This is my work area.

Tig - Lincoln Welding Precision Tig 375 w/ watercooler.
Mig - Miller Millermatic 250.
Plasma - Hobart Airforce 400.







I did all of the welding and half of the fitup on this - Tig'd mild steel 6 point cage for a 1999 BMW M3 with Vortech Supercharger, custom HRE 3 piece wheels, Brembo brakes, $$$$, etc. More pictures - http://www.didraceengineering....x.htm

 

Don't you have to have a diagnoal in the main hoop?

Anways:

Nice cage

Nice shop

Nice trailer

Nice truck

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by essex &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Don't you have to have a diagnoal in the main hoop?</TD></TR></TABLE>

No, it was a kit and didn't come with one. This is the last kit we're going to use though. We already have a tubing bender but are waiting for our mandrel bender which should be in by the end of the month. I forget the manufacturer of the mandrel bender but it can handle up to 6" tubing.

 

VERY impressive!

I always wondered how people TIG-welded cages while working on their backs. Do you use a thumb-control on the torch?

Anyways, it's refreshing to see quality work like this once in a while! Really helps the rest of us to remember how much farther we have got to go. This is what I call professional.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Agtronic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">VERY impressive!
I always wondered how people TIG-welded cages while working on their backs. Do you use a thumb-control on the torch?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Pedal - I use my feet, knees, elbows, head, etc to control it.
Thumb-control - very tight areas where i can't move too well.

I'm young though and fairly skinny so I can squeeze into most places easily.

 

not that I'm saying I know more then you as it looks like top notch work but I would just notch up a tube and put a diagnol in there.

oh is that big lincoln the tig machine??....looks like a beast!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by essex &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">not that I'm saying I know more then you as it looks like top notch work but I would just notch up a tube and put a diagnol in there.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I know, but we wanted to use the cage that the manufacturer sent us so we could showoff their product. The fitment was so poor that we'll never use them again. Once we get our tubing notcher wired up (3-phase) and our mandrel bender we'll be doing everything ourselves.

Thanks to everyone for the compliments!

 

ahhh...ok

**** happens when you have to rely on others

Nice work

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think you can mandrel bend a cage, because it stretches and weakens the metal.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by civicross &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think you can mandrel bend a cage, because it stretches and weakens the metal.</TD></TR></TABLE>

How in the world do you think it's bent?

 

looks good... i like ur work area

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Agtronic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I always wondered how people TIG-welded cages while working on their backs. Do you use a thumb-control on the torch?

</TD></TR></TABLE>

u just have to get creative and make it work... i always use a foot pedal

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by backpurge &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

No, it was a kit and didn't come with one. This is the last kit we're going to use though. We already have a tubing bender but are waiting for our mandrel bender which should be in by the end of the month. I forget the manufacturer of the mandrel bender but it can handle up to 6" tubing. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Correct me if I am worng, but I thought for Cages (due to the thickness of the pipe) couldnt be bent by Mandrel machines and actually have a specific tube bender that will bend without the kinks, but is specifically designed for thicker pipe for cages etc...

Awesome work BTW.

 

correct me if im wrong....jus kiddin , nice work . work space is nice too

 

Hello Backpurge,

You might know a bit about welding but you have much to learn if you believe cage tubing is mandrel bent!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DB2-R81 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hello Backpurge,

You might know a bit about welding but you have much to learn if you believe cage tubing is mandrel bent!
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Just about any type of bender that does not have mandrel will reduce the OD of the tubing.

From Competition Engineering's website -

http://www.competitionengineer...10064

"All tubing used in our kits exceeds the requirements of racing sanctioning bodies and is mandrel formed on computer controlled equipment for uniform wall thickness."

We're getting a mandrel bender something like one of these Pines models but it has a smaller minimum pipe size and a larger maximum pipe size.

http://www.pines-mfg.com/1142.html

"Steel Pipe, Schedule 80 - 1 1/4"

Take it

 

Nice TIG, I just bought a PT375, should be here in a few days, cant wait to use it, I currently have a PT185, but its too small for me, so its going up for sale.

 

nice fab.

O.T...that wing is incredibly ghey...what a waste of a car..especially after all this hardcore fab-work..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ForceFedDetroit &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">...that wing is incredibly ghey...</TD></TR></TABLE>

We didn't like the way the wing looked either. It's already off the car and we're putting on a painted carbon fiber trunk lid.

 

That white one in the picture is E36?

 

Very nice setup. I have an E36 too but would like to keep it NA so thinking Euro S52 w/dual vanos but not sure yet. I sure hope you track that car or it would be a big waste. Hoping to see that thing out at Blackhawk, Road America, etc...

BTW, Moton = Racer = Baller

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by backpurge &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Just about any type of bender that does not have mandrel will reduce the OD of the tubing. </TD></TR></TABLE>

While a non-draw bender will change the OD, it doesn't necessarily reduce it, as long as you don't exceed the maximum bend angle for the thickness of the tube. It instead ovalizes it, keeping the same cross-sectioned MOI (or at least close to the same, it will draw the thickness a little at higher angles).

A mandrel however, will change the MOI and thickness, because it is forced to draw the material from somewhere, on the outer edge of the bend, because it can't draw in (like, towards point of rotation of the bend). Now, I'm going to stick my neck out a little, and say that this leads to stressed bends, because around the outside there is material that is still in it's deformed elastic state, pulling on the material that has passed into plastic.

The maximum bend angle/radius for both machines is almost the same, mandrel has a little higher, but those angles are not needed for cages.

Plus, if you are planning on only making one-off cages, I think you wasted a lot of money on that mandrel bender.

Of course, I could just be an idiot.

 

Nothings a waste, if you don't use it too much for making cages you can always bend and sell U's and L's and maybe doughnuts made out off SS, aluminum and steel and sell it to us for dirt cheap! Looks pretty good to me

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by essex &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Nothings a waste, if you don't use it too much for making cages you can always bend and sell U's and L's and maybe doughnuts made out off SS, aluminum and steel and sell it to us for dirt cheap! </TD></TR></TABLE>

They would then have to justify the cost of the machine, the cost of materials, and the cost of having someone operate that machine. Also shipping costs, packaging costs, finishing costs, etc. Dirt cheap doesn't fit into that.

 

very nice!!

 

looks good
i wish i had a welder, and sedlein tourch.....i love to do metal work like that