"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
09/05/2018 at 19:12 • Filed to: None
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"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
09/05/2018 at 19:12 • Filed to: None | 1
| 13 |
F abricator flaked on me. I had an appointment to get a work vehicle wrapped on Friday, which I will now have to cancel because I can’t get an exterior door made in time. Thanks “525 Enginesports”. Now I’m going to have to be the asshole that cancels an appointment because you couldn’t meet a deadline for a small job.
Look at this and tell me how much time you think it would take to make. The door below was damaged and needs to be replaced. The handle is in perfect shape and can be reused, and besides that, the door consists solely of white aluminum sheet, some square tubing, and rivets. Oh and the hinge that connects the door to the truck is in perfect shape too.
I’ve got all measurements needed to recreate it, and was thinking a professional could whip something up in about 2 hours? Is that crazy? Am I expecting too much? Fab shop seemed to think this was super complex, wasn’t willing to give a hard quote, and was throwing out numbers like “half a day”, “most of the day”, “$300 in parts alone”.
I’m almost positive I could source all the raw materials for under $100. I’ve never welded, but I think I could make my own door in a somewhat robust way through other methods, while still aestheticly matching the rest of the truck on the exterior...
What say you, Oppo?
Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
> AestheticsInMotion
09/05/2018 at 19:20 |
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You could make it out of 1/8" aluminum plate and wouldn’t even need the reinforcing frame for the door. You can cut aluminum with a standard Jig saw , and screw the hinge and handle right to it with normal screws. I’d say $40 parts and probably take me 1-2 hrs to do it.
RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> AestheticsInMotion
09/05/2018 at 19:23 |
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As somebody who quite literally draws up stuff like this for a living, it depends on the level of precision. If they try to duplicate it exactly (and they will, since they don’t want to risk you coming back with something not-quite-right), they’ll send it to the desk of somebody to draw. If the drawing process includes drawing all the holes, that could take an hour and a half. Then, to the shear, and if there’s new tubing, calling for that (its own separate part) to be sawed, then either getting the panel punched (punch operator time) or trying to match the holes. Then, time drilling/riveting/etc .
I don’t concur with “$300 in parts alone” unless including the paddle latch and a giant
margin (or having to order sheet)
, but it would be extremely easy for a fabricator to make a huge production out of this. If I were whipping it up with stock on hand and not worried about it being perfect
, I *might* get it done in 2 hours. Maybe. I’d want to reserve an afternoon just in case.
Spaceball-Two
> AestheticsInMotion
09/05/2018 at 19:33 |
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Can you find the part at a junk yard?
Sovande
> AestheticsInMotion
09/05/2018 at 19:51 |
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What are you waiting for?
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AestheticsInMotion
> Spaceball-Two
09/05/2018 at 19:58 |
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It’s custom. Built before I started working here, and I’ve been told that we really don’t want to have anything to do with the guy who made it originally
TorqueToYield
> AestheticsInMotion
09/05/2018 at 21:17 |
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The only tricky bit is that curved piece that is riveted on - that would have to be rolled. And rolling is a basically a hand done process that’s more art than science. Otherwise it’s just a flat piece of sheet metal with a latch.
If you already have the latch and can figure out a way to avoid rolling the piece on the end you could probably just do it yourself or get it done by a handy amateur.
Assuming a competent sheet metal shop that’s a 1-2 hour job without the rolled piece. With the rolled piece add another hour. Powder coat adds a bit more time. Spray paint would take like 15 min.
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AestheticsInMotion
> TorqueToYield
09/05/2018 at 21:35 |
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Actually that's only curved because it bent. It was straight, and the guy who originally built the door used two sheets instead of one longer sheet because he apparently didn't have a piece long enough on hand. Current plan is to assemble myself, spray paint.
OPPOsaurus WRX
> AestheticsInMotion
09/05/2018 at 21:35 |
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one thing i’ve learned doing work on my house and my car, it always takes longer than you think. half a day is probably a good deal.
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AestheticsInMotion
> Sovande
09/05/2018 at 21:37 |
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Good question. Ordered the parts, I'll try to make my own door.
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AestheticsInMotion
> Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
09/05/2018 at 21:38 |
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Is 1/8 aluminum really that strong? I ordered 1/16, square tubing and the sheet itself to try to get as close a match as possible. On the plus side, I've got full control the next time the company has to outfit any new vehicles so things will be done very differently.
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AestheticsInMotion
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
09/05/2018 at 21:40 |
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Lots of good knowledge, thank you sir. I’m at $140 for parts, and I ordered about 1.5x of everything I should need in case I screw something up. That's including the sheet metal, but I went unpainted. The arctic white stuff does seem spendy.
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Sovande
> AestheticsInMotion
09/05/2018 at 22:11 |
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That's the spirit!
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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> AestheticsInMotion
09/05/2018 at 22:11 |
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Even if it’s something my company is only going to make once, it gets drawn. Documentation, and so when it doesn’t fit we know what went wrong and where to change it. It makes sense if one is going to have a system for doing things, but little things like your door that are *technically* easy... sort of aren’t. Even if I was doing it at home where I have a metal shear, a drill press, and so on, I would want to take my time with it.