New shop started

[Big Barn]

Same here - not sure why they stopped, guessing liability?

My buddies run a scrap yard. They cite liability concerns and the fact they don’t miss the PITA customers.

 

[plastikosmd]

I don’t get to pick over the scrap pile itself, (anything potentially seen as value) is picked out by the employees and then set aside in a separate area for you to go through. Sort of like a large flea market.

 

[Big Barn]

Still jealous.

 

[plastikosmd]

Agree

I’m lucky

 

[plastikosmd]

Got hydraulics working on the Stratton
Now some parts to make (arms/top link)
According to the Brochure For the lift the installation is 14 hours. I’d say that’s reasonably accurate (although I had to make a lot of new parts and rebuild the pump which slowed me down.)

 

[plastikosmd]

Time to start making the top link part that was missing from my Stratton lift. Copying some pics on the internet, I needed some 3/8 plate and channel.

Hit the scrapyard and found a 4” channel that was 8 ft long or a piece of 3” with some tabs welded in. Couldn’t bring myself to cut up the beautiful 4 inch piece so out came the torch and a grinder and an hour of wasted time to make a beautiful piece of 3 inch channel. (I have an issue hoarding steel, I always will tend to make do with the smallest possible junk piece so I can save the bigger pieces for that future project that never seems to come around LOL)





After drilling the mount holes, The next step is to mock up the top link bracket which Hass to be at an angle so that the tailgate can still be removed. Note, helper 2x4 to hold the tailgate at release point.

 

[plastikosmd]

More scrap, I cut a piece off those 3/8 plate and tacked it back to itself so I could double it up, marked out the piece that was needed and use the plasma to cut both pieces at once.



Trial fit, tailgate slides out nicely. By no means a professional fabricator but it turned out well thus far. Next to drill the through holes for mounting and weld it in place

 

[Big Barn]

Nice work! I had to laugh about your choice of using the intact piece of 4” channel or the 3” with weldments. I feel the same way and do the same thing all the time. LOL.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Nice.

You mind I ask what you pay for scrap steel?

 

[plastikosmd]

Brothers Big barn

That big angle was 120 lbs, small piece was 20 or so
I paid 30$


About done for today
Tacked them together and drilled



Prepped for welding



Also made a (more solid) plastic template if someone out there needs one of these again