Another Conduit Roof Rack (idea) (1 Viewer)

[94trilocked]

Hello,

I really like the jeepinpete conduit roof rack, but I wanted something with an open back or where I could add a removable back bar. Lots of times I need to grab some lumber etc. I don't have any roof rails either, plus I have a sunroof. The dimensions I've come up with are about 84" long and 50" inside by about 6" high.

What I'm doing differently... instead of making little fishmouth/coped intersecting 3/4" pieces, just through hole the 1" pieces and slide the 3/4" through. Not sure how much time constructing it in this fashion might save, but you could probably reduce some prep/drill/cope and weld/grind/warp time.

Here is what I'm thinking so far.

From a quick measure it looks like 84" would be fine and probably about the max length you'd want to go. 52" Outside should give me ~50 inches inside and should be enough to fit 4x8 sheet materials.

I might need to add more to the floor, but I would like to keep this light.

Thanks,

Perry

 

[JeepinPete]

I like the construction idea you presented. The coped tubes were a pain in the behind to get aligned and spaced symetrically.

For the floor, I ran five bars lengthwise. The Yakima crossbars used to mount the basket to the truck added plenty of support. Mine was made with the idea of carrying 6 totes. Using three bars, the totes would have only sat on one bar, which was not ideal.

All in all the basket worked perfectly for the road trip I built it for. One that trip, I also brought along four kayaks on top of my camper. That arrangement did not work out so well as I could not transport the kayaks once the camper was set up. So now the kayaks go on top of the truck, the totes, I am not certain yet

 

[94trilocked]

Ah - good point on the five bars and totes falling through. I want to avoid any expanded metals or decking - plus, if I can keep the welding to a minimum on the top of the floor it should be pretty smooth and not gouge boards and stuff on.

I really like that the 3/4" couplers fit inside the 1" - thanks for that idea. I don't have any roof towers or yakima things yet. I'll see what time I have to make those or buy something.

I've also thought about using the rear quarter fender flare holes and reinforcing on the inside of there for... what I don't know. A side ladder?

I might get started on this tonight...

Thanks

 

[45Kevin]

Great idea, I had it myself a week or so ago.

I am going to make one for my Chev AWD camper van.
My big concern was welding the EMT. Doesn't it have a galvanized coating on it?
And I heard that welding galvanized can produce deadly gases.

 

[maxamillion2345]

Side Effects of Welding Galvanized Steel - Weld My World

 

[94trilocked]

Almost every post I see about welding something galvanized includes someone asking this:

My big concern was welding the EMT. Doesn't it have a galvanized coating on it?

Yeah, well - in my youth... I worked in the family sheetmetal biz. We cut our galvanized on a plasma machine (which had a huge exhaust blower). It is nasty smoke and if you don't prep it - by grinding or otherwise removing the zinc coating it'll make for some ugly porous welds. I didn't go crazy with prep on this stuff. Usually I was welding hot enough it would burn through the zinc and parts weren't always cosmetic. Hit it with a wire brush and some cold galvanizing spray paint. Spotwelding on galvanized would usually take a couple of shots if not prepped. On old mustangs the welds where galvanized is spotwelded - likely those are separated or were never really welded (on my car anyway...)

In the shop we had hoods and ventilation some of the time when we welded this. I would say the risk is minimal as long as you have proper ventilation. I've never been sick from welding it. I've always used C25 and 25 or 35 wire and keep my head out of the smoke. Do it outdoors or in the garage with a fan drafting away the fumes.

Then again, I don't have kids - so, maybe it's because of the galvo. Or because of the stainless...

At any rate - take whatever PPE measures make you comfortable and go for it. Experiment with prep - You can use vinegar, ospho (phosphoric acid), and muriatic (hydrochloric) acid or some abrasive. Given my choice of chemicals and then needing to dispose of them, I would try vinegar first.

Best,

Perry

 

[Marine7]

Great idea, I had it myself a week or so ago.

I am going to make one for my Chev AWD camper van.
My big concern was welding the EMT. Doesn't it have a galvanized coating on it?
And I heard that welding galvanized can produce deadly gases.

I weld galvanized all the time. I just hit it with angle grinder and go! Everything will kill you or make you sick if you go to extremes...... use your head, grind it down, and run some exhaust fans.

 

[JeepinPete]

When I was a kid, my old man got sick from welding galvanized steel most of the day in the garage. He spent a couple days puking. I only weld the stuff outside and keep my head out of the smoke.

 

[H2OFuzz]

Love the design!

I recently designed and built my roof rack using CAD and built it out of 1.000 EMT. I did not do sides for the same reason you do not want the back on. I haul a lot of hunting stuff on top, ie. canoe, goose and duck decoys, wood, deer. So sides and or front and rear basket sides where something i wanted but would be really hard to load all that stuff alone. I did cope all the cross bars, and used female to female couplers of one size smaller EMT to line up my outsides, they fit nice inside after a quick skim in the lathe. I coped all my cross bars in a mill with a 1 inch roughing end mill. When i welded all my cross bars i made a jig to lay them in while welding. That made it really nice.

If you prep the galvanized material and good ventilation it goes just fine.

 

[Azca]

It is also possible to buy aluminum EMT or Rigid/IMC conduit if you want to go that route.

 

[Hornd]

Zinc is dangerous just like water:

 

[H2OFuzz]

But doesn't water have electrolytes. And that's what land cruisers need!

 

[JeepinPete]

Another option would be soldering the tubes together. Galvo steel solders well with ruby flux, and the drilled hole method of locating the tube would probably lend itself to solder quite well.

 

[Hornd]

Another option would be soldering the tubes together. Galvo steel solders well with ruby flux, and the drilled hole method of locating the tube would probably lend itself to solder quite well.

I would go above 804°F and Braze instead.

 

[94trilocked]

Picked up some material from the HD then had to go do other stuff. Hopefully that's the last time I'll need to put material in the cab all resting up on the dash and seat backs... There will be more 3/4" splice connections than the JeepinPete model due to the length. I've got my inside bend radii around ~3" - which is smaller than a conduit bending tool, so I need to make a bending jig.