My Metal Tech Cage is shipping today (1 Viewer)

[chicago]

What you are doing with learning HOW to weld is EXACTLY how I went about it too. I practiced almost every night for about 3 mos. before I felt confident enough to weld on my rig. This skill alone will pay off in THOUSANDS in savings and freedom to build almost anything you need for your rig. Im excited you are taking the time to do this. It amazes me how many people on here in this activity do not do the same. I couldnt afford this hobby without the ability to weld.

 

[ouroutdoorfamily]

Thanks, I took awhile to convince my wife that we needed a welder and plasma cutter, but she's on board now. My main project with the wleding so far is the M416 trailer I'm redoing. I finally bit the bullet and welded the first spring hanger on. The rest should be easier. I guess its actually a bit more challenging doing that as I have to weld some different thickness stuff together, but it's coming out good so far. I'm just preheating the thicker stuff and running my main puddle off from the thicker piece.

next is a tubing bender. We have looked at several over the past week. I'll probably have to wait until after summer for that, but hopefully by fall I can get one, that will give me something to do this winter. Although we are expecting a baby in Septemeber, so some things might be put on hold until after the first once the baby comes. But the cage is going in soon, tack up to happen next weekend mostly becasue of the family.

 

[NCFJ]

I am very disappointed to here this cage needs to be notched by the consumer. For the money they charge it should come pre notched and fit together.

You're kidding, right? $555.00 for a full cage, 2" X .120" wall DOM tube. It is notched on one end and you fit and notch the other end. I just installed one for a customer and it is a great kit. Obviously you have not bought any steel lately.

 

[ouroutdoorfamily]

You're kidding, right? $555.00 for a full cage, 2" X .120" wall DOM tube. It is notched on one end and you fit and notch the other end. I just installed one for a customer and it is a great kit. Obviously you have not bought any steel lately.

NCFJ: How hard will it be to notch the remaining end with thos "Pipe Masters" I bought both sizes needed/used in the roll cage. We opted for the Pipe Masters instead of a Notching tool.

 

[NCFJ]

It is really not too terrible hard to do. Just take your time and stick with the measure twice, cut once addage. Another tool to get (it's cheap) is a carpenter's stick rule. Get the one with the slide out brass extension on on end. This will allow you to make accurate inside measurements from tube to tube.

Cutting good notches on your tube is IMPORTANT!!! You want a tight fit so your welds will be as strong as possible. If you have some extra tube laying around practice on that and then weld that up until you feel comfortable with it. A cage is a safety devise, you dont want to find out you did it wrong when the time comes to use it for what it was designed to do.

Good luck with the project.

Stan

 

[ouroutdoorfamily]

Yeah I have some pipe that I can play with, the only "tubing" I have is some electrial conduit, I could practice iwth that for cutting, but I'll practice with the pipe for grinding and tacking

 

[msahr]

I have a MT profile cage, full meal deal with the frame tie-ins, extra front bracing, extra top tubes, handles on the A pillar tubes, etc. Took my friend who is an accomplished welder (race car fab and it's also his business) about 10 hours or so. Welded it in tight, took it out and finished welding it, cleaned it up, painted, reinstalled, added the frame tie-ins. It's a great cage...

You know there's a Metal Tech dealer in Texas?

Texas
Butch & Josh Baker
513 W Sam Rayburn Dr.
Bonham, TX 75418-4213
903.583.4616

I don't know where this is in relation to you, might be worth giving them a call.

 

[ouroutdoorfamily]

That's about 5 hours away, a bit of a haul for me, I'll have to stick with someone local for the finish welding, thanks for the info though. Did you order the extra tubing from metal Tech or just buy it from a local vendor?

 

[msahr]

All the extras were from MT. Later I had a local shop add some lower tubes to mount the seats to. Now my seats and seatbelts are part of the cage, nothing attaches to the body. I REALLY like this setup. Feels real secure.

 

[ouroutdoorfamily]

Yeah I ordered the family cage with seat cradle, overhead bars and dash bar, along with frame tie ins. The only thing I am thinking about modifying is adding a way to attach a platform to the rear part of the roll cage that can be taken in and out that would allow my wife and I to make the entire back level with the top of the wheel wells, but that is just an idea.

Once the cage is in I will begin sewing some webbing for a custom cage enclosure for the dogs. I made one to run with my rear doors off when the hard top is on, but I'll need sides and rear for the new cage.

The other idea is to sew a Gore-Tex cover that can be put on when running the soft top, when camping or at work and it looks like rain. I have about 60 yrds. of various earth tone 3 layer Gore from when I use to make ski/snowboard outwear, so it should n't be to hard to get something that works and is easy to set-up with just one person.

Ah, the joys of being able to "do it yourself"

 

[ouroutdoorfamily]

The Cage has arrived!!!

 

[chicago]

Ill give you a heads up on the notching...
Its a BITCH! I too used the pipe master. It gets you in the ball park, but be prepared to spend a LOT of time getting the fit on those notches JUST RIGHT! It takes a long time. Especially the angled gussets. There was no way that I could see to use the pipe master ACCURATELY. All of those I had to do "free hand" so to speak. Not that hard, but it is VERY TIME CONSUMING!
I DO love the cage though, and for what it is, its a STEAL of a price. I figured the approx. materials to build my own cage LIKE IT...my boys at the steel shop said that I couldnt even get the materials for that cost.

 

[reddingcruiser]

Since everyone else has chimed in I might as well. The Harbor Freight pipe "notcher" in a good drill press works fine - when you do this for a living you can buy the big boy toys. Be patient and don't force the hole saw through the cut. Measure twice - cut once! Practice on something less expensive (PVC). When most people learn to weld they don't know what they are supposed to be looking for, this is especially true with stick welding. Watch the weld "puddle", learn to be picky when it comes to amperage and wire speed, until you get the penetration and weld appearance you want. Use scraps - lots of scrap. CLEAN and prep the weld area. If you wire welding with other than a flux core spend the extra money for a higher Argon percentage. Most of all - good luck

 

[ouroutdoorfamily]

Yeah, I think we have made the decision to get the argon gas add on. I was able to do some sheet metal welding last night on a neighbors lawn mower. I have heard the horror stories that welding sheet metal is hard and warp and burn thru is common, but it came out just fine and matched up nicely.... that was a good feeling. I will try with the pipe master on some 1.5 electrical conduit, and if that doesn't work I'll go with a dedicated tubing notcher. I already know that a tubing bender is in my future, so I don't mind spending the money.

I'd like to make my own soft top bows, but I need to find someone local who will let me measure/borrow theirs.

 

[ouroutdoorfamily]

Got the B & C pillars tacked in today. I should be able to notch and tack in the A pillars tomorrow as well as the front A to A support and top B to C supports, so far everything os going smooth.

 

[jefishing]

Looks really good. Like others have said take your time and enjoy building your cage I had a good time building mine. If you get a good fit take the extra and make it a great fit. I always thought about the cargo I carry (kidos) and how the extra time is worth it. It will be one of those things you will always look at and think man thats cool and I did it myself.

 

[ouroutdoorfamily]

what is your measurement between the B & C pillars at the top of the cage? (I know that not all cages are the same, just wondering if I am in the same ball park, it just looks a little close between them.

 

[jefishing]

I will measure tomorrow and post up. From the looks of it they seem to be about the same. I moved the B pillar as forward as I could because I will attach seatbelts to them.

 

[msahr]

I see MT has changed the design of the rear wheelwell plates. Nice!

 

[ouroutdoorfamily]

Yeah I wish they would make them just a bit longer, I am pretty sure I will have enough room between the C pillar and the rear doors, but I know they need to accomidate everyone.
Also they should include wings on the outsides so that you can use all 4 former roll bar factory holes, but obviously they know what they are doing, lol