tailgate latch help ? any ideals ??

[wrench3047]

one thing you could have use is a pin that fit into the orignal latch hole. The army uses alot of pins that have a button on the back to retract the ball bearing keeper on the side near the end. After I wrote that I remembered you were in the army fun4now. You probly seen them and if the pin had too much slack/ freeplay make an insert to fit the latch hole. I would consider making it of a thick plastic. just a couple of cents worth.

[fun4now]

finished it

well all it needs now is some time for the paint to cure. atached are finished pic's


Blown S-10
it kicked my b-t finishing the gate and everything is all coverd for painting. i'll try to get out tomarow to make the cut for ya.

[arcdawg]

fun, i really like the gate but the GIRLIES really take away from from the point you are trying to make about the p.o.w.s

just my two cents

dawg

[fun4now]

arcdawg

but the GIRLIES really take away from from the point you are trying to make about the p.o.w.s

how you figure that?? you trying to say that G.I.'s dont like GIRLIES
the girlies are a bolt on. i like them and dont see them as taking anything away from the fact that we need to remember the POW*MIA's

tatoo's are afencive to some so would that mean that i am taking somthing away from the POW*MIA by having it tatooed on my arm???

[arcdawg]

james, im not knocking it at all (and you know that ) but i feel that they (girlies) take away from the seriousness of p.o.w. mia........ its just that my opinion

no offense ment....and all and all its a pretty cool tailgate

dawg

[eric75]

You could seriously make a lot of money by just cutting custom designs for people. They send you an image to copy, you cut it out and ship it back, or weld it to whatever they want

I noticed you are using galvanized hardware for the latch. if you are looking to produce these things an a larger scale, you may want to find something different.

I got sick once just from cutting a piece of galvanized sheet metal. After inadvertently inhaling some dust from the cut off wheel, I had stuffed up nose, lungs and sore throat for the next three days. I guess it could have been something else, but since then I have always been really careful about fumes.

[fun4now]

eric75

I noticed you are using galvanized hardware for the latch.

that's not galvinized it's the spray on rubber bed coating. maybe it's a bad picture . it is white with lil black specs. i'll tey to get a better pic tomarow. it realy looks cool thats why the gate ended up being white i was going to do the hole gate black but realy liked the look of the coating.

arcdawg
no ofence taken i'm just from the enlisted side of the military and dont see the harm in the girlies. if you i was making it for you i would be happy to leave them off or replace them with a cuple of yellow ribbins.

[bigwelder]

I got sick once just from cutting a piece of galvanized sheet metal. After inadvertently inhaling some dust from the cut off wheel, I had stuffed up nose, lungs and sore throat for the next three days. I guess it could have been something else, but since then I have always been really careful about fumes.

called welding fume fever comes from the zinc oxide fumes. i had the same problem once after welding fence posts for a local company

[Blown S-10]

thats a nice lookin gate James. but your truck is getting kinda on the old side, meaning, not a lot of em left around that people would want to spend that kind of money on. perhaps make one for a new truck.

ever thought about making POW-MIA mailbox's ? or even just that sign, guys could bolt it to whatever they want. starting a business can be tough, gotta find your niche.

to figure out what to charge. take material cost. figure up a per hour labor cost. consumables. add em up. that will get you in the ballpark.

GOOD LUCK MAN !!!

[Paul Seaman]

In business you double the cost of materials double the cost of consumables and charge for the time. I am a printer and the paper is doubled the cost of the ink and plates are doubled and the man and machine are billed by hourly rate. This is how some companies make overhead and others just don't make it.

Fact is fun, custom work should cost more and it does because each job is individual, no repeat where a setup is used over and over. The customer is paying for you to set up and clean up and all time should be charged or your cheating yourself!

I am getting off my soapbox now, sorry for being blunt,

[fun4now]

Blown S-10

ever thought about making POW-MIA mailbox's ? or even just that sign, guys could bolt it to whatever they want. starting a business can be tough, gotta find your niche.

i have made all the above. atached is a pic of the hanging type to go under the mailbox or just hang on a post also i mad the same type that will hold a flag pole 1" as well as the small sized about 6"X4" bolth with atached bolts or with mounting hole and screw's. the smaller size is what i use to make the trailor hitch plugs. i cant think of much i havent done with it.

i would love to make a gate for a newer truck but dont have acces to a new truck to make a pattern from so i have to work with what i have . thats why it's taking me so long to save up for a dynasty.

i have spent my hole life building things and can build almost anything if i have the tools and an ideal. but to make it fit somthing i need a modle. i'm looking forward to making tanks for chopers next year but still need some tools and a frame to work off of. should be bolth fun and profitable. i have most of the stuf i need to build my planishing hammer. it needs a lil refining but i have got a good start. next the english wheel build all of theas will falow the dynasty purchase. it will take time but i will get there sooner or later just gota keep heading that way. i'm not 1 to give up just wish i could get there faster

[fun4now]

pjseaman

I am getting off my soapbox now, sorry for being blunt,

not blunt at all. just the cold hard facts.

truth be told i am making about $2.00 an hr. due to the time involved. but no 1 would spend $150.00 on a flag holder just because it takes 20hr.'s to make it. i would be happy just to make a few $$$ to keep me moving forward tward somthing more profitable. not real shoure what that will be but with the limited time i can spend up and about as aposed to knocked out by my pain pills it is going to have to be somthing i can do at home in my shop when i can get there to do it.
i'll just keep trying things till i find some thing that sells well and gets my kid into collage

[Paul Seaman]

Fun:
Thats really admirable, hats off to you fine sir. I just don't want to see you sell yourself short and run out of bucks for your passion!

Peace,

[fun4now]

never happin

no way man just slowly growing. i'm not losing anything but time
welding and creating keeps me sain.

[fun4now]

maybe not sane

but somewhere near that i think LOL