Originally posted by ilateapex:
Jake,
What were the tools you needed to build your cage and where did you get them. Also, did you do your own welding and already know how to weld or did you learn to weld to build the cage.
I have a wire feed welder but I don't think it is big enough to weld the cage and I am not a very experienced welder.
I was just wondering what your approch was.
Michael
Well, remember, I am an HACKER compared to guys like my buddy John Weisberg who does this sort of thing for a living!
You will need:
A good welder. The biggest 120volt one is really on the light side, but maybe you can borrow something from a pal over the weekend(s).
Space, if you get they typical bender, your roll hoop will start life as a 12 foot straight tube, and the bender (which needs to mount to the floor (get out your masonry bits and your hammer drill!), will swing that stick through a large arc. It will hit your car and break glass if you give it the chance!
A bender. Aa I mentioned, you can bolt this unit to the floor. Bolt it well, as the forces it sees are high. There is also a vertical unit and hydraulic versions which make life much nicer.
A tubing notcher, also known as a fish mouth cutter. You can borrow again, or buy out of the back of lots of catalogs. They run from $100 and up, I think.
Hole saws: You'll go through a bunch, probably. And cutting oil never hurts.
A strong drill, like the vaunted Milwaulkee Holeshooter.
Compressed air, and every grinder and attachment you can think of.
Measuring tapes, cardboard and cutters, and a good eye, with a good spatial capability.
Can you do it yourself? Depends a lot on your skills and approach.
Before you start, you should be confident welding. You will be trying to weld upside down and backwards! With your head crammed up under the brake pedal. And this is where you'll wish you hadn't skimped on the welding apron when the guy at the welding store suggested it and you thought he was just going for a bigger comission!
To my mind, the entire point of the exercise is to create a better mousetrap. If you can't execute the elements of your design that give it the uniqueness and strength, then there's no reason to kill yourself.
Before you make your decision, try to think about every step. Trust me, the guys who do this 9 to 5 can do this in their sleep, but a first time must think this out carefully, or there will be mistakes that cost big time. How will you weld the tops of your joints? Trust me...the techs look there before they even look at your paperwork! How will you get a roll bar into the car after you bent it and it's bigger than the interior? (Just a little, like it should be!) These are typical issues, and there are different solutions, but everthing affects everything else, so be thorough!
Good luck!
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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]