2014 Baja Warrior

nightgrider

nightgrider

Well-Known Member
#41
#41
So for the sake of ease and to speed up the build on the luggage racks. I decided I'm going to forgo notching tubes, got some 3/4" wide, 1/8" thick flat bar coming. I still want to practice welding around a tube, but I just kind of want to get the racks rolling. It will make the racks a bit heavier, but still should look nice if I take my time and make sure everything is square. Planning to focus on the rear rack since it is the most functional/practical.
 
nightgrider

nightgrider

Well-Known Member
#42
#42
My flat bar came today. So I figured I better get to cutting. Right now the rack's about 15.5" x 18" I'm trying to decide if I like those dimensions. But that's about what is was shooting for on the size. I'll notch another piece of 7/8" tubing to run down the middle for a structural spine to support the flat bar in the middle to prevent flex. Now I have to decide on the spacing of the flat bar. Right now I'm thinking an inch in-between each flat bar, but I'll have to lay it out and see how it all falls.
 

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nightgrider

nightgrider

Well-Known Member
#44
#44
Thanks, yeah that flat bar is going to make it Heavy, with a capital H. I can't take credit for the bends. These pieces were pre-bent. I may switch back to notching tube. We'll see. Just was getting lazy. Haha nothing is even tacked yet the world is my oyster at this point.
 
nightgrider

nightgrider

Well-Known Member
#48
#48
Did a little CAD (cardboard aided design) mock up. Looks like about 2" spacing between the flat bar will look really nice. @sparkwizard the whole 72" piece of flat bar weights about 2 lbs. I'll end up using most of it. The other tubing is around 2 lbs, there will be some other tabs and the two support tubes. Which I haven't cut yet. Probably in the end it will be around 5-6 lbs all together. That's not too bad.
 

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FOMOGO

FOMOGO

#54
#54
nightgrider said:
I haven't tried wet sand. I've seen a video where a guy got good results with it. Wet sand does compact more densely than dry.
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DO NOT USE WET SAND AND HEAT!

Use dry sand and pack it as you fill it with a tamping rod like a Muzzle Loader tamping rod. Best sand bend results will come with a welded closed end and then fill and then a hard wood plug that is compacting the sand as it is driven in. You also have to get the pipe red hot all the way around and for a lentgh at least as long as the bend. I dont mean just red hot, you want white hot like a fordge will heat it. Bends like butter this way. short side will compress some and the long side will stretch some.

Just filling it with sand wont provide the strength needed. It has to be tamped in tight every inch of the way. Unpacked sand with just displace with the pressure in the bend. And the sand has to be 100 percent dry if you use any heat. Wet sand and the amount of heat you will need will lead to a steam pressure rupture that wont be pretty for all concerned.
 
nightgrider

nightgrider

Well-Known Member
#55
#55
Correct, do either wet sand or dry with heat, not both at the same time. I've gotten pretty good results with dry sand tamped every inch or 2 with a dowel rod. As you said like a muzzle loader. I haven't gone to the lengths as to weld caps on, though that would produce better results. Mostly just goofing around in the garage without making the process take a long time. I've been pleased enough with the reasonable results of dry packed sand in the pipe. Just haven't had time to goof more with it. In the end I'll probably get a vevor manual bender, if I even do that. As always I appreciate all the advice and input.
 
nightgrider

nightgrider

Well-Known Member
#56
#56
I unfortunately don't think I'll get the cargo rack finished before the camping trip this year. The camping trip is rapidly approaching, about a week and a half away. I've got some other things I need to take care of first and I'm busy this weekend. Prioritized fixing and selling a lot of my extra machines to make a little scratch and most importantly make more space in my garage.
 
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sparkwizard

sparkwizard

#57
#57
nightgrider said:
I unfortunately don't think I'll get the cargo rack finished before the camping trip this year. The camping trip is rapidly approaching, about a week and a half away. I've got some other things I need to take care of first and I'm busy this weekend. Prioritized fixing and selling a lot of my extra machines to make a little scratch and most importantly make more space in my garage.
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What type of machines are you selling, Sir?
 
FOMOGO

FOMOGO

#59
#59
nightgrider said:
Correct, do either wet sand or dry with heat, not both at the same time..
Click to expand...
I have a friend with a 1965 Shelby GT350R. He has every piece of paper and history on the car since it was bought new in mid 1966. It has been raced all over the USA and Europe. Went to the Nassau Speed Weeks and was even raced in Venuzalla. The story goes that it was in Europe in 1967 and the exhaust/straight pipes that came on it were kind of spindly... the original owner called them "pixie straw exhaust". While he was in Europe which is just a Mecca of Mom and Pop fabrication businesses, he had a Blacksmith build a 2 1/2" copper exhaust system. They were sand packed and put in the fordge before bending them to both exit out the right side. With the car on a lift a major manufacturer couldnt have made a more perfectly matched pair of pipes. And the interesting part is the sound. Steel pipes aint nothing upside these coper pipes. They have a ring in the tone almost like a big church bell. He blew it up in California in 1967 (It was before the Europe trip) and a Marine engine shop built the new engine for it. The Shelby tach couldnt keep up and he had to install a 10,000 RPM tach. The rev limiter is set to 9,800 RPM's. He has a friend that vintage races Shelbys a lot. He took it out on the track and told him that it was the fastest 289 he had ever driven. He asked him how hard he had turned it. The reply was 9,400. And the event was at a Shelby R Model reunion. None of the rest of the R Models could keep up with it.
 
nightgrider

nightgrider

Well-Known Member
#60
#60
FOMOGO said:
I have a friend with a 1965 Shelby GT350R. He has every piece of paper and history on the car since it was bought new in mid 1966. It has been raced all over the USA and Europe. Went to the Nassau Speed Weeks and was even raced in Venuzalla. The story goes that it was in Europe in 1967 and the exhaust/straight pipes that came on it were kind of spindly... the original owner called them "pixie straw exhaust". While he was in Europe which is just a Mecca of Mom and Pop fabrication businesses, he had a Blacksmith build a 2 1/2" copper exhaust system. They were sand packed and put in the fordge before bending them to both exit out the right side. With the car on a lift a major manufacturer couldnt have made a more perfectly matched pair of pipes. And the interesting part is the sound. Steel pipes aint nothing upside these coper pipes. They have a ring in the tone almost like a big church bell. He blew it up in California in 1967 (It was before the Europe trip) and a Marine engine shop built the new engine for it. The Shelby tach couldnt keep up and he had to install a 10,000 RPM tach. The rev limiter is set to 9,800 RPM's. He has a friend that vintage races Shelbys a lot. He took it out on the track and told him that it was the fastest 289 he had ever driven. He asked him how hard he had turned it. The reply was 9,400. And the event was at a Shelby R Model reunion. None of the rest of the R Models could keep up with it.
Click to expand...
Really neat story and information. Thanks for sharing.
 
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