Thread: Bad Ast Astro Van Build

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Thanks for posting the details of your bending jig, Mark. It's a versatile design, and like you said you'll probably get lots of use out of it, and you didn't even visit Harbor Freight!!

Nice work on the adapter, too. Gotta admit you had me going on the "...hose barb inside" comment....

Thanks Roger! I've used it probably a half dozen times since it was built. I am planning to make a couple smaller diameter top dies for it already. It's amazing what you can find in chunks of aluminum, steel and sheet metal plate...

I set myself on fire tonight.... Just my work jacket. I was spot welding the floor together on the bench and got some "molten hot magma" on the coat... Got pretty busy once I figured out where the smoke and fumes were coming from. I lit the lower left half of the coat and the fumes were coming right up into my face under the helmet. I needed a new work coat anyway. I think the next one will be a little more fire resistant though.
This is what I was sticking together. The floor after I yanked it out of the van.
http://images55.fotki.com/v1604/phot...MVC001F-vi.jpg
These are the tabs on the tunnels. The left side of the pic is folded into place. The right side is just getting started.
http://images14.fotki.com/v218/photo...MVC004F-vi.jpg
Getting the tunnels welded in.
http://images16.fotki.com/v377/photo...MVC008F-vi.jpg
All welded and ready for cleanup.
http://images58.fotki.com/v449/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
A few of the spot welds. I had a few of these go nuclear on me. Blew holes through both panels as soon as I hit the trigger... Thankfully most of them looked like this.
http://images57.fotki.com/v1613/phot...MVC011F-vi.jpg
Here is a closeup of one of the folded tabs. I took this before I hammer and dollied the tabs flat. They welded together very nice and will be very strong.
http://images15.fotki.com/v792/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg