Dad's Truck Build

[Gary Lewis]

Things are progressing so rapidly in the additive manufacturing area that it won't be long before we'll be able to make serious parts using it. Things like the engine/tranny end of the mechanical clutch linkage, which is NLA. Cool!

Gary, I printed STEEL a few year ago when I worked for Remington Arms. I believe the machine was a DLMS machine. You start with a bed of powdered alloy. The plate has to match the material properties of the powder. Then a laser welds the powder in layers to the plate. You end with a part perfect to your model, but with ~70% of the yield strength, depending of the alloy. You can heat treat, and regain more of the material properties, but because of the welding process, and inevitable inclusions, its never 100%.

Ray - The key word in my post was "we". Meaning that I'm hoping that the rank and file can soon print steel. Hopefully places like Shapeways will buy the printer and we can use it.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Things are progressing so rapidly in the additive manufacturing area that it won't be long before we'll be able to make serious parts using it. Things like the engine/tranny end of the mechanical clutch linkage, which is NLA. Cool!

Gary, I printed STEEL a few year ago when I worked for Remington Arms. I believe the machine was a DLMS machine. You start with a bed of powdered alloy. The plate has to match the material properties of the powder. Then a laser welds the powder in layers to the plate. You end with a part perfect to your model, but with ~70% of the yield strength, depending of the alloy. You can heat treat, and regain more of the material properties, but because of the welding process, and inevitable inclusions, its never 100%.

Ray,

In viewing the YouTube clip I think I was mistaken saying it was a laser sintering process.

Porsche seems to be using SLS, but this is different.

Tom states it is a printing process that is then oven brazed. (Infused)

He mentioned a 420 stainless powder with bronze matrix.

I'm sure all the material data is available on Shapeways site.(it is)

Eta: seems comparable to 1040 HR according to engineers edge.

The advantages of an additive process in creating a more 'organic' structure with less stress risers can't be overlooked.

Who really cares if the piece appears the same bolted to the bellhousing, as long as it fits and functions at least as well as OEM?

[FoxFord33]

I sent John, my paint/body man, a link to the above post with the lines showing where I'll cut the floor and the donor piece, and then he called after viewing it. He agreed with my plan, so I went over to the salvage and cut this piece out. Then tried it in Dad's truck and it fits perfectly.

So now I'm in a position to trim it as planned, ensure it'll fit as I expect, and then trim Dad's truck. That's kinda scary, but I think it'll work well.

Brandon/Bruno2 has recommended ChemLink's M1 adhesive/sealant, which he uses often. I checked with John and he thought it would be a fine choice.

As for how easy it was to cut out, that Ridgid right-angle grinder in the pic, which I picked up last weekend, did the job so easily it was scary. Went through not quite two cutoff wheels, but the battery is still showing 3 of 4 bars. And I had three more batteries with me.

Nice floor piece. It's gonna look like it growed there.

[Ray Cecil]

Ray,

In viewing the YouTube clip I think I was mistaken saying it was a laser sintering process.

Porsche seems to be using SLS, but this is different.

Tom states it is a printing process that is then oven brazed. (Infused)

He mentioned a 420 stainless powder with bronze matrix.

I'm sure all the material data is available on Shapeways site.(it is)

Eta: seems comparable to 1040 HR according to engineers edge.

The advantages of an additive process in creating a more 'organic' structure with less stress risers can't be overlooked.

Who really cares if the piece appears the same bolted to the bellhousing, as long as it fits and functions at least as well as OEM?

DLMS is a laser sintering. IIRC SLS is a plastic, not steel. Remingting Arms had both DLMS and SLS.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Ray,

In viewing the YouTube clip I think I was mistaken saying it was a laser sintering process.

Porsche seems to be using SLS, but this is different.

Tom states it is a printing process that is then oven brazed. (Infused)

He mentioned a 420 stainless powder with bronze matrix.

I'm sure all the material data is available on Shapeways site.(it is)

Eta: seems comparable to 1040 HR according to engineers edge.

The advantages of an additive process in creating a more 'organic' structure with less stress risers can't be overlooked.

Who really cares if the piece appears the same bolted to the bellhousing, as long as it fits and functions at least as well as OEM?

DLMS is a laser sintering. IIRC SLS is a plastic, not steel. Remingting Arms had both DLMS and SLS.

Sorry about the terminology Ray.

I was just going with the actual url and text that Porsche created and I linked, although they describe the process exactly as you do.

 

[1986F150Six]

so I went over to the salvage and cut this piece out. Then tried it in Dad's truck and it fits perfectly.

So now I'm in a position to trim it as planned, ensure it'll fit as I expect, and then trim Dad's truck. That's kinda scary, but I think it'll work well.

As for how easy it was to cut out, that Ridgid right-angle grinder in the pic, which I picked up last weekend, did the job so easily it was scary. Went through not quite two cutoff wheels, but the battery is still showing 3 of 4 bars. And I had three more batteries with me.

 

[Gary Lewis]

so I went over to the salvage and cut this piece out. Then tried it in Dad's truck and it fits perfectly.

So now I'm in a position to trim it as planned, ensure it'll fit as I expect, and then trim Dad's truck. That's kinda scary, but I think it'll work well.

As for how easy it was to cut out, that Ridgid right-angle grinder in the pic, which I picked up last weekend, did the job so easily it was scary. Went through not quite two cutoff wheels, but the battery is still showing 3 of 4 bars. And I had three more batteries with me.

👌

And today’s plan starts with Janey’s eye appointment, and we are sitting in the doctor’s office as I type. Then breakfast, probably Cracker Barrel. Then home, hopefully before the storm, and have another cuppa, perhaps watching the predicted lightning. And then, out to the shop to trim that piece as previously described.

I’ve been thinking through how to document all this in case someone else wants to install a 4wd E4OD in a Bullnose regular cab. One thing to remember to point out is that the NP208 doesn’t fit as well as the BW’s. And, I need some dimensions shown on pics of the donor part as well as the to-be hole in Dad’s floor.

Anyone think of anything else?

[Gary Lewis]

👌

And today’s plan starts with Janey’s eye appointment, and we are sitting in the doctor’s office as I type. Then breakfast, probably Cracker Barrel. Then home, hopefully before the storm, and have another cuppa, perhaps watching the predicted lightning. And then, out to the shop to trim that piece as previously described.

I’ve been thinking through how to document all this in case someone else wants to install a 4wd E4OD in a Bullnose regular cab. One thing to remember to point out is that the NP208 doesn’t fit as well as the BW’s. And, I need some dimensions shown on pics of the donor part as well as the to-be hole in Dad’s floor.

Anyone think of anything else?

Today's plan is tracking pretty well:

- Janey got a good report from the eye doctor

- Breakfast was excellent, as always, at Cracker Barrel

- The 2nd cup of French Roast was good

- Trial fitting of the floor piece is going well. In fact, I think I'm "there". This moves the "drop-down" back exactly 2". And that gains 5/8" in height over the t-case.

Now to lay out and cut the floor of the truck.

[Gary Lewis]

Today's plan is tracking pretty well:

- Janey got a good report from the eye doctor

- Breakfast was excellent, as always, at Cracker Barrel

- The 2nd cup of French Roast was good

- Trial fitting of the floor piece is going well. In fact, I think I'm "there". This moves the "drop-down" back exactly 2". And that gains 5/8" in height over the t-case.

Now to lay out and cut the floor of the truck.

SUCCESS!!!!

I got the floor cut and the plan will work.

I'll include a bunch of pictures below to document what I did, but the bottom line is that there is currently 1 1/8" of clearance, so when the 3/8" spacers are taken out and the mounts tightened down, which will probably be about 1/4", there will be 1/2" of clearance.

But, I also modified the plans for positioning the patch with pop rivets. John and I'd agreed that I could probably get by with 2 - 4 rivets, but I'm now planning to use 16 of them. The reason is that the edges of the floor turn down away from the patch, and unless I pull them up with the rivets there will be a gap, albeit filled with adhesive. So I've planned to use rivets as indicated by the black dots, left, and the reason why to the right:

 

[grumpin]

SUCCESS!!!!

I got the floor cut and the plan will work.

I'll include a bunch of pictures below to document what I did, but the bottom line is that there is currently 1 1/8" of clearance, so when the 3/8" spacers are taken out and the mounts tightened down, which will probably be about 1/4", there will be 1/2" of clearance.

But, I also modified the plans for positioning the patch with pop rivets. John and I'd agreed that I could probably get by with 2 - 4 rivets, but I'm now planning to use 16 of them. The reason is that the edges of the floor turn down away from the patch, and unless I pull them up with the rivets there will be a gap, albeit filled with adhesive. So I've planned to use rivets as indicated by the black dots, left, and the reason why to the right:

Looks good! Great job!