To keep the cost minimal, I'd skip on the tubing part and just do a section of rectangular steel tubing, say 2" X 3" X .125" wall would work.

use a cutoff wheel on a grinder or a cut off tool to cut the steel away as close to the seam as you can get.

Next you'll have to inspect what you have there when the rocker has been removed

Likely you'll have a rusted mess, but not to worry. Using a wire cup tool, clean the rust down to steel or work the holes out to better metal.

Use goggles and a mask for all this

If it is mostly good, spray it with a couple coats of a weld through zinc primer

Next cut and shape the rectangle tubing into the form you desire. Use clamps and floor jacks and your overweight uncle (Joke there...no offence intended...) to hold that thing in place then apply sparkage in a skip-weld fashion until most of your sleeve or skin has burned away.

At this point you'll either be:
1. Finished welding
or
2. In the emergency room.

In either case do what you have to do to recover or finish the project

Best of luck, and if you tackle this, being a beginner, we all would appreciate pics of the progress and a good "Lessons-learned" write-up. If it's good enough, I'll use it again for the next "Rocker-Man"

If it's bad, we all will use it to ridicule you on a daily basis

Note: Not every one of my comments is true...Use deductive reasoning to ascertain the truth in this

Good Luck, and if not

call 911   ;)

I just about spit my coffee out through my nose.!

Like Don said, cutoff wheel on a grinder will get you in.
Like Bear said, get the 'best' welder you can afford.
You don't necessarily need a 212, but if it's in budget go for it.
I've been running a no name mig for years I bought cheap at princess auto.
It is a 230 unit that can weld at 150/180 amps, so it's not a baby either.
Then take your time and figure out the welds on similar metals to on the truck.
Would hate to see a melt through and subsequent mess on the truck.

Ok now we just need you to make some for the Group.  I'll take one


Raising boys into RealMen!!

You don't know how many times I've already heard that...

So next up is the discussion and decision process on how to maintain useable life in the panels.
I don't have any real rust issues per se, but have a lot of stone damage to put at bay.

One thought a buddy had was to do the flares black, and run the body line also black.
Not sure that I want that much black, but like the idea of the flares.

So now I'm thinking body line down colour matched, flares black, and under the doors black.

Going to have to do some work with photoshop to see it.

But man, am I happy to have head out of the garage.

Then it was on to the trailer plug. I found his guy broken when I built the bumper, and knowing it wasn't going on soon, ordered up the parts to replace the broken up connector when i installed.



Mouser electronics for the win again. I missed a couple part numbers, but was able to reuse the wire seals from the old plug.



Was a simple release the crimp in the seal and slide it off.



Did that seven times, and voila the new plug is in its place. Armoured up the harness and cleaned up everything that needed fixing.

Yes, good ole fish oil.
So, even though it is a better cleaning solution, it does have the fish oil to repel water and provide minimal lubricant.

Well had quite a busy day for being on vacation.

Spent the morning cutting steel pieces to add my next 20 foot dock section.
Have the guide pipe brackets built, and the hinge pipes cut.
Water is up so getting it done has lowered on the priority list.
Then the grass had dried enough to cut so went to it.
That killed the morning and into the afternoon.

HH6 was ready to come back out at 1500, so did the pick and headed home.

Tore the stock front bumper back off and refitted the newly finished front.
Front end all back together and the bugs out in full force.
Too dark now for update pics so that will be in the morrow.

RN, your doing something wrong then.........;D

Sure is...catching it in the jewels... ::)

I have also, all in how the sling is rigged, just haven't exactly perfected it.
I like the freedom it provides, but does swing around a bit if you don't get it off to the side some.

Should have, too late now. Just not dragging them around anymore.
If I was thinking I could have put cardboard or something under them after a few hours. Likely would have worked too. Oh well, can't win em all.

Now I need patience to wait another day to start installs.
I'm going to piece together a harness for the added back ups, and tie it into the trailer harness when I redo the plug. I think that will be the simplest for the install.

I've got a bit of wiring mod to do on the front. I'll be removing the HID ballasts now in preparation for light bar. It's still on the slow boat from China, literally, I ordered in late May. I know, I know...but I wasn't sure on straight or curved. So for about sixty bucks I have both coming.

I'll modify the fog lamp circuit to power a harness and relay that was included, to power the light bar.
It would just be too much 180 watts, to add to the OEM harness.
I also have a high current plug to install on the winch power leads. Even with the breakers in line I'm still nervous about the cables shorting.

At the back, I have a ton of various sizes of wire loom to repair and add to for rock protection.

All this and HH6 is coming back from cabin when I can get her and her bestie. Our son comes home for a couple weeks tomorrow if the dang plane comes, and more company on the weekend.

So I'm taking advantage of a couple days at home to get stuff done.
Unfortunately the stock front will have to make an appearance for today, as I need the truck to transport to and from the cabin. Lots of laundry I suspect, a garbage run, dogs, etc.
Good news is, I won't install it all that well, as it will be off again tomorrow.

The liner is still quite soft, and just noticed all of my monkeying with it has scraped a few spots off. Something to do with sliding it on steel sawhorses. Don, they don't catch fire FWIW, but are a hard surface on a finish. So your wood welding table may have been a better plan. Certainly the cardboard would have been more easy on it.

I'm sure I'll have a few more touch ups before install. Hope not, but they're just getting a rattle can undercoating at this point.

Well at least the refund is a positive.
Good luck on the resumed quest for bender.

Great news!

Amen!

That was my suspicion, went out this morning and added one more good coat to front of front bumper. It will likely see the worst of life. It was probably good, but heck I still had a couple bottles left. Totally forgot about my shackle until I hit the bottom of the bottle... ::)
So it got schmoo'd up with the little burps at the end. I guess I'll fix it with undercoating.

Very happy with how it shot and the finish looks really good.
Thanks all for using this, I'd never heard of it till it showed up here whenever that was.

I think I'll have to set the stocker back on front for a couple days.
I think I'd settled on 48 hours, and yours and bears comments confirm the need to wait at least that long. Wonder how long the stank will pollute the garage air for. Seems a tad bit thicker than spray bomb for a wuick job. Lol.

Thanks again all for the answers to the questions.
Will update when there is one.
Cheers! I'm on vacation finally!

It's amazing how 'kiln dried' wood behaves once you open it up.
Always seems to bend one way or another.

Looking good though, get the treads on and you'll be in business.

So my hour passed, and I could evaluate the first (maybe only) coat on the rear.
It looks good for now, so on to the front we go.





Now I'm no expert, but they say 45 square feet per bottle. I did the outside of the front, and maybe 1/3 of the inside. So I must be putting it on pretty thick.

I'm really liking how this is looking.

And for the record, I tried the gunwash solvent I had, and it cleaned the gun quite handily.
So it seems that any of the usual suspects will do the job.

I'm going to shoot another coat in the morning on the front, and do any touch up work on the rear that may be needed.

How long does this really need to cure before I can put them back on.
I did the not 'manly' thing and read the instructions.
They say 72 hours before water contact...
Any thoughts from experience?

Looks nice. I have painted whole cars one side at a time outside the big door.

I'm debating quite seriously now a colour matched kit or two to do the rockers.
It would be a debadge demould and from the doorline down.
It shoots really easy and seems quite even, so it may happen to prolong the life of the panels some more.

I would have done it outside but there is rain in the forecast.

Quote from: Flyin6 on July 12, 2016, 09:52:26 PM

Then after a whole bunch more sweat and hours, the area is starting to clean up, and my log pile is really expanding

You know if you bury those powere lines with a little work with say a D6 or 7, you might have a nice little airstrip there!

Oh no! Don't add to the already massive list.

But I must agree, you're absolutely right!

So here's why I'm at where I'm at.
Between all the rock chips and salt from winter the paint had to go.



I liked the colour match, but not the apparent upkeep.
Here's hoping the Rhino lives up to its reputation.

First up was disconnecting batteries from winch and unwiring.
Then removal from truck. I then took to it with a quick wash and scrub, then one of these stripper wheels. It made quick work of the paint filler and surface rust.



Then it was into garage for a wipe down and primer.

..just be prepared to have everything else in the garage coated unless it's covered up. That stuff can shoot quite a ways if the pressure is turned up.

So a few donor disposable tarps/poly is a good idea then.
I can open the door so I can get fresh air.
I was planning on it being messy, and Ken has confirmed it.

Thanks again, hope to have the rear done tonight.

Thanks Bear.

So how much fresh air do I need while shooting it?
I don't have a cherry picker at my disposal, so debating doing it inside garage.
Good idea or no?

Question for all y'all that have used Raptor Liner.

What did you use to clean the gun?

Was just going to get set up to shoot and yeah I read the instructions...
They are saying acetone to clean.
I don't currently have any.

But I do have:
Lacquer thinner
Toluene
And DuPont TX6712 gun wash (near as I can tell a paint thinner/cleaner)
10% acetone

Do I need acetone?

Amen

You need to either be more careful with the tractor, or start planning phase 2 of tractor protection body armor.  Clearly the entire engine should be wrapped with at least a tube frame and 1/2 inch plate!

Fixed it for ya.

And the JDs look way small.
Sarge almost looks small.

I just finished dealing with glass and root beer carnage.

Don, think you need to use Sarge a bit more, less damage to the Deere's maybe.
But you're sure keeping the parts man in business.

Mike, hide the anvil...almost, well maybe not a low blow... 8)

Wow some beautiful country!
Good thing you broke I the way home.

The suck factor would be high up on top icons of the passes.