Sliders and they're all mine!!!

[Chris]

Well, another fine day for hammering and banging. Once I'd finished that, I decided to make some sliders. Lovely to be working outside, not tripping over stuff every two minutes. Using the patented Wildsmith Jig-O-Matic I got the outriggers cut, cleaned up and the main slider spars done in 90 mins. What a saving that is. (worth the £100 per week rental, eh Jon.)

Next got it all lined up and tacked. Quick offer up to see if we were in the right ball park.

Little bit of tinkering to be done to get every leg bang one. Maybe mine is accident damaged?

Looking good.

Yep, they'll do for me.

Then in the lovely but sweltering heat, I got to gluing it all together

Something to keep the mice out of the sliders. Don't worry, I wasn't using the tape to measure anything. It's handy for scratching your back

Bit more glue and a wipe over

And in no time at all (only £50 per hour folks) .... Bob's your Auntie Joan.

OK. Just a matter of some tree bars now. I may bend pipe, cut pipe with compound angles or.... Dunno yet. I might be able to use the decking off the original steps to cover them. We'll see. Other jobs tomorrow. Still some gussets (can I say that on here?) to put against the outriggers, but had enough for today. I need Pimms. Oops, I mean really strong ale!

Chris

 

[Andrew Prince]

Wow, you make it sound easy! Nice work there, Chris
I take it Jon's jig saved you a little time then

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

You're not doing a very good job of building up how big a favour you're doing making someones sliders Chris I didn't give you the fitting instructions, will you need them? Ray should get the credit for the jigs, they're mostly his work, I just made the sliders.

 

[Mark Whiteside]

i thought you would have a go first building your own before borrowing Jons jig
seeing what you did on the 90

 

[AndyCook]

very professional - respect!

you deserve a pint of "hobgoblin"

and like the assortment of used oil bottles in background on first shot - like my back garden...

 

[Chris]

Andy, Sunday is visit to the tip day. Cans lined up for Missus. Well she likes a trip out.

It's a labour of love making these things and it's different when they are for yourself I guess. Honestly, making up the basic slider is not a big job. Oh I suppose the jig saved me a few minutes (cough). But there is the trip to the steel yard, waiting in for the delivery, getting all the @$&* out of the garage first to get to your welder. Sorting your workspace etc. Took me some while to cut the gussets (oh I love saying that) not to mention about 4 discs to cut them out of 4mm plate. Making a set to this point is not hard, but it's not actually quick either. There is a hell of a lot of weld in there. I fully seam weld everything. Not just a blob here and there, but all the way around. There's the gas and wire to pay for. And the tea.. blimey, India is on stand by for the next phase. It's a bit like Ready Steady Cook. There is a bag of ingredients, but the stuff in your store cupboard is essential. I know that Jon doesn't have many plates and bolts left. So making that lot from scratch would be another day in the workshop for sure.

If someone wanted to come around and help to make a set for their truck - and I mean get stuck in, then I might make another set. But in terms of just making them and posting them off, then frankly I think they'd be better off just buying some from Frogs. If I were to put in the same effort tomorrow (if I had the material and machinery) I'd just about get the set finished ready for powder coating. I worked at a steady pace today, started at 8 finished around 5. That's harder than I work during the week!!!

These guys like ARB, TJM etc are able to knock this stuff out like shelling peas. OK they have to pay for the set up cost (Jig-O-Matic) but I reckon that they must be doing quite nicely out of each set.
The 90 is a breeze at the rails are straight. The 80 is a bitch.

Fitting instructions Jon. Damn don't tell me that they are on upside down. Again.

We'll see how they turn out before we all get itchy welding trigger fingers.

Chris (well and truly Hobgobblin'd by now I can assure you. Replacing essential fluids don't cha know.

 

[BobMurphy]

Nice job

And I'll second what you say about the amount of work / hassle involved that doesn't get taken into consideration.

If we were doing this sort of thing every day it would be straightforward but every job is a 'first time' and even little things like getting the Amp settings on the welder right take time .

I've spent all day making a Sat Nav mounting for my BMW bike. At the end I've got a small bent tin bracket but its taken a lot of measuring, cutting, measuring, grinding, measuring, bending, measuring, welding, grinding, measuring, drilling, linishing, fitting, adjusting and painting.

At the end of the day, though, its all your own work and if it does the job and looks good its all worthwhile.

Great White is looking good.

Bob.

 

[Chris]

Cheers Bob. But, knowing you it will be one hell of a "just a bracket"

C

 

[BobMurphy]

Cheers Bob. But, knowing you it will be one hell of a "just a bracket"
C

Well, there was some turning involved - to convert a piece of 12mm round bar into a 130mm threaded tube - that took a while

Bob.

 

[TonyP]

Looking good Chris.

 

[TobyJug]

superb, looking great.....

 

[Chris]

Well didn't get a lot done today, what with the weather, Grand Prix and changing the ATF and transfer oil etc. But did get some GUSSETS (Oh I am such a child) welded in. Looking pretty unbreakable now.

Anyway, it's late, I am tired. I think I may pour a beer and watch the England game. I hear they are red hot favourites, so I wouldn't want to miss that. Any idea what time it's on?


PS NO they aren't bent, it's the camera angle!!

Chris

 

[AndyCook]

"PS NO they aren't bent, it's the camera angle!!"


was just about to.....


oh - did i miss the football, oh dear..... did England win

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

I don't think you'll be bending those in a hurry Have you decided what to do with the step yet?

 

[Chris]

Not really Jon. Decided to take it phase at a time. The slider is the blank canvas if you like. It's the platform for everything else. I favour round tube rather than making it from more box. I will put the obligatory tubes in for High Lift jacking. But going to have a sit and a think about it all for a bit. Can I work out some new never seen before feature?

We'll see.

Chris

 

[Chris]

Well, been a busy little bee today. And my oh my was it warm. Got some tree fenders made up and glued on. OK Dr Jon W advised against round tube. Well, my car, my design and I don't have to worry about the Missus getting in and out frankly. I will get them coated and the guys who do my stuff tell me that they have a sort of rubberised non slip coating that they can apply. I don't stand on them to get in. I have long legs and I just hop straight in anyway. They are 4mm wall 48 OD gas pipe.

I have cut them rather than bent them as I can't bend pipe! They are now very heavy indeed. And will snap an oak tree! They stick out and up to protect the sills.

Talk about side impact protection!

Chris

 

[TonyP]

Nice one Chris.... I see you are sticking to a tried and tested design

Oh, and what you doing with MY jack

 

[Chris]

Here's a view from the side that shows how far up they are angled. The weird green effect is my daughter's paddling pool! I had to look twice.
I shall fit the obligatory but pointless high lift points tomorrow

 

[BobMurphy]

Looking good Chris.

Techy question - What sort of welder do you have ??

I use a Migmate 150 with an 'X' size bottle of Argoshield (don't get me started on rental costs ), but I've not been very impressed with its performance. I also have a 35-year-old Italian 130 Amp stick welder that has done good work over the years.

Your welds look very impressive.

Bob.

 

[Chris]

Hi Bob, how you doing?

I have a Butters UK WeldWizard 180. Made in Telford. It has a Euro Torch, about 6 power settings and wire speed adjustment of course plus spot timer. Does .6 and .8 on full sized 15kg reels. I really do like it. It works. That's it - it works.

I am on a Y sized BOC Argoshield light but I have got a deal as a very low user. Say 2-3 bottles per year. I now don't pay rental. I mailed this fella in Manchester and made my case. Next thing I know, all charges are dropped and I pay something like £26 flat rate for swapping a bottle. I think it was something like 'Volksgas' - a deal worked out by a VW club.

Now some of those welds are not my best. They are quite tricky really. Round section isn't hard if you have the room, but balanced across the front of my quad and the freezer, it's a pain. The flat stuff is easy and my welds are getting better end better. Santa is going to bring me a better helmet. I have a Parweld which is fine, but having done the research, it's clear that the optical clarity of the LCD unit is poor. I struggle to see sometimes.

I got it here - http://www.diywelding.co.uk/?i=145696 It's no toy.

Chris