Metal Rod Bumper Fab Help

[EEM-CrawlinMachine]

Ive done a little searching and cant quite find anything can help me out, I am going to attempt my first fabricated part, which is a front and rear bumper out of thicker gauge copper rod & am getting nervous on how to start. I have a really nice painted betty body that I dont want to hack off the bumpers then turn around and ruin my fab or not be pleased with the end result, I am unsure how to start my measuring or where to start, I have drawn up a quick sketch of what im lookin to do, any input on this or how I can get bases to get started would be dandy, I am also using hand tools to do my bending and the bending measuring isnt a problem just dont now how to get a nice fit under my lid that looks good. If a winch being added makes any differance in my start, there wont be one.

Thanks in advance gents

[C*H*U*D]

I wish I could find it, because I thought it was a great idea, but someone on here posted pictures of bumpers they made with heavy gauge solder...the type that plumbers would use. You can bend up bumpers with it to see how they look, then go ahead and start bending.

Just out of curiosity though....why copper rod?

[EEM-CrawlinMachine]

Never brazed in my life and don't know any "cheap" alternative to buying the tanks n such, other than that id use steel or somethin, this stuff is soft though maybe id consider differant if I found an alt. baze teqnique

[C*H*U*D]

Have you looked into silver-soldering it with an inexpensive mapp torch? That's what I make all of my stuff with. Not very expensive, and pretty easy to pick up a technique with.

Check out this link for some good info.

[Mutant_Xj]

If you have a Tractor supply, lowes, Home depot around you you can get a mapp/oxy setup for around $50. That's what I use. The only down side to it is it goes through oxy cans quick. I think I'm on my 7th or 8th can of oxy and still using my first can of mapp.

[slowpoke69]

Originally Posted by C*H*U*D

I wish I could find it, because I thought it was a great idea, but someone on here posted pictures of bumpers they made with heavy gauge solder...the type that plumbers would use. You can bend up bumpers with it to see how they look, then go ahead and start bending.

Did it have the full thing made up or was it one piece at a time, and did you happen to find the pics?

[C*H*U*D]

Originally Posted by slowpoke69

Did it have the full thing made up or was it one piece at a time, and did you happen to find the pics?

It was bent to shape and he was able to solder it all together. Wish I could find the pics because it was a really cool idea.

[bob1961]

what bout using pipe cleaners .........bob

....

[Rikk]

Little late but was catching up and thought I'd pop it in for the next person.
Here you go

[lilgunz]

I am about to start fabbing some bumpers and a ladder rack for mine here soon, I am using brass tubing though gonna see how it works. new to it myself as well so we will see how it turns out. probably will post up a build thread once I get through it a little bit so I don't have long breaks in my posting. will be fun and a big learning process. how well does that third hand work for making that stuff?

[S.O.M.FACE]

I just finished my truggy cage with 3/16 solid brass rods came out ok i like it then again this was my first time ever. i've been on here doing research night and day theirs alot of stuff you can find but at it the ends all upto how much you like spend.

[canuckcrawler]

Originally Posted by Mutant_Xj

If you have a Tractor supply, lowes, Home depot around you you can get a mapp/oxy setup for around $50. That's what I use. The only down side to it is it goes through oxy cans quick. I think I'm on my 7th or 8th can of oxy and still using my first can of mapp.

Try going to a health care supplier & see if they have any used oxygen generators. These draw and filter oxygen out of the air, and you can use them to replace your oxy tanks on the mapp gas sets. I picked one up for about $10 as it had to be replaced due to it reaching its hour limit. Apparently they have to be replaced every 5000 hours or something due to them being used for supplying oxygen to sick people for at home. It still works really well, and is more than adequate for my brazing. It supplies enough oxygen that I can even cut thin sheet steel with it if I want to. all you have to do is plug it in, and presto, free oxygen.