Muzikp's Sometimes Driveable Build

I actually love cutting metal with a bandsaw. I only sold my little one because it was too small and inefficient for what I need. I've used a converted upright model before, and it was awesome.

The key to blade life is making sure your tooth count is high enough to have a minimum of 2-3 teeth in contact with the material. So if cutting 1/8" material, you should have a 20 tpi blade, minimum. Also, a bimetal blade is a few dollars more, but the teeth can outlast the base metal. I've had the blade brake from fatigue before the teeth lost their edge.

The reason I'd personally go the jack shaft route, once you have the shaft, belts and bearings, pulleys are cheap. It would be easy enough to dial in your blade speed. Using a gear reduction unit, you'd be a little limited on speed options.

 

What that guy wants for one and what someone will pay are 2 different things. I rebuilt a delta 16" or so and used it for a bit before i sold it and really thought I was going to use that big 20" to resaw wood beams and stuff. I never did. I used it exactly 3 times after I rebuilt, rewired and repainted it with auto paint in 5 years. It was really nice to look at. I sold all my old american iron stationary wood tools to buy a new dirt bike and ride the west with my sons this past summer. I just never used any of them any more. I don't regret it for one second.

 

Long story but I also have this sitting in my garage right now, it's currently posted on CL. No idea what kind of speed it goes up and down, seems fast to me. Would it be good for metal work?

 

Probably not enough to validate keeping it.

 

Yes!!!! I’ve finally turned the corner on this gas tank. I’ve also got about 80% of the center console that sits on top of it done. I welded up new seat brackets and I feel like I’m about to move forward again. I’ll get pics of all that soon.

 

Now I’m starting to think about my rock sliders and tieing the roll cage to the frame and maybe integrating that all together. Does anybody have good ideas for this? If you could post pictures of how you’ve done it or seen it done that would be much appreciated.

 

Be interesting to see what you come up with, this is next for me after after I get it back on the road.

 

The first post of my thread skimmed over how I am tying my cage in with the use of inner-wheelwell framework. It's probably more involved than you're looking to get into, but just throwing ideas out there.

Varg In Jeep's Clothing

 

Yeh, I've studied that and I love it. But what should "I" do

For some reason I have it in my mind to not weld attachments to the frame. But I honestly don't know why I'm thinking that. Should I avoid welding to the frame and bolt everything together? It seems much easier to just weld it.

 

Definitely bolt if you have the option. If your frame is already boxed (can't remember if you boxed the whole thing or just the rear?), maybe weld some nuts to the back of a plate, drill holes in the frame to let those nuts pass into, then weld the plate to the frame and bolt to it with only one wrench.

There's another school of thought out there that believes if the cage is tied into the seats and seat belts, it doesn't "need" to be attached to the frame. It could, in theory, break free from the rest of the vehicle and still keep you relatively safe. Personally, I like the added rigidity that a cage adds to a frame, but it could be another option if frame tie-ins are more than you want to get into.

 

I did box my entire frame already, but I could drill holes in the plates I added that would allow a socket to fit through, although I can see the socket falling off the extension into the frame DOH!.

I do want the rigidity that comes with the frame tied to the cage.

I'm going to spend a few minutes in CAD and draw up my idea to share here and see what people think. Brb...

 

Hopefully this can be deciphered.



Is this a horrible plan for connecting the middle cage hoop? Is bolting thru the body a bad idea?

 

Weld a plate to the top of the roll bar? What you talkin bout Willis?

I'm not excited about the bolt thru the body idea either, but I'm trying to figure a way to attach it to the frame and still get the cage out if needed.

 

Ah, yes I could do that. Would be way easier for sure.

 

The body may flex greater than the parts you installed so it may crack the sheet metal...........

 

If you don't want to commit to welding to the frame, some square u-bolts will take the place of your u-channel.

The first place a body will crack when sandwiching cage plates is right at the edge of the plates. They'll act as a punch. If you can stick some rubber "lunch meat" pieces in that sandwich that is a little bigger than the bread, it will spread the flex over a greater area and minimize fatigue. Cow mat.

 

The tubing you adding, going around the wheel well, that 90 degree bend. Don't know what that would do under a load. Have you thought about installing a X frame from the top bar, to the rear of the Jeep tub. This will spread loads out. Have seen this done on some race Jeeps

 

These work........Interlocking Tube Clamps - Busted Knuckle Off Road
But just one example , built / made by many , check around............allows for a method of cage removal as long as you keep away from bars of opposing angles.........in which case you add 2 or one on each end of the bar............approved in some forms of motor sports , for given bar locations..............but in the real world a cage should be a near permanent structure...........as far as body to chassis fit where the cage goes through in race cars most of the sheet metal inside the car is removable from the top via Dzuz fasteners or other methods .......thereby exposing the chassis.........in a Jeep a combination of permanently welded in sheet metal and some removable is an option that I am exploring in my build.