DustinJanes
New member
After looking at the payload for my 2006 Toyota Tacoma Extra Cab 4wd I was let down by the apparent lack of capacity. I was initally stoked about the 4 Wheed Drive Pop Up unit, but lacked the $14K entry price. I figured, I am handy - I can make my own. This started with some trials on Heavy Wall aluminum welding. Most know that the way to do this is with a spool gun. This is a hand held welding gun that you hook up to your DC constand voltage welding source. A small spool of aluminum welding wire is on the gun ( about 2 Lbs ). This is because you can't shoot pool with a rope - In other words, aluminum does not like to get pushed through the gun. A normal MIG welder has a spool of wireon the machine and a 10' long cord to the gun. That 10' length is too long and the wire just balls up in the machine. The rats nest !
With the proper settiings and methods I was able make the sample parts stick together. The problem was the end of weld crater. Most of the aluminum tanker trucks you see on the road today are aluminum and welded together with a MIG process using a pulsing type of power source. That would be another $1500 or more. So, with that fun over, I changed my material and method to MIG welding thin wall steel. For this, I could use another weld unit I already had. I would also give up any weight advantage that aluminum would bring.
In looking over the truck and avilable space, I shetched some design ideas and continued to refine the design on paper. Paper is so much less costley than Steel ! As soon as I was happy wih the design I started making the modules or sections that form the Base, Side Walls, Back Wall and Front Bulkhead. The smaller sections fit on my welding table. I will post pictures when I figure out how.
My 5 year old son is keen on a PBS program that is a cartoon. On the cartoon the two characters have a space ship that is a turtle and it is called the Tortuga. Turtle in Spanish.
Progress !
More Later
Dustin
With the proper settiings and methods I was able make the sample parts stick together. The problem was the end of weld crater. Most of the aluminum tanker trucks you see on the road today are aluminum and welded together with a MIG process using a pulsing type of power source. That would be another $1500 or more. So, with that fun over, I changed my material and method to MIG welding thin wall steel. For this, I could use another weld unit I already had. I would also give up any weight advantage that aluminum would bring.
In looking over the truck and avilable space, I shetched some design ideas and continued to refine the design on paper. Paper is so much less costley than Steel ! As soon as I was happy wih the design I started making the modules or sections that form the Base, Side Walls, Back Wall and Front Bulkhead. The smaller sections fit on my welding table. I will post pictures when I figure out how.
My 5 year old son is keen on a PBS program that is a cartoon. On the cartoon the two characters have a space ship that is a turtle and it is called the Tortuga. Turtle in Spanish.
Progress !
More Later
Dustin