Share Posted January 24, 2015 It would be nice to get some 40s and 50s its been so damp this winter just goes right through you been busy cutting and splitting firewood just to replace what I have used so far this year. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-275587 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I spent enough time up that way in my younger years. I'll take the Southern heat over the northern cold any day...much easier to find a shade tree and sip on an icy cold beverage to cool off than it is to try working with 20 layers of clothes and thick insulated gloves to keep warm. 1 Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-275591 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladislav Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I'd say good start on that bed.And those torch cut holes seem pretty round on my display.Good luck on the project and keep your feet warm Quote Никогда не бывает слишком много грузовиков! leversole 11.2012 Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-276134 Share on other sites More sharing options...
other dog Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I'd say good start on that bed.And those torch cut holes seem pretty round on my display.Good luck on the project and keep your feet warm You're right about the feet Vlad- If your feets are warm it's not too bad being outside, whether you're working, hunting, or playing- but if they're cold you're cold all over and it's just miserable. Quote Producer of poorly photo-chopped pictures since 1999. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-276135 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladislav Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Tom, I read in some book the other day that at the temperatures about the freezing point the loss of bodie's heat through a head might be up to 80%. Head is the most important part on organizm's mind so it uses to supply it with all the best. This way wearing a hat in the cold is a good practice. Shure not a tin foil one Quote Никогда не бывает слишком много грузовиков! leversole 11.2012 Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-276138 Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatcity Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Its not the cold that bothers me, its the contrails in the sky 1 Quote Success is only a stones throw away.................................................................for a Palestinian Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-276139 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Maikshilo Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Great job, Looks like you'll have it ready in time. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-276144 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranchhopper Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 The bed goes to the sand blasters next week I decided to split the tailgate down the center and make it fold out like doors on a dry van. I will weld hinges to the rear uprights and go from there I will use cane bolts to lock each side individually and I will weld a piece of flat stock on one door to overlap the other like a dry van. Went down to the recyclers Saturday and bought some new road signs that were sitting there the backs will polish up like a mirror for the inserts between the ribs on the sides. 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-276147 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladislav Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Sounds like a plan.The only thing want to note about those shiny inserts is they must be done of plates of a good thikness. And absolutely flat originally.Otherwise you will not see a mirror but just a play of sun beams on a deformed surface.I don't want you to direct to a steel shop for 2 mm polished SS sheets right now (I would do that myself) but just make one plate by the way you've planned, fit on the body and see how it's actually pretty. Quote Никогда не бывает слишком много грузовиков! leversole 11.2012 Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-276275 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranchhopper Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 As seen in the picture the uprights are flanged where they meet the flat side of the bed the inserts will be fitted to sit on these flanges and will be held in with stainless steel rivets or nuts and bolts I have not decided which I will use yet. 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-276279 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ranchhopper Posted January 29, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 29, 2015 Got more done today Im going with 3/4 inch LED clearance lights so I used a hole saw and got those all taken care of and where the I cut insets into the front panel where it gets close to the stacks and welded some sheet metal in to give the rolled edge some support I slobbered a bit of brown paint on the raw metal to keep the rust from forming. 5 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-276567 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Maikshilo Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Looking good! Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-276666 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ranchhopper Posted March 14, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted March 14, 2015 A little update on the progress of the bed going on the RS everyone else was making me feel lazy with their restoration work so heres an update on the progress. I went to a friends sawmill and picked up some kiln dried ash wood for the seat slats stained them and two coats of polyurethane later they came out pretty good Im not a fan of painting wood hiding its natural beauty. I fabricated up a much lighter tailgate than the original and just this morning welded it to the hinges everything is fastened with stainless steel hardware. This has been a bit of a costly endeavor with paint at $250 dollars a gallon not to mention the reducer and hardener and all the stainless steel carriage bolts but worth it the veterans will be happy to sit on new benches in this years parades all that needs to be done to finish the bed is finish the rhino liner on the floor the sides were done last week and the polished aluminum diamond plate inserts that go between the ribs on the bed will need to be installed when they arrive this week sometime. The tractor is next some fiberglass work and paint will spruce her up for the summer until next winter when I will take it apart for a complete paint job. 3 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-282606 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladislav Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Beautiful !!I will need to build a cargo body for my military Mack in the future so I keep my eye for any stuff built and figure out the amount of work.So I can see you've done alot to get this look. Quote Никогда не бывает слишком много грузовиков! leversole 11.2012 Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-282608 Share on other sites More sharing options...
41chevy Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Nothing beats natural wood! what is the cut out at the end of the bench for? Arm rest / guard rail ? Paul Quote "OPERTUNITY IS MISSED BY MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS DRESSED IN OVERALLS AND LOOKS LIKE WORK" Thomas Edison “Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘Holy shit, what a ride!’” P.T.CHESHIRE Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-282613 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranchhopper Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Nothing beats natural wood! what is the cut out at the end of the bench for? Arm rest / guard rail ? PaulIts a hand hold you grab that when climbing up on the bumper to get in. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38566-fabrication-day/#findComment-282615 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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