Winch carrier for Fiery (née Free Steel...........)

[sae70]

.......I was at my m8's workshop the day before yesterday to find him talking about scraping a couple of 250x150x6mm steel box sections that had been used for gate posts. He hadn't finished speaking before I had one up into his saw and cut as big a bit off a I could

Just need to find something to use it for now

 

[andyw]

You could use it as a short gate post.

 

[chadr]

You could use it as a short gate post.

Or cut it in half and 2 very short gate posts.....?

 

[sae70]

Awesome ideas lads

It would seem the possibilities are endless

If you cut it length ways along two of the corners you'd have two giant letter L's

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

should be useful for something, just can't think what! If you cut it length ways it will probably deform.

 

[sae70]

........................ If you cut it length ways it will probably deform.

It didn't seem to!!!

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

If you put a straight edge against it it probably won't be quite straight. Box section tends to be quite stressed, unless it's cold drawn instead of welded?

 

[sae70]

Seems to be fine for what I'm going to use it for

If I were making a surface marking table I'm sure it wouldn't be the steel for the job

 

[Ben]

Looking good.

You going to have it finished in time for Lincomb?

 

[sae70]

Looking good.

Thank you Ben

You going to have it finished in time for Lincomb?

I really do hope so, fingers crossed, but as always got loads to get done on the truck before then and no time to do it. Shan't get anything done this weekend as big family wedding today on Mersea island. My dads up from Cornwall and staying with us till Monday so...............Mmmmmmm!

edit - Giles came over yesterday for a look at the winch project as I called him to procure some steel. I mentioned November to him, he left with a glint in his eye

 

[Ben]

How are you going to attach your winch tray to the chassis rails?

Looking at your pics above i can only see one bolt hole each side.

 

[AndyCook]

nice project - look forward to reading updates

 

[sae70]

How are you going to attach your winch tray to the chassis rails?

Looking at your pics above i can only see one bolt hole each side.

There's not many options as I'm sure that J66P will tell you, but having now looked at four other designs for mounting a winch tray to the Collie they all use the two bolts on each chassis rail that would normally hold the recovery eyes.

I should probably start a new thread about the winch install, but hey-ho. Here's some pics of today's progress

 

[sae70]

There's not much of that free steel left

 

[Ben]

Nice work!

 

[sae70]

Nice work!

Cheers Ben

Not much today, but cut a bit more off the thing and drilled a few big holes in it. Its prety much done now apart from a couple of tabs that need welding on and a lick of paint

Started to sort out some of the 'lectrics today also

I also popped a bit of that trim edging along an exposed edge of the chassis to offer just a little bit more protection to the cable should it get bunched and jammed.

 

[warrenpfo]

That is some great work you have done. How do you plan on getting to the free spool lever or has that already been sorted?

I really do envy you guys that have the space and ability to join metal and make nice things. Its far nicer than just going out and having to buy what you want because you dont have the time or ability to make it. Top job.

Out of interest what welder are you using?

 

[sae70]

That is some great work you have done

Thank you

How do you plan on getting to the free spool lever or has that already been sorted?

It is very easy to operate it through the upper right hand slot in whats left of the bumper, you can just see it in this photo

View attachment 76155

I really do envy you guys that have the space and ability to join metal and make nice things

So do I Most of what I've done here has been done in the garden while setting light to the grass or outside my m8's workshop, affording at the most a couple of hours at a time and today far less than that!! I'd take more time to do stuff in lieu of a workshop at the mo though

Out of interest what welder are you using?

I have no idea as I'm not using it. It's my m8 that's doing the welding for me He's got a couple of huge three phase welders and that portable one in the photo that I used for tacking up, before passing it over to him for welding up. He always says why don't you do this yourself, but I figure with so little time for me to get things done, why not let him do it for me in a quarter the time to a much higher standard while I get on with something else. I've done all the thinking. planing, measuring, cutting and preping etc just no welding

 

[sae70]

I forgot to mention that the winch tray weighs in at just 15Kg I'm very pleased with this although it would have been better if it had come in at 13Kg as the bare winch weighs in at 27Kg so it would have been nice round numbers in total 40Kg. As it is it's not so bad Bare winch 27Kg, winch tray 15Kg, additional bolts and upper winch hook hanger 500grams, synthetic rope - hook - hawes 2.2Kg with just the cabling, contactor and remotes still to weigh. I reckon the total weight of the winch install will be around 50Kg, but then there's the weight of all of the bits of bumper and chassis ends I've removed to deduct plus I'm not finished hole drilling yet

I think the additional weight will come in around 40/45Kg

 

[sae70]

Today saw the final fitting of the winch tray, the addition of some tabs along the rear edge to pick up some existing holes in the cross member and a jolly good clean up ready for the Galvanisers