Tag: welding

What I’m Watching: Welding Tips & Tricks

This is a channel whose value I cannot put into words. When I first bought my MIG welder and started learning how to use it, weldingtipsandtricks.com was one of my first stops. The amount of information and the way it’s presented is extremely helpful for a noob like me, and there’s probably content that suits more advanced welders that I haven’t looked into just yet. What I like best is the clear and close-up videos that show the weld puddle being moved around so you get a very clear view of what’s happening, and what you should be aiming for.

Check out the channel here, or head to weldingtipsandtricks.com for more resources.

Willys Pickup / ’08 Cherokee

I guess you could kind of call this a chassis-swap, even though the original chassis is retained, albeit highly modified. This Willys pickup is based on a combination of two cabs (’48 and ’58), being widened to fit over the subframes and floorpan of a 2008 Jeep Cherokee, complete with a 5.7l Hemi. I have to say, this is one of the most informative build threads I’ve read. Even by breezing through it like I usually have to (because I want to get it up ASAP on the site for you guys!) I’ve managed to learn more than a few tricks. The owner shows off a plethora of DIY garage skills, such as tweaking and straightening the frame using combinations of heat and pressure, panel beating, welding, metal folding/shaping, and more. He really goes out of his way to share his techniques with his fellow forum members via well-written and documented posts. The whole thing is closer to a hot rod build compared to what you’d usually expect from a Jeep. Don’t forget to catch the rust removal technique towards the end of the thread, definitely one I’ll be bookmarking for future reference.

Thanks to Jarrod for submitting. Click here for more Jeep builds.

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Jet-powered land-speed motorbike

Just when I think I’ve seen it all, when I think I can’t possibly be surprised at what pops up in my inbox, along comes Anders with his gas-turbined powered motorbike. When I actually figured out what I was looking at, all I could do is sit back and laugh in amazement. I consider myself so lucky that people like Anders want to email me their amazing projects, built using techniques that I can’t even begin to comprehend. To get to the point, I’ll let him explain what he’s got cooking…

I just found your website and thought I should show you my little project that has been going for 4 years and counting, it is a scratch built gas turbine motorcycle with which I aim to set a land speed record in the APS/Omega class at Bonneville Speed Week.

The turboshaft gas turbine is built by myself around a Garrett TV94 rotor with everything cast, turned and milled on my manual tools at home, I´ve spent three years on it and now I am about to test it for the second time in the bike frame. It should be capable of producing somewhere between 150-180hp on the rear wheel once everything is tuned in.

If you like milling, machining, lathes, jets, flames, welding, casting…hell, if you like anything mechanical, you’re going to love this. Don’t forget to check out the test video at the end of the post, and another bonus video of something else Anders and his crazy Swedish mates have added jet propulsion to. All hail the Scandinavians.

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1975 BMW 2002

Do you guys even read these intros? Probably not! I mean how many times can you hear me say that this is one of my favourite types of builds, that the owner/builder is a craftsman, that the photos are great, etc etc? Well, you’ll have to hear it again, because this is one of those builds. What I really love about this BMW 2002 is that it was originally purchased as a daily driver, so the owner could keep his E46 in good condition, but the ’02 ended up being the main project and the E46 used to haul parts for it! Make sure you check out the custom solution the builder creates for adjusting the dampers in the front struts, it’s on page 25,+ very clever.

Click here for more BMW 2002 builds. Thanks to Archie for submitting.

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Mini Clubman Estate

After featuring a few big-time builds in a row, I thought it was time we get back into a regular car-guy’s project. I’ve been following this thread on and off for a while, and it’s been nothing short of a weld-a-thon and a true exercise in DIY modifying. For someone like me who has recently picked up the MIG welder, it’s been a priceless source of information and inspiration. Each modification is tackled individually, broken down into basic shapes and processes, making it very easy to follow and learn from.

Click here for more Mini builds.

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Fabricated Ford F150

What is it about off-road guys that makes them churn out pr0n-quality fabrication? Is it the fact that their parts need to endure high levels of abuse, or do they just like leaving the rest of us in awe? I could just post a bunch of welding pics from this thread without actually showing the car and people would be highly entertained. This Ford F150 is transformed into a rolling collection of beefy one-off hand made parts, culminating in a vehicle so robust that it could probably survive an atom bomb.

Thanks to Cody for submitting.

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Project 510: FMIC + more (pt 1)

Well, where do I start? This is going to be easily the biggest update I’ve ever posted about the car, as I’ve just completed 8 months of on/off work under the bonnet in my spare time. During those 8 months I also sadly lost two of my beloved grandparents, went a holiday to Europe, and have attended 4 weddings, so things may have taken a little bit longer than usual.

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F20C-powered BMW 2002

Over the past 3+ years that I’ve been running this site, there’s been a few builds out there that are so popular they get submitted to me by multiple readers, and this thread falls into that category. However, the submissions weren’t even necessary this time, as I have been lucky enough to follow this build since the thread was first created. Kevin, the cars owner, is a one man building machine, doing everything on this little BMW, from fabrication to bodywork, rust repairs to paint, and now the currently-in-progress F20C engine conversion. I’ve personally enjoyed every update of this well-photographed thread, and hope you will keep following it.

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Baja 1000 Subaru WRX

Who’s up for some hot ‘n’ heavy fabrication action? Geoff emailed me a link to a Subaru Impreza being transformed into an off-road racer capable of completing the Baja 1000. The build isn’t even finished yet but it still commands a feature simply for the quantity of work being applied to it. The amount of raw metal being manipulated reminds me of another fabricators dream that I featured in the past, Desert Racer Fabrication.

If welding and fabrication is your thing, hit up the Fabrication tag for more features that are sure to be up your tig’d and bead-rolled alley.

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44 Bikes Frame Shop

Passionate, talented, patriotic and meticulous is how I would describe the owner/builder of this next garage. Built as a workshop for 44 Bikes, an all-American mountain bike frame building company, this space started off as an abandoned horse stable before being restored and modified into what it is today. Just as much effort has been put into the thread as the actual building, with sharp photography and designed title text overlaid on images, it’s a highly enjoyable read. Threads like this are the reason this site exists.

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