That looks really good! Is it pretty sturdy? I wonder if you could do the same thing for post hole diggers. Their handles are always breaking lol. They're much the same style as wheelbarrow handles.
Bike builders that have machine tools/shops
- Thread starter Tom from Rubicon
- Start date
My camper shell on my pickup truck I redid the 14-year-old original waterproof seal around the bed rails of the truck.
Only it took until a light rain, that came about a month later, did I see a leak. Yep, I did not have time to water test it after completion, as I had to clear away all my set up gear to raise the shell and finish the job before bad weather rolled in. Only a carport not a garage.
Then when seeing that in about a month’s time the shell had shifted back about 3/4 of an inch. The front seal rail behind the cab was only being half covered.
As to why it shifted with the 4 clamps as I had purchased new ones the same as before and used them, I can only think it had to do with the different seal material.
The double ribbed rubber material I used now as compared to the way larger amount of foam that was used originally 14 years ago when installer did it, seems that there is way more surface area of the foam prior and more friction holding it from sliding with the way it was before.
Powdered metal on the bottom of the clamp, that pressed on the underside of the bedrail meant either drill holes and bolt it and it won't move, or up the number of clamps as many shells have 8 clamps or more.
Alternately with less problem with rust when drilling method with bolts, I have decided 4 clamps are not enough given the less gasket surface area. Like one 6th the surface area!
The rubber gasket is supposed to last longer and seal better. It seals water out perfect, but I will have to use 8 clamps, or 12 clamps, if necessary, now.
I did make a bit of improvement on the hoist this second time. Instead of 4 lines connected to the corners of the roof rack and connect in the middle above the shell, I used two deer fence posts criss crossing above. From the corners of the two roof racks that amount of line that stretches is not a good idea.
The metal fence posts do not flex much any. Comparatively a small amount of line connected in the center to the criss crossing posts eliminated stretch by a long shot.
Only the stability with the center not being exactly weighted even, meant the forward portion dipped down. Fixed that with a few light weight lines to keep things square.
I have since now am clamping it with more clamps. I did a water test with the hose and saw no leaks initially. Then after a while I saw water leaking down from the front fold down window seal on the camper shell, just behind the cab window.
I did address that area for my misunderstanding of how the drain slots indicated in the picture. What I mean is I covered up the drain slots of which there were four of them. It was incorrect of me to do that.
I see that I will have to remove the foam I put where there was none before and just redo the original gasket on the fold down window on the shell with new material that will complete all the gaskets that were in place as originally.
If the gasket leaks past it a little on the fold down window, I understand correctly now that it is a way to drain to the outside.
I did not bother to shim one side of my trucks tires. You know the carport floor is on a slight slope.
In clamping down the clamps for the shell to bed rails, I knew I could tighten down the clamps partially and the hoist line would stretch slightly. No harm if not too much stretch. Once I got it in position to tighten all the way down, I prior let some slack in the hoist line.
Heat gun and some tools to remove gasket needing replacement will be for window if solvent and elbow grease does not do it. Just may just a hair dryer on low. The fiberglass shell probably more forgiving that the glass window!
MT
Only it took until a light rain, that came about a month later, did I see a leak. Yep, I did not have time to water test it after completion, as I had to clear away all my set up gear to raise the shell and finish the job before bad weather rolled in. Only a carport not a garage.
Then when seeing that in about a month’s time the shell had shifted back about 3/4 of an inch. The front seal rail behind the cab was only being half covered.
As to why it shifted with the 4 clamps as I had purchased new ones the same as before and used them, I can only think it had to do with the different seal material.
The double ribbed rubber material I used now as compared to the way larger amount of foam that was used originally 14 years ago when installer did it, seems that there is way more surface area of the foam prior and more friction holding it from sliding with the way it was before.
Powdered metal on the bottom of the clamp, that pressed on the underside of the bedrail meant either drill holes and bolt it and it won't move, or up the number of clamps as many shells have 8 clamps or more.
Alternately with less problem with rust when drilling method with bolts, I have decided 4 clamps are not enough given the less gasket surface area. Like one 6th the surface area!
The rubber gasket is supposed to last longer and seal better. It seals water out perfect, but I will have to use 8 clamps, or 12 clamps, if necessary, now.
I did make a bit of improvement on the hoist this second time. Instead of 4 lines connected to the corners of the roof rack and connect in the middle above the shell, I used two deer fence posts criss crossing above. From the corners of the two roof racks that amount of line that stretches is not a good idea.
The metal fence posts do not flex much any. Comparatively a small amount of line connected in the center to the criss crossing posts eliminated stretch by a long shot.
Only the stability with the center not being exactly weighted even, meant the forward portion dipped down. Fixed that with a few light weight lines to keep things square.
I have since now am clamping it with more clamps. I did a water test with the hose and saw no leaks initially. Then after a while I saw water leaking down from the front fold down window seal on the camper shell, just behind the cab window.
I did address that area for my misunderstanding of how the drain slots indicated in the picture. What I mean is I covered up the drain slots of which there were four of them. It was incorrect of me to do that.
I see that I will have to remove the foam I put where there was none before and just redo the original gasket on the fold down window on the shell with new material that will complete all the gaskets that were in place as originally.
If the gasket leaks past it a little on the fold down window, I understand correctly now that it is a way to drain to the outside.
I did not bother to shim one side of my trucks tires. You know the carport floor is on a slight slope.
In clamping down the clamps for the shell to bed rails, I knew I could tighten down the clamps partially and the hoist line would stretch slightly. No harm if not too much stretch. Once I got it in position to tighten all the way down, I prior let some slack in the hoist line.
Heat gun and some tools to remove gasket needing replacement will be for window if solvent and elbow grease does not do it. Just may just a hair dryer on low. The fiberglass shell probably more forgiving that the glass window!
MT
Attachments
![IMG_20241203_163342[1]edit.jpg](/data/attachments/105/105692-a86d71e51f4c68addb92a458760ee4c5.jpg)
![IMG_20241203_162549[1]edit.jpg](/data/attachments/105/105693-61b4d9abc4df5014a629d2ad593fc837.jpg)
Last edited:
I'm the type of guy who would simply bolt it down & be done with it.
Not sure campers and machine shops have in common other than a thread drift.
But FWIW bolt the camper shell to the PU box. Clamps are a joke. I had a chopped FG camped shell that I could stand on.
Carried two canoes on a solid oak rack. The shell was fastened with four 3/8-16 bolts and ESNA lock nuts. Never ever moved a 1/64".
Tom
But FWIW bolt the camper shell to the PU box. Clamps are a joke. I had a chopped FG camped shell that I could stand on.
Carried two canoes on a solid oak rack. The shell was fastened with four 3/8-16 bolts and ESNA lock nuts. Never ever moved a 1/64".
Tom
Im a bit to blame there Tom, for turning it into the “what are you working on now” thread.
Not machining anymore, but when my old boss gets out of the hospital I may get some stuff made. Been drawing in 3D a lot the past couple years.
Yeah been thinking of putting a camper shell but if I want to sleep in the car often I’ll just get a suburban or some Japanese car with lots of space and good mileage.
Not machining anymore, but when my old boss gets out of the hospital I may get some stuff made. Been drawing in 3D a lot the past couple years.
Yeah been thinking of putting a camper shell but if I want to sleep in the car often I’ll just get a suburban or some Japanese car with lots of space and good mileage.
Tony,
This thread is "Bike builders that have machine tools/shops".
Can you or the Moderator shift the inappropriate content to an applicable or new thread? These drifts are going to lead to confusion and more thread drift. It happens to forums but not for the better.
Motor Bicycling Forum activity in general is in a ebb cycle. Not sure why. Folks with DUI's are four wheeling again? Interest in general?
Me? I have been lately, getting tooled up to complete some machine shop projects.
Tom
This thread is "Bike builders that have machine tools/shops".
Can you or the Moderator shift the inappropriate content to an applicable or new thread? These drifts are going to lead to confusion and more thread drift. It happens to forums but not for the better.
Motor Bicycling Forum activity in general is in a ebb cycle. Not sure why. Folks with DUI's are four wheeling again? Interest in general?
Me? I have been lately, getting tooled up to complete some machine shop projects.
Tom
Hi guys.
Spent yesterday afternoon pulling maintenence on my small lathe. I'd run a couple of small jobs on 6061T with the 4 jaw and struggled to hold accuracy so I thought (correctly) it past time to spend time on her. It was well worth the effort. Take care of your stuff and it will produce better stuff. The rest is up to us.
Rick C.
Spent yesterday afternoon pulling maintenence on my small lathe. I'd run a couple of small jobs on 6061T with the 4 jaw and struggled to hold accuracy so I thought (correctly) it past time to spend time on her. It was well worth the effort. Take care of your stuff and it will produce better stuff. The rest is up to us.
Rick C.
Yeah Tom, I feel it. I’ll start a new thread. 1600+ post thread will survive a little drift. Amazing it survived this long. Nobody has shops in their backyard. I’ve had a lot of time this year to think about building a big shed/shop. Ultimately decided against. Permits alone will run me $11k before even pouring cement, and they probably don’t allow CNCs in a residential zone. Normal industrial space prices are around $1.80-2.40/sf depending on location, but I’ve seen a couple for even less than that, maybe spams or scams. I really think I’ll just farm stuff out as much as I love to machine. I may just go ahead and build it and not tell anybody, and put some manuals in there, but I really want some real machines that can make me some lights-out money. I have made production fixturing in the past, like a corn cob style 4th axis tombstone type deal to turn a 3-axis into more with far increased table space. Always done a lot with almost nothing and CNC would be no different.
There's several who have a hobbyists machine shop. Which works great for simple stuff without sending you to the poor house.
I almost wasted $100 on a bench top mill six months ago. I used it briefly and it was total garbage. I put a small piece of stainless and tried to take some cuts. It was left a crappy finish because it was weak. Tried on aluminum and mild steel and it was better but couldn’t hold better than .001. More like a drill press with an x-y table. Didn’t even look that used
Machine tools worth having are large and heavy, and often expensive. Around here space of any kind is at a premium price, so I decided if it doesn’t make me money, I won’t own it or pay for its storage.
Tried using a Hardinge op2 type lathe to turn a 1” hardened steel tool down to .850”for a little job last month. THAT thing was weak. I have held tenths on those on small parts in the past but never tried some real machining. Ended up doing it on the 2 ton Mori manual. Not a machine I can put in the garage without first re-doing the floor.
I’ll just get a better computer so I don’t have to wait 10 minutes for the thing to recompute a drawing when I made a tiny change, and just farm the stuff out. Nothing worse than the frustration of using weak tools.
My rule of thumb is: How often do you plan to use the tool and what are your performance expectations? Go cheaper if it's occasional use and light duty use; otherwise get quality tools.
Around here when you call a machine shop to have something done if the job doesn't start at $1,500 they tell you that it will be months before they can get to it unless you're a regular customer. With Vancouver being a port city there is no shortage of big money work.
Steve.
Steve.
HI Steve same thing with my big shop in Houston. I couldn't afford to take any small jobs and didn't...ever. $1,500 wouldn't move my needle at all and that was three decades ago!
I felt the customers pain but couldn't afford to cure it.....
Rick C
I felt the customers pain but couldn't afford to cure it.....
Rick C
I use to get David Staton to do machine work for me. I hear though he's shutting his business down after being around for 41 years. Just a thought @Tony01 I often hear people wanting sleeves so they can put a cvt onto 49/53cc 4 stroke engines.
I certainly understand that Rick. At one time there any number of back alley shops in Vancouver where either the chaps running them were retired or working after their regular jobs. You simply drove down the alleyways and looked for the signs on the garages to see who was doing what you needed. There is very few driveways in a large part of the city and the back lane ways had the garages. Goes back to the horse and barn days. Usually like a two way street. They are all gone now. Big city expenses. Early eighties they were $30,000 houses. Now the lot's worth $2-$3 million and the house is torn down and a $3-$4+ million dollar house is built on it.
Now it's friends help you or you do it yourself.
Steve.
Now it's friends help you or you do it yourself.
Steve.
Or China. They do great work now that our politicians have coddled them!
Far as forum members are concerned, I no longer build things. Sorry but not sorry… you all know why. I wouldn’t say they won, more like they made you guys lose.
How much do you think people would pay for these sleeves? The cost of a sleeve wouldn’t even pay for the OD turning insert used to cut it, not even talking the electricity to run lights and tools for a day in a 1-car garage. Yeah no thanks.
Far as forum members are concerned, I no longer build things. Sorry but not sorry… you all know why. I wouldn’t say they won, more like they made you guys lose.