We also see is face at 5:35 on the side. Also, is video on the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, we see is face on the beginning of the first episode, while he is driving the car in the front mirror.
Adding a bevel to the tubing you are welding together will make the weld stronger .. It will add more surface area for the weld and allow the weld to penetrate deeper into the steel .. Also , when working with steel , any place you plan to weld you need to use a flap wheel or a sander and get the area clean .... There is mil scale on the steel from the forming process , you want to remove that so you do not have contamination in the weld .... You just need to knock the mill-scale off (so the area you are going to weld is shiney and not that dull grey / black look ).... With what you were welding , you want about 1/4 to 1/3 of the tubing clean (roughly 1/4 to 1/2" of shiny material outside of the finished weld joint ) ........... Looks good though .... Also , try practicing your welds by welding in lowercase cursive e motions ...... The weld would go line this (with all the lowercase e's attached ) .......... eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee , this will give you that professional stack of dimes look ...Just be sure to overlap 1/2 of each e .. (hope you could understand what I was saying )
on up hill or down hill I like to do a j step it comes out pretty good, its hard to explain how it looks but you can look it up and it will give you the details.
Agreed with 99% of what you’re saying, personally I would recommend to use a straight drag across the joint with self shielded flux core. Watch the edge of the puddles and move according to how far the puddle wets out. Best welding tip I have gotten in my career so far, was learn to read the puddle. Once you understand what you’re looking for, it’s a joke.
Thank you "ChrisFix" for some pretty inventive and ingenious videos - I (and many others) truly appreciate all the time and effort you took editing, producing and documenting your "fixes". Thank you for sharing it with the DIY and YT communities, Ciao, L
Almost three years following you, and this still being my favorite video, cause I'm a welder and I have also a Windstar. Your videos are really helpful for me. Thanks Chris! 🇲🇽
Chris, When welding something like this that I want to keep out the water, I leave a 1/4" hole somewhere on the structure. After I think I'm done, I run the air compressor and put the blow-gun tip at the hole and pressurize the structure. (Have a friend do this for you.) Then I walk around and listen at all the welds for air leaks. Hear some hissing? Fire up the welder and close those cracks. Without a technique like this you're sure to get water in there somewhere... Fabulous end result. Who doesn't like *lots* of light?
Daniel Pendzich Thanks a lot! I wasnt sure how you guys would like the editing for this video because I never did a build video before. This started out as 6 hours of footage lol.
Another great vid, I just watched Steven cox's vid on welding a bumper and he said to always disconnect your cars battery before welding because you are electronically bonding the vehicle to the welder and could fry every electronic in your car however he said it's never happened to him but it's a safe practice
Great project. Nice video. Just a suggestion... whenever welding on your vehicle, it's important to disconnect the battery ground. I've fried electronics on the vehicle when I've forgotten to do this. Sometimes you can get away without doing this... sometimes not. I am now in the habit of not risking my ECU....and shelling out a whole lot of pocket change.
Great build. 1 - they make plastic end caps for the square tubing (Grainger should have them). 2 - are you going to weld nuts to the underside of the pocket posts so the rack can be bolted down. 3 - a sheet of expanded metal welded to the underside of the top part would be cool. 4 - your preference but I think that rack would look really good painted gloss black instead of Herculiner.
one way to make your weld tidy and stronger is to go forwards with the torch, with a mig you always push towards the weld pool, only with stick do you pull backwards, hope this helps
bro I just love how you always make your projects so just a DIY guy could do it him self with the tools most psoplw have at home! keep up the good videos I love them and they have been SO USEFUL!
while I was watching this it gave me some good ideas. with the roof rack if you put a tough wire mesh and use it to put stuff up there with the light bar, and to put wire mesh on the back of the cab so it would give it a little bit more protection for the glass but its a really cool project.
Great videos Chris, on you light bar you made for your truck you didn't drill and prep any " weep" holes for moisture to escape. Without "weep " holes moisture can cause rust to form on interior of metal ,eventually weakening the assembly and cause it to fail.😃
After watching a lot of your video, I think I wanna change my plans for my career and maybe become a mechanic or engineer. You're awesome dude! seeing this just makes me want to alter up my truck. you make it look so simple and easy
Hey Chris just a tip you can pull the mig tip off of that welder and have much better visibility. The tip is used in mig welding to contain the gas, but it is not necessary for flux core welding.
Thank you so much for making this video I been trying to see how to install a light bar and seen videos and they don’t explain it enough but you explain stuff way easier thank you.
i have so much respect for guys that make their own work. i just notice that is a thing on Americans, i don't know if is because the economic status, or because a hobby. what i don't know is how people get educated so young, and by working by therselfs. is a father son teaching? or what?, americans get very enthusiastic on technical and mechanical work. here in Mexico. first. we don't have the tools. or invest on them. we prefer that some humble worker do it of us for a cheap price. but, most of the times, we get a pretty shitty work. not so clean work.
+caparzzo Eso pasa porque en Estados Unidos tienen que pagar por la universidad, entonces los estudiantes se compran un auto usado y como no tienen dinero para mandarlo a un taller, lo reparan ellos mismos.
+Sadian nah man, we got the money but if you want it the way u want it, you have to make it yourself. Makes you happy and its not that hard i learned to weld when i was 16 took me two weeks, now i don't have to worry to hire someone.
caparzzo yeah its true but I'm from Mexico and I been living here for something and I'm going to an automotive school so I got and old truck to practice on and it went from being a pice of trash to being a nice truck it's just about knowing how to do it
Hey chris, i'm from South Africa and i really like watching your videos. I am a d.i.y guy myself and i've learnt alot from watching your videos as well. Keep up the good work! Some people don't realise the hard work it takes to make such videos so i can't understand why they would dislike your videos because clearly your videos are excellent enough to inspire someone from across the globe.
TN outdoors It can still crack. Cracking welds (even if the metal is still together) is dangerous. It means the metal was brittle and can fall apart. But your idea is a good rule of thumb :)
SmokintireC10 if the weld cracks this also means that it is in fact now separated. In bones these are still fractures, either partial or complete, it's still "broken" either way. ;)
+Kenneth Melrose SERIOUSLY!! Shop around for a better price!! A Great Quality True 300 watt light bar can be had for $300. The public is Really stupid about LED Technology. YES, I think LED's are great. But one does not have to pay the ridiculous price of a thousand bucks!! LED's are not nominally more expensive than the Old technology. A 3 watt LED element cost less than $0.80 when purchased by one thousand or more. SO a 300 watt LED light bar has only about $80.00 in the cost of the LED's. The rest is just for the extruded housing, a couple of end caps and the Plastic reflector nodes. The Public needs to open their eyes!! When microwave ovens and VCR's first came out they were up to $800 each! As the consumer became more educated, Now they are $59.99 because competition drove the price down! Don't Be A Stupid Buyer. Open Your Eyes People!!!! Sure, I will sell you a VCR for $800 if you are that stupid. OR you can could buy a Great one for $89.99! It's Your Decision!!
EXCELLENT EXCELLENT JOB. As a retired automotive service manager (not a mechanic) I would have loved to have you on my team. Keep up with the super videos.
Hey Chris! I know this vid is old (about 3.5 years at this point), but there's one thing I'd like to point out about your tack welding. When you tack weld, try not to tack in the middle of the piece that you're going to be welding later on, as it creates an excess of weld material along the path. Instead, tack the corner of the tubing, or at the beginning and/or end of the piece. This helps with the look as well as the stability of the weld. Other than that, I really enjoy your videos!!
redact207 Thanks man! Yea, I build a few security "systems" into the light that I will go over vaguely to prevent access to any of the bolts once it is in! I hope nothing happens though.
FIRST BUILD???? Good job. Proper planing before you even start is the key. I have built my fair share to say that you might want to consider a couple drain holes in the bottom side and use a can of undercoating with the red spray nozzle they come with to get up in there and shoot inside the rails. It's amazing how bad things will rust from the inside out even when welding caps on the end. Look at jeep frames. They don't have any drainage holes on the bottom and there frames are notorious for rusting out. One other thing that will help out ALOT for guys doing projects is a digital angle finder from HF. Mine sits on my welding cart all the time. There not that expensive and beats trying to hold on an angle and draw a line. But, AWESOME VIDEO!!! And from the driveway in the winter!!!! Great job Chris!!
Jason B. Thanks a lot for the tips Jason! I sealed all of the tubes with end caps and welded them shut (I ensured they were sealed) but I like your idea for extra protection. I think I will do that. I will also have to check out that digital angle finder! Thanks gain!
I have not watched part 2 yet, but two suggestions to really make this nice looking rack a lot stronger and more shop built looking... #1 take a grinder and polish all those welds smooth and rounded over with no rough surfaces. #2 cut some triangles from scrap 1/8" plate stock and use that to brace the joints underneath the two sides of the top horizontal and the two runners going out over the roof. Those triangles will add great strength to those joints.
Wow!! you dont mess about do you? lol :D Your welds look really neat, you underrate your abilitys. You made that look so easy chris, i would screw it up really bad if i tryed, getting the double angles correct on the verticals would make me want to run away ha ha :D :D
zx8401ztv Thanks bud! I really lucked out with those angles. I did it by eye and got it on my first shot which never happens! I should have played lotto that day haha.
This is one of your greatest videos yet👍 Everything was great in this video, something different and it's a great story to tell when your around the fire!
CodysDesigns Thanks a lot man! Exactly! I try to switch things up and add some new types of videos for diversity! I cannot wait to drive around with my creation!
Awsome Chris. Hey, the tip to go in reverse to adjust my drums worked well but until some point. I have to change my drum adjusters. It's what it says in Haynes Manual. Thanks again Chris
nuno ribeiro Thanks! I am glad the reverse trick worked a little. When you take the drum off you will really see what needs to get replaced/fixed/adjusted. Keep me posted!
RoboTekno Hahaha, I had a total of 8hrs of footage and I condensing it down into one video that wasnt super long was a challenge so I split it up! Now you have something to look forward to after hump day!
Not bad dude, you may want to consider adding some gussets for strength if you plan on objecting it to any kind of load. But otherwise, Not bad. Kind of a hindsight, it also would have been cool to create space inside the channel in order to run the wire. But not necessary ;) Keep up the good work buddy!
Richard Castillo Thanks Richard. You will see in Part 2 that the top is surprisingly stiff (I had the same concern). I like your idea with holes to run the wire though. I was actually thinking about doing that but I was concerned with water getting in and rusting from the inside. But again, Im not ruling it out! Thanks a lot!
That is what I like about you bro. You think 10 steps ahead, and voice it for the camera. Excellent teaching technique. You will go far in this industry ;)
i noticed your welds got better the further you went along. i have a little experience welding, but one of the most valuable things i learned was from Stacie David on Gears. he said if you make a series of spot welds on opposite sides you eliminate warping. grind down and make invisible. plus a series of spot welds would help with penetration. but, there is also a thousand ways to make a pb&j sandwich too.
Wood/metal working tip to cut angles without measuring. When you were estimating the angle for the headache bar, take one of the pieces you cut off and place it on top of the bed rail. Then you can just draw a line across the headache bar and know the angle is prefect without measuring or guessing.
Hey Chris, I know this is a pretty old vid and I don't know what in your welding practices has changed, but if you haven't already, invest in a chipping hammer. It helps everything look a lot nice and smoother. You just wack all the little welding spray before and/or after your brush. Most of it comes off real easily as I'm sure you've experienced by now. Love the vids, keep em up. I would also love to see a vid on chipping paint and the best way to fix that.
+ChrisFix these welds look excellent considering the equipment you are using. I am seeing some very useful tips in the comments, but I do not believe they are nessicary for the kind of light duty work you are doing here. I think the way you are doing this project is just fine.
Good job Chris. It looks good like it was always part of the car. I am glad that you explained where the bar light needs to be placed, as you said too far forward and the intense light will bounce off your bonnet. I see I lot of cars where the lights are too far forward. Well done mate look forward to the next instalment. PS good welds and stay warm kind regards John
John Kinnane Thanks a lot John! Im glad the reason for the placement of the light bar was clear because I wasnt sure if it was or not. I know 99% of the light bars I see are placed in the wrong spot. I am glad you think the welds are decent and thanks again!
AZ TACO Thanks a lot man! I was driving my truck around today to test it out and I really did feel proud. It feels really good to have people look at the truck and see the bar I made! Thank again bud!
great build vid and awesome project! Quick tip: when tack welding your parts get both sides to prevent the heat pulling it over. I like to also use a clamp or two. Every days a school day.
Even if I have no intention of ever doing this, I love watching it come to life and that you diy all of it. Who needs tv when you an watch hours of chris fix
+ExRE_Sapper well he wasent welding on the car, he was welding on somthing laying on a painted surface :) so you cant compare it to welding an exhaust, and disconnecting the battery is useless, you need a special tool that protects the electric circuit you connect to the battery while its still conectet :)
hey chris, well done for this awsome work but i was thinking if you could make a place in centre console for the phone or better finishing for material and lastly putting the front bumper lights exactly like back bumper in side of the car, i know it for 5 years ago and already well done but it could be epic even with these points. again well done and cheers brother.
You are doing a great job welding man. I started just how you did and taught myself everything i know and now i am building bumpers cages and even frames. You have to start somewhere and you are starting in the right place, and your not to bad either! keep up the good work! You may want to invest in a slag hammer at a local Harbor Freight.....its makes clean up easier.
Highly suggest you triangulate the roof rack down to the rail running along the bed. Without some stiffing it will vibrate and potentially flex enough to contact the roof of the cab or worse crack the welds. Plus it will make it more useful as a load bearing structure for small tie downs.
Cragified Thanks man! You will have to see what I did in Part 2. I took her for a drive today with everything set up and it works great. No vibration, no sag, no bouncing around, and it looks awesome!
Damn this is awesome... i've said it before on another vid of yours but you really are the Macgyver of automotive stuff. I bet you can build a house with a grinder, welder, jack stands, soapy wooder and blinker fluid.
I am afraid of welding, last time I tried to welding some 316 stainless steel tube for building a top for my boat around 4 feet tall 6 feet width and 10 feet long, but I failed to weld end up with stainless steel rivet with good result, it holds up and used over 6 months still good, thankfully. The welder not like yours could be very precise, the positive need to clap the welding rod and feed, very easy to melt the stainless steel tube BTW. I've tried to adjust the power of welder but no good result so i turn to rivet. But said to be afraid welding, I still want to overcome it, maybe next time I will try your welding machine, thanks for the video!
I wonder if his subscribers realize every one of his projects take much longer than it would take if he didn't need to worry about camera angles, camera batteries, microphone background noise such as wind, and I'm not even talking about the COUNTLESS hours required to edit and splice everything together not to mention all of the details such as providing us with a clean cut and informative video description which includes all of the tools he's used. PLUS I'm sure I forgot to mention several other factors that cause each of his projects to take numerous times longer than they will for his viewers to do the same thing. CHRIS ought to do a video of behind-the-scenes to demonstrate all that is involved in producing one project video (without showing his face of course!). THANKS CHRIS.. I appreciate and have a good idea as to all that is involved. Great job bud.
![How To Turbo Your Car [IN ONE DAY!!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/E2Y-FXt7QAo/mqdefault.jpg)
I tend to use projects like these as an excuse to buy more tools. Good video.
Hahaha yeah me too!
Mac Sogandares you got it!!!
he showed his face at 7:20
It’s not an excuse if you use the tools at least once
And can earn some extra money from it
I was wondering how many videos I’d have to watch to see your face in them 7:39. Good quality content Chris!
Shhhh, I don't think he noticed
He’s a hottie though damn
We also see is face at 5:35 on the side. Also, is video on the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, we see is face on the beginning of the first episode, while he is driving the car in the front mirror.
Go to NJ .I know his house.
@@themechanic4222 you're a freak
Adding a bevel to the tubing you are welding together will make the weld stronger .. It will add more surface area for the weld and allow the weld to penetrate deeper into the steel .. Also , when working with steel , any place you plan to weld you need to use a flap wheel or a sander and get the area clean .... There is mil scale on the steel from the forming process , you want to remove that so you do not have contamination in the weld .... You just need to knock the mill-scale off (so the area you are going to weld is shiney and not that dull grey / black look ).... With what you were welding , you want about 1/4 to 1/3 of the tubing clean (roughly 1/4 to 1/2" of shiny material outside of the finished weld joint ) ........... Looks good though .... Also , try practicing your welds by welding in lowercase cursive e motions ...... The weld would go line this (with all the lowercase e's attached ) .......... eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee , this will give you that professional stack of dimes look ...Just be sure to overlap 1/2 of each e .. (hope you could understand what I was saying )
+Norman Murray Thanks a lot for all of the tips! I am doing another project this winter so I will use them for sure!
on up hill or down hill I like to do a j step it comes out pretty good, its hard to explain how it looks but you can look it up and it will give you the details.
+Norman Murray he's using flux core.... mill scale wont affect the quality of the weld at all.
Kable Guy The thickness of this metal also doesn't require a bevel. The rest of what he said though was 100% true.
Agreed with 99% of what you’re saying, personally I would recommend to use a straight drag across the joint with self shielded flux core. Watch the edge of the puddles and move according to how far the puddle wets out. Best welding tip I have gotten in my career so far, was learn to read the puddle. Once you understand what you’re looking for, it’s a joke.
Chris fix you should do a video of how to get the dent out of your truck
Check it out: instagram.com/p/BIuwR1IjarR
+ChrisFix at 8:58 that was the best view of a weld
ChrisFix
Agrees
Oof
The way me and my dad test our welds is we throw the piece we are welding at the ground as hard as we can and if it doesn't break it's a good weld😂
Works too though 😂
Yeah until you dent or damage the metal
not a good idea, it can develop micro-cracks if the metal is for example empty inside, or the opposite, it's full and has nowhere to compress
Measure twice, cut twice
It works 😂😂
He didn’t know his drawings would be used for Tesla’s cybertruck
Daniel Martinez haha facts
lol
Yeah...
Yeah
I like teslas
Thank you "ChrisFix" for some pretty inventive and ingenious videos - I (and many others) truly appreciate all the time and effort you took editing, producing and documenting your "fixes". Thank you for sharing it with the DIY and YT communities, Ciao, L
ChrisFix: Sets up a camera so everyone can see him welding.
Everyone: looks away because the light is too strong.
Not me
Dat true
Just wanted to say that your videos are extremely high quality and I enjoy watching you test and try new things.
Don't forget too disconnect your battery before welding on any vehicle. Looks great chris!
Goodbye camera sensor
lol
Austin L.
My thoughts exactly
iviv
Isn't is Chris's camera?
Almost three years following you, and this still being my favorite video, cause I'm a welder and I have also a Windstar. Your videos are really helpful for me. Thanks Chris! 🇲🇽
Hey bud, you're doing a great job. I'm not a welder but am welding my van up at the moment and am inpressed with your welding.
Cheers
Martin
retrorestore Thanks a lot man! What are you welding on your van?
ChrisFix
Check out my van vids, I'm welding the chassis and inner wings
retrorestore Nice work, that is a good amount of rust for a newer car!
ChrisFix
Yes it is, Poor preparation at the factory and salt on the roads to blame me thinks.
Cheers
Martin
retrorestore hthdrhrhhrdhgfgfggbg
Chris,
When welding something like this that I want to keep out the water, I leave a 1/4" hole somewhere on the structure. After I think I'm done, I run the air compressor and put the blow-gun tip at the hole and pressurize the structure. (Have a friend do this for you.) Then I walk around and listen at all the welds for air leaks. Hear some hissing? Fire up the welder and close those cracks.
Without a technique like this you're sure to get water in there somewhere...
Fabulous end result. Who doesn't like *lots* of light?
Nice job editing this! You didn't waste any time, right to the point.
Daniel Pendzich Thanks a lot! I wasnt sure how you guys would like the editing for this video because I never did a build video before. This started out as 6 hours of footage lol.
Another great vid, I just watched Steven cox's vid on welding a bumper and he said to always disconnect your cars battery before welding because you are electronically bonding the vehicle to the welder and could fry every electronic in your car however he said it's never happened to him but it's a safe practice
Great project. Nice video. Just a suggestion... whenever welding on your vehicle, it's important to disconnect the battery ground. I've fried electronics on the vehicle when I've forgotten to do this. Sometimes you can get away without doing this... sometimes not. I am now in the habit of not risking my ECU....and shelling out a whole lot of pocket change.
Great build. 1 - they make plastic end caps for the square tubing (Grainger should have them). 2 - are you going to weld nuts to the underside of the pocket posts so the rack can be bolted down. 3 - a sheet of expanded metal welded to the underside of the top part would be cool. 4 - your preference but I think that rack would look really good painted gloss black instead of Herculiner.
one way to make your weld tidy and stronger is to go forwards with the torch, with a mig you always push towards the weld pool, only with stick do you pull backwards, hope this helps
Great tip, thanks a lot!
This is flux core, not mig. if there's slag, you drag, always. pushing is fine with gas, not flux.
+dREaDneckFab was just going to say that. He is also using the MIG tip not the flu tip on the welder.
+dREaDneckFab Not to mention if he would have done a miter in the back it would have looked more professional
bro I just love how you always make your projects so just a DIY guy could do it him self with the tools most psoplw have at home! keep up the good videos I love them and they have been SO USEFUL!
Really well laid out. Liking the design. Going to watch this again for sure.
while I was watching this it gave me some good ideas. with the roof rack if you put a tough wire mesh and use it to put stuff up there with the light bar, and to put wire mesh on the back of the cab so it would give it a little bit more protection for the glass but its a really cool project.
I wish somebody loved me like how chris fix loves his truck
if he loves his truck this much imagine how much he loves his hummer
@@spyrosbellos2522 Or his DriftStang
Great videos Chris, on you light bar you made for your truck you didn't drill and prep any " weep" holes for moisture to escape. Without "weep " holes moisture can cause rust to form on interior of metal ,eventually weakening the assembly and cause it to fail.😃
You sir did a great job!
After watching a lot of your video, I think I wanna change my plans for my career and maybe become a mechanic or engineer.
You're awesome dude! seeing this just makes me want to alter up my truck. you make it look so simple and easy
i may be 14 Years old but damn ur videos help so much
Same
i'm 13
The moment ur only 11 but ur dad no nothing about cars, but then he see me knowing a lot of stuff
dude no one on this reply is 12
let alone 11
Hey Chris just a tip you can pull the mig tip off of that welder and have much better visibility. The tip is used in mig welding to contain the gas, but it is not necessary for flux core welding.
His voice matches his face.
Kovu approves.
Thank you so much for making this video I been trying to see how to install a light bar and seen videos and they don’t explain it enough but you explain stuff way easier thank you.
remember disconnect the battery before weld in your car
Mig is not dangerous to your cars computer. If you are stick welding, yes disconnect a battery cable.
Sam Caruth Can MIG welding cause any harm to alternator?
Rigoberto Chavez If your welding outside the car you don't have to.
Or fry your battery I was welding on my truck and the battery was shot
So glad someone said it!
Whether it looks good or not, doing something on your own and it working just fine makes driving your vehicle soooooooo much better....
i have so much respect for guys that make their own work. i just notice that is a thing on Americans, i don't know if is because the economic status, or because a hobby. what i don't know is how people get educated so young, and by working by therselfs. is a father son teaching? or what?, americans get very enthusiastic on technical and mechanical work. here in Mexico. first. we don't have the tools. or invest on them. we prefer that some humble worker do it of us for a cheap price. but, most of the times, we get a pretty shitty work. not so clean work.
caparzzo Thanks a lot! That is interesting. Maybe it is economics? Culture? Who knows.
+caparzzo Eso pasa porque en Estados Unidos tienen que pagar por la universidad, entonces los estudiantes se compran un auto usado y como no tienen dinero para mandarlo a un taller, lo reparan ellos mismos.
+Sadian nah man, we got the money but if you want it the way u want it, you have to make it yourself. Makes you happy and its not that hard i learned to weld when i was 16 took me two weeks, now i don't have to worry to hire someone.
caparzzo yeah its true but I'm from Mexico and I been living here for something and I'm going to an automotive school so I got and old truck to practice on and it went from being a pice of trash to being a nice truck it's just about knowing how to do it
We don't even have garages and driveways to work in South Korea.
Hey chris, i'm from South Africa and i really like watching your videos. I am a d.i.y guy myself and i've learnt alot from watching your videos as well. Keep up the good work! Some people don't realise the hard work it takes to make such videos so i can't understand why they would dislike your videos because clearly your videos are excellent enough to inspire someone from across the globe.
as long as the weld keeps the metal together it's a good weld
TN outdoors It can still crack. Cracking welds (even if the metal is still together) is dangerous. It means the metal was brittle and can fall apart. But your idea is a good rule of thumb :)
SmokintireC10 if the weld cracks this also means that it is in fact now separated. In bones these are still fractures, either partial or complete, it's still "broken" either way. ;)
imacheat7777 I've seen it crack about half way through the metal. While the other half is still together. Anyway...
Sure maybe on lawn mower. That mentality isn’t true in the welding world.
Great job (Ass usual). I like the way the headache rack is close to the rear window / C pillar. Nice!!
I'm not doing this build with any expensive tools--but the light bar'll run ya a thousand dollars.
+Kenneth Melrose SERIOUSLY!! Shop around for a better price!! A Great Quality True 300 watt light bar can be had for $300. The public is Really stupid about LED Technology. YES, I think LED's are great. But one does not have to pay the ridiculous price of a thousand bucks!!
LED's are not nominally more expensive than the Old technology.
A 3 watt LED element cost less than $0.80 when purchased by one thousand or more. SO a 300 watt LED light bar has only about $80.00 in the cost of the LED's. The rest is just for the extruded housing, a couple of end caps and the Plastic reflector nodes.
The Public needs to open their eyes!! When microwave ovens and VCR's first came out they were up to $800 each! As the consumer became more educated, Now they are $59.99 because competition drove the price down!
Don't Be A Stupid Buyer. Open Your Eyes People!!!!
Sure, I will sell you a VCR for $800 if you are that stupid.
OR you can could buy a Great one for $89.99! It's Your Decision!!
You can get a decent light bar for $100 bucks
I got my 42 in light bar fir my truck for $65 and ive had it for 3 years still working fine
the attention to detail in your videos is insane
When he was welding it was almost as bright as my future
That project looks good! Every video you make you take patience to show others. Keep it up Chris!
Jonathan Rios Thanks Jonathan! I enjoy sharing with others and it is awesome to hear/see when people like the videos and learn something!
EXCELLENT EXCELLENT JOB. As a retired automotive service manager (not a mechanic) I would have loved to have you on my team.
Keep up with the super videos.
Loving the measurements. Use this vernier gauge to check if it sits level then a block of wood to make sure it's away from the cab equily.
Dude, loving all the work you have done. I'm going to try & like most of your videos. Keep up the good work!
+billy mayes Thanks a lot man!
Hey Chris! I know this vid is old (about 3.5 years at this point), but there's one thing I'd like to point out about your tack welding. When you tack weld, try not to tack in the middle of the piece that you're going to be welding later on, as it creates an excess of weld material along the path. Instead, tack the corner of the tubing, or at the beginning and/or end of the piece. This helps with the look as well as the stability of the weld. Other than that, I really enjoy your videos!!
Looks great Chris! However you attach your light bar, make sure its secure! People love stealing those things as they're worth so much $$$
redact207 Thanks man! Yea, I build a few security "systems" into the light that I will go over vaguely to prevent access to any of the bolts once it is in! I hope nothing happens though.
FIRST BUILD???? Good job. Proper planing before you even start is the key. I have built my fair share to say that you might want to consider a couple drain holes in the bottom side and use a can of undercoating with the red spray nozzle they come with to get up in there and shoot inside the rails. It's amazing how bad things will rust from the inside out even when welding caps on the end. Look at jeep frames. They don't have any drainage holes on the bottom and there frames are notorious for rusting out. One other thing that will help out ALOT for guys doing projects is a digital angle finder from HF. Mine sits on my welding cart all the time. There not that expensive and beats trying to hold on an angle and draw a line. But, AWESOME VIDEO!!! And from the driveway in the winter!!!! Great job Chris!!
Jason B. Thanks a lot for the tips Jason! I sealed all of the tubes with end caps and welded them shut (I ensured they were sealed) but I like your idea for extra protection. I think I will do that. I will also have to check out that digital angle finder! Thanks gain!
7:39 he kinda looks like Eminem
Maybe he secretly is
And Chris actually liked your comment 😂
Will the real slim shady please stand up.
Shiesh
Chrisfix liked it but didn’t do anything not even delete the video. Soooo what’s the point of the whole secret identity now??
I have not watched part 2 yet, but two suggestions to really make this nice looking rack a lot stronger and more shop built looking... #1 take a grinder and polish all those welds smooth and rounded over with no rough surfaces. #2 cut some triangles from scrap 1/8" plate stock and use that to brace the joints underneath the two sides of the top horizontal and the two runners going out over the roof. Those triangles will add great strength to those joints.
wb5mgr Thanks a lot for the tips!
Wow!! you dont mess about do you? lol :D
Your welds look really neat, you underrate your abilitys.
You made that look so easy chris, i would screw it up really bad if i tryed, getting the double angles correct on the verticals would make me want to run away ha ha :D :D
zx8401ztv Thanks bud! I really lucked out with those angles. I did it by eye and got it on my first shot which never happens! I should have played lotto that day haha.
ChrisFix
Ha ha lotto, yep that would have been worth a go :D
With your abilitys chris, i dont think money will ever be a worry.
zx8401ztv Thanks bud! I hope you are right!
Love your videos Chris. The way you approach your projects and how you explain how you do them is great!
JonnyChapps Thanks a lot man!
ChrisFix I see you used 1.5" tubing. I'm looking to do something like this, what was the wall thickness of the tubing you used?
It was .083in thick walls on the bottom (bed rails and headache rack, and .012in on the top roof rack bars so they were lighter.
7:11 ChrisThicc
:)
I work at a steel shop, so this is right up my alley!! Can't wait for part 2!!
Jeepisking Awesome! Here is Part 2: ua-cam.com/video/Amc-BfSh25E/v-deo.html
7:40 The face is revealed. This guy is the master of "you aint seeing my face" lol. Witeness protection? Jk
Awesome man, just finished welding the headache rack for my 2000 Ford Ranger. Looks great keep it up.
Note to self:never watch Chris fix without a welding mask. By The Way I Love Your Videos
This is one of your greatest videos yet👍 Everything was great in this video, something different and it's a great story to tell when your around the fire!
CodysDesigns Thanks a lot man! Exactly! I try to switch things up and add some new types of videos for diversity! I cannot wait to drive around with my creation!
A grinder and pait will make you the welder you ain't lol
Im no welder or journey man, but im one hell of a grinder, AVE
Awsome Chris. Hey, the tip to go in reverse to adjust my drums worked well but until some point. I have to change my drum adjusters. It's what it says in Haynes Manual. Thanks again Chris
nuno ribeiro Thanks! I am glad the reverse trick worked a little. When you take the drum off you will really see what needs to get replaced/fixed/adjusted. Keep me posted!
Ugghh, Part 2 on Thursday? You're such a tease! lol
RoboTekno Hahaha, I had a total of 8hrs of footage and I condensing it down into one video that wasnt super long was a challenge so I split it up! Now you have something to look forward to after hump day!
ChrisFix Indeed. Looking forward to it ^_^
ChrisFix This is so cool! do you have any assistant? or do you do all those filming and editing just by yourself?
yuanguable Thanks! I do everything myself.
I started watching Chris fix when he started building the police car for his friend and it’s so awesome to see how far he has came.😁
Not bad dude, you may want to consider adding some gussets for strength if you plan on objecting it to any kind of load. But otherwise, Not bad. Kind of a hindsight, it also would have been cool to create space inside the channel in order to run the wire. But not necessary ;) Keep up the good work buddy!
Richard Castillo Thanks Richard. You will see in Part 2 that the top is surprisingly stiff (I had the same concern). I like your idea with holes to run the wire though. I was actually thinking about doing that but I was concerned with water getting in and rusting from the inside. But again, Im not ruling it out! Thanks a lot!
That is what I like about you bro. You think 10 steps ahead, and voice it for the camera. Excellent teaching technique. You will go far in this industry ;)
Richard Castillo Thanks bud! It really means a lot!
i noticed your welds got better the further you went along. i have a little experience welding, but one of the most valuable things i learned was from Stacie David on Gears. he said if you make a series of spot welds on opposite sides you eliminate warping. grind down and make invisible. plus a series of spot welds would help with penetration. but, there is also a thousand ways to make a pb&j sandwich too.
As Jeremy clarkson said “time to deploy my collapsible sun!”
Wood/metal working tip to cut angles without measuring. When you were estimating the angle for the headache bar, take one of the pieces you cut off and place it on top of the bed rail. Then you can just draw a line across the headache bar and know the angle is prefect without measuring or guessing.
Great stuff. Best channel on youtube!!
daxfactor23 Thanks a lot bud! I really appreciate it and I am glad you are enjoying the videos!
I love the confidence. My dad is the same way he built a deer stand for me and it came out pretty good
Pretty skeptical about that cut Chris? 7:41
Pst. Chris your face is showing...👆
Daily Philippine Biker his face is nothing like I imagined 😂
Hey Chris, I know this is a pretty old vid and I don't know what in your welding practices has changed, but if you haven't already, invest in a chipping hammer. It helps everything look a lot nice and smoother. You just wack all the little welding spray before and/or after your brush. Most of it comes off real easily as I'm sure you've experienced by now. Love the vids, keep em up. I would also love to see a vid on chipping paint and the best way to fix that.
Chop saw pimpin, chop saw.
andujo211 Install this on your ride plus.google.com/106881438235728461075/posts/KpuXjssyTBf
OMFG, that was my first welder machine. work so good, and very nice project lml
Use ND filter on your lenses if you want to film wending ;) a tip from photographer.
Great tip! Thank you!
+ChrisFix if you need i can counsult you on photography. I am a profesional photo ;) just find me on Facebook and mesenger it will be easyer
what is this
Basicly realy dark sunglases for the camera
+ChrisFix these welds look excellent considering the equipment you are using. I am seeing some very useful tips in the comments, but I do not believe they are nessicary for the kind of light duty work you are doing here. I think the way you are doing this project is just fine.
lmao just listen to you bunch of professional welders lol !!
This is the coolest thing you’ve ever done
You should be careful welding so close to your camera because you can actually blow up your camera battery
Thanks for the tip!
lol
Good job Chris. It looks good like it was always part of the car. I am glad that you explained where the bar light needs to be placed, as you said too far forward and the intense light will bounce off your bonnet. I see I lot of cars where the lights are too far forward.
Well done mate look forward to the next instalment. PS good welds and stay warm kind regards John
John Kinnane Thanks a lot John! Im glad the reason for the placement of the light bar was clear because I wasnt sure if it was or not. I know 99% of the light bars I see are placed in the wrong spot. I am glad you think the welds are decent and thanks again!
look at all these ''welders'' in the comments lol
Lol you're just a squeaker who doesn't understand that welding is an important skill that a lot of people are ACTUALLY good at.
Mason Forrest but i am a welder
Ikr, I’ve been welding like every week for like half a year and my welds still look like shit
The Man With No Name If your a welder than I’m Albert Einstein
xXBOSS FAMASXx # Not with that grammar.
I'm glad you have confidence to do this. Really something you should be proud of brother!
AZ TACO Thanks a lot man! I was driving my truck around today to test it out and I really did feel proud. It feels really good to have people look at the truck and see the bar I made! Thank again bud!
You the man!
DeedeecrazyDL Thanks!
great build vid and awesome project! Quick tip: when tack welding your parts get both sides to prevent the heat pulling it over. I like to also use a clamp or two. Every days a school day.
Thanks a lot for the tips!
This is my first time looking on his
This is awesome Chris!!! Love your videos, very helpful and informative. I like that you're throwing in this custom work too! Very exciting!
Madison Moore Thanks a lot! I am glad you like the videos and the new project!
The drawing looks like the cars from SpongeBob
lol
Hey cris can u sub to my channel
Chris sorry
Even if I have no intention of ever doing this, I love watching it come to life and that you diy all of it. Who needs tv when you an watch hours of chris fix
+bryan1282 Thanks a lot Bryan!
Anyone welding on a vehicle should disconnect the vehicle battery first
+ExRE_Sapper Thanks for the tip!
+ExRE_Sapper well he wasent welding on the car, he was welding on somthing laying on a painted surface :) so you cant compare it to welding an exhaust, and disconnecting the battery is useless, you need a special tool that protects the electric circuit you connect to the battery while its still conectet :)
Martin møller Your right many thanks
+Martin møller i am no professional but I think the frame was touching the post hole thingy as seen on 2:34 wich is kind of unprotected steel
hey chris, well done for this awsome work but i was thinking if you could make a place in centre console for the phone or better finishing for material and lastly putting the front bumper lights exactly like back bumper in side of the car, i know it for 5 years ago and already well done but it could be epic even with these points.
again well done and cheers brother.
Thanks a lot! And that could be a cool video!
yo chris, can you make a video on how to use welder ?
Nidal Al Saleh he's not the greatest welder I suggest watching a more experienced person
welding tips and tricks on youtube
You are doing a great job welding man. I started just how you did and taught myself everything i know and now i am building bumpers cages and even frames. You have to start somewhere and you are starting in the right place, and your not to bad either! keep up the good work! You may want to invest in a slag hammer at a local Harbor Freight.....its makes clean up easier.
Tom .Dugan Thanks a lot Tom! I really appreciate it!
2019?
Highly suggest you triangulate the roof rack down to the rail running along the bed. Without some stiffing it will vibrate and potentially flex enough to contact the roof of the cab or worse crack the welds. Plus it will make it more useful as a load bearing structure for small tie downs.
Cragified Thanks man! You will have to see what I did in Part 2. I took her for a drive today with everything set up and it works great. No vibration, no sag, no bouncing around, and it looks awesome!
Why flux core you should got hard wire
Damn this is awesome... i've said it before on another vid of yours but you really are the Macgyver of automotive stuff. I bet you can build a house with a grinder, welder, jack stands, soapy wooder and blinker fluid.
3.37 you Can see his face😁
7.39 FACEREVEAL!!!
I am afraid of welding, last time I tried to welding some 316 stainless steel tube for building a top for my boat around 4 feet tall 6 feet width and 10 feet long, but I failed to weld end up with stainless steel rivet with good result, it holds up and used over 6 months still good, thankfully.
The welder not like yours could be very precise, the positive need to clap the welding rod and feed, very easy to melt the stainless steel tube BTW. I've tried to adjust the power of welder but no good result so i turn to rivet.
But said to be afraid welding, I still want to overcome it, maybe next time I will try your welding machine, thanks for the video!
I feel so bad for your camera sensor.... Pls protect it 😢
what I love about your videos are your tools your a harbor freight kinda guy so am i...I also work at harbor freight..keep up the good work.
Put one on your hummer
I'm looking at them now!
7:40 - FACE REVEAL!!
7:41 face reveal??
I wonder if his subscribers realize every one of his projects take much longer than it would take if he didn't need to worry about camera angles, camera batteries, microphone background noise such as wind, and I'm not even talking about the COUNTLESS hours required to edit and splice everything together not to mention all of the details such as providing us with a clean cut and informative video description which includes all of the tools he's used. PLUS I'm sure I forgot to mention several other factors that cause each of his projects to take numerous times longer than they will for his viewers to do the same thing. CHRIS ought to do a video of behind-the-scenes to demonstrate all that is involved in producing one project video (without showing his face of course!). THANKS CHRIS.. I appreciate and have a good idea as to all that is involved. Great job bud.