going to build exo cage

[mark32]

like the tittle says going to start on exo cage for my honcho. any tips on rod size or torch would be helpful have researched a lot and think i got a good grasp on it but just want opinions on material for scale cage and gas i should use. this will be my first cage so kinda nervous

[Ricochet]

I'd go with 3/16 or 1/4 and MAPP gas.

[Valreesio]

x2 on the 3/16 or 1/4. Looks scale, solid rod wont bend unless you take her down a cliff face, although it might get heavy depending how much you do. My friend built his bumper out of solid 3/16 and it is tough.

[Lentsnh2012]

3/16 cold rolled steel rod will be the best material choice. MAPP gas or Propane will work if you want to braze. I have been using my flux core welder with high voltage and it turns out pretty good.

[french_connection]

In the process of building a cage also here. Main cage tubes i use 1/4 cold roll steel rods and 3/16 for smaller bracing tubes. I found out rods are much easier to bend accuratly with hand. Brake line made me swear too much when bending some radius i did not had bender for. I bough the map and oxy setup, going to try brazing saturday... Gonna keep an eye on this page. Good luck.

[AX10wannabe]

so your attempting something like this???

the bar on my sliders that run parallel to the body is 1/4" but the rest of the cage is 3/16" solid rod built with a homemade bender no heat and some elbow grease.. you dont need heat to bend 3/16" but you will if you wanna braze it together.. since i have a mig welder i clamp my pieces down so they dont move and tack them with the mig then i'll finish brazing the rest

here's the bender i made









hopes this helps you out... also do a seach for honcho exo cages i know that a few vendors on RCC have built some nice ones.

[mark32]

ok guys got my rod for the cage and custom rock sliders. now just got to get the old noodle going. got 3/16 for the cage and 1/4 for the sliders i just hope 72" of 3/16 will be enough not going elaborate just something to protect my body

[mark32]

picked this up tractor supply today for 60 bucks
then while at work i took an old lawnmower blade and a bender out of it (only flat steel i had)

then started to bend some steel for my rock sliders

will post more pics tomorrow got dark on me as i started to braze them toghter i could not get the soldier to stick either will have to see what i can do about it.

[Grichardson152]

Let me ask you guys, I've made a few exo cages ( solid rod/ mig welded) but I used 1/8 instead of 3/16 do to the fear of the weight. Hows the 3/16 or 1/4 weight wise? What are you guys running shock wise?

Sent from the end of my fingertips

[mark32]

haven't got it together yet so i don't know what it will weigh yet but all together the weight of tubing i picked up was about half a pound so i don't think it will matter much and most of my cage weight will be centered so not to worried about it. this my first cage so we shall see but will post when i get it done. i know right now my rig is seven pounds on the dot

[mark32]

measured and cut them down then out came the trusty dremel then attempted to braze them together with not much luck what kind of flux do y'all use

[french_connection]

I had bought that torch then brought it back, it was not working well for me. I bought a simple Mapp nozzle that rotate 360degrees. I am using Flux for silver, so its like a white cream. I am currently using Bronze brazing rods with a white coating on them. (My brother is sending me some silver welding rods for next time) It works quite well but the metal need to be really red for it to be strong with what I use. 1/4 and 3/16 steel rods.

Here is a tip I figured out today, when its red, wait until its glowing red, its better a bit too hot than not enough. I waiting until both parts are glowing red then I bring the brazing and it melts easy and goes in the gap and where the flux was applied.

also, do not dip them in water when hot, just in case I am telling you, I did a test and it made the brazing joint weak.

check my cage, I'm the Ebay Jeepster build on this forum. Good luck

[D19er]

I like how you use the knee as a bench while cutting steel with a high r.p.m cutoff wheel...
I hope you have on of these in your tool box..

[mark32]

what is it no i don't just lots of band aids and ya i know its not safe but at least i had on safety glasses

[D19er]

lol..its a medical stapler... i speak from experience.. razor + knee = 5 staples exo cage looks good by the way... nice brazing....

[mark32]

ya cant get it to stick had no problem with one side but the other my braze just rolls off the metal

[mark32]

k got fed up and went to the shop and stick welded my rock sliders together didn't turn out to bad got the rear hoop bent and started the down bars on the front but ran out of tubing here is the pics

[french_connection]

Don't give up on Brazing, once you get it figured out and it work, its pretty awesome. Check out what I did yesterday. Like you, I am just learning as I go. Maybe you should try brazing with a Bronze Rod, the silver stuff I had was not working exactly like you, it beaded and ran off. Once I used the flux and the bronze brazing rods, it worked exactly like I was expecting it to, and the brazing is very strong, I can step on my cage (I'm 180 lbs).


IMG_2291 by Marc Brassard, on Flickr

[mark32]

what kind of bronze rod is it and whats the name of the flux ur using all i could find was cheap crap

[french_connection]

I am using a cheap silver solder kit that I bought just for the flux tube, its to repair jewels and circuit boards. the rods are bronze brazing & welding rods (WB-5, Low fuming bronze razing rods, flux coated.) *I still apply flux before I braze to clean and prepare the metal, make sure you put flux inside of the joint, not just around.


IMG_2299 by Marc Brassard, on Flickr