Lowbrow Getdown 2012

     A big thanks to the fellas at Lowbrow for the Getdown 2012. The event was held at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Nelson, Ohio. It was a laid back atmosphere just dudes, bikes and beer. Lowbrow had the big grill cooking grub and a couple kegs of cold Hobgoblin Ale. We got lucky, at least in north east ohio, the forecast called for rain and it didn't rain a drop. Thanks guys!

ledsledcustoms.com

Home sweet home baby.

Tig Welding Cast Aluminum

     There seems to be a stigma around the word "cast" when it comes to welding repairs. When people hear "cast" they think, "Crap, it has to be preheated, welded with a special rod, peened, posted heated and cooled in a particular way". While that is true with cast iron, castings can be made with any material, aluminum, stainless, brass, steel, etc. Iron can be difficult to weld regardless of its form because of the high amount of carbon.
      Here I'm going to walk you through an aluminum repair that seems pretty common.The mounting ear on this TH-350 has snapped off and needs to be built back up and then match drilled. I have no idea what grade these transmission cases are made of but I haven't run across a trans case that is impossible to weld.

You can see there should be a little more flange here, oops.

Perhaps the most important step, the case was ground clean with a grinding wheel dedicated to aluminum then brushed with a stainless brush then wiped down with acetone. NO BRAKE CLEANER! I cleaned about a two inch perimeter so the dirty aluminum wont bleed into the clean stuff.

I cut a piece of .25"x1"  6061 aluminum bar to back the welds and provide good starter to absorb some of the heat.

No preheat required here, it was welded with a transformer based machine on AC, continuous high frequency. Somewhere around 130 amps, it welded great with 5356 filler rod. I use 5356 over 4043 because its less sensitive to contamination and has a harder face.

More is more in this situation. The customer will grind the flange flat and match drill the housing.

Voila. Its not a beauty queen but its better than digging through the yard for a good case.

      If you have any questions, comments or concerns let me know with the comment link.

The Shop Part I

     Hell yes. That really sums it up. This business has been a long time coming and it is finally coming together. I hired Cornerstone Construction to handle the addition. My humble 2.5 car garage is being transformed into the Calculated Custom Metal Works HQ.
     First things first, Vic and I stripped the aluminum siding to reveal an even more ugly '50s wood siding. Sorry neighbors, but hey, soon it'll be nice new vinyl.

 

 

 

 

     Dale dug the trenches for the footers with the mini excavator. I stole it when he left, shhh. I think I made my yard look a little shitty but I had fun doing it.

Dale can operate it a little better than I can.

Footers poured.

Block done!

          I plan on documenting the shop build more in depth on Garage Journal, an Atomic Industry website, the best place to talk shop, tools and technique. 

Fellow Fabricator Spotlight

     The PT-17 was a private venture built by the Stearman Aircraft Company later bought by Boeing in 1934. The two seat biplane was built with many materials. The wings were made of wood with a fabric covering while the fuselage had tough steel welded frame work, also covered in fabric. The plane was easy to fly and relatively forgiving for new pilots. It gained a reputation as a rugged plane and a great teaching implement. Though officially named the Boeing Model 75, the Stearman PT-17 was the name given to the aircraft by the army. More than 10,000 were built by the end of 1945. An estimated 800 are still flying today.
     John at Chardon Welding built a scale model of the PT-17 for a customer. The fabricated steel airplane will be used as a wind vane atop the customer's barn. Seen here unpainted, the plane is over four feet long and five feet wide.

 

    

Happy Birthday America

     If Independence Day is more to you than just a paid day off, then pat yourself on the back you patriotic son of a bitch. If you're like the rest of us, you still have ten fingers. Stay cool and cheers, 'merica.

Gen X Tattoos' Jim O'Rourke

     I'd just like to thank Jim at Gen X Tattoos in Willoughby for his art work. I'm super stoked to display his countless hours behind the machine. There are a ton of bad tattoos out there, but rest assured, if you're looking for a top-tier artist you cant go wrong with anyone at Gen X. Thanks dude!!

I think I need to moisturize.

Dont mind the pasty ass legs.

Paul's '28 A Part III

     Paul's been working diligently on the sedan. He's got the radiator, shocks and motor mounted. The steering is a cross steering setup with a vega box. There's not a lot of room in the feet department but Paul found that a clutch/brake master cylinder from a '61 C100 fits in there perfectly. It shares a reservoir and cut down on the real estate. 
     I popped over there last night to do some welding on the rear suspension, he's running ladder bars and coil overs attached to a Ford 9". Check it out: