"Bickle" 1948 3100

[joedoh]

thanks guys, i got the table because I do so many of these trucks and it gets tedious knowing I have a whole day of building body mounts, or a whole week of doing pedals and column. i can cut extra manually, sure, but making it identical and fit together the same is the problem. cnc makes it identical!

pops I use 1/8th for almost everything, cab mounts engine mounts pedal boxes etc. its funny though, I have 3/16th on hand and whenever I offer a set of mounts to a local guy, they wnt them built from 3/16th. just feels heavier I guess, as they weld them to their 1/8th frame.

 

[Old Iron]

thanks guys, i got the table because I do so many of these trucks and it gets tedious knowing I have a whole day of building body mounts, or a whole week of doing pedals and column. i can cut extra manually, sure, but making it identical and fit together the same is the problem. cnc makes it identical!

That's what I like about mine, It's not nearly as big a deal to make mods then re-cut another part with a machine.

 

[Burgerman]

Nice job on the brackets, that CAD guy sure doesn't shake like I do.

2X. My parts builder shakes too. Would be terrific to have package of 1st class Joe built parts for future project.

 

[joedoh]

That's what I like about mine, It's not nearly as big a deal to make mods then re-cut another part with a machine.

I am having an issue with the g-code software in autocad 360, it resides online (not on my machine like solidworks) so when I make a small change I have to wait for the cloud file to update, or it will cut the same. its funny that a 2 second change in cad needs a 10 minute window to update before the g code actually changes.

its all about the subscription money with CAD, used to be you bought a version and you owned it, now you pay a subscription monthly or yearly and it is soon at 10x the cost of just buying the software used to be. autocad is free for non commercial users, and I do most of my work in solidworks on my "work" laptop. but generating the g code takes a module in solidworks that I dont have, so autocad 360 is the necessary evil I guess.

I took sunday off, and slept in till about 3 today with a cold, maybe tomorrow I will get the new bottom column mount knocked out and everything bolted in for checks.

 

[Old Iron]

I use Qcad cad and Sheetcam for gcode. Both programs are installed on the computer.
I don't get along with delays, too impatient
Does Solidworks put out DXF if so download Sheetcam.

 

[wendle]

I am having an issue with the g-code software in autocad 360, it resides online (not on my machine like solidworks) so when I make a small change I have to wait for the cloud file to update, or it will cut the same. its funny that a 2 second change in cad needs a 10 minute window to update before the g code actually changes.

its all about the subscription money with CAD, used to be you bought a version and you owned it, now you pay a subscription monthly or yearly and it is soon at 10x the cost of just buying the software used to be. autocad is free for non commercial users, and I do most of my work in solidworks on my "work" laptop. but generating the g code takes a module in solidworks that I dont have, so autocad 360 is the necessary evil I guess.

I took sunday off, and slept in till about 3 today with a cold, maybe tomorrow I will get the new bottom column mount knocked out and everything bolted in for checks.

Can you just use an older, direct installed version of AutoCAD?
I use AutoCAD 2004 or 2013 with my Torchmate table...

Come to think of it, The AutoCAD 2020 I use at work is all setup with no interaction with the cloud. Kind of has to be that way with the third world internet we have here in Australia.

 

[joedoh]

might bbe a country difference, all 3D programs I have used in the last two decades, Catia, Solidworks, all the different Autocads, switched to monthly license in or around 2010. My licensed copy of solidworks is old and not possible to update, so I cant buy the manufacturing plugin (for G codes) or the sheetmetal plugin, which would allow me to plan bends, but autocad does. fusion 360 is free cloud based for non enterprise use and monthly sub for enterprise. At my last job I set up a CFD lab for airflow design using Ansys plugins and the SINGLE box cost per month was astronomical.

OI I am thinking of buying sheetcam so I can quickly scan parts on a scanner bed and cut. Right now the cloud delay is annoying but not a world ender, let me open a design house maybe I would gripe more.

 

[joedoh]

I share the garage right now till my shop is done, and then it will be all me. but there are a couple things that have to be in the garage, so there is infrequent foot traffic.

my design desk is right inside the house, so when I want to cut parts I string a long usb cord from my desk to the machine. if I am working late and have things setup but its too late to run the compressor, I leave it set up for the morning.

you see where this is going right? the usb cord got caught on someones foot, must have been me sleepwalking because I havent heard as many "not me"'s since I stopped reading family circus. my clue was the table wouldnt respond to step inputs. this was the result.

I thought about sending it in for service but I did electronic install and repair for years so I found an old broken DVD player with a USB input and two desolders then one resolder cured the issue.

I have redesigned the pedal bracket several times, on V6.0 so far, making small changes and sometimes complete new parts (in the same basic shape). I thought I had it two parts ago but the top of the pedal arm hit the the inside of the bracket slightly. sure, a little grinding, but not something I would want to admit to a buyer down the road. then I didnt respect the distance to the booster rod, so the pedal was too close to the floor. most recently, I realized that all my pedal through-bolt location changes had stacked up and the pin wasnt in line with the rod any more. this is the only pic I have, it would be usable but was totally inexcusable.

once more unto the breach, dear friends.

and there we go!

tomorrow I will install it.


I have been tied up, mom wants seemingly endless things done at the rental. I told her I was happy to do the stuff that would make the place unlivable if not done, but the nice to haves (she didnt like the color of the house, wanted a new deck, a garage door and opener etc etc etc) could wait till I had time and money. well how well does it work when you tell your mother in law something? so we have a blue house with white trim and a 10x10 deck and a garage door and opener. in my defense we fixed/hooked up the unhooked AC, and some other things as well. :/


more and more I am asked for parts, usually for free, if not parts than asked to share my files. I had a guy last year try to get my 41-46 cab mount design and it turned out he was using an alias as a well known part seller. is this the new thing? I have been doing a prior art search with a friend from a previous job who is a patent attorney so I can apply for a utility patent on some designs, but the cost for expected volume isnt really favorable. I think the way to do it is to make parts available at a really low price so its not advantageous to steal the design?

sorry for venting, but it has made me really discouraged, I originally wanted to help guys out, especially local folks that I can go by and help in person, but this new normal in projects is a real turn off.

 

[Old Iron]

Your parts are awesome.
You have to be very wary of people wanting your designs as you found out.
I had the same mind set and the same result.
These leeches are everywhere.
I've got an apparatus that is patented but, never put it out to the public for sale. It cost me $7,500 to get it patented back 35 or 40 years ago.
Your idea of being cheap isn't a bad idea but, a better one is being first out of the gate and being the best parts maker.

 

[joedoh]

thanks for the feedback, my cost structure right now will allow me to build cheap but high quality parts. I already sold a couple sets of body mounts local, its been a blessing to be able to make design changes on other peoples stuff.

 

[Burgerman]

Venting is needed on occasion. 2X on your parts being awesome. Would like to use a set of your cab mounts in the future. Those who want to take advantage of you need to get lost. Your work rocks Joe.

 

[joedoh]

thanks burg, let me know when you want a set. forum friends get a deep discount.


http://youtu.be/XFX8S9aAgvw?t=34

V6.2 did it.

after the firewall angle mount was installed, the rest snapped in like legos and was tightened up in no kidding, 5 minutes. need the lower mount for the column and to take it all back out for finish welding, but I am currently drinking all the beer. not all the beer in the FRIDGE, not all the beer in the HOUSE> ALL THE BEER.

 

[joedoh]

in between rain and rental I worked on the front end. it was floppy like a fish without a grille and upper latch plate, so I ran a tap trough all the bolt holes in the grille and core support and secured everything and its much better. if you hear squeaking while driving and you dont have 500hp and a girl in the cab, its probably the front clip, so secure is better than loosey goosey.

I even threw the hood on for a quick look at what it will eventually look like, although I decided to use a different hood. Looks good to me anyway!

 

[joedoh]

sunny day, popped the hood on and cleaned the shop. got my two son in laws jack and aluminum racing jack to help me hold it up and see what needs trimmed, needed a little more off the top of the rails. got some 3" springs too.

front is still down a 1/2" maybe. will fix

 

[Torchie]

Looking great![cl
The front sheet metal on those trucks are legendary for their poor fit..
[P [P [P
Torchie

 

[Old Iron]

Waiting to see how this notch is applied. I think I know.

 

[joedoh]

OI the notch there is just to keep the meat on the bottom for the eventual bumper mounts.

Looking great![cl
The front sheet metal on those trucks are legendary for their poor fit

true! but I am creating the mounting points so lets see if I can do a fair job.

first I went to gregs to finish my part. I plasma cut a part I designed that closes out the original column hole and locates the new column hole slightly left. I welded it in and gave him a parts list for shaft and u joints.

these two troublemakers wouldnt leave me alone much. gregs wife breeds bengals and these were his two keepers, brothers. funny to have an orange/white one with the features of a bengal, guess it happens a lot, variations in fur and colors are a normal thing with cats.

greg lives about 30 minutes east and I hate wasting a trip, so I agreed to buy a 3 spoke chevelle steering wheel from a nice guy who lived out the same way. he had another, a two spoke chevelle wheel, but someone dibbed it before I saw the ad so I was happy to at least get the one. the guy who dibbed was at the lake for the memorial weekend and was supposed to pick up tuesday. when I met to pick up I told him if the other guy fell through I would buy the other one too (this was sunday). he said "save a trip" and sold me both. bird in hand I guess.

greg came with me for the pickup and on the way back to drop him off I was talking how the guy with the forklift had fallen through, didnt keep his promise or his word. greg said he knew a guy that had a bunch, he called him on the way and the guy said he might have something I could buy. we stopped by on the way back and the guy Bob spent an hour walking me around.

first he showed off his gasser 54 he built in the 60s, anyone recognize the shackles?

then we looked at about a hundred trucks.

this one had a brownie box, high and low sticks, never seen one on such a small truck.

33

46

he also had a lot of semi cab overs, like a 72 gmc astro day cab with a 6-71, and a matching sleeper astro with a manure bed and an 8v71 ( what kind of poor planning was a manure hauler with a sleeper cab? [S ) there were cars too, a 50 plymouth, a taurus sho, an old saab 900 turbo, a mazda reg cab 4x4 on and on.


he also had about 14 forkifts, and some tractors with loaders, and even a skid steer. I asked him to price anything we looked at, I was eyeing his later model toyota pneumatic forklift but would have been happy with the electric stacker lift or even the skid steer. he said sorry, but he wasnt ready to sell anything and said goodbye.



oh well, I have seen that happen on the picker shows where guys just want to show off their stash. maybe he will call me someday but I am not holding my breath.

more in next post

 

[joedoh]

back on bickle. my wife was home so I went ahead and lined up the front end myself.

I was having a hard time getting the clip to stay where I pushed it, so I employed some straps through the firewall to hold in.

once I got the top bolt lined up inside the fender, adjusting the jack under the grille let the others fall in

the front looks a little far back, which means the cab is too.

I leave about 1/4" of extra in the mounts, but the rubber doesnt like to be pushed, so when I shoved with my hands or shoulder, it just came right back. I needed a slow push. since I have all these s10 jacks around, I repurposed one to push the cab forward a scootch. they have a round bump for picking up jack points on the s10 but that makes them useless for anything else. I cut the bump off and added a piece of scrap.

using that set between the bed mounts and the cab right at the floor pinch weld, I was able to slooooow crank and push the cab and front end forward that 1/4".

after that it was peas an carrots. I tack welded the core mounts in and released all the jacks and straps.

then I drug that hood I "found" in the backyard (forgot it was there!) and high pressure air blasted all the spiders free. it still had hinges and springs on it and surprisingly the bolts came right out. I hoisted it up for a fit check.

you can see the wheel is centered now.

everything fits perfect except the back of the hood in the center is high, the hood has a lot of bings and bangs in it so probably from laying around got it out of shape. but the front fits P E R F E C T. latched like a new truck!

there is a swap meet tomorrow and then in the evening I will ride out to travis' for the black bed, maybe saturday I can get it on.

 

[DozerII]

Some really good progress Joe, you have a lot of real good helpers there that just plain do as they are told.

 

[Bamamav]

Good choice on the Chevelle wheel. I have the same 3 spoke in my car.