Welding Rig Pictures

[Coalsmoke]

garybdavis,

I finally got some pictures of my spools. If you're still interested then send me an email and I'll send them to you. My email address is: [email protected]

JTMcC

do you still have those spool pictures floating around?

[Finney]

Coalsmoke, I think I noticed somewhere in this thread you were thinking about in the future going to a 1-ton rig. A couple of guys around here have taken a 3/4 ton dodge and changed them over to a 1-ton. Check your truck, if it has a dana 80 rear and a dana 60 front you have the same as 1-ton. My 3/4(2,000 Dodge) has more rear springs than the 1-ton welding rig (1999Dodge) I just sold and the same differantels. I was told the main reason was keeping the gvw under 10,000lb so they do not have to have USDOT numbers and a current health card. I do not know what is involved in this change over but I will be building a bed for the 3/4 in the near future. The only portable welder I have now since I sold the 1 ton is my trailer mounted 302G. The trailer works fair but it is hard to get into tight places.

[Coalsmoke]

yeah, that's essentially it, DOT gets involved if I get any heavier. I'm about 300lbs under the limit right now. I had a spring shop add 4 leafs in a separate frame mounted pack on each side of my axle. A larger truck is in the future, but then again, I'm packing around more than just a welder. You are correct about the running gear being the same, dana 60 and 80. The only thing I am limited by right now is tire capacity and common sense I agree with you about teh trailer. At least for the work I do, packing a trailer around would be a real pain. That's why I got everything nestled on one platform, even though a trailer would lighten the load.

[fun4now]

common sense..... .... i have herd of of that... but denie its true existence when it comes to a man and his truck or tools.

[MeanDean]

Common sense. I have none of that when it came to putting my welder on my truck.lol. Its a 1989 Chev 1500. I added two springs per side HD Monroe shocks and AIR RIDE lift bags rated for 5000LBS. I will post some pics tomorow. Your gonna think Its nuts but it works awesome and I get alot of thumbs up from other contractors even. Probably because they think If Im this crazy. I cant be anybody to worry about. And yes. I sold my restored Dodge Challenger to get my business started and Im using what I have for a truck because I had it. I need better tires and they should be here by thursday. You can see my car at www.whereitsat.net/challenger/2005 I built the intake and valve covers and did 95% of the resto in my garage at home.

[Stick rod]

Mean Dean,
Thats one sweet old Mopar!!! Bummer you had to sacrifice it to get going in the biz.Thanks for sharing.

[calweld]

I guess we're still waiting for portable welder to post pictures of his truck??

In the meantime, I said some time ago I'd post pictures of my last truck bed (before I got the IHC). This used to be on my 1991 F350, it now has a flatbed, this bed is now basically taking up space and being used for storage. Also, there is a cutout on the other side where the welder stuck through, you could access it by opening the doors. A cat has taken up residence in that box, it hates my guts, I'm actually a little afraid to open that door.

[Rvannatta]

This used to be on my 1991 F350, it now has a flatbed, this bed is now basically taking up space and being used for storage. Also, there is a cutout on the other side where the welder stuck through, you could access it by opening the doors. .

We had one with a welder behind a door as well. This works quite well if you have a small welder--- at Bobcat or TB or similar 'gas model' that is only 4 feet long. It will sit cross ways in the front of the bed which typically has 4 feet of space, and you can put in some hooks and hang the leads in the compartment that has the back cut out of it, put your chipping hammer and a rod stub pan in the bottom along with a few c-clamps, and when you open the door you only need to add welding rod and a helmet and you are ready to go, but alas, the diesel welders and the big models tend to be 5 feet long (or more) instead of 4 feet long and this doesn't work.

[imported_frank865]

I guess we're still waiting for portable welder to post pictures of his truck??

In the meantime, I said some time ago I'd post pictures of my last truck bed (before I got the IHC). This used to be on my 1991 F350, it now has a flatbed, this bed is now basically taking up space and being used for storage. Also, there is a cutout on the other side where the welder stuck through, you could access it by opening the doors. A cat has taken up residence in that box, it hates my guts, I'm actually a little afraid to open that door.

A friend of mine is looking for one of those...Want to sell it! If so...How much $$?

[MAC702]

This used to be on my 1991 F350, it now has a flatbed, this bed is now basically taking up space and being used for storage.

Does that fit a dually or a single-wheel? Are you even remotely interested in selling it?

[calweld]

Does that fit a dually or a single-wheel? Are you even remotely interested in selling it?

A friend of mine is looking for one of those...Want to sell it! If so...How much $$?

Actually, I would like to see it put to use . . . it's kind of a waste sitting here, just being an overpriced cat house, and I have no further plans for it.

It is a 12' bed, fits a long wheelbase dually F350, frame and bed are steel, boxes are one-piece bolted to the bed. It would be easy to mount on a different vehicle, even a bed you build yourself, just have to unbolt the boxes, as long as the wheel cutouts match up. The bed I built was designed to "float", it was only bolted in back, front would ride up, I spent a lot of time in rough country and I didn't want the boxes cracking.

The drawers are mounted on ball-bearing slides, I think 250-300# rating per pair. I used to pull them out and use them as a ladder to get up into the bed sometimes . Heavy duty, still work like brand new.

I think maybe Tennessee is a little far for a deal like this???

Anybody interested, let me know . . . I'll get some better pictures and some measurements if you want.

I'll throw the mean cat in for free

[MAC702]

I think maybe Tennessee is a little far for a deal like this???

Anybody interested, let me know . . . I'll get some better pictures and some measurements if you want.

I'll throw the mean cat in for free

Give Frank first dibs, but I'm interested. I'll send you an E-mail to get some more pictures. My Dodge can really use it if it'll fit.

Anybody else know the feasibility of converting it to a 1996 Dodge 3500?

I've been wanting to see Yosimite anyway...

[Sberry]

We had one with a welder behind a door as well. This works quite well if you have a small welder--- at Bobcat or TB or similar 'gas model' that is only 4 feet long. It will sit cross ways in the front of the bed which typically has 4 feet of space, and you can put in some hooks and hang the leads in the compartment that has the back cut out of it, put your chipping hammer and a rod stub pan in the bottom along with a few c-clamps, and when you open the door you only need to add welding rod and a helmet and you are ready to go, but alas, the diesel welders and the big models tend to be 5 feet long (or more) instead of 4 feet long and this doesn't work.

I carry a small Lincoln on my service truck. It was custom fit and can be run totally enclosed and operated from the ground, same deal, cut out the box back.

[Coalsmoke]

Cary, I like how you have your air plumbed right in your truck; makes for less time setting up and more time working.

Cal, awefully generous of you to throw the cat in too, I'm sure he appreciates it. One morning he's in California and the next time he wakes up he'll be seeing vultures and the nevada desert out his bedroom window

Mac, no gaurantees, but, I took my deck origanally off of a square style (pre 94?) 3/4T Ford. the wheels were in the same place (well, close enough, just about 1.5" out) and the ford frame rails I think were a bit narrower, but only about 1.5" each side, so it worked out. However, I had to trim the insides of a couple boxes to fit Dodge's larger springs, but once you get over the idea of cutting into a perfectly good box, the rest is easy I would ask Calweld if he wouldn't mind to measure three things for you:

1. the distance from the center of the wheel well to the front of the box.Make sure this correlates to the centre of your tire to the back of your cab.

2. the distance centre to centre of the parallel running rails on the underside of the box that sit on the frame rails. Make sure they are close to yours, although this can be modified without too much trouble, at least on mine it could have been, just cut about 15 - 2" welds on each rail / runner and slide the rail over so it sits where you need it. However, with mine it was close enough.

3. this one is more important, the distance from the inside wall of one side of cabinites to the inside wall of the other when measured from underneath. Why this is important is that the make or break deal will be whether or not the inside area on the underside of that utitlity bed will be wide enough to slip over your rear leaf springs. I had to trim off the ends of the bolt studs but it cleared the ends of the spring shackles by about 1/8".

[imported_frank865]

Actually, I would like to see it put to use . . . it's kind of a waste sitting here, just being an overpriced cat house, and I have no further plans for it.

It is a 12' bed, fits a long wheelbase dually F350, frame and bed are steel, boxes are one-piece bolted to the bed. It would be easy to mount on a different vehicle, even a bed you build yourself, just have to unbolt the boxes, as long as the wheel cutouts match up. The bed I built was designed to "float", it was only bolted in back, front would ride up, I spent a lot of time in rough country and I didn't want the boxes cracking.

The drawers are mounted on ball-bearing slides, I think 250-300# rating per pair. I used to pull them out and use them as a ladder to get up into the bed sometimes . Heavy duty, still work like brand new.

I think maybe Tennessee is a little far for a deal like this???

Anybody interested, let me know . . . I'll get some better pictures and some measurements if you want.

I'll throw the mean cat in for free

Overpriced cat-house! ...Oh you mean the other kind....


I didn't look at your address before posting , but my friend goes to Wyoming a couple of times a year, if the deal is good enough I'm sure he could go the rest of the way. Depends on how much $$, My e-mail is available in my profile (click on the dot-bullet that tells whether I'm on-line or not) & I'll see if he wants it. Thanks...

I wonder how well the mean cat would travel???