Sp00n
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| posted on 13/2/06 at 03:04 PM |
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ermm.. Hi all need a little help
Hi all, i'm starting my first ever locost build and am looking for a bit of advice, I was wondering just how easy it is to weld your own
chassis, being a wlder by trade the welding will not be the problem, but if it is not jigged right it will be a total smeg up, was wondering wether
buying a 'donar only' kit would be the best way to go with my first build.
many thanks
chris
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DorsetStrider
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| posted on 13/2/06 at 03:11 PM |
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A year ago I started to weld together my first chassis... Now bear in mind that when I started I had no experience of welding and since I was not
intending to build a seven was working without tried and tested plans.
I'm now about to start welding up my 2nd chassis having desided that I was not happy with the design of the first and spending the last few
months redesigning and getting the preparation right this time.
In answer to your question, if you can cut and measure acurately and you work to plans that you know are good I don't see any reason why you
can't weld your own (especially if you've had previous welding experience). Build yourself a jig and you'll be fine.
In the meantime welcome to the mad house and good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Who the f**K tightened this up!
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 13/2/06 at 03:42 PM |
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Its a lot of work but building a chassis is all part of the fun,
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danro
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| posted on 13/2/06 at 03:48 PM |
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Welcome to the club Sp00n!!
If you are a welder by trade you are nearly 50% of the way there!!!
I believe the book rekons the chassis build is approx 50% of the work.
I have spent years building my chassis as I was unsure of my weld quality and only put in a few hours a month.
You know you can weld so you only need to "measure twice, cut once" and away you go!!!
There must be 100s of people with far less welding experience than you who have successfully made good chassis.
Buy the base board, mark it out and clamp the tubes to the board. that is what most of us have done and it appears to be fine.
Remember, it is not a race, only weld it when you are happy with the fit and you should be fine!
Then you can say, when it is on the road, "I made that!"
You have found the best forum on the internet, so you are in safe hands as everyone here appears to be VERY helpful.
Good luck, 
Dan
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907
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| posted on 13/2/06 at 06:03 PM |
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Hi Chris, and welcome.
If you are a welder by trade your gonna need a damn good excuse if you buy a kit. 
Sounds to me as if you just lack a bit of confidence.... Go on, Go for it. You know you want to.
ATB
Paul G
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 13/2/06 at 06:13 PM |
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I am a coded welder, the chassis took me 42 hours work, the rest of the car took 2 years!
Don't believe the 50% bit!!
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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Gav
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| posted on 13/2/06 at 07:18 PM |
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Indeed if you can weld it shouldnt be a problem.
Ive really enjoyed making my own chassis but i think i would definatly buy next time!
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Simon
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| posted on 13/2/06 at 09:35 PM |
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I knocked up the chassis in a couple of days (using a hacksaw so don't go buying any fancy cutting equipment), then spent 3 1/2 years doing the
rest
I enjoyed it so much I spent 70 quid in B&Q on Sunday buying steel so I can make a trolley over the next couple of weels
ATB
Simon
[Edited on 13/2/06 by Simon]
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caber
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| posted on 13/2/06 at 10:13 PM |
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Get the McSorely plans and away you go! The book dimensions are off in quite a few places. I built my chassis working out from a centreline using a
good engineer's square. Tack it all together and then weld up opposite joints accross the chassis, keep checking with the square and apply brute
force if it starts going out of line I used a 2 ton ratchet strap to square up some verticals that had gone off then re welded and it is now perfectly
square, well ±4mm which is accurate enough.
There are a few places where I have used excess filler rod to make up some badly cut tube caused by a very cheap chop saw! Overall I am happy that all
my welds are well strong enough and acceptably tidy, that is working with a new welder and huge lack of practice you should have no bother at all
Caber
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big_wasa
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| posted on 13/2/06 at 10:14 PM |
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If you can weld then you wont have a problem.
The book dimensions are full of errors so read up on them before you start.
It is a huge amount of work, and a labour of love 
 
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907
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| posted on 14/2/06 at 12:28 AM |
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That looks nice Wasa. Are those donors in the background?
Paul G
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big_wasa
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| posted on 14/2/06 at 07:37 AM |
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Thanks Paul, but not a patch on your work.
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Hellfire
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| posted on 14/2/06 at 12:40 PM |
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If I could weld, I'd still buy a chassis. Hell, if I could afford it, I would just go out and buy a Caterham.
I enjoyed building the kit immensely but for me it was just a means to an end.... which is DRIVING.
Time v Money.
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Dutchman
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| posted on 14/2/06 at 01:17 PM |
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Hellfire U are right but some people loves to DIY ... I'm starting to build it because there is no 7's in my contry , none, so I will be
the first and second who knows maybe I'll make some profit out of this hoby
Tarzan English with foreign accent!
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Alan B
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| posted on 14/2/06 at 01:29 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
I am a coded welder, the chassis took me 42 hours work, the rest of the car took 2 years!
Don't believe the 50% bit!!
Glad someone else picked up on that........50%...is it bollocks...more like 10% to 20% especially if you start from good plans...
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Hellfire
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| posted on 14/2/06 at 08:41 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Dutchman
Hellfire U are right but some people loves to DIY ... I'm starting to build it because there is no 7's in my contry , none, so I will be
the first and second who knows maybe I'll make some profit out of this hoby
Don't get me wrong Dutchman, I loved every minute of building and I'd do it again tomorrow. Your situation is slightly different however
and if there's a market for seven style cars over there, I'm sure you can make quite a few Serbian Dinar for yourself.
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lookcentre
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| posted on 14/2/06 at 09:09 PM |
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Hi I am a welder and started in january after toying with the idea for years
Once you start, it will fall into place
I used mc sorley442
My problem is after the fabrication !!!
Ive got no mechanical brain (wife says no brain)
Good luck to you
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dnmalc
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| posted on 19/2/06 at 05:19 PM |
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Hi guys I might have got this wrong but the frame is basically there to support the suspension in the correct position. so as long as you jig the
mounting points correctly some distorsion of the chassis is acceptable as it can be adjusted for when positioning the mountings
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Simon
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| posted on 19/2/06 at 08:24 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by dnmalc
Hi guys I might have got this wrong but the frame is basically there to support the suspension in the correct position. so as long as you jig the
mounting points correctly some distorsion of the chassis is acceptable as it can be adjusted for when positioning the mountings
Yeah and to keep your butt off the floor.
So long as it's reasonably accurate you'll be fine. Obviously, if it's banana shaped, you may have probs.
ATB
Simon
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 19/2/06 at 08:30 PM |
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If its banana shaped, you just have some free extra castor!
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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907
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| posted on 19/2/06 at 09:02 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
If its banana shaped, you just have some free extra castor!
Bu**er, so that's why I had to remake my wishbones.
Seriously though, I started on my side panels today and it's
surprising how up and down a chassis is.
I was going to start by putting a 25 mm fold on the edge
of the sheet and butting this fold against the floor.
In places I would have a 3 mm gap so maybe I should knock it over.
At least it will fit.
Damn, more work.
Paul G
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