Above 1200 Sq/FT The Warthog Hidey Hole

[NedNorton]

JB,
All the best buddy to you and the family for a wonder Xmas and an even better new year! I look forward to reading about all the happenings in 2018!

Cheers,
Chris

 

[shortykorte]

Merry Christmas. I'm sure the girls are waiting to trade for the Vette chassis 57 soon.

 

[jbmatth]

All,
Christmas has come and gone, there were plenty of good times shared with family, it was a wonderful time even if everyone on my book of faces feed had a white Christmas but us in Oklahoma. I'll have a little update shorty.

JB, your wife and lovely daughters,
I hope youall have a joyous Christmas and New Year. May God bless you and your family and friends.
Stay safe in the shop, and enjoy the times you get to spend with your little helpers. These are good days
My hearse is still on the trailer and in the barn. Thanks for your help getting some things that needed to be fixed. Hope I can get it finished and drive it a little.

Herb,
Thank you for the kind words, I enjoy the time I get to spend with the girls and we do seem to have a good time when we do get to work together. Best of luck on the finishing touches on the hearse. I wish you a happy new year as well. P.S. you should update your thread when you get a chance.

JB, I have just finished reading your entire thread and have really enjoyed seeing how the WHH and your skills have developed. I cannot wait to see PPP progress. We are in the process of having a new building (The Boathouse) built. Maybe now I am up to date with your thread and several others I have been binge reading, I can start thinking about my own thread. Anyway, a merry Christmas and a healthy and productive 2018 to you and your family! David

David,
Thank you for taking the time to read through all of my ramblings, you must be persistent to keep drudging through so much, my hat is off to you. I look forward to seeing you get a thread started in the upcoming months, please post a link here for others to follow as well.

JB,
Excellent year in review!

Merry Christmas!

Thank you Jon

JB
It's been a fun year riding along with you in the Cobra and watching your youthfulness get things done.
I have truly enjoyed the journey Thank you

I want to wish you and your family a Very Merry Christmas.

Enjoy those little girls, they don't stay little very long

Don

Don,
Thank you as well, the cobra has been a fun journy and it still has many memories left to make especially when the girls think they are old enough to drive it. I look forward to your 'Vette updates as well. Have a happy new year.

JB,
All the best buddy to you and the family for a wonder Xmas and an even better new year! I look forward to reading about all the happenings in 2018!

Cheers,
Chris

Chris,
Thank you for stopping by, I'm glad to see you are still around an kicking. I wish you the best for '18 and look forward to what all you get into.

Merry Christmas. I'm sure the girls are waiting to trade for the Vette chassis 57 soon.

Thank you Shorty, I'm sure they will love to spin some tires in PPP. It is funny the other day Cat the 3 year old said she wanted to take my yellow car (143 HP) to town because it is fast. Oh the innocence of youth, gotta love them though.

JB

 

[jbmatth]

When I went to scrap the last parts from the 2nd twin truck I went by to get some steel tube and see if the steel for the '57 frame had been delivered. Turns out they hadn't ordered it. So now while I wait I decided to do some of those back burner jobs. I picked up this 67-72 Chevy truck bed a while back and cut it up to make a bench:
View media item 60462
Well it never really took off, I had the bed cut up, the tail gate, and some 16 ga for the back of it but never anything for the legs. Well I picked up some 2" X 1/8" (50mm x 3.175mm) square tube and made some legs, welded them to the back and here is the end result:
View media item 78616
Sorry for the bad photo, and I obviously need to do some cleaning on the house and re-stain the porch, I didn't realize how bad it had gotten.

Another back burner job I'm working on is adding a slow speed pulley to my big floor mounted Craftsman drill press so I can use it to drill metal. I have all of the parts and am working on getting some parts machined up in the lathe. I should have it complete in a day or two, about the time the steel for the '57 is ready for pickup...hopefully.

JB

 

[jbmatth]

Something I've mentioned recently is that I bent the spindle on my little metal drill press trying to use a hole saw to notch tubing. I still need to take it apart and have it straightened but have been too lazy lately. But I've also wanted to use the Craftsman 100 drill press to drill metal. Before the lowest speed was 625 RPM at the spindle, that would be fine for up to about 3/8" holes, but I want to be able to easily drill up to 3/4" holes. I found a write-up online where someone had modified his with a third set of pulleys to further reduce the speed. Thinking this was a good idea I bought two pulleys, oil impregnated bushings, and used some 1/2" sch. 160 pipe, a 1/2" bolt, 1/2" lock nut, a scrap piece of 3/8" steel plate, and a couple of washers to make it all work. I was terrible about taking photos as I would only work on it a little at a time but here is the end result:

The spindle speed is now 271 RPM and about right for 3/4" bits. I "can" further reduce the speed if need by doing a belt and pulley swap on the top but don't have the parts right now to make that happen. All in all it was pretty easy but also very time consuming, I have about 5 hours into this one little part between machining the plate and pipe, welding the bolt to the plate, and plate to the drill press column, and a surprising time consumer was removing the pulley from the motor this morning. All is well now and I'm back in business drilling holes in metal with much stronger drill press.

JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

Great job on the drill press. Little jobs like that take time. More and more it seems.

I really love the bench!

That is really cool. I've been trying to figure out something like that with the body parts from the thirties on the farm next door. Maybe you've given me some inspiration.

 

[jbmatth]

Great job on the drill press. Little jobs like that take time. More and more it seems.

I really love the bench!

That is really cool. I've been trying to figure out something like that with the body parts from the thirties on the farm next door. Maybe you've given me some inspiration.

Thank you Andy, and you know it would be nice to have a soft spot to sit down for a minute on an old truck bed. As a side note the reason the bench is so low is I'm having a set of cushions made out of an old memory foam mattress. I've had the mattress in our spare bedroom for a year now since I'd replaced it, I was only reminded occasionally that it needed to go.

JB

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Nice work on the press JB, I'll be sending my large "boring" jobs your way in the future!

Bench is super cool, things like that draw a premium at swap meets. It would look killer in blue and white two tone...just saying.

 

[jbmatth]

Nice work on the press JB, I'll be sending my large "boring" jobs your way in the future!

Bench is super cool, things like that draw a premium at swap meets. It would look killer in blue and white two tone...just saying.

Send them away, the low speed conversion on this press only took me 2 years so that is a good idea on an expected timeline.

I've seen them go for some crazy money either painted or natural, I considered getting tail lights and marker lights until I saw how much used ones were going for online. I guess I need to start walking fence rows in the middle of the night to find some I can afford. Tell you what, you bring your paint gun down and we can swap, you paint and I'll be boring.
JB

 

[mefast]

JB,
Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and your family. Looking forward to your adventures in 2018.

 

[jbmatth]

JB,

Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and your family. Looking forward to your adventures in 2018.

Thank you Fast, I hope the New Year brings great things for you.

All,
I thought you’d get a kick out of this, I’m pretty sure we set a record cold temp this morning.

JB

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Thank you Fast, I hope the New Year brings great things for you.

All,
I thought you’d get a kick out of this, I’m pretty sure we set a record cold temp this morning.

JB

Just put an extra layer on...plus it will warm up a degree or two about 30min after the sun comes up.

 

[zmotorsports]

Thank you Fast, I hope the New Year brings great things for you.

All,
I thought you’d get a kick out of this, I’m pretty sure we set a record cold temp this morning.

JB

Wow!! I guess I shouldn't complain about our teens here. That's a bit too cold for me.

You'd better bundle up.

Great job on the bench JB, turned out great.

 

[Bob Heine]

I considered getting tail lights and marker lights until I saw how much used ones were going for online. I guess I need to start walking fence rows in the middle of the night to find some I can afford. Tell you what, you bring your paint gun down and we can swap, you paint and I'll be boring.
JB

JB, I had a few minutes to waste so I went on Rock Auto to check prices on those lenses. They don't have a huge stock left and the housings and lamp holders are stupid expensive but the lenses alone are not too bad. Two tail lamp and two backup lenses would set you back $16.25 plus shipping. The side marker lenses come with frames a pair sells for $20.58 plus shipping. You would probably want some simple 120V LED lighting and with your fab skills it would be pretty simple to make some tunnels for two (light them all up), four (backup plus side and tail lamps) or six sources (separate side and tail, directional and backup).

 

[jbmatth]

Just put an extra layer on...plus it will warm up a degree or two about 30min after the sun comes up.

Haha a degree or two would certainly help, but it is tough to work that much below absolute zero.

Wow!! I guess I shouldn't complain about our teens here. That's a bit too cold for me.

You'd better bundle up.

Great job on the bench JB, turned out great.

Thank you Z, I don't guess I have any right to complain about the 20's the last few days now. Although the low on Sunday is supposed to be 1°F with 20 mph winds, that gives a -21°F (-29°C) wind chill. To top that off I was volunteered to take delivery of some equipment at work at 11 pm, burrrrrr. Happy New Year to me.

JB, I had a few minutes to waste so I went on Rock Auto to check prices on those lenses. They don't have a huge stock left and the housings and lamp holders are stupid expensive but the lenses alone are not too bad. Two tail lamp and two backup lenses would set you back $16.25 plus shipping. The side marker lenses come with frames a pair sells for $20.58 plus shipping. You would probably want some simple 120V LED lighting and with your fab skills it would be pretty simple to make some tunnels for two (light them all up), four (backup plus side and tail lamps) or six sources (separate side and tail, directional and backup).

I hadn't checked there Bob, thanks for all of the leg work, I'll check it out, maybe that can be my night light to keep nosy people from coming around after dark. Or they will come to see if we are okay and see a truck crashed into it.

JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

I'm impressed your camera worked at that temperature. That's even several thousand degrees below absolute zero, so that is COLD.

I'm going to copy your bed bench buddy, just don't complain when mine looks better.

 

[Grizz1963]

Bench came out looking neat.

Well done !!


And a great new year for you and your family.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

classicparts.com might be another good source for the lenses. I've bought stuff over the years for square bodies and the '49 from them.

 

[BUGTHUG]

LCM classic , has parts for the lights.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Nice bench


Although at -3654 degrees you **** is going to freeze to it.

 

[sean Buick 76]

I really like the truck box bench! Do you have any tips on how to cut it up nice so its not extra work to straighten the edges? I would try it but I am afraid to make a mess...

Oh and great work in 2017 all thefts luck to you in 2018!

 

[jbmatth]

I'm impressed your camera worked at that temperature. That's even several thousand degrees below absolute zero, so that is COLD.

I'm going to copy your bed bench buddy, just don't complain when mine looks better.

I will not complain one bit if your bench turns out better, just so long as I get a chance to rest on it at some point. I was also surprised there was so much activity for that temperature especially on the molecular level.

Bench came out looking neat.

Well done !!


And a great new year for you and your family.

Thank you Grizz, I hope you have a great new year as well.

classicparts.com might be another good source for the lenses. I've bought stuff over the years for square bodies and the '49 from them.

LCM classic , has parts for the lights.

Thank you Outlaw and Bug, finding the lights is easy enough but the cost is more than my stomach wants to handle.

Nice bench


Although at -3654 degrees you **** is going to freeze to it.

I guess I would know what freezing my **** off would actually feel like at that point.

I really like the truck box bench! Do you have any tips on how to cut it up nice so its not extra work to straighten the edges? I would try it but I am afraid to make a mess...

Oh and great work in 2017 all thefts luck to you in 2018!

I think when I cut the bed I used a tape line then used a reciprocating saw and cutoff wheel. The real damage was done when welding, I didn't worry too much about heating and warping. I didn't realize how much it would warp, but wow was it impressive.

All,
I have the 'Vette all stripped of everything usable and loaded on the trailer, it was interesting to do but using a jack, jack stands, and a ratchet strap it is all loaded now. I need to get a come-along or a 120v winch at some point, that would make jobs like this so much easier. I'm still waiting on the steel for the '57 frame, the last estimate was tomorrow, we shall see though. Other than that I've just been working on cleaning a few things and finishing some other small odd and end jobs.

JB

 

[shortykorte]

Was that truck bed damaged. I would assume the fleet sides bring a premium for those wanting a slick street truck. Look forward to see the finished bench.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Was that truck bed damaged. I would assume the fleet sides bring a premium for those wanting a slick street truck. Look forward to see the finished bench.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Long beds generally don't bring much over scrap price.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Long beds generally don't bring much over scrap price.

Not really. You just have to find someone who needs one.

 

[jbmatth]

Was that truck bed damaged. I would assume the fleet sides bring a premium for those wanting a slick street truck. Look forward to see the finished bench.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Long beds generally don't bring much over scrap price.

Not really. You just have to find someone who needs one.

The bed itself wasn't in terrible shape and had very little rust, but it did have a lot of bent metal around both tail lights and was a long bed which ins't as desirable. I have learned the tailgate is probably worth more than what I have in the entire project as it wasn't rusted and had very few dents. I was careful not to damage it during construction so if I or someone else needs one I'd be happy to trade it for a damaged tailgate. The bed had been listed on CL for a month when I bought it so I gave a fair chance to others to pick it up first. I have been pleasantly surprised in this area of the country there isn't as much rust as I'd expect to see.

JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

I have a tough time cutting up good old stuff, but the bench is a very nice piece of work.

Good job!

 

[jbmatth]

Andy,
I understand the feeling, and it pains me to do that some times as well, however, I manage to get over some small bit of guilt with a cup of coffee relaxing on the bench watching the sun come up.

All,
I can't remember if I mentioned it or not but the car that I took to my brother in Georgia is now in my shop for a few weeks while I work on it. When my parents picked it up they noticed some abnormal tire wear on the inside of both front tires. Once I dug into it a little deeper expecting a ball joint or tie rod issue I found this:

Turns out all of the ball joints and tie rods are still in pretty good shape, but the rear control arm bushings are shot to say the least. New parts should be here today or tomorrow.

Lastly I've been working on some gusset plates for PPP's frame, a little more trimming and they will be ready to weld on.

JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

I think you can save the control arm bushings. Get some good firm RTV sealant...

 

[OutlawDrifter]

I think you can save the control arm bushings. Get some good firm RTV sealant...

I would add a good coat of JB Weld on the outside of the RTV for that firm "poly" bushing feel!

 

[Mike.ASC]

I'm confused , are you suggesting that JB Weld over the RTV sealant to lock it in or to RTV over the JB Weld to get that Poly feel .... Sorry I couldn't resist

 

[1/2 Cup]

I'm confused , are you suggesting that JB Weld over the RTV sealant to lock it in or to RTV over the JB Weld to get that Poly feel .... Sorry I couldn't resist

More like a softer ride.

Me either.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

I'm confused , are you suggesting that JB Weld over the RTV sealant to lock it in or to RTV over the JB Weld to get that Poly feel .... Sorry I couldn't resist

More like a softer ride.

Me either.

A person would have to take a very scientific and mathematical approach in order to "dial-in" the correct firmness of said "custom" bushing. The possibilities are endless. JB is definitely the man for the job!

 

[jbmatth]

Wow, I leave ya'll alone for one day and now I'm buying a durometer and rubber welding wire, I already have the RTV but probably not the correct stiffness. Believe it or not I don't have any JB Weld either, I weld so when I do it is JB's weld not to be confused with JB Weld which I haven't had much luck with in the past.

In other news the new bushings are in and installed, doing that only caused one blood blister so I'll call that a win! The 'Vette is on the trailer here and about to head to the scrap yard, I'll pick up my steel then and get to work fitting it on the '57. Woo Hoo back in gear now!
JB

 

[Bob Heine]

I learn something new every day. Two of the engine mounts on my PT Cruiser look a lot like your control arm bushings. I have JB KWIK and ULTRA BLACK RTV but still don't understand which one to apply first.

Apparently the engine mounts on the PT are intended for normally aspirated 4-cylinder engines. All I did was upgrade the turbocharged engine controller to a Stage II and tweak the tune a little. There's a clunking sound when you accelerate with these mounts in the car.

Any help you experts could provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jbmatth]

Bob,
After much thought and contemplation I've come to the only logical conclusion. Use the JB Kwik to weld the bushing in, then the RTV to fill in the gaps to increase the total spring rate. Boom, stiffer bushings with the materials at hand. Win Win
JB

 

[JohnnieMo]

If you deliver, I could use some JB weld up here, as opposed to the JB Weld I already have.

 

[jbmatth]

Johnnie,
Send me down what you need welded with a prepaid self addressed stamped envelope and I'll send it right back. If you are lucky I may even weld it first.

All,
In other news the 'Vette is now gone, I have a stick of 3"x5"x.1875" tubing on the trailer where it used to be. Odd how I can give them 960 pounds of metal and they give me 188.4 and I still have to pay an extra $100. I also finely broke down and picked up an S size bottle (60 pound or 125 ft^3) of C25 (25% CO2 and 75% Argon), a 10 pound spool of ER-70S-6, and some .035 tips for $260 which was better than I expected. I have the bottle on a 10 year lease with no deposit. When I run out I take it in and have them refill for only $25 at their current price. It will actually be cheaper to run MIG than flux core it looks like, just a higher initial buy in price.

JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

Congratulations on getting into MIG. I started out with 0.035 but am going to try 0.023 when I run out.

Could JB weld with JB weld JB?

 

[1/2 Cup]

JB, you won't know your self using a shield gas with your MIG in preference to the flux core.

Personally I have never been a big fan of flux core.

Regards