Black Hat Shop Works

[aggierailroad]

Updates to the cabinet:

Thanks to help from works4me, we managed to get the doors bent, and they actually fit. Not bad for rookies.



Definitely not easy cranking the handle and doing the curves by yourself...



Side door. Just plug welded in the piano hinges.



Front door, gaps are a little looser... No turning back!



Leftover cabinet pull for dramatic effect.

 

[aggierailroad]

My metal scissors came in the mail...



After much, much, much fiddling with my HVLP gun I got some primer to spray... Also added a keyed latch.



I bought some of this to coat the trim with...



Which are made of pine with a little routered chamfer.



Used some spackle to fill the nail holes.

Et voila.



Some Rustoleum safety red on the back panel. Pretty good match for US General (Harbor Freight) red.

Here you can see the galvanized, 16ga pan I had bent at a local shop for a drip pan. More than pleased with this.



Leveled and in her new home, hopefully never to be moved...



I bought the 73" belt last night that I need to skive together, paint the doors red, install them, rebuild the apron/tail stock, clean the machine, level the machine, make a control box arm, install a backsplash, and finally make parts.

Here's the new corner area. It's a little tight, but you make do with what you have. I think I'll need to add an overhead light.



I also used some remnant rubber horse-stall mat as a topper for the big toolbox. That stuff is a great work surface. Dense enough to hammer on, yet suitable for parts that don't need to get scratched.

 

[E12-535iTurbo]

Now you need a DRO on that too (and make it CNC)....

Looks very good there! You did a great job!

 

[MP&C]

Too nice to get dirty now... Nice work!

 

[Waltrip88]

I was at that estate sale where you snagged the lathe. Do you live in the area?

 

[aggierailroad]

I was at that estate sale where you snagged the lathe. Do you live in the area?

Yes, in the Heights/Rice Military.

Thanks, Robert. It was a fun and challenging project, I learned a lot of new stuff.

Believe it or not, I had a DRO and quick change tool post ordered, delivered, and stolen off of the porch. I bet the new "owners" don't even have a clue as to what they are or do or were worth.

 

[aggierailroad]

Bit of a hiatus, but I was able to get a little bit done, although it was a huge step.

Cleaned up this part of the machine:



Just using citrus degreaser and a rag. Brake cleaner if it's a bad spot.

I also spray-painted the doors, Rustoleum pro-enamel safety red. It's a close match, but I couldn't find anything better.



Added a leftover pull and the lock out of the toolbox.



The side door is done!



Got the machine ways leveled. Accurate to 0.0005"/10". Overkill..



And cut a brass casting that came with the lathe. Nothing specific, just seeing how she worked.



And of course, I didn't get any pictures, but the belt gluing didn't work. At all. I ended up lacing it using 20lb braided test and the recommended South Bend flat belt lacing method. It works great, go figure.

Until next time.

 

[aggierailroad]

Got the lathe leveled, at least close enough.. About 0.0015" out over the length of the bed. I'm ok with that.



Still problems with the belt. I have to think of something new to try.

Horror of horrors, I destroyed the belt guard to make a "new" one.



Chopped the back of it off to fit back on the machine. I think I might drill and tap a few holes or add a hinge.



After replacing the driver's upper control arm on my truck, getting a new windshield, I got around to turning these donated mahogany table bases into some Krenov style sawhorses. The plan was/is to use only scraps and not bust the joints apart at the top.



I ripped the sides down to give me material for the feet. 1/2" each, leaving the legs at 1-1/2".



Then I cut a bridle joint for the rail/foot interface.



Add some scrap maple spacers, 3" long, and the offcuts from the old feet as standoffs. Cut everything a bit too big, and plane to fit. This kind of helps when you do legs/feet so that you can get them level with no annoying rocking.



Glue them together. This also shows how I ripped the old bottom support and made two cross braces. Drilled, countersunk two 3" Torx screws to hold them in. Traditionally you use a double wedged joint here, but I can't do the tenons due to the top joint being together already.



Peg and glue the bridle joints. 3/8" oak pegs.



A & B horses.



Detail of the shoe bottoms. I wish I would have carried the maple to the bottom, but didn't have enough scrap. Again, drill, countersink, drive and hand tighten to about 1/8" below the surface. Why, you ask? So you can plane them down to fit without chewing up your blades, of course!



Rub some oil and wax on there (BLO and beeswax) and Bob's your uncle. I made the tops from maple scrap 3/4" x 24". I cut a 15 degree bevel on the bottom sides. Next week I'll pop in some magnets to make interchangeable tops, some metal ones, a roller or two, etc. I also plan to make a scaffold torsion box to use while hanging crown.





Pegged joint:



"Caveman" joint.



Put a dab of glue on the screw threads, It will be fine for this, even in the end grain.

Just need to trim the dowels flush on the second one and put some finish on the feet. Thanks for reading.

 

[SebringSilverZ]

Always like checking out your updates. I'm in the Heights area as well at Washington and Studemont.

 

[aggierailroad]

Thanks, I'm sure you also suffer from "townhome" syndrome. All of the shops are leaving our community. J&L Sheetmetal closed it's doors and moved to the beltway and hardy, the other shop by you, been there since 1926 is moving this year too. It's a shame.

 

[MP&C]

Nice saw horses! I'd be afraid to scratch them.. Beautiful work!!

 

[KCarGuy]

Amazing stuff!
Love the way you think and attack everything.

 

[NASTYZEN]

Gonna **** getting coolant and chips all over it. Nice build.

 

[SebringSilverZ]

Thanks, I'm sure you also suffer from "townhome" syndrome. All of the shops are leaving our community. J&L Sheetmetal closed it's doors and moved to the beltway and hardy, the other shop by you, been there since 1926 is moving this year too. It's a shame.

Yes. I've been in this area since 2008 and it's a very different place. I work downtown which makes for an easy commute but I'm starting to lose patience with all the congestion from the new townhomes, apartments and park improvements with no accompanying parking. I'd love to have an old building for shop space but just too expensive in this area with the development going on.

 

[aggierailroad]

Amazing stuff!
Love the way you think and attack everything.

Thank you, sometimes people ask you why you go overboard, and sometimes it's hard to justify the extra work, but it's satisfying for me in the end. It's a struggle between finishing and sticking around to do as good of a job as when I started (the lathe is a case in point.. I'm still angry at that machine)

Gonna **** getting coolant and chips all over it. Nice build.

Don't. Even. Go. There.

Yes. I've been in this area since 2008 and it's a very different place. I work downtown which makes for an easy commute but I'm starting to lose patience with all the congestion from the new townhomes, apartments and park improvements with no accompanying parking. I'd love to have an old building for shop space but just too expensive in this area with the development going on.

Agreed, find a spot and I'll split it with you! There's one down the street, but at 1200/month.. it's a bit steep.

Next topic: anyone have experience with VFDs? I think I just need to play with the "torque compensation" but with my 3x sized motor I can't even take a 0.020" cut on cast aluminum. Am I missing something? 1.5hp on Teco FM50 VFD. The unit came with a 1/2 hp, but I'm sure you could easily take a cut like that, even with a carbide TPG tool.

 

[aggierailroad]

Nice saw horses! I'd be afraid to scratch them.. Beautiful work!!

Doh! Forgot you, Robert. Thanks for the kind words. I left a few plane tearout marks just for you so you won't feel so bad when I get that first ding.

I also ordered some 22" conveyor rollers today ($10/per). I don't think I could build them for that... I'll be making some inserts for them, along with a few other 'horse attachments.

 

[MBeaty]

Next topic: anyone have experience with VFDs? I think I just need to play with the "torque compensation" but with my 3x sized motor I can't even take a 0.020" cut on cast aluminum. Am I missing something? 1.5hp on Teco FM50 VFD. The unit came with a 1/2 hp, but I'm sure you could easily take a cut like that, even with a carbide TPG tool.

Have you double checked your motor wiring? I had this issue on a dual voltage motor for my drill press with a vfd. I thought I had the motor wired up for the vfd's 240 output but I actually had the motor wired up for 480. I played with every setting on the vfd before checking the wiring, but needless to say it was gutless when it was wired wrong.

 

[aggierailroad]

Got a little work done, the nice weather didn't hurt at all.

I didn't get a chance to check on the motor wiring, but that's a good idea and worth pursuing. It's usually the simplest things...

The sawhorses got "modularized". I epoxied in some 5/16" all-thread.



Drill some 5/8" holes. I also put in some steel inserts, that's why such a disparity in the sizes.



Add some lock knobs..





And there you go! I got some conveyor rollers, they should be in today. I'll make some holders for those next. After that I'd like to make a torsion box scaffold platform that can double as a secondary work surface.

I also made a little side project - an accordion out of bubinga.



No wait, it's an Easter cross...



No... It's a cube..



No, it's a wormhole generator.



No, it's a bucky-ball.



No, it's just a thing.



I also got a chance to start on the grill mods. The grill uses a "radiation" tube. It shoots flames in one end of the tube and heats the interior. Problem: it doesn't get hot enough to grill with. Solution: cut it out and replace with something better.



Here's where the burner mounts.



Remaining side:



Had to make some access holes. It was a poorly designed, yet well built unit, that's for sure. They didn't spare the welding consumables.



Eventually got the patch welded back in.



The new tubes are waiting and ready to be installed. I'll also be adding a divider, spark igniters, and hopefully some insulation.

 

[jar944]

Better believe it. I got tired and greedy - let my technique slide. Cost me a half-hour digging the old tap out. $6 from Lowes for the drill/tap set, not bad if you ask me.

Typically Ive found box store taps (including craftsman) to be rather awful compared to even cheap imported HSS taps. You can get a ground HSS 3pc set (taper, plug, bottoming) from MSC or Enco for about the same price as a single tap from lowes

great thread BTW

 

[aggierailroad]

Typically Ive found box store taps (including craftsman) to be rather awful compared to even cheap imported HSS taps. You can get a ground HSS 3pc set (taper, plug, bottoming) from MSC or Enco for about the same price as a single tap from lowes

great thread BTW

Good tip, I didn't know they were that economical. I've always steered clear of MSC because I assumed I would never hit an order minimum or shipping would be crazy. I'll have to check it out, thanks!

 

[JZHeyde]

Keep an eye on MSC's sales. They do 30% pretty often and include free shipping on some of them. I buy a lot for my business through them but always try and take advantage of their sales.

 

[jar944]

Good tip, I didn't know they were that economical. I've always steered clear of MSC because I assumed I would never hit an order minimum or shipping would be crazy. I'll have to check it out, thanks!

No minimums and shipping is average.

MSC owns ENCO. Typically enco is a bit lower on price for the same item but are slower to ship.

Enco always has deals running (hot deals flyer) and often discount codes available (20% last month and could be used on sale items with free shipping.)

 

[aggierailroad]

Got my conveyor rollers in the mail, so I needed to make adjustable brackets to fit the various heights of tools that I have. Seems that some proper predictive planning would have been helpful about two years ago.... Oh well..

First thing's first, make a drawing so you don't forget something, along with a cut list.



The plan is a slotted bar that tightens with a hand turn knob, an alignment pin, a hole for the roller and a piece of rectangular tubing that will fit over the wooden arms that fit into the sawhorses.

Used the lathe to center drill and tap for a 10-32 screw and fender washer for the alignment pin. A vee block and square was used to center the pins and all-thread (5/16").



The rollers. 7/16" hex head, crimped bearing, with spring loaded pins. Good for 250 lbs each.



Mill a 3/8" slot in the 1.5"x1/4" flat bar. 4 - 1/4" long for adjustment.



Wasn't easy (I have 3 more to go). Little bit of chatter, and a 2 flute mill would work better, I think, for the plunge cut. Took about 30 minutes. The machine can handle the load, but the apron starts to buck on the ways if you feed what it needs (~4 inches/minute). I ended up doing much, much slower than that.

End result.. minus another hole, some detail (arch top) and paint.



And an ugly weld... It should hold



Lastly, the plasma in action, cut by hand with a straight edge. Little fine tuning left with my speed, but it's a pretty clean cut in this 3/8" material.



What's hard for me is keeping the tip flat on the surface when you drag it. I'm used to the old school kind where you had to offset. Any little friction and the tip moves and I pick up, screwing up the cut. Either way, it sure beats the cut-off wheel.

Until next time..

 

[CarterKraft]

I also got a chance to start on the grill mods. The grill uses a "radiation" tube. It shoots flames in one end of the tube and heats the interior. Problem: it doesn't get hot enough to grill with. Solution: cut it out and replace with something better.




The new tubes are waiting and ready to be installed. I'll also be adding a divider, spark igniters, and hopefully some insulation.

I hate to bring this up now, but I think that was a fryer, a really awesome fryer as far as I know. cajunfryer/

And a possible note back on a the air compressor install portion of the thread your free sound dB app might be capped at 90 dB. I found that out trying to EQ to a stereo install in a boat, the app only read to 90 very disappointing.

 

[aggierailroad]

Good point about the app... Oh well, it's not too bad.

The fryer was their original product, and works great. It ***** as a 40" grill... I promise it is a grill

 

[aggierailroad]

Done with the first set.



I don't have a press brake, so I just skim cut the steel and bent it over, welded it back.



I used brass rod peened into a rivet. I think I already mentioned that??



Got moving again on the grill mods. Here's a synopsis of welding pipe.

2" sch. 40 A-106. Short radius ells, welded to the finned tubes (1" fins, 5 fins per inch). Edge treatment is a 67 degree chamfer (I think). First step is to clean the joints. The ells come painted and the finned tubes had a little oil from the manufacturing process.



Fitup. Normally, you'd like to see a gap (~1/8") between the joints. Best way to do this is to get some wire, bend it in a U, and clamp the pipe for tacking. No need for that fancy ****, it takes too long. I didn't use the gap because I don't need full pen and wanted to save a pass of welding.



Next, build a positioner



Weld. ER70-6s .035 wire with a 75/25 shield. I'm no pipe welder, but it works.



Cut your pup and tack in. I did not bevel the pup.



Heat tubes.



Old on top, new on bottom.



This adds about 22 square feet of heat dissipating surface area. Add a little fan, and then we get convection across the tubes as well. More heat here we come!

If you don't sit on one of these, are you really welding?



In effect, this is how it will sit. The grill will now be a 40/60 split. The big area will be for smoking/bbq; the small for true grilling - burners to come soon.

Here is the outside. I had to move the exhaust stack over half an inch to make room for the next mod. The burner gets welded to the stub on the right.



The chip drawer. Another flaw in the original is that you can't add more chips to the tray mid session. It was housed between the old tubes, under the water pan, under the grating, under the beef. I like to smoke for about 2-3 hours on a brisket, and smoking chips typically last about 45 minutes.



Blam, cut a hole, weld on a plate, add a tab, and you have a removable chip pan.



I also welded in a support for the pan so that it would slide easier, it only had two legs and wanted to tip as soon as you pulled it out.



I need to fab a handle for the pan and I'd like to add a small pipe shoe for the burner tubes at the back. The next piece is to put in an insulated divider, followed by the burners and electric igniters for both sides. Ah, and, a back pressure plate for the exhaust stack. This will help keep the heat in the radiant tubes. Before, this grill would only get up to about 300F with both burners going full blast. You could smoke a brisket on a fall day, but definitely not in winter.

Thanks for reading.

 

[aggierailroad]

After a hiatus from posting, I finally remembered to upload some more photos.

Got a drawer organized, sort of. I really would like to make a kaizan style foam cutout drawer for these tools, but I am quickly stacking up projects that seem to take precedence.



I have to say, I'm sure the tool quality is still their, but I do have a very old test indicator as well. It is in a nice Naugahyde wrapped, chrome trimmed and tidy case. What a shame, as I'm a sucker for keeping the cases, but they are clearly not in the same league as the older tools.

I got suckered into trimming out my sister's 50s era kitchen. Cheap, painted over paneling, contractor trim, etc. She wants a craftsman style kitchen, so a craftsman style kitchen she shall get.





Put in a door. Old one was falling apart.




Knocked out the old turned spindles and built a single column.



Coming together.



Unfortunately, I don't have any finished pictures, as my weekend finished before paint (fortunately!).

More progress on the grill. Got the handle and latch sorted out on the chip tray.





Welded on some nubs to keep the handle in check.



New water pan back.



Shortened pan.



New hinges for splitting the hood.



Goodies to make a butterfly valve style damper for the burner exhaust.



To be installed Y axis DRO for the lathe. Excited about this one as that's the tough one to hold over long distances.



Onwards and upwards. Got a commission for a mesquite diploma frame. Mesquite is expensive, beautiful and full of knots and inclusions. The best way (IMO) to work with those (the knots are always loose) is to fill them with clear epoxy. I like to use tape to seal the opposite side, wire brush and compressed air for cleaning out the funk and two part epoxy. A vacuum system would be awesome to **** the bubbles out (which make it look cloudy) but I don't have one.



Tape up the opposite side.



Fill, leaving it proud of the top for planing/smoothing later.



That's it. I'm using half-lapped miter joints for the corners. I found a great jig to help do that on the table saw. I told the guy I'm charging by the clamp.

MDF backer glued together to take out the slight bow. Then a thin panel is glued on the bottom as a shelf. Set your corners with a square, then use the dado blade to whittle away the material.





The material gets a routed semi-ogee profile.



Back to the grill. Burner test was a success. I made an adjustable venturi ring on the lathe.



Welded it all in with a flange for the jet.



Jet size is a bit too large, will have to plug and redrill. Also added a heat shield.



Relocated the handle which doubles as a shelf holder.



Dive right in.



Success. Used to need both burners to maintain 250F. Now I can use one burner cracked to about 30% open. Once I insulate, I expect even better results.



Thanks for reading.

 

[aggierailroad]

More work updates.

I had the pleasure of a friend coming to town from New Zealand. He is a hobbyist fabricator like myself (specializes in boat building) while he studies for a PHD in composite design, specializing in carbon fiber applications.

Here is the frame laid out. The trick is to draw the shapes you want to cut away so you don't get confused. There is only one shot and things go quick on the table saw.



Here's the sled/jig I used to cut the joints. It runs on the sliding miter fences. Use a square to define the angle. Way back when you'll remember that I aligned the blade parallel with the edge of the miter slot. This is one of those instances where that's handy (referencing from the slot).



The joints look like this.



Glue up is easy due to it's self-aligning nature.



Some people use dowels, screws, nails, etc. to provide some shear loading. I did not want the risk of splitting this hard, dry wood and opted not to. It was stout as all get out anyways.

Now, flip it over and use a bearing rabbet bit on the router to cut the rabbet for the glass/matting, etc.



As you can see, you get round corners that need to be squared up.



Start by scribing some lines, us a razor blade if you don't have a marking knife. The line gives you a place to anchor your chisel, keeping things square. Chisel away, being careful not to blow through the fragile rabbet that's left.



And you're done.



I added a trim ring around the edge, sanded to 320 and used polycrylic to seal it.



It took a few clamps..



So, my friend made a knife from a file. All by hand, using a hacksaw and file to make the profile. He annealed and heat treated it all on his backyard grill. The results are amazing. It looks water jet cut.



He made the carbon fiber case himself. The one problem was the pin, not shown here. It was steel, too big, and kept slipping out. I said hey, why don't we use the brass and peen it in. Here are the results:





Very nice knife, using minimal tools. Thanks for reading.

 

[aggierailroad]

Been pretty busy with work and things, but here's the latest progress for your perusing.

Saw handle out of some mystery wood.



Used it to make a push stick for the table saw.



Started to build a crib for a friend. Here's the back panel.



Panels:



Took a detour. Whoops.









PS, a rental Chevy spark doesn't do too well on the salt..

Added some keeper tabs to the crib:



Start of the front. Doweled slats.



Intervened with a shirt folder because I'm OCD and have wanted one since I saw it on the Big Bang Theory..



My plane grew a fro.



Walked through another abandoned shop. They were building amazingly large vessels in here two weeks prior.



The crib is coming together. 437 parts and pieces.



Got some more clamps. Love these K bodies by Jet.



My friend is building a new chair.



Bought a gun.



And that brings you up to date. No lengthy build descriptions, just ask if there is anything anyone would like to know.

 

[MP&C]

Intervened with a shirt folder because I'm OCD and have wanted one since I saw it on the Big Bang Theory..

So now we need to see the shirt folder in action, where's the video?

 

[jar944]

Been pretty busy with work and things, but here's the latest progress for your perusing.



My friend is building a new chair.

Interesting
It almost looks like it has some Maloof/midcentury influences

 

[slickgt1]

Amazing work. You can never have too many clamps. As a matter of fact, where did you get those long reach wood ones. With the lever. I have never seen that.

 

[aggierailroad]

So now we need to see the shirt folder in action, where's the video?

Oh geez... The last thing you want to see is me going all Martha Stewart on some shirts... But I'll try, because I'm game for anything.

Interesting
It almost looks like it has some Maloof/midcentury influences

It does. He also builds with a touch of Japanese influence, that you might notice in the lines of the arms.

Amazing work. You can never have too many clamps. As a matter of fact, where did you get those long reach wood ones. With the lever. I have never seen that.

Thank you very much. If you mean the red ones, I got some on Amazon, some at woodcraft. The wooden made clamps are traditionally a luthier's or violin maker's clamp. They have about 400 lbs of clamping force and cork pads. A lot of people make them, or they can be bought for around $15 apiece. Try... www.leevalley.com

 

[bulletpruf]

Beautiful work! Tell us more about the over/under shotgun, please!

 

[aggierailroad]

It's a Huglu 12 ga. over-under. My boss picked it up from the factory in Turkey. Despite some less than stellar reviews on the trigger and reliability - this gun has the best fit and finish of anything I've seen that's mass produced. It was just almost up there with a few Purdey's I got to hold in the London store.

When I finally dug more into the reliability issues, it was with guys putting upwards of 20,000 rounds through their guns. In a good year, I might do 500.

Needless to say, it's a beautiful gun, hand engraved and came at a screaming good price.

Onwards and upwards:

We got a shop kitty at work, this is El Diablo.



He sleeps any and everywhere.

Clay barred my truck (2006 F150). I wash it once a year, max. The top half of the pic is done and waxed. The bottom, blurrier reflection is just with a wash. I must say, I'm impressed, even if this pic doesn't show much improvement. The paint looks better than new.



Crib is just about done, less some priming, blocking and final paint. Sorry for the crappy pics. Never volunteer to build one of these.





Thanks for reading. I'm anxious to get started back on the grill mods.

 

[gipraw]

Awesome work, as usual.

I

Clay barred my truck (2006 F150). I wash it once a year, max. The top half of the pic is done and waxed. The bottom, blurrier reflection is just with a wash. I must say, I'm impressed, even if this pic doesn't show much improvement. The paint looks better than new.

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag64/whiskeytrader/Black%20Hat%20Shop%20Works/20150807_190010_zps0cdwkmb2.jpg

You should bring it up to the shop in Cypress. We can have it looking perfect in no time.

 

[aggierailroad]

Awesome work, as usual.
You should bring it up to the shop in Cypress. We can have it looking perfect in no time.

Which shop is that?

 

[gipraw]

Which shop is that?

My detailing shop. I work by appointment only, so no walkins and no one knows I am there. ;-) that way I can be selective about what I work on.

290 & Fry area.

 

[aggierailroad]

After a few beers - ok a lot of beers - the crib looks like this:





Adjustable to two heights using brass threaded inserts and some pins we turned on the lathe. Whenever someone asks you why you're buying a lathe, and you say "I don't know, to make parts." The reason you can't answer that is because you never fathomed you'd be making crib pins for your buddies baby crib.

Got a short/easy commission for some mirrors. The look is a knotty pine/rustic cowboy look. I'm not a fan, but the customer is always right!



I used dowels to pin the joints, two per. Rabbet the back just like the diploma frame I did earlier. This soft "knotty pine" which is actually alder, sold as "white wood" was provided by the customer. It's actually a pain to work with because it is so soft. Any bump leaves a dent that you have to steam out...

Add some pre-cut mirrors from the big box store. They are held in place with glazing points on the back along with some caulking for good measure. Be careful with glues/caulk on mirrors as some of it eats the "silvering".





Finish was a wipe on Polycrylic - quickly becoming one of my favorites. It dries so fast in this heat that you can put the second coat on as soon as you're done with the first. Did two mirrors, really easy to make exact copies once the saws are set up.

That's all for now, thanks for reading.

 

[aggierailroad]

Been pretty dang busy traveling for work, so here's some of that:

Phoenix on the only day it rains:


Next, I've started to build a very modern bed frame. It will be a queen size and have a look that most people don't quite like - but I sure do!

First thing's first, you need a headboard. This little stick aught to do it, 7' tall, 24" wide at the base and just over 2 inches thick.



This is ash, harvested in the Houston area by a pretty neat guy. Air dried. Heavy....



The frame is 14 ga. rectangular tubing, 3x1, 2x1 and some 5/16x5" flat bar. Side rails are ash and there will be some powder coating involved - a first for me. I'd appreciate anyone's experiences on that from what prep work I need to do down to average pricing.

In maintenance news, I replaced alllll of this. 140k miles. Sway bar end link bushings were gone. As cheap as parts are now I took the average and figured everything was worn out.





With that and an alignment and new Michelins, it truly drives as tight and good as a new truck. Love it.

More bed progress/how to to come if anyone says they are interested.

Thanks for reading.