Rain and thunderstorms this morning. UGH! I wanted to get out to the shop and put a full damned day in!
Anyways, yesterday I did get quite a lot done, I guess. Spent a couple of hours marking up the tank, drawing all my lines, etc. Then the plasma to get the ends cut out. Collector end you saw above.
Firebox end.
For the collector, I set it up next to the tank on a couple of pipe stands and got it semi-level to match up to the tank. I didn't have the curvature down when having the collector pieces cut out, so I knew I was going to need to trim the collector to fit the tank. I was looking around the shop for a big piece of cardboard, to use to mock up to the end of the tank, then transfer to the collector to cut it. But, unfortunately, we put all our cardboard boxes in the fire barrel every few weeks and haven't accumulated any lately. I was kicking myself for not thinking of this earlier and bringing a piece of carboard out with me.
Of course, you're probably laughing at me right now, thinking, "What a dolt!" And you'd be right... all along, the perfect template piece was staring me right in the face!
The piece I JUST cut out of that tank head! DEEEEEERRRRRRRRP! Duh! Yeah, I can be a bit dense sometimes, I know.
So I transferred that pattern onto the top and bottom pieces of my collector.
After that, it was a simple matter of cutting it to shape, taking the grinder and knocking it down and smoothing it out.
It doesn't fit up perfectly yet, as I've still got to trim the sides. They're not perfectly straight up and down on the tank, because of the bulbous nature of it, so I've got to put a gentle curve into the vertical sides, too, as well as the top and bottom. No biggie, though, this is probably 1/2" or so trimmed out. Then it'll be ready to mate up and weld into the tank.
Then it's on to the firebox. This is always the most difficult part of a build, I think. Sliding that firebox into the tank, pulling it back out, grinding the edges of the tank to improve the fitup, and repeating the process. Over and over and over and over until you get it fit in there like a glove. Trying to do it outside on unlevel ground is hell. My buddy doesn't want me grinding in the shop, due to dust everywhere and it being as dirty as it is already, so I have to mark things, pull everything apart, pull the tank outside, grind a bit, then bring it all back inside (where there's a level floor) set it all back up and try to fit it together, mark areas the need trimmed or ground again, and repeat the process. It can be painful. But, it's got to be done - once it's fit up together nicely, then I can secure it in place with some heavy tacks to hold it there.
This is how it fits up, pics from a previous build:
With a firebox that weighs... oh, 350lbs or more, trying to line it up and hold it in place, pulling it in and out over and over, grind a bit, fit up, pull it out, grind some more... ugh. You can imagine.
Anyways, to do this, I'll have to put the rear axle on the firebox, as well. And then work on the shelf that's going to come off that under the tank, too, so maybe I need to do all that before I try to mount the firebox. Since I can set it upside down to weld that stuff... hrrmmm yeah, I think so. Gotta get that all right so I know the height, then have the parts for the front axle and support cut, as well.
Ok, maybe not fitting up the firebox today. Between the rain and this other stuff, sounds like I've got a few more things to do first. See how it is? lol. I have to talk my way through this stuff with ya'll, or else I forget sumthin'. lol
Anyways, gonna be a busy weekend, if I can ever get OUT there and get to work!
Anyways, yesterday I did get quite a lot done, I guess. Spent a couple of hours marking up the tank, drawing all my lines, etc. Then the plasma to get the ends cut out. Collector end you saw above.
Firebox end.
For the collector, I set it up next to the tank on a couple of pipe stands and got it semi-level to match up to the tank. I didn't have the curvature down when having the collector pieces cut out, so I knew I was going to need to trim the collector to fit the tank. I was looking around the shop for a big piece of cardboard, to use to mock up to the end of the tank, then transfer to the collector to cut it. But, unfortunately, we put all our cardboard boxes in the fire barrel every few weeks and haven't accumulated any lately. I was kicking myself for not thinking of this earlier and bringing a piece of carboard out with me.
Of course, you're probably laughing at me right now, thinking, "What a dolt!" And you'd be right... all along, the perfect template piece was staring me right in the face!
The piece I JUST cut out of that tank head! DEEEEEERRRRRRRRP! Duh! Yeah, I can be a bit dense sometimes, I know.
So I transferred that pattern onto the top and bottom pieces of my collector.
After that, it was a simple matter of cutting it to shape, taking the grinder and knocking it down and smoothing it out.
It doesn't fit up perfectly yet, as I've still got to trim the sides. They're not perfectly straight up and down on the tank, because of the bulbous nature of it, so I've got to put a gentle curve into the vertical sides, too, as well as the top and bottom. No biggie, though, this is probably 1/2" or so trimmed out. Then it'll be ready to mate up and weld into the tank.
Then it's on to the firebox. This is always the most difficult part of a build, I think. Sliding that firebox into the tank, pulling it back out, grinding the edges of the tank to improve the fitup, and repeating the process. Over and over and over and over until you get it fit in there like a glove. Trying to do it outside on unlevel ground is hell. My buddy doesn't want me grinding in the shop, due to dust everywhere and it being as dirty as it is already, so I have to mark things, pull everything apart, pull the tank outside, grind a bit, then bring it all back inside (where there's a level floor) set it all back up and try to fit it together, mark areas the need trimmed or ground again, and repeat the process. It can be painful. But, it's got to be done - once it's fit up together nicely, then I can secure it in place with some heavy tacks to hold it there.
This is how it fits up, pics from a previous build:
With a firebox that weighs... oh, 350lbs or more, trying to line it up and hold it in place, pulling it in and out over and over, grind a bit, fit up, pull it out, grind some more... ugh. You can imagine.
Anyways, to do this, I'll have to put the rear axle on the firebox, as well. And then work on the shelf that's going to come off that under the tank, too, so maybe I need to do all that before I try to mount the firebox. Since I can set it upside down to weld that stuff... hrrmmm yeah, I think so. Gotta get that all right so I know the height, then have the parts for the front axle and support cut, as well.
Ok, maybe not fitting up the firebox today. Between the rain and this other stuff, sounds like I've got a few more things to do first. See how it is? lol. I have to talk my way through this stuff with ya'll, or else I forget sumthin'. lol
Anyways, gonna be a busy weekend, if I can ever get OUT there and get to work!
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