New garage time!

[fatjay]

Got 2 more panels up. It's finally starting to look like something.

Drilling these holes is killing me, my shoulders hurt so much. I can't put my weight on it so I have to use shoulder and bicep muscles. It' hurts pretty bad after about 2 and there's 4 per panel.

So I made the HoleMaker 300™, patent pending, by modifying a drill press to be a portable drill press that I can clamp to the rails and drill more easily.

But when I try to weld the thing, it just falls off. I am getting penetration, but after it cools, it just comes off. What kind of metal is this and how can i weld it?

 

[EddieWalker]

Would a magnetic drill press work? Amazon.com : Power Magnetic Drill Presses

 

[fatjay]

Would a magnetic drill press work? Amazon.com : Power Magnetic Drill Presses

I actually bought the vevor last night, should be here friday. The base i'm drilling on is only 2" wide, I'm hoping it's enough for the magnet to hold secure.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I actually bought the vevor last night, should be here friday. The base i'm drilling on is only 2" wide, I'm hoping it's enough for the magnet to hold secure.

You could always clamp a piece of metal beside the base to make it temporarily wider.

 

[fatjay]

It works, and it worked great. 2 c clamps on the flange. Got 4 more up and finished the second row.

https://imgur.com/heEwnKz

 

[sodamo]

Gonna guess you can appreciate why I predrilled mine on the ground. Was easier to tweak those a bit off once in place. Mr Step Drill was my friend. Can’t tell the difference now.
Just a wee bit jealous you justified a Mag Drill

 

[fatjay]

I put the

Gonna guess you can appreciate why I predrilled mine on the ground. Was easier to tweak those a bit off once in place. Mr Step Drill was my friend. Can’t tell the difference now.
Just a wee bit jealous you justified a Mag Drill

I put the rails up and the panels in place then scribe the holes to drill. I have measured and measured to get the rails perfectly strait, and they are. And yet, the holes in the panels always seem to be in a slightly different place. These are 20' angle iron pieces, that laid on the ground for 2 months. They're not super strait and can be off by a half inch over the 20' run.

 

[fatjay]

 

[fatjay]

Power's out, for some reason. It's sunny and 55f out. 2 battery systems are running minimal services, but it would be nice to get everything converted.

 

[airbiscuit]

Someone should make that into a video game!

I got nervous watching you raise the solar panel.