Studly, or Metrosexual??

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Cap it, and leave it exposed Or get fanch schmancy, and fill in the space between the tubing and the body with a nice pretty apron thingy  Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Whimpy, whimpy! Whimpy, whimpy!Come on Samm... You can build a REAL bumper! You know something that stays intact while the rest of the truck crumples around it. Clarence would be peeing on you for this..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Cap it.Regards,RobGreat Basin WeldingInstagramBlue weldersRed weldersMy luscious Table DIY TIG Torch cooler
Reply:Hey samm,Make another identical one, some vertical tie-ins(same material) to 6-8" above that one, & some good gussets to the frame. Then you can eliminate a shroud behind it, or add a shroud to keep out all the road grime. Cap the ends....DennyComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Are you feeling ok? That doesn't look like any farm truck bumper I've ever seen. Way under built. I'm with DSW... WIMPY!
Reply:I removed the pump on this IH and sold it. Then I boxed and extended the front supports a bit and re attached the keen bumper.  I had these two rods sticking thru the grill which used to support the pump,  so they got a hunk of chrome grab bar added and they became  a li'l protector sissy bar.  Next I filled in the gap between the frame rails with diamond plate and bolted down some manly hooks and lites... I did this before being warped by  WW so, I R a lerner not a perfeshunal like ya'll howsumever. Attached ImagesLast edited by PapaLion; 12-20-2010 at 06:54 PM.Lincoln Power MIG 215Lincoln WeldPak 3200HDLincon ProCut 25Lincoln WeldanPower 225 AC/DCIf all else fails... buy more tools
Reply:I'd say go fancy schmancy .  I wanna see your artistic design side--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:finish the bumper before you post it Im just pullin your leg, but I would definitely want my bumper  more beefy!
Reply:I would go with the apron and risers, BUT I would make the apron so that it could have a winch mounted to it in the future.
Reply:Originally Posted by larpheadI would go with the apron and risers, BUT I would make the apron so that it could have a winch mounted to it in the future.
Reply:Think Mad Max........Spikes, pointy objects, bashing plates......... It's all good when it comes to a farm riding, kick A$$ bumper.........Just remember..."We don't need another hero....." Expert Garage Hack....https://www.facebook.com/steven.webber.948
Reply:Originally Posted by mla2ofusNow why does a farmer need a winch when he has tractors?
Reply:Wellllll  I think the C clamps will look a little hicky.  A couple of bolts or quick welds and you could shed the clamps. Other than that, looks good. "The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:I dunno Papa, I think the pump looks kinda sporty! Samm, it's fine. That possum up ahead does not care one iota about the look of the truck that just squooshed him.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:I've sort of backed myself into a cornerI always climb people's butts about hanging too much weight on their trucks when they build bumpers and bedsI've never built a bumper for a "modern" truck before.  Always could get away with a straight piece of tubing, and call it good.  But the newer trucks all have rounded fronts, and they sorta look stupid with straight bumpers.  AND THE MORE I LOOK AT THE STUPID THING, THE MORE IT NEEDS A FILLER BETWEEN THE BUMPER AND THE BODYI don't want to hang a bazzillion pounds on the front of the truck thoughThe main tube is 3 1/2" x 3/16 wall.  It runs 8.15lbs per lineal foot.  I figure it weighs about 58lbs.  And I still have to put two brackets on for my towbar, and two 3" D rings for towing it out of the mud with chains.  That plus the bumper-to-frame brackets probably will weigh in at around a total of 73 to 78lbs.  Adding an apron, and the bracing under it (in case someone uses it as a step), will probably run the thing up to around 100lbsAnd all of this doesn't take into account the frame for the front license plateAll this assthetic stuff is a PITA "Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:you can use 12-ish ga metal to skin the top and vertically cope it to the grill and headlights.  it won't be structural so it can be on the light side.  as for the bottom if you don't want any weight you can leave it alone.  if you want more depth, you can place another 3 1/2 tube on bottom with some spacers between the two tubes and it will look good.  either way you are stuck with adding weight if you are deepening the front look.
Reply:Samm, what if you just adjust the height of the tube bumper up real close to the bodywork, so that you don't need more bondo-filler?  Then the only homework is in the mounting brackets. I always figured that bracket-ology is the toughest part of re-injun-earing anyway. Attached ImagesLast edited by tanglediver; 12-21-2010 at 02:19 AM.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:samm, in first foto.. that tube steel is the support for the bumper you've got planned, right?
Reply:Raise it up so you don't have such a gap to fill.Lincoln AC225 and CartLincoln WeldPak HD and CartOne hand
Reply:I dunno Samm, 'spect I'd just weld the rings etc. and drive away happy... And never get around to painting the darn thing...That's just my flaw though.(edit) I think most states have a ground to bumper requirement, with these new trucks it's easy to go too high "I think".MattLast edited by Matt_Maguire; 12-21-2010 at 09:01 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by mla2ofusNow why does a farmer need a winch when he has tractors?  I'm gonna wait and see what develops. I think Samm has other plans for this.                                       Mike.
Reply:Samm,There's nothing wimpy about wanting to avoid a place where wasps find places of refuge.  If you leave those ends open, you'll have to keep a can of wasp and hornet killer in the cab.Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT
Reply:cap them sammidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tigidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tig #2 used for sticklincoln sp100hh125dual arbor grinder polisher30 yrs of hand tools52 pitch blocks 6p-26prake gauge -pitch gaugeG&D prop repair 918-207-6938Hulbert,okla 74441
Reply:Originally Posted by lugweldSamm,There's nothing wimpy about wanting to avoid a place where wasps find places of refuge.  If you leave those ends open, you'll have to keep a can of wasp and hornet killer in the cab.
Reply:Yeah, the projecting tubes and the C-clamps look hokey.   Definitely cap the ends.Next, what is the 'purpose' of the bumper?  General-purpose bumper, push-bar bumper, zombie-smasher bumper, rock-crawling, Baja-running, mount for a snow plow, etc, etc, etc.Figure out the 'purpose' and make the design fit that purpose.Personally, I think that  bumper on a pickup seems too skinny at only 3.5" vertical.  The proportions to the rest of the truck just don't seem to 'match'.  Now, an 18" tall bumper plate also looks out of proportion too, unless it is a front plate push bumper on like a tow truck.The bumper also looks like it is sticking out a bit much as well.   Running some top skin 'plate' or sheet or pulling it a little bit closer to the truck might make it look a little better there too.IMHO.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...If functional was what you were going for and I think it was, great job! And if you rear end someone you should get some great penetration, which is usually what I'm going for! Might not be that big but it's nice and firm, and that's whats important especially if you know how to use it!HH187Hobart 500i plasma cutterClark 4.5" GrinderDewalt 14" chop saw30 gallom 1.6 hp compressor10 gallon pressure pot sand blasterlots of hand tools
Reply:Sam, you have to make those locals down at the Co-op sit up and take notice! Free up your creative soul and add some 'attitude' to that vanilla Ford.
Reply:I'd fill it with cement and then cap it...........Welding HacLincoln Electric 3200HD
Reply:I would be proud to drive this, my first stop would be a drive in movie.  Originally Posted by WyoRoySam, you have to make those locals down at the Co-op sit up and take notice! Free up your creative soul and add some 'attitude' to that vanilla Ford.
Reply:You should really redo the bumper like this one.http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...atic-175/page4
Reply:I had a 1998 Ford F-350 crew cab turbo diesel 4x4. It had 2-40 gallon tanks and was huge.I hit a buck deer doing almost 80 mph and it did $8k in damage. So I decided that it would never happen again.I took some 8 inch well casing and some skid plate and built a massive tube bumper for the front end. It looked great and was pretty heavy as I noticed a difference in the handling of the truck. It weighed in at 239 lbs. .About  3 months after hitting the deer and getting the truck back from the body shop and building the new bumper, I hit another deer head on. This time, the deer was pushed under the truck and I splattered it under the truck with no damage other than having to clean up the guts and the deer fur.The next winter as I was driving down the interstate, a car in front of me hit some ice and started to go out of control. In order for me not to hit the car, I had to drive off the road and I hit a concrete barrier, pushing it and breaking it in half. I then hit a bridge support cracking it and doing over $55,000 in damage to the bridge and  the barrier. I hit them at over 65 MPH.I probably would have been killed if not for that bumper I built.  The highway patrol said they have not seen anything like it. The damage to the bridge and the barrier was pretty severe.  The damage to the truck was $15,750 and the insurance company rebuilt it.  The bumper I built was fixed by the body shop and it looked like new. The body shop said that the massive bumper kept the frame from being destroyed.I sold the truck right after that and I was glad I did. That truck is still around and I see it once in a while.  But it costs $240 to fill it now that diesel is over $3 a  gallon. So build that bumper like your life depends on it....because it just may very well be the case.
Reply:Or you can drive slower.
Reply:Originally Posted by sixOr you can drive slower.
Reply:Farmersamm,Thought I saw your truck at a Papa Murphy's pizza in Wylie, TX today.Wasn't sure because I thought your location was in OK.
Reply:Originally Posted by joedirt1966Farmersamm,Thought I saw your truck at a Papa Murphy's pizza in Wylie, TX today.Wasn't sure because I thought your location was in OK.
Reply:Samm,I built the bumper in the picture below using 2x3x.125 rectangular tube.  It looked just like yours before I skinned it with .125 thick sheet.  I never weighed it, but I was able to pick it up and set it on the frame rails while I was sitting on the ground.  It had to be less than 75lbs, I figure.I did not cap the ends on my tubing with steel, but I did fill the ends wiht spray foam.  That keeps the bugs and road salt out.  But will push out if enough frozen water where to get trapped inside.  Better than splitting the tubing at a seem I think.Free advice:  I painted my bumber with Duplicolor rattlecan bedliner spray.  I used a self etching primer first.  I cleaned the whole bumper with acetone and followed the directions on both products.Everything looked great until the first really hard freeze.  Then I found several large patches where the bead liner paint just flaked off.  So I'll be pulling the bumper in the spring and taking it to someone for sand blasting and powdercoating. Whatever you do to finish your bumper, stay away from Duplicolor spray bedliner.  Maybe the roll on stuff or Herculiner's product is better.  But the spray can stuff is dissappointing.I have real rhino liner bedliner in the back of the truck. That's been great. Might try this if it's not more expensive than the powder coat.. Attached ImagesBenson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:I have built a few bumpers in my time. Have to say that that bumper will stop shopping carts but that may be about it. Like everyone has been saying, whats the function of your bumper? What kind of day to day impact will it be taking? Will the rad be exposed to impact?I built this bumper which is getting a winch and tow lugs built into it. Its probably overkill for what your looking for but it will take on a moose lol  I weighed it and it came in at 70lbs if I remember correct. The last couple of people I have built this style of bumper have been quite happy. One guy hit a tree with it off-roading  and not a dent. I wouldn't use powder-coat. I have done quite a lot of research in this department. I even have a friend that works at a powder-coating shop that can help me out but not interested. My opinion from the rusting trailers and truck bumpers is not to go this route. One scratch and you will have rust bumbles which spread under the coating. If the coating is done right, it will be hard to take the coating off to repair. Been there done that, not fun. It took a torch, sharp scraping bar and a wire wheel.
Reply:If you want simple and strong, use a C8 or C10 channel. Notch out and bend the channel to give it angled sides like your tube there has. Quick and simple.