That darn tubing notcher back-order keeps getting pushed further back. I feel I'm so close I'm chomping at the bit.
For some reason I don't get email notifications of these posts anymore on my regular email. It seems they go to an email I don't use anymore. ??? Edit: Just realized that it may be due to my email server screwing up. I thought I had fixed it but apparently not.
Anyway, I have been trying to figure out the best and most accurate method of bending and notching the tubing the way I want for fitment and repeatability. I have spent a lot of time researching layout welding tables. The cheaper ones fall a little short of what I want and the more expensive ones are way out of reach. I just dropped about $3000 on a buildpro fixturing table and parts which is the lower priced of the better tables. I am waiting for it to arrive. I don't want to be hit-and-miss with these things.
We use Bluco weld tables at the shop, I’m old school though and I wasn’t very good with legos when I was a kid! so I struggle a bit when setting it up
Bluco seems to be the benchmark as far as I can tell for these tables. That's one thing I've been pondering: how to record complicated set ups to repeat at a later date.We use Bluco weld tables at the shop, I’m old school though and I wasn’t very good with legos when I was a kid! so I struggle a bit when setting it up
I usually take pics on my phone for a later time than I’ll you have to do is remeasure everything, if I remember right, you can take pics of what you’re trying to build , send it to the bluco guys and they make a program for you with pics on what tooling and shims to use
We don’t build any DAKOTA parts, but we build fixtures and jigs for all the parts we manufacture over and over again. They don’t change
Duner
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I usually make a fixture for each part but space is a premium for me and storage is a bit of a problem. I'm hoping with the fixture table I can make smaller pieces of the fixture that plug into the table. In essence, the table will be the back bone. The initial reason for the table and accessories is to notch the control arm legs precisely and is indexable so I can quickly set up the right control arm leg and then the left control arm leg in a matter of minutes with minimal waste.We don’t build any DAKOTA parts, but we build fixtures and jigs for all the parts we manufacture over and over again. They don’t change
That’s the reason behind the tables, we made fixtures for every job, and the owner was getting pissed because we had like 100+, and they took up a bunch of room
I went with a 3' x 4' slotted Buildpro table to try out and keep costs down although it is still expensive for a small shop. I can add sides to it and it is also expandable depending upon the size of the part and table.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...1&&FORM=VRDGAR
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...3&&FORM=VDRVRV
When I get time I will make a caster set up for it to move around the shop. I can also set it up beside my existing welding table for a larger area such as working on a narrowed rear end or whatever.
Those are cool tables, with you being able to move the panels, ours are just solid 4x8 tables and a 15x8 huge table
https://youtu.be/B1yISwQgOe0
That Bluco is some heavy duty stuff, and, expensive.Those are cool tables, with you being able to move the panels, ours are just solid 4x8 tables and a 15x8 huge table
https://youtu.be/B1yISwQgOe0
I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest, the accessories, is where they get you. It appears it would take a bin of bits and pieces to get set up.
"Excuse me if I have some place in my mind, where I go time to time"
Yeah, for the last several years I've seen these table at the PRI show in Indianapolis and the FabTech show in Chicago, but shied away due to the cost. I will try to make some of my own fixtures that plug into the table.I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest, the accessories, is where they get you. It appears it would take a bin of bits and pieces to get set up.
This is why I'm waiting for Richard's control arms, they will be top notch.
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The tooling is spendy !
Double agreed, I just hope I have the money on hand when he gets these finished.
Only thing I'm concerned about is the upper ball joint angle with how low I am. My AIM arms I had to remove the ball joints and flip the arm over as the ball joint mounting plate on the upper arm is at an angle.
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Jim
RaceMagnum
You can probably check that with the stock upper a-arm since I am using those positioning dimensions. I don’t know if the other aftermarket upper a-arms all used the same angle as the stock arms but I wouldn’t count on it.Only thing I'm concerned about is the upper ball joint angle with how low I am. My AIM arms I had to remove the ball joints and flip the arm over as the ball joint mounting plate on the upper arm is at an angle.
It is my understanding that lowered lower control arms may have better ballpoint alignment with a longer upper a-arm depending upon the dimensions of the lower control arm. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lowered lower control arm to mock up from and I’m not sure if all the lowered lower control arms that may be available all used the same dimension as each other. I purposely made the jig to accommodate a longer length if I can figure out what that dimension needs to be. For instance, does it need to be a ¼” longer, or ¾” longer? I also want to finish the stock dimension arms to see if they actually sell before I put more time and money into it.
One thing I don't understand is why a company would make a lowered lower control arm available for sale if there is no upper a-arm available for proper ballpoint alignment. ??
I'm still waiting on the modular fixture table. According to the supplier now, it may ship in another week or two.
I’m still running the lowered djm’s in mine , but alignment was always impossible, can’t wait for these !