Wildman's TJ is getting a face lift

mrblaine · May 23, 2020

someguysjeep said:
i try not to get into others welding,
(but dammit the weld looks cold to me and i'd hate to see you have 1 fail on you)

i run a huge robotic gantry welder and 2 smaller traversing units.
i will say i'm dictated by how and what my machines can reach, and am responsible for quality welds, regardless of conditions. this is production welding and has to be correct in 1 pass. (there are instances where multi-pass welds are required on large drive bases up to 7000#)
my welds are tested frequently.
each weld in my programs is controlled and each weld condition requires different voltages and wire speeds as well as weave or not. and can have as many as 600 individually programmed movements to complete a sequence.
the machines are capable of a weave amplitude of over an inch, as well as having several weave patterns at a dictated frequency.

i saw a post not long ago about the robots welds from the factory on the newer Jeeps............made my laugh.
you cannot tell/teach a programmer how to weld. and they are running out of welders to teach how to program.

I'll bet you a dollar your machines are also running dual shield and very large electrode size. About the only part of that which translates over to what we do is how to know when you are looking at a quality weld and what to change when it isn't.

Wildman · May 23, 2020

someguysjeep said:
and that's an awesome attitude to have..........these guys have a lot of info to offer. i try to help, but often need my path enlightened too.

Everyone on here is great about offering advise most of the time. I'll admit I get frustrated sometimes with the "We Want You To Learn" answers that require me to THINK. But other than taking a welding class WAY back in high school (40+) years ago I've been self taught and try to watch video's and such and learn from that.

mrblaine · May 23, 2020

someguysjeep said:
i try to help, but often need my path enlightened too.

As do we all. The day we quit learning is the day we die. I learn something new every single day.

mrblaine · May 23, 2020

Wildman said:
Everyone on here is great about offering advise most of the time. I'll admit I get frustrated sometimes with the "We Want You To Learn" answers that require me to THINK. But other than taking a welding class WAY back in high school (40+) years ago I've been self taught and try to watch video's and such and learn from that.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Old, quaint and kinda sappy but truer words have never been spoken. I do my very best to never hand anyone a pat answer. I want you to know why to do something and that will teach you the how.

someguysjeep · May 23, 2020

i run both types of wire. based on what it is i'm doing.......35 is preferred. 30 is to small, 45 takes to long to burn. all done with gas.

i'm a real dick about clean welds and minimal /if any spatter.

yes sir it's 100% machine control for a quality weld, best technique is crap if the machines not givin what you need it to.

mrblaine · May 23, 2020

someguysjeep said:
i run both types of wire. based on what it is i'm doing.......35 is preferred. 30 is to small, 45 takes to long to burn. all done with gas.

i'm a real dick an bout clean welds and minimal /if any spatter.

yes sir it's 100% machine control for a quality weld, best technique is crap if the machines not givin what you need it to.

I know two guys who will only Tig weld even on everything on a Jeep build because they couldn't figure out how to stop Mig spatter. Ya'll learnt how to mig, that isn't an issue. But no, lets make it 10 times as hard as it needs to be rather than spend a few minutes learning how to Mig. They do beautiful Tig Welds but holy crap is that a long way to go to get there.

someguysjeep · May 23, 2020

mrblaine said:
I know two guys who will only Tig weld even on everything on a Jeep build because they couldn't figure out how to stop Mig spatter. Ya'll learnt how to mig, that isn't an issue. But no, lets make it 10 times as hard as it needs to be rather than spend a few minutes learning how to Mig. They do beautiful Tig Welds but holy crap is that a long way to go to get there.

tig is something i so wanna learn and just have not had the opportunity to.

spatter is not hard to get ..it's just to much or not enough of something for that condition......... to much wire or not enough shielding or to much heat. all part of dialing in that particular condition. it's basically just wasted consumables.

Wildman · May 23, 2020

mrblaine said:
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Old, quaint and kinda sappy but truer words have never been spoken. I do my very best to never hand anyone a pat answer. I want you to know why to do something and that will teach you the how.

I'm sometimes just to stubborn to want to learn. But I'm trying to get better at that.

Wildman · May 23, 2020

mrblaine said:
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Old, quaint and kinda sappy but truer words have never been spoken. I do my very best to never hand anyone a pat answer. I want you to know why to do something and that will teach you the how.

I'm trying to understand the why as I do this build and you plus everyone else here have been very helpful.

Cutting the frame on my Jeep is going to be a HUGE learning experience for me. The tube @toximus sent will be here Wednesday. So Thursdays will be be the big day.

someguysjeep · May 23, 2020

he's got me thinking of what just moving the hump back might provide me.
i'd not heard of or considered this option b4, just the back 1/2 kits. it's gonna make me rethink it b4 cutting. now have to see what 1 of the new wheels might look like vs axle room at present frame distances.

Wildman · May 23, 2020

someguysjeep said:
he's got me thinking of what just moving the hump back might provide me.
i'd not heard of or considered this option b4, just the back 1/2 kits. it's gonna make me rethink it b4 cutting. now have to see what 1 of the new wheels might look like vs axle room at present frame distances.

I hadn't thought of doing it either for a few reasons. Once I accepted that I was going to have to run a fuel cell then it made more sense. As long as I have him wa!king me through it I feel better about doing it.

@mrblaine do I want to mark the frame in the middle of where the mid arm brackets are and that is where I cut ✂ it?
Do I wait to cut the rear of frame and crossmember off until I weld the frame back together?

Edit: I got the rest of the welding do on the passenger side of the axle. Time to get the rear of the frame to get cut ✂ off.

Wildman · May 23, 2020

Damn it isn't my week. First I find out my daughter has to have oral surgery which is going to cost me a pretty penny and then today find out I've got a water leak somewhere.......

There are some things I have a hard time physically doing now and digging is one of them.

Daryl · May 23, 2020

Wildman said:
You aren't gunna hurt my feelings. I know I need to improve and the only way I can do that is by having people point out what is wrong with them.

I try to learn something new everyday

Same here.

someguysjeep said:
i run both types of wire. based on what it is i'm doing.......35 is preferred. 30 is to small, 45 takes to long to burn. all done with gas.

i'm a real dick about clean welds and minimal /if any spatter.

yes sir it's 100% machine control for a quality weld, best technique is crap if the machines not givin what you need it to.

I run Hobart .035 with 25/75 mixed gas with an old Millermatic 185.

Wildman · May 23, 2020

Rear bumper removed and 4 rear body mounts removed. Frame is ready to come off.

mrblaine · May 23, 2020

Wildman said:
I hadn't thought of doing it either for a few reasons. Once I accepted that I was going to have to run a fuel cell then it made more sense. As long as I have him wa!king me through it I feel better about doing it.

@mrblaine do I want to mark the frame in the middle of where the mid arm brackets are and that is where I cut ✂ it?
Do I wait to cut the rear of frame and crossmember off until I weld the frame back together?

Edit: I got the rest of the welding do on the passenger side of the axle. Time to get the rear of the frame to get cut ✂ off.

Generally yes, but you just need to lay it out with the end goal in mind, stick as much stuff in place as you can without it being permanent and then look at the problems that need to be solved.

Wildman · May 23, 2020

mrblaine said:
Generally yes, but you just need to lay it out with the end goal in mind, stick as much stuff in place as you can without it being permanent and then look at the problems that need to be solved.

The middle is right where the rear body mount front support is. Now I'm doing raised body mounts so this shouldn't be a issue that I can see. Right now I'm trying to figure out how I am going to cut it and support it at the same time. And then how to get the frame raised back up into place all by my lonesome self......

Might need a few more jack stands or a different jack?