85 4Runner - Breathing some new life (1 Viewer)

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Soft tops are worth the spend.
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Yes, but not super high on the list right now. I’ll get a bikini setup or get my upholstery guy to sew a full roof only type safari top first. When funds allow, I will revisit the soft topper. I sense a 3.4 swap will be first...
 
Time for some upgrades for the home shop...

I had finally bought a TIG/Stick machine early-April before I left my job at a welding supply store (to go back to engineering, and just in case I lost my employee discount). So with that I needed a place to mount a bench grinder. With a crudely made stand at my old welding gig (spent 2017 [early mid-life crisis] as a production welder where the majority of time on stainless TIG) as a starting point, I changed a few things to meet my needs and space better.

All 3/16" wall tube, which is overkill, cut at job #2 on a nice old industrial band-saw and welded using a fixture table there.

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Naturally I then needed a new welding cart, something that can hold 2 machines...enter ZTFab. Spendy, but very well designed just like legos for adults.

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And leaned up against the wall in a dark, dusty corner of Job #2 were some assembled but unused Certi-Flat tabletops. After a brief discussion with my boss, and a lighter wallet, I was the proud owner of a 2'x3' tabletop. Within a few days I ordered the leg kit and some fixtures from Certi-Flat. Another vendor that produces some high quality stuff.

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How do you like the Hobart? I was looking at the Handler 210, but it’s suddenly $300 more than the Miller 211 where I was going to buy it (which is a $600 increase...wtf?) so I guess I’ll stick with my blue machines. Hobarts are made by Miller, no? I have an older Millermatic which I really like, but the multi voltage supply is appealing to me.
 
The Hobart is a good machine. My only complaint is the voltage selection...not infinitely adjustable like their Miller counterparts. But I know the machine to where it doesn't bother me all that much. I have thought about going to a 211 (no digital readout for voltage or wfs), 215 (dont need tig/stick capabilities) or the new 220 (again dont need all it offers) but the extra cash isn't worth it for me right now. The 220 is a sweet machine though.

Miller used to own Hobart, but now they're all owned by Illinois Tool Works.
 
I hope I’m not de-railing too much, but you seem knowledgeable. I’ve currently (pun intended) got an older (15 years) Millermatic 140. I do some structural stuff (bumpers, trailers) using this machine and 3/16” steel. So far no issues, but I’m looking to be able to weld 1/4” and maybe thicker steel, but don’t want to lose the 120v capability. 99% is mig, but it would be fantastic to have aluminum capability as I restore vintage Airstreams for a living, and, well, they are made from aluminum! I saw ESAB in the background of one shot. You have any opinions? Of course, I’m on a budget too so the cheaper the better:)

Thanks!
 
No worries bud, glad to help where/how I can.

IMO a Miller 211 would fit the bill. Good for thin sheet metal and "rated" up to 5/16", and runs 110 and 220. Some manufacturers tend to rate on the lower side for liability purposes, and I've done 3/8" t-joints sucessfully (did some destructive testing using an iron worker) on a 211 and Miller 215 - both have same ratings for MIG carbon steel. But be smart about what you're welding and what you're welding it with.

Personally I'm not a big fan of Esabs, though all I've used were the 215, 235 and 285 - all multi-process machines. The 215 I've used extensively on MIG and some Stick. On MIG it always has too harsh of an arc for my taste and no amount of tweaking settings could smooth it out. Stick 7018 was smooth as silk on a variety of joints and positions. I have never tried the TIG function on the Esab (or Miller 215), as 80 feet away I had CK Worldwide MT-200's and Miller Dynasty's at my disposal.

On the Airstreams... how thick is the aluminum you'd be working on? Using a MIG spoolgun for aluminum can be tough for material less than 1/8" thick. Certainly can be done, but takes a good bit of practice especially if it'll be visible and not finished (ground down), and aesthetics are important.

HTH
 
Most Airstream stuff is riveted, but on occasion I find where someone has drilled a bunch of holes in a door jamb or something. That is usually close to 1/8”. I’ve used a spoolgun, and yes, it’s hard to be “clean” with one. I’d like tig, but really can’t justify it. With .023 wire and blueshield, I get good welds up to 3/16” with the 140. I scratch built a trailer for getting my 14’ Jon boat into mtn fishing lakes, and it takes a bit of a beating. That’s the height of my NDT so far! I also had my 60 series slide backwards down an embankment into a big boulder. Took all the force on the corner of a bumper I built with no damage.

My reason for going to a 211 Miller is just to have options for bigger steel and a lighter weight machine for when I take it away from my shop. Not sure on the newerelectronics though. I believe there is a lot more going on than in my 140. Have you seen any reliability issues with the newer machines?
 
The 211's are basically bulletproof and inverter based so lighter and less draw. Not sure if your 140 is transformer or inverter based on its age. I have seen some issues with the Miller and Esab 215's - both had some electronic issues, but it's believed that because there were 16 of them running within an area of ~40'x60' there was potentially some cross-talk between the machines. So with the Esab's at least, some reps from Esab came and installed some shielding inside the machines b/c those do basically have a computer in them. But those machines are potentially on their way out the door [quickly] to be replaced with Miller 220's if the testing continues to go well.

Don't let newer inverter style machines steer you away because of the electronics though. They're good.
 
That’s great to hear about the 211s being bulletproof. I believe my 140 is pre-inverter. It’s in the same case as your Hobart if that helps age it. Not sure if they did inverters in that style of housing?
 
My 190 is a transformer, based on the Millermatic 180. Inverters generally dont reuse older style cases because their internals are smaller and easier to package.
 
That’s what I figured. Mine is 99% likely to be a transformer style. It’s still a great machine. I’ll be using it soon to weld in some new metal over the wheel arches in the new frunner.
 
Really need to get better at this...
Rewind to July 4 of last and in the spirit of freedom the transfer case split from the truck and landed on the workbench. It was finally time to install that set of Sumo 4.7 gears I've had on the shelf over a year and a half. The dual 2.28s were decent, but there were times I wanted something not as deep and also something deeper.

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Also installed in there is an RCV chromo mainshaft. May have been a silly expense, but some extra beef is [usually] never a bad thing. I really appreciate how simple these cases are to work on.

Re-installation was an adventure. Dual cases aren't all that heavy but when you're sitting under the truck balancing the cases on your shoulder with one hand and the other hand is trying to align shafts and shift rails...there's gotta be a better way. So I took a fairly useless HF trans jack, a worn out t-case mount and some scrap steel...and made happiness.

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Buttoned everything back up and eagerly set out for the first test drive. Needless to say I was bummed and panicked when I couldn't shift the rear case into low. Test shifting on the bench went well, so my mind immediately went to "I f'd something during reinstall". Turns out things just need to get settled in and it shifts like a dream. Like every other mini with dual cases and 4.7s...it's been a game changer.
 
Also installed in there is an RCV chromo mainshaft. May have been a silly expense, but some extra beef is [usually] never a bad thing.

I have a chromo mainshaft sitting on my work bench. It's been there for probably 10 years. Why is it sitting there instead of inside my transfer case? I noticed it wasn't gun drilled to oil the bearings. As I recall, they are "off-road" only, and should not be used on a daily driver.

Which begs the question. Was yours drilled?
 
Mine was/is not drilled, nor was the factory shaft I took out. The design of them was identical if I remember correctly. Nor was there anything ever advertised about off-road use only.
 
Mine was/is not drilled, nor was the factory shaft I took out. The design of them was identical if I remember correctly. Nor was there anything ever advertised about off-road use only.
Let me wake up and I will take pics of the chromo and a factory to compare.
 
Shortly after the gears were done I was finally able to tackle the long-awaited rebuild of my do-all table. It was my first actual welding project way back when, and with time and use I found how it could be improved upon. Clamping anything to the top was generally a pain as I only had a 2" overhang on three sides, and having the shelf on the bottom didn't help my flat space syndrome.

All framework is 2"x2"x3/16" sq tube and the top is reused 1/2" from the previous version. Tube was stacked and cut in a bandsaw so lengths were identical. The 3-way corner jig from weldtables.com was a huge advantage.

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And done. Tabletop height is ~36" and would be very level if my garage floor wasn't cracked and sloped as much as it is.

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