Topic: Bulletproof!

Busy day today, although visually it doesnt look like it.  I'll post pics once the other team members mail them to me, never had time to take any myself.

JimW, Jeff, Chris and Krikor (non driving crew member) started stripping the Subaru.  Got the engine out and all the wiring harnesses free of the body with no damage.  No small feat since fenders and dashboard have to come out to do that.

Krikor showed up with the steel for our front "strut box" which will support our strut towers.  He works for a steel manufacturer so he was able to get us free steel that did not meet spec.  Now let me 'splain that a bit.  They make ARMOR PLATING.  The piece he got for us had an unacceptable degree of surface pitting.  Its 1/4 inch thick and hardened steel, it will stop an AK47 round at point blank range.  Fun stuff....until you have to cut or drill it.  Thankfully the majority of the cuts were made at his workplace on a CNC Plasma cutter but we still had to drill holes for the strut bolts.  This was unfun and is still in progress.  The main strut box is now welded together and mounted to the car so I just have to finish drilling the top plates and we can mount the struts and have a rolling chassis.

Due to our complete lack of engineering skills this thing is just overbuilt.  Like I said 1/4 inch thick steel plate. Adds at least 50 lbs to the front of the car but we kinda need some weight up front so its ok.

Made some changes to the steering design, we'll see how that goes.

Wasn't paying attention and kinda leaned back and rested my open palm on the welder tip and burnt the crap outta myself.  This car is gonna kill me sooner or later.

Got the e-brake all working, kinda a small but happy accomplishment kind of thing.

Thats all for now.  I need to go drink heavily.

http://wartburg.misfittoysracing.com
OTTER: "I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part."
BLUTO: "We're just the guys to do it."

Re: Bulletproof!

I cant wait to see the pictures of the "strut box".

E=MC Hammered
E30, 302I (ME car)
Pintoghini with turbo 2.3L
Old Spice Crown Victoria

Re: Bulletproof!

Winging it wrote:

I cant wait to see the pictures of the "strut box".

Only photo I have at the moment.  Me welding the basic structure in place.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_6WpID27LUfQ/S1J4Qqfe5II/AAAAAAAAAfU/8UpeGhl2lKk/s400/IMG_1708.JPG

http://wartburg.misfittoysracing.com
OTTER: "I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part."
BLUTO: "We're just the guys to do it."

Re: Bulletproof!

JThw8 wrote:

They make ARMOR PLATING.  The piece he got for us had an unacceptable degree of surface pitting.  Its 1/4 inch thick and hardened steel, it will stop an AK47 round at point blank range.

Make sure you preheat that stuff with a torch before you weld.  If you are just zapping it together with normal 70-s2 wire you are basically guaranteed under-bead cracking and a nice hard layer of martensite at the edge of the weld.  If you know what alloy it is I can tell you more.

Fun stuff....until you have to cut or drill it.  Thankfully the majority of the cuts were made at his workplace on a CNC Plasma cutter but we still had to drill holes for the strut bolts.  This was unfun and is still in progress.

Get some machine length 135 deg split point Cobalt drill bits.  Slow speed and heavy feed pressure will get you through.  The bit should be bordering on making a squealing sound throughout the cut.  Use good cutting oil too.

Re: Bulletproof!

squirrelly_z600 wrote:
JThw8 wrote:

They make ARMOR PLATING.  The piece he got for us had an unacceptable degree of surface pitting.  Its 1/4 inch thick and hardened steel, it will stop an AK47 round at point blank range.

Make sure you preheat that stuff with a torch before you weld.  If you are just zapping it together with normal 70-s2 wire you are basically guaranteed under-bead cracking and a nice hard layer of martensite at the edge of the weld.  If you know what alloy it is I can tell you more.

Fun stuff....until you have to cut or drill it.  Thankfully the majority of the cuts were made at his workplace on a CNC Plasma cutter but we still had to drill holes for the strut bolts.  This was unfun and is still in progress.

Get some machine length 135 deg split point Cobalt drill bits.  Slow speed and heavy feed pressure will get you through.  The bit should be bordering on making a squealing sound throughout the cut.  Use good cutting oil too.

He did tell us the alloy although I don't remember and we looked up the proper welding instructions on the website for his company before starting.  I feel fairly comfortable with the strength of the welds, we took turns wailing on it with a 10lb sledge once it was together and it didnt budge.  smile  High tech test methods to be sure wink

Apparently heating it before drilling helps too.  After we destroyed our first bit I went and got another that was as you described (135 deg cobalt) and it went much better.

http://wartburg.misfittoysracing.com
OTTER: "I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part."
BLUTO: "We're just the guys to do it."