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  • Building a chassis table for the shop.

    So for years now I have always thought about how nice the luxury of having a chassis table would be for doing chassis and frame work the "right" way. Aside from providing a dead nuts square and level work area it also just makes the work easier in general. Being able to have car up off the ground a couple feet is nice for not only being a better work height but being able to roll under the car and tune the suspension under a load.

    The problem with chassis tables is that they are priced anywhere from 10-100 THOUSAND dollars. And I as it turns out, am not wealthy. So after doing a fair amount of research I have decided that it is well within my capability to build one of my own.

    The first thing we needed to get started though were a couple of 15 long I-beams to act as the two main rails. I came across a guy that had two 30 foot long C-channels however that when cut in half and welded together would accomplish the same goal AND they were priced great....but, there was a catch. The C-channels were sitting out in the middle of nowhere on a couple rail road ties about 100 yards from any truck access point....buried in snow. So my right hand man in all my nonsensical endeavors, Tom joined me on this recovery mission last night.

    The problem with 30 foot sections of steel is that my truck has an 8 foot box. And my trailer is only 28 foot. Seeing as I needed them at 15 feet the only option was to take the torch in the back of the truck to the site, cut them to length, and carry them to the truck. And that's what we did. And believe me when I say I have NEVER carried anything that damn heavy, for that amount of distance FOUR times in my life. I'm not working out this week. And then we had to unload them at the shop.....which brings me to my next purchase. A forklift.

    Anyway, here is the payload making it's way home. I will keep you posted on the construction so you guys can see what this allows me to do and if you decided to build your own this will be a little reference build for how I'm choosing to do mine.

    Note that my truck is actually squatting in these pics. My trailer loaded down with a car doesn't make the ol girl squat. Then again 1,600 pounds of steel hanging 7 feet off the tailgate will do that :lol:









    And for those that don't know, here is the general idea of a chassis table. This was is designed different then what I am building but the concept is the same. Provides a 100% square working area which is hugely important when doing roll cages in unibody cars. If your car is sitting slightly crooked then that's how you are setting it up permanently when you weld your cage in.





    www.Nightmare-Motorsports.com

  • #2
    Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

    nice truck, nice shop, nice purchase.

    thankfully when I went to Indy to pick up I beams - they already had casters on them.

    I hope to build a gantry crane set up with them one of these years.

    this table sounds like an interesting project - and quite worthwhile for your shop.

    Keep us posted on the build.
    There's always something new to learn.

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    • #3
      Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

      I hope you got a STEEL on those beams (Yuck yuck - get it - STEEL - Oh, I crack myself up).

      Cool project. We had cast iron base plates at EPA for dyno set-up, etc, cast into pockets in the concrete floor, We had 'em in the machine shop and all the dyno cells. But we never got to do the neat stuff with 'em that you do.

      Dan

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      • #4
        Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

        I'm very enthusiastic about this thread. I've wanted to do this for years. I've got a set of steel joists that are weathering out in the boneyard waiting to be put to use.

        Do you know if the beams you have are crowned? Too early to know?

        Bob

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        • #5
          Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

          'Mare - do you know about Bay City Foundry elephant feet? They're a VERY stout cast iron screw jack for use in going from the base plate to whatever you are working on. Once in place they lock down both in location and on the screw so NOTHING moves. It's how we set up our engines. Might try Vern Hooper (or his son if Vern has passed on - he's an old guy) at GEM (General Electrical Mechanical) in Highland, MI. They gets LOTS of used stuff like this. If I had my old electronic PRs I could give you contact info - but I left 'en at The Government.

          Dan

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          • #6
            Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

            Great start.. I used simular material when I built my table...I now refer to it as the tornado table.. After puting a 1 3/8 inch thick blanch ground top on it, It will take an act of god to move !!

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            • #7
              Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

              You bring up a good point...open frame or full top. With the open frame, you have to establish a reference line for each build, but you have the convenience of easily working in and around the underside of the car. Blanchard ground, fantastic reference surface, but difficult to work on. ??

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              • #8
                Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

                Thats a testament to the strength of Ford tailgate cables ;D
                Jeremy George in Windsor NY

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                • #9
                  Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

                  Originally posted by milner351
                  I hope to build a gantry crane set up with them one of these years.
                  Gantry cranes are the best! My future shop will have one for sure.

                  Originally posted by horsewidower

                  Do you know if the beams you have are crowned? Too early to know?

                  Bob
                  I got them clamped together today and they are VERY true and no crowning. So looks like they will be perfect. However I am now reconsidering how I build the main two rails. I am thinking that instead of having them welded together to form an I-beam that I am going to run 3" square tubing every 3 feet along the top and bottom of each rail 8 inches wide to essentially create two 14" rails. The only problem I foresee is keeping everything 100% true during the welding. So we'll see how that works out or what direction I decide to commit to.

                  Originally posted by DanStokes
                  'Mare - do you know about Bay City Foundry elephant feet? They're a VERY stout cast iron screw jack for use in going from the base plate to whatever you are working on. Once in place they lock down both in location and on the screw so NOTHING moves. It's how we set up our engines. Might try Vern Hooper (or his son if Vern has passed on - he's an old guy) at GEM (General Electrical Mechanical) in Highland, MI. They gets LOTS of used stuff like this. If I had my old electronic PRs I could give you contact info - but I left 'en at The Government.

                  Dan
                  Interesting. I will have to see what I can dig up about them. These are what I had planned to use. 5 down each side.

                  http://www.carrlane.com/Catalog/inde...3B285352415B5E

                  Originally posted by speed service
                  Great start.. I used simular material when I built my table...I now refer to it as the tornado table.. After puting a 1 3/8 inch thick blanch ground top on it, It will take an act of god to move !!
                  I eventually want to build a blanch ground top table for building jigs to make repeatable parts. Where do you go about getting a top like that?? Any pics of that tank?

                  Originally posted by horsewidower
                  You bring up a good point...open frame or full top. With the open frame, you have to establish a reference line for each build, but you have the convenience of easily working in and around the underside of the car. Blanchard ground, fantastic reference surface, but difficult to work on. ??
                  Open frame for this table. I will have crass brace rails that slide along the two sides so the car can be bottle jacked up to unload the suspension. But I need something to be able to access the bottom also.
                  www.Nightmare-Motorsports.com

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                  • #10
                    Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

                    Those little screw feet would work great for leveling the whole table but the elephant feet will level and support the car (or whatever) at whatever height you want. I suggest you look at the Bay City Foundry site - I haven't surfed for it in a long time as I don't have a need for 'em. I bought several HUGE ones for EPA because we didn't have enough big ones at that time.

                    Dan

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                    • #11
                      Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

                      OK, I see what you are talking about now. I thought you were referring to them for leveling the table.

                      Do you have a link to their website? I did a quick search but can't seem to find anything on them.
                      www.Nightmare-Motorsports.com

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                      • #12
                        Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

                        I have an email in to a friend at EPA and he should be able to get us contact info. I'm wondering if BCF has changed its name - you know how corporations do that. I doubt GEM will have a site but we should get a phone number. I'll let you know as soon as Brian gets back to me.

                        Dan

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                        • #13
                          Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

                          The Shop looks great.... I beams look HEAVY.... Cool post

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                          • #14
                            Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

                            Ok BUT WOULDN'T IT BE CHEAPER AND faster to buy a used body shop frame machine base..
                            they are level about 18" ish off ground and cheap.. and made to take the force of straight'n frames.. even h.d. trucks

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Building a chassis table for the shop.

                              Originally posted by DanStokes
                              I have an email in to a friend at EPA and he should be able to get us contact info. I'm wondering if BCF has changed its name - you know how corporations do that. I doubt GEM will have a site but we should get a phone number. I'll let you know as soon as Brian gets back to me.

                              Dan
                              Thanks a lot Dan! Let me know

                              Originally posted by IRONHEAD
                              Ok BUT WOULDN'T IT BE CHEAPER AND faster to buy a used body shop frame machine base..
                              they are level about 18" ish off ground and cheap.. and made to take the force of straight'n frames.. even h.d. trucks
                              I highly doubt it could be cheaper. Not to mention I don't come across frame machines up for sale that often. Besides I prefer to build something that is ideal for me. Not have to work around something I buy. And....I just like building stuff.
                              www.Nightmare-Motorsports.com

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