Author Topic: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material  (Read 15965 times)

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Offline SlyOneJr

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The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« on: July 05, 2010, 09:16:20 PM »
Ok, the title of this is a little misleading, but I have been sitting around with a few lengths of 1 1/2" DOM tubing to build a frame for the Lakester, and since I have FINALLY finished drawing up my blueprints for the chassis (some of us can't afford to use any of the autocad programs, not to mention a #2 pencil and a few sheets of paper still work), I decided to take the advice of several people on this board and a few other boards and get some 1 1/4" PVC to make a mock-up chassis to make sure everything will fit and work. Boy am I glad that I spent about $30 on PVC at Home Depot. Found out that a couple of the tubes that I had put in my blueprints wouldn't work, and I had drawn up my blueprints wrong. Seems that I forgot (ever happen to you? Happened to me once...  :-D) that I needed to be up 1 1/2" from the bottom of the chassis to get the proper height. Glad that PVC is cheap. Well, back to the blueprints... Anyone got an electric eraser I can borrow?
New Guy building a L/Gas Lakester
Ninja 250 powered Lakester for ECTA meets

Offline Seldom Seen Slim

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2010, 09:24:10 PM »
"Seems that I forgot (ever happen to you? Happened to me once...  grin)" == well, there was that time that I thought I was wrong, but I was mistaken about it.  Issat what you mean?
Jon E. Wennerberg
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Offline WOODY@DDLLC

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2010, 09:50:00 PM »
Measure with a laser, mark it with chalk and cut with a sharp axe!
All models are wrong, but some are useful! G.E. Box (1967) www.designdreams.biz

Offline Stan Back

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2010, 09:53:02 PM »
I can't get that shitt to weld!

Stan
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Offline debgeo

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2010, 10:11:05 PM »
Use low heat setting and pvc rod :cheers: :cheers:
George---Sidecar in progress

Offline theazoldcrow

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2010, 10:13:17 PM »
 :-D Rember to purge the PVC before welding it!   No telling what has gone thru it!        Crow.
The Earth, is an intergalactic insane asylum.!

Offline gearheadeh

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2010, 10:31:49 PM »

I can't get that shitt to weld!

Stan




Use low heat setting and pvc rod :cheers: :cheers:



You guys should be doing stand up comedy
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Offline SlyOneJr

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2010, 10:35:59 PM »
Guess I should have put this under the "Build Diaries" section, but oh well.

Jon: That is actually one of my Dad's favorite sayings, he went so far as to have a sign made with that on it, hangs in the garage...

WOODY: Actually, using a Sharpie to mark it and my tubing notcher from Harbor Freight (the 3rd one actually, kept having problems with the quality, mandrels being bent, one was put together upside down and welded that way, hole saw adapters machined wrong so that the hole saw bit had a 1/4" of runout, guess someone had one too many sake breaks) to cut it, kinda gets me ready to actually cut the DOM, getting the angles and stuff. Not using a laser though, chalk line and a plumb bob seem to work...

Stan: Try using the glue, works for me, not to mention it makes you feel real good...

Deb: Got any of that PVC rod laying around? Might be able to sneak the PVC chassis past Joe and Keith...

Old Crow: Only thing that's been running through this PVC is BS...

Gearheadeh: Isn't this what LSR is all about anyways? Stand up?

Going to have to charge the batteries up in the camera and try to get a few pictures of this thing sitting on top of the Dining Room table so that more hilarity can ensue...

New Guy building a L/Gas Lakester
Ninja 250 powered Lakester for ECTA meets

Offline 116ciHemi

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2010, 10:20:30 AM »
If you want your stuff in autocad, I can do that for you. If you can scan what you have, I can draw it up.

Offline racer x

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2010, 08:51:55 PM »
Another great Home Depo product for fabricating is Blue or pink insulation board. It comes in lots of different thicknesses from 1/4 inch to 3 inch thick. You can glue it together with hot glue cut it with a hand saw or knife. Building mock ups of tanks and aluminum sheets or body parts.I make molds from foam and produce fiberglass body parts from them.
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Offline Peter Jack

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2010, 10:11:39 PM »
Which foam and which resin Racer X?
I know the wrong combination can lead to disaster.

Pete

Offline racer x

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2010, 06:19:28 AM »
 did not know I was flirting with disaster.
I use the big pink 2 foot X 4 foot boards of solid foam .It is with all the other insulation. I don't use the kind with foil on one side. As for resin. Just fiberglass resin.
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Offline Joe Timney

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #12 on: July 07, 2010, 07:16:35 AM »
I noticed that you are using 1 1/2" DOM tubing to build a lakester chassis...what size engine are you planning to use??? You may want to consider using 1 5/8 dia. or bigger for the shoulder hoop and rollcage so you can install the big dog or resale value.
Joe Timney
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President of FIREFOX Fire Suppression System
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Offline Peter Jack

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #13 on: July 07, 2010, 08:54:03 AM »
By disaster I meant that some resins, ie: polyester vs. epoxy, aren't compatible with some foams. That means with incompatible resins and foams the shape may end up quite different than intended. :-o :-o :? :?

Pete

Offline SlyOneJr

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Re: The Advantage of PVC tubing as a chassis material
« Reply #14 on: July 07, 2010, 09:09:57 AM »
Got a few more lengths of PVC from Home Depot, making a few more pieces to glue into my mock chassis. Whoever came up with this idea of using PVC is a genius!

116: Already started mocking up the chassis, so I think I am beyond putting it on AutoCAD, but I really appreciate the offer!

Racer X and Peter Jack: Thanks for the tips on what to use for fiberglass, no where near that stage, but I might pick up a piece or two and fake a front end to get an idea of what I'm looking at, might be more sturdy that pizza boxes...

Joe: Planning on starting off running a Ninja 250 engine, then moving up to an old Kawasaki H1 500 triple later on to run K/. Using the 1 1/2" here on the East Coast will allow me to go to G/, but I doubt that I will ever go past J/ since I don't plan on going west and I like the small motorcycle engines. Good idea about using 1 5/8" for the cage and shoulder hoop though, still might do that. Plan on using 1 1/2" for just about everything on the car except for a few non stressed cross braces and the helmet bars, that's going to be 1".
New Guy building a L/Gas Lakester
Ninja 250 powered Lakester for ECTA meets