Craigmorley
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Good luck mate ull be fine judging by ur welding throughout ur forum good luck mate hope to hear u pass
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LJ70 Build Thread!
- Thread starter Ben
- Start date
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- Oct 13, 2010
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Ok guys.........................
Air boat first.
I welded the other rib in place which I didn't get done last week.
I found as I worked my way along I had to keep jacking up where I was about to weld to keep the box section nice and flush with the bottom of the boat as the bottom constantly wanted to pull away from the heat of the weld pool.
I also cut some wedges out of 10mm steel which I found useful for wedging the bottom up off the trolleys.
I removed all the snow chains.
And was very pleasantly surprised to find the bottom remained reasonably flat!
And the 3mm thick 4" x 2" box section appears to be stiff enough to not have just bowed!
It has a couple of areas where theres a 2-3mm gap under the steel rule but its come out much better than I expected and hoped.
I started building the bulkhead at the front. Inside here will live the fuel tank.
I'm no expert by any means but I am getting some dam sexy welds!
One frame built and ready to drop in.
That was as far as I got on the air boat project.
Solar Suzuki next.................
I got a trailer hitch for the A frame.
Drilled the 6mm steel for the trailer hitch to bolt to.
Got it powder coated.
That will now be dismantled, wrapped in bubble wrap and stored in the back of my bosses 79 series ute and we all hope it never gets used!
If it gets used it means the Suzuki I've built has failed in its mission to be the first solar powered vehicle to cross the Simpson Desert using only the power of the sun and has had a catastrophic breakdown and the world record attempt has been aborted!
We finally got the little Suzuki registered as an electric car, so its now all fully road legal!
Number plates!
I wanted Solar 1 as the number plate but understandably my boss wanted to get the reg plates there and then and not have to wait a few weeks for personalised ones as he leaves in 2 weeks time for the world record attempt.
Mounted them.
I also had to mount this on the spare wheel.
I decided to drill and bolt fridge slide straps to it.
I've got a few final jobs to do on it next week mounting more solar panels but thats all I got done this week.
Did a tiny bit on the tip truck project.
The cab was leaning 30mm down on the drivers side so I removed the springs and took them to a spring works for them to do their magic on them.
That should be back from the panel shop on Monday sporting a new paint job and new windscreen. Then I've got to put it all back together. Fit the new bull bar and freshly powder coated snorkel, make some new wing mirror mounts for it.
Then we just need to get all the wheels shot blast, powder coated and the mud tyres fitted.
And finally on the work front.......
Battery trays!
You might think it would be an easy simple DIY job to fit one, and in reality it is!
But get it wrong and you will seriously damage you're vehicle!
I had a Hi-lux in for repair because the battery tray had been fitted completely wrong.
This is what the weight of a battery in a wrongly fitted tray does to an inner guard.
Sadly the newer Toyotas are made out of the thinnest metal possible! Gone are the days of nice thick 60, 70 and 80 series panels!
That inner guard is made from 0.8mm steel and even with the TIG running an incredibly low 20amps and the smallest tungsten's we could get it still kept blowing holes in it.
So no pics of the repair because I wasnt pleased with it! I had to sandwich the original guard with a sheet of 2mm both sides and lots of bolts. Not pretty but should survive the trip to Cape York the truck is about to go on.
It is because of this sort of damage that we advise professional fitting by one of our distributors!
OK................................
Back to LJ.
You may remember I picked up the 2mm thick alluminium for the 2nd attempt at an auxiliary fuel tank.
Well I cut and folded up 2 pieces to form the tank.
Made a baffle for the inside which will also add a lot of strength.
Tomorrows job is to weld it all together!
OK ok I know you're all dying to know how I went with the welding test......................
Well I managed to keep my calm and made sure I had lots of breaks, even if just for a few minutes to stand back and have a drink.
I had to constantly tell myself "I can do this" "I can pass this test" all the time my head saying "no mate you cant do it".
I'd start welding and my mind kept drifting and I had to constantly remind myself to focus.............focus........... FOCUS god dammit!
I put my phone on airplane mode and didn't look at it once so I had no idea of what time it was or how long I had left. This helped as I didn't put myself under pressure to rush.
So I welded the 4 pieces of pipe together and then air arc gouged a piece of 12mm plate and beveled the edge of it with the oxy torch.
I had to make one repair to one of the pipes as the root run (first weld) wasnt perfect in one place with lots of messy un melted/fused welding rod poking through. With that ground out and the pipe re-welded it passed the visual inspection.
Now I know it might seem reasonably straight forward. Get the 2 pieces of pipe and weld them together. You've been on this 18 months now Ben what are you messing around at?
Well what makes it really bloody hard is that fact that the first weld, the root weld has to look perfect on the inside of the pipe, yet you cant see the inside and dont know how its looking till you stop and check.
I could do amazing looking welds on the outside all day long, but look on the inside and it would be shit! Not enough penetration, suck back, undercut, bits of un-melted wire stick through etc.
I've often thought a small heat proof camera inside the pipe with a little screen on the outside of the pipe would make a world of difference as you would be able to see what the weld pool is doing inside the pipes.
Anyway..................
We then oxy cut strips out of the pipes for testing.
I then had to grind them down and get them nice and smooth with nice rounded edges.
They then got bend tested on the press, so what would have been the center of the weld inside the pipe was now on the outside of the bent piece of metal.
This test would show whether complete fusion had been achieved.
Perfect!!!!
Next the other pieces get given a nick-break test.
So I had to grind a nick into the center of the weld on each piece.
These were then broken in the press.
This test helps to show if theres any inclusions or crap in the weld pool.
Also perfect!
And so with that......................
I had successfully welded to the Australian standard 1796 and proved my competency as a TIG welder.
So with that and my theory pass I'm now a fully qualified TIG welder!
Their were a few injuries in the test though unfortunately.
Despite wearing a leather TIG glove AND a MIG glove on my torch hand the radiant heat was immense and I could see my glove smoking and feel my hand burning but I had an awesome weld pool going and the filler rod was just sliding beautifully into the weld so I kept going in order to get an awesome weld.
The result is some nasty burns on my hand, the worst being this one on my knuckle. Pics dont really do it justice, the burn blister is sticking up 10mm off my hand!
So now the only thing left to do is relax and celebrate with an ice cold beer!
So I have finally after 2 years at TAFE got my welding qualification!
I tell you guys the relief is incredible!
I have never wanted something so badly before in my life as much as I wanted to pass this test, not even wanting to move to this great country!
My original plan was to spend my first 2 years in Victoria on my state sponsorship getting qualified in something that would get me into the mines as obviously there arnt many carpentry jobs in the mines so my carpentry qualification would be of no value.
Well its taken me 4 months longer than planned but I'm there!
So what now I hear you scream.............................
Well meeting Bec has changed my life for the better and has made me decide to change my plans slightly.
You see this girl is amazing and incredibly sweet!
She is away in Tassie at the moment for her mums birthday.
Last night, the night before the big test she txt me saying go and look in the spare room.................
She had left me good luck balloons, chocolates and a card with the sweetest and most supportive words in!
Then when I got home today from passing the test she said look in the alcohol cupboard in the hall.
Another balloon! (Yes I'm starting to think she likes balloons too!
)
And another sweet congratulations/commiserations note!
So I have decided to shelve the mining plans as this is one incredible girl that I cant let slip through my hands and I dont want to jeopardise our relationship by working away for 3+ weeks every month!
Bec would have let me go and supported me in my dream but I dont want to be apart from her!
I've rambled on a bit here and gone a bit soppy.
I promise we will have some pics of LJ on crazy angles and mud and rocks and big river crossings again soon!
As some of you know my dream is/was to go and do a few years in the mines and then buy some land and build an off grid eco house and then retire and live off the land in a river cottage style, growing all my own fruit, vegetables, chickens and livestock.
Well I still hope to achieve that but the route is now going to be slightly different!
So I/were going to do something that I never wanted to do............................
................get a mortgage.
It wont be too bad as being DINK's (Double Income No Kids) we do have a fair bit of disposable cash and Bec earns good money being a highly specialised neo natal intensive care nurse.
We've decided to go into property renovations! Which with my building skills and experience and Bec's help and her skills as a designer (shes also a qualified designer) I think we can turn over a few properties and get to where I/we want to be in terms of being mortgage free and living in the off grid eco house I/we are going to build.
Anyway............................................
Now I've finally got my life back and dont have to worry/concentrate on welding pieces of bloody pipe together every morning, evening and weekend we can get LJ back on track!
I'm going to get the fuel tank welded up tomorrow and I'm going to push to have it all installed and LJ back together for when my future brother in law comes over the weekend before I fly to the UK, in 2 weeks time. As I want to take him away on a 4wd trip to the High Country.
Sadly my mate Brady has sold his white 60 series and is now without a 4wd so he wont be able to come.
Then its time for my trip to the UK for Nelsons wedding, see my family and introduce Bec to them all and for an epic 4wd trip on some of my favorite Shropshire lanes that I wont have driven for almost 3 years!
The future is looking awesome guys, especially now I have the welding qualification! Boom yeah!
Air boat first.
I welded the other rib in place which I didn't get done last week.
I found as I worked my way along I had to keep jacking up where I was about to weld to keep the box section nice and flush with the bottom of the boat as the bottom constantly wanted to pull away from the heat of the weld pool.
I also cut some wedges out of 10mm steel which I found useful for wedging the bottom up off the trolleys.
I removed all the snow chains.
And was very pleasantly surprised to find the bottom remained reasonably flat!
And the 3mm thick 4" x 2" box section appears to be stiff enough to not have just bowed!
It has a couple of areas where theres a 2-3mm gap under the steel rule but its come out much better than I expected and hoped.
I started building the bulkhead at the front. Inside here will live the fuel tank.
I'm no expert by any means but I am getting some dam sexy welds!
One frame built and ready to drop in.
That was as far as I got on the air boat project.
Solar Suzuki next.................
I got a trailer hitch for the A frame.
Drilled the 6mm steel for the trailer hitch to bolt to.
Got it powder coated.
That will now be dismantled, wrapped in bubble wrap and stored in the back of my bosses 79 series ute and we all hope it never gets used!
If it gets used it means the Suzuki I've built has failed in its mission to be the first solar powered vehicle to cross the Simpson Desert using only the power of the sun and has had a catastrophic breakdown and the world record attempt has been aborted!
We finally got the little Suzuki registered as an electric car, so its now all fully road legal!
Number plates!
I wanted Solar 1 as the number plate but understandably my boss wanted to get the reg plates there and then and not have to wait a few weeks for personalised ones as he leaves in 2 weeks time for the world record attempt.
Mounted them.
I also had to mount this on the spare wheel.
I decided to drill and bolt fridge slide straps to it.
I've got a few final jobs to do on it next week mounting more solar panels but thats all I got done this week.
Did a tiny bit on the tip truck project.
The cab was leaning 30mm down on the drivers side so I removed the springs and took them to a spring works for them to do their magic on them.
That should be back from the panel shop on Monday sporting a new paint job and new windscreen. Then I've got to put it all back together. Fit the new bull bar and freshly powder coated snorkel, make some new wing mirror mounts for it.
Then we just need to get all the wheels shot blast, powder coated and the mud tyres fitted.
And finally on the work front.......
Battery trays!
You might think it would be an easy simple DIY job to fit one, and in reality it is!
But get it wrong and you will seriously damage you're vehicle!
I had a Hi-lux in for repair because the battery tray had been fitted completely wrong.
This is what the weight of a battery in a wrongly fitted tray does to an inner guard.
Sadly the newer Toyotas are made out of the thinnest metal possible! Gone are the days of nice thick 60, 70 and 80 series panels!
That inner guard is made from 0.8mm steel and even with the TIG running an incredibly low 20amps and the smallest tungsten's we could get it still kept blowing holes in it.
So no pics of the repair because I wasnt pleased with it! I had to sandwich the original guard with a sheet of 2mm both sides and lots of bolts. Not pretty but should survive the trip to Cape York the truck is about to go on.
It is because of this sort of damage that we advise professional fitting by one of our distributors!
OK................................
Back to LJ.
You may remember I picked up the 2mm thick alluminium for the 2nd attempt at an auxiliary fuel tank.
Well I cut and folded up 2 pieces to form the tank.
Made a baffle for the inside which will also add a lot of strength.
Tomorrows job is to weld it all together!
OK ok I know you're all dying to know how I went with the welding test......................
Well I managed to keep my calm and made sure I had lots of breaks, even if just for a few minutes to stand back and have a drink.
I had to constantly tell myself "I can do this" "I can pass this test" all the time my head saying "no mate you cant do it".
I'd start welding and my mind kept drifting and I had to constantly remind myself to focus.............focus........... FOCUS god dammit!
I put my phone on airplane mode and didn't look at it once so I had no idea of what time it was or how long I had left. This helped as I didn't put myself under pressure to rush.
So I welded the 4 pieces of pipe together and then air arc gouged a piece of 12mm plate and beveled the edge of it with the oxy torch.
I had to make one repair to one of the pipes as the root run (first weld) wasnt perfect in one place with lots of messy un melted/fused welding rod poking through. With that ground out and the pipe re-welded it passed the visual inspection.
Now I know it might seem reasonably straight forward. Get the 2 pieces of pipe and weld them together. You've been on this 18 months now Ben what are you messing around at?
Well what makes it really bloody hard is that fact that the first weld, the root weld has to look perfect on the inside of the pipe, yet you cant see the inside and dont know how its looking till you stop and check.
I could do amazing looking welds on the outside all day long, but look on the inside and it would be shit! Not enough penetration, suck back, undercut, bits of un-melted wire stick through etc.
I've often thought a small heat proof camera inside the pipe with a little screen on the outside of the pipe would make a world of difference as you would be able to see what the weld pool is doing inside the pipes.
Anyway..................
We then oxy cut strips out of the pipes for testing.
I then had to grind them down and get them nice and smooth with nice rounded edges.
They then got bend tested on the press, so what would have been the center of the weld inside the pipe was now on the outside of the bent piece of metal.
This test would show whether complete fusion had been achieved.
Perfect!!!!
Next the other pieces get given a nick-break test.
So I had to grind a nick into the center of the weld on each piece.
These were then broken in the press.
This test helps to show if theres any inclusions or crap in the weld pool.
Also perfect!
And so with that......................
I had successfully welded to the Australian standard 1796 and proved my competency as a TIG welder.
So with that and my theory pass I'm now a fully qualified TIG welder!
Their were a few injuries in the test though unfortunately.
Despite wearing a leather TIG glove AND a MIG glove on my torch hand the radiant heat was immense and I could see my glove smoking and feel my hand burning but I had an awesome weld pool going and the filler rod was just sliding beautifully into the weld so I kept going in order to get an awesome weld.
The result is some nasty burns on my hand, the worst being this one on my knuckle. Pics dont really do it justice, the burn blister is sticking up 10mm off my hand!
So now the only thing left to do is relax and celebrate with an ice cold beer!
So I have finally after 2 years at TAFE got my welding qualification!
I tell you guys the relief is incredible!
I have never wanted something so badly before in my life as much as I wanted to pass this test, not even wanting to move to this great country!
My original plan was to spend my first 2 years in Victoria on my state sponsorship getting qualified in something that would get me into the mines as obviously there arnt many carpentry jobs in the mines so my carpentry qualification would be of no value.
Well its taken me 4 months longer than planned but I'm there!
So what now I hear you scream.............................
Well meeting Bec has changed my life for the better and has made me decide to change my plans slightly.
You see this girl is amazing and incredibly sweet!
She is away in Tassie at the moment for her mums birthday.
Last night, the night before the big test she txt me saying go and look in the spare room.................
She had left me good luck balloons, chocolates and a card with the sweetest and most supportive words in!
Then when I got home today from passing the test she said look in the alcohol cupboard in the hall.
Another balloon! (Yes I'm starting to think she likes balloons too!
)And another sweet congratulations/commiserations note!
So I have decided to shelve the mining plans as this is one incredible girl that I cant let slip through my hands and I dont want to jeopardise our relationship by working away for 3+ weeks every month!
Bec would have let me go and supported me in my dream but I dont want to be apart from her!
I've rambled on a bit here and gone a bit soppy.
I promise we will have some pics of LJ on crazy angles and mud and rocks and big river crossings again soon!
As some of you know my dream is/was to go and do a few years in the mines and then buy some land and build an off grid eco house and then retire and live off the land in a river cottage style, growing all my own fruit, vegetables, chickens and livestock.
Well I still hope to achieve that but the route is now going to be slightly different!
So I/were going to do something that I never wanted to do............................
................get a mortgage.
It wont be too bad as being DINK's (Double Income No Kids) we do have a fair bit of disposable cash and Bec earns good money being a highly specialised neo natal intensive care nurse.
We've decided to go into property renovations! Which with my building skills and experience and Bec's help and her skills as a designer (shes also a qualified designer) I think we can turn over a few properties and get to where I/we want to be in terms of being mortgage free and living in the off grid eco house I/we are going to build.
Anyway............................................
Now I've finally got my life back and dont have to worry/concentrate on welding pieces of bloody pipe together every morning, evening and weekend we can get LJ back on track!
I'm going to get the fuel tank welded up tomorrow and I'm going to push to have it all installed and LJ back together for when my future brother in law comes over the weekend before I fly to the UK, in 2 weeks time. As I want to take him away on a 4wd trip to the High Country.
Sadly my mate Brady has sold his white 60 series and is now without a 4wd so he wont be able to come.
Then its time for my trip to the UK for Nelsons wedding, see my family and introduce Bec to them all and for an epic 4wd trip on some of my favorite Shropshire lanes that I wont have driven for almost 3 years!
The future is looking awesome guys, especially now I have the welding qualification! Boom yeah!
Last edited:
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Ben, there's nothing soppy about finding your partner in life mate, it's the most important thing you'll ever do!
Skip back a few pages on this thread, you weren't going to get tied down, you were going to live your dream. Well trust me, plans are made to be broken, live is an evolution and it takes you where you've never dreamed, good and bad, so stay on it mate, life is good!
Skip back a few pages on this thread, you weren't going to get tied down, you were going to live your dream. Well trust me, plans are made to be broken, live is an evolution and it takes you where you've never dreamed, good and bad, so stay on it mate, life is good!
Congratulations Ben, on passing the welding exam and on finding a sweetie!! Neither is easy, but it seems from my short time reading about your projects and seeing your work ethic that you deserve both. The welding qualification means you can work on lots of things not just mining. Very well done indeed.
I was fortunate enough to find a sweetie. I just knew I had to hold on to her like you've described. After 15 years married we both still consider ourselves lucky we found one another and no, it's not soppy at all, it's great!!
Recognise and take every golden opportunity offered to you with both hands, I would bet money you would do well at whatever that is.
P.s, Keep an Aloe Vera plant handy, break off a piece and bathe any burn with the juice from the end of the bit you've broken off and it will heal very quickly and probably not even blister. There is usually virtually no sign of the burn by the next morning.
I was fortunate enough to find a sweetie. I just knew I had to hold on to her like you've described. After 15 years married we both still consider ourselves lucky we found one another and no, it's not soppy at all, it's great!!
Recognise and take every golden opportunity offered to you with both hands, I would bet money you would do well at whatever that is.
P.s, Keep an Aloe Vera plant handy, break off a piece and bathe any burn with the juice from the end of the bit you've broken off and it will heal very quickly and probably not even blister. There is usually virtually no sign of the burn by the next morning.
Last edited:
Ian Chuter
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2012
- Messages
- 426
- Country Flag
Congratulations Ben, on both sides of the story
. You only get one go at life so do what feels right at the time and enjoy it.
All the best
Ian
. You only get one go at life so do what feels right at the time and enjoy it.All the best
Ian
With the determination you have shown Ben I think we all were pretty sure you would pass the welding.
Congratulations on a job well done
and a result well deserved.
Whatever route you two take for your future I know you will get there.
Congratulations on a job well done
Whatever route you two take for your future I know you will get there.
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2013
- Messages
- 16,280
Congratulations Ben and thank you for taking the time to take pics of the test interesting stuff indeed . As for the change of plan its just a detour is all and aspirations are twice as rewarding when we have someone to share them with
Pat
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2014
- Messages
- 932
- Country Flag
Congrats Ben,just read about the good results.now the relationship needs lots of good welding at times over the years.
My wife and I have just done 50 years and it's an ongoing but pleasurable job getting over some of the rough spots.
Best of luck to you and Bec.
My wife and I have just done 50 years and it's an ongoing but pleasurable job getting over some of the rough spots.
Best of luck to you and Bec.
tonytoyota
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2010
- Messages
- 1,799
- Country Flag
Hi Ben you R a top TIG man and you R on the up you have a good lady and I love the way it is on the way up and it is a big From Tony . Ps thanks for all the pics.
From Tony . Ps thanks for all the pics.Good job with the TIG test Ben, well done.
A while ago I remember you saying that nothing will get in the way of your long term plan and that you will get to the mines no matter what. I read this and had a bit of a laugh. I thought to myself "Ben hasn't fallen in love yet, his plans will change right when he doesn't see it coming"...!
I got married almost two years ago, it was the best thing I ever did. My wife and I are extremely supportive of each other and share most of the same interests. Trust me, if a girl is passionate for you and stands by you during the shitty times and the good times, enjoys spending time with you out 4x4ing and doesn't mind you spending endless hours in the shed. If she has a genuine interest in your hobbies, then you're onto a winner.
When you are best mates with her, its the best feeling in the world, and it won't hold you back one single bit.
Enough of the soppy stuff!
How's the fuel tank coming along?
A while ago I remember you saying that nothing will get in the way of your long term plan and that you will get to the mines no matter what. I read this and had a bit of a laugh. I thought to myself "Ben hasn't fallen in love yet, his plans will change right when he doesn't see it coming"...!
I got married almost two years ago, it was the best thing I ever did. My wife and I are extremely supportive of each other and share most of the same interests. Trust me, if a girl is passionate for you and stands by you during the shitty times and the good times, enjoys spending time with you out 4x4ing and doesn't mind you spending endless hours in the shed. If she has a genuine interest in your hobbies, then you're onto a winner.
When you are best mates with her, its the best feeling in the world, and it won't hold you back one single bit.
Enough of the soppy stuff!
How's the fuel tank coming along?
