[TitaniumTT]

Originally Posted by tweiss3

Ok, i have read your entire thread, and thats some damn good work. Much props to you.

You read the entire thread in one sitting? Damn, how long did that take? And thanks!

Originally Posted by tweiss3

I do have a few questions, since I am looking at some tooling purchases.
1)What grade steel do you use for your body work and what thicknesses?

I haven't had to do much body work that required steel. Cutting out the rust I want to say it was standard A36. It was .063" thick. All the work that I did to the hood was all AL, that was mostly .063", some .050" and that would have been 5052 for it's formability.

Originally Posted by tweiss3

2)what type of welder do you use, I'm assuming TIG.

If I'm welding steel, it's almost always MIG welding, SS sometimes MIG, sometimes TIG. AL is always TIG. I tried the spoolgun thing, and it just doesn't work cery well, for me anyway... well it works, but it looks like bubblegum birdshit

Originally Posted by tweiss3

3)what gas do you use for your welding?

Depends on the base metal. SS is tri-mix, steel is 75%argon 25%Co2, AL is 100% argon.... I've been meaning to try the helium mix on some of the thicker AL, but haven't really been welding much thick stuff lately. That is changing though as I'm helping a local Rotor head twin-charge his FD and we're mounting the Eaton SuperCharger where the P/S pump once lived.

Originally Posted by tweiss3

4)do you just cold bend all your pieces, or do you have a sheet metal bender?

I built a sheel metal brake out of some 5/16 or 3/8 mild steel "L" Cost like $30 in materials to get a 36" brake... I think it's 36" It works well. For smaller, tighter bends I've got a vise mounted brake that works well... actually I think it's the only thing that I've ever bought from HF that was actually worth the shipping :smilielol: