Homegrown Tow Bar

[USMC6062]

I was able to work on the tow bar some more today. It's basically done, I just have to sandblast, prime, and paint it.

 

[CliffW]

now that looks good. grate job!

 

[rizzo]

art

 

[alphadeltaromeo]

This is the sort of post that I really enjoy reading and reviewing. Great pics...wonderful job...Love it!

 

[jim-m35a2]

You guys a maze me
________
Coach Purses

 

[Alredneck]

Heck yea purdy...........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Recovry4x4]

USMC6062, I love the bar and the fabrication is top notch but I have to ask this question and please don't think I'm questioning your farbrication skills. Would the tubes have benefitted from rosette welds where they attach to the ends or do you feel it's not necessary?

 

[USMC6062]

I was planning on drilling a hole through the tubing into the shank of the end pieces and filling them back up with weld just for extra strength, but after seeing how many passes it took to fill the groove and weld it the way I did so far, I don't think it will go any where. The pieces fit very tight, so they won't be flexing around inside the tubing putting extra stress on the weld, but I can still drill and plug weld the ends if I decide to. Thnaks for looking out, Alex

 

[Jake0147]

Just a thought on that subject. If I personally had welded those, they'd probably not look so pretty and I couldn't guarantee that I'd attached 100 percent of the end of the tube, or that 100 percent of the weld had "burned in" as well as it should have. I'd plug weld for sure. Judging by the pictures, I'm going to place the welding skill well above mine, and say it's safe to assuem that 100 percent of the end of the tube is solidly welded. So long as the inserts are tight (or heck, even just snug so any flexing of the tube over the insert is able to be taken up by the distance that the insert is inserted without causing excessive fatigue, then there's not really any strength to be gained.

Also, by the nature of the pins and triangulation, the only place that these joints in the tow bar will actually see a side load is the joint between the lunette and the side that is perminantly attached to it. The three clevis and pin joints can not be side loaded or twisted in use. Assuming the welds are good, this one perminant joint at the lunette would be the only joint that would be affected by further welding. If I had assembled this personally the gain would be redundancy and I'd feel it necessary at every joint. Heck, if I'd have built it I'd probably drill and pin the ends so I had a completely different attachment method for redundancy. If I could make welds that pretty... I don't know how necessary I'd feel the redundancy to be.

 

[emr]

opcorn: , well we just need to see it painted, hope there are no runs.. Just kidding big time, Man this is one of the best of the best posts ever...!!!...You are one of the truly "super" talented for sure...Randy

 

[Big Mike's Motor Pool]

that is a fine fine peice of work. i would hang it above the fire place

 

[USMC6062]

Thanks again for the compliments. Alex

 

[vtach]

Very nice! How much do you want for it???

 

[USMC6062]

I can't sell this one, because I'm gonna need it to get my deuce off the GL lot before I can drive it home. I doubt anyone will go for this, but I could build another one in trade for a complete winch set up for my deuce when I get it.

 

[USMC6062]

This is the final set of pics. I finished painting it with CARC 383 green from Sherwin Williams, after I sandblasted and epoxy primed it the other day. I put it all together this morning, now as soon as my EUC gets approved I'll be able to use it.

 

[ems4ty]

The Sherwin Williams paint that you used, was it Latex, Enamel, or something else? Did they color match it for you with the computer? Trying to get some ideas on what type of paint and where to get some locally. The last batch of paint I had was a Flat Latex Behr Exterior paint color matched to a sand color for my brothers truck. It worked, but not sure if latex is the way to go.

 

[dirtyfingernails]

USMC6062,
I wish I had the skills you possess in your pinky! Beautiful, American craftsmanship!
Steve

 

[USMC6062]

No its the real deal CARC, that they sell to the military. I used the single component version, it's a type of polyurethane. It sprayed out nice and dried nice, but I don't care for the color that much. It's to green, I like the more brown shade of olive drab. When I get my deuce, I plan on painting it Marine Forest Green, but wanted to give this paint a try incase I liked the color. I may use it on my truck if I decide to do 3 color camo. The paint comes premixed, I think they sell 4 colors, green, brown, black, and tan.

 

[quarkz]

Man USMC6062 !
If that is just your towbar, I can't wait to see your deuce.

Just imagine it.... all the body panels replaced with 3/8" steel plate ground to a mirror finish. WOW!

Heavy, but WOW!

 

[goldneagle]

That is a really nice job on the towbar!!

IMPRESSIVE!!!!!!