You will likely screw up the aluminium brake . I know a guy in Gravenhurst that used to make the ford boxes  

fairly reasonable  

Are you on Facebook? There's some f100 groups there and some guys have built their own. Lots of pics be in sure you could get in touch and ask question

I found pics of that box that guy built. It looks like a lotta work. lol but if the point of the truck is to enjoy building it......

Thanks Beans. That build has a lot of details that I could incorporate into my build as well. Have not priced out the steel yet. Just an idea as I do enjoy building stuff.

I think you should give it a try. As others have said how much would you be out if you screwed it up. You won't and I wish you good luck with the project.

I say, go for it. You will feel a lot better building it than buying it. A lot of the enjoyment is in the building.

Thanks Chuk
Give me a few days to get some pics together and I will post some of the woodworking stuff I have done. Probably feed it to you in little pieces just for fun.

OH and a side note: I got the beast to fire up last night  It sounds amazing.  Once I figure out how to post the video I will do that.  This working stuff gets in my way.
Marten

henrystoys wrote:

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Ross and I were over at Martins last night to give him a hand to get it up and running, sounds great with no exhaust. You would not believe the wooden toys he's made.

As far as his skill and willingness to build a box I have no doubt he can accomplish this.

 

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         Anybody here can do anything they put their mind too ,and want to do it bad enough

         boxes are flat pieces of steel with bends , I paid 500.00 to have one made

        18 gauge , top roll in one piece , front panel , four crossbraces , and rear box mount and tailgate support

        The time it would take to fabricate this at home , far exceeds the cost of buying

   

 

What Joe said is the same as I was getting at  back at the start of this topic. In my opinion if you are still in the working world you can always work a little extra and do like Joe said just buy one. That being said if you really enjoy the challenge of the build that's fine too. 

Joe where did you get the box done??

TMJ

toomuchjunk wrote:

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What Joe said is the same as I was getting at  back at the start of this topic. In my opinion if you are still in the working world you can always work a little extra and do like Joe said just buy one. That being said if you really enjoy the challenge of the build that's fine too. 

Joe where did you get the box done??

TMJ

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          A small metal fabricating shop in Gravenhurst , met the guy in Barrie swap meet years ago selling

         the boxes and parts . 

Marten there might be some You Tube video How-to's that could help you .........seems to be vids about a lot of different projects .

I always thought that "Cold Rolled" is what's needed for panel bashing?

Eastwood has a complete tutorial and video's on box building with their Project Pilehouse for the DIY guys , it is time consuming but all good results are ! www.eastwood.com/blog/category/project-pilehouse/

Larry (Grumpy50)

satin coat is a protective coating added to the base material that could be a lot of things(depending on the final product ).... Look up Galvannealed .

I say the cold rolled is what you want Marten.. That other stuff is deadly to weld , car body steel is cold rolled that is all I have ever used. All all body panels come in cold rolled when you buy 1/4 panels or any body panels it is always cold rolled .. 

Martin, did you get the text about a box a fellow has for sale down our way. Might be a good reference and then you could resale the trailer when done, or keep for behind the truck.

MARTEN - curious / what length of box you looking to build?

- 18 gauge CRS should be ideal / might need a 5 or 6 ft. break

- cars in the 1960-70's mainly used 19g Cold Rolled

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Sheet Metal [by: Halloweenking]
Hotrodders Bulletin Board: Knowledge Base: Body-Exterior: Articles

http://www.hotrodders.com/articles/sheet_metal.html 

Yes, sheet metal. What do you know about sheet metal? Usually the average Joe (or Juliet, as the case may be), knows little to nothing about it. So before you get out in the garage and start beating a fender to death, listen up and make it easier on yourself. Learn a bit about what you're pounding or what your ailment may be. Busted, bent, and crinkled up? Patching? Maybe up to some fabricating? Let's take a closer look at that piece of metal you thought you knew. Not too close now, you'll put your eye out that way!

Is all sheet metal the same?

No, sheet metal is not all the same, however the sheet metal used on most vehicles made in the USA is steel. This steel sheet metal ends its similarity there. There are two basic types. They are outlined for you below.

Cold-Rolled Steel
Cold-rolled steel is hot-rolled steel that has been rinsed with acid and cold-rolled thin. After the rolling process, it is annealed. This type of sheet metal has better workability than hot-rolled steel due to the annealing process. It also has dependable thickness accuracy as well as a superb surface. This is due to the cold rolling process. Most uni-body vehicles are made from this type of sheet metal.

Hot-Rolled Steel
Hot-rolled steel, is just that -- rolled hot. The steel is rolled at a temperature of 1400 degrees Fahrenheit and above. This type of steel ranges from 1/16" - 5/16". It's usually used for frames and cross members and other heavy material production pieces.

Between those two major types there are also two sublevels of cold-rolled steel. Those are outlined below.

Mild Steel or Low-Carbon Steel
Mild steel has low carbon content. This makes it easily workable. It can be welded easily and formed easily without affecting its structural integrity. This type of steel is used on most body panels and non-load bearing areas.

High Strength Steel
This type of sheet metal has a higher strength than mild steel because of a heat treatment. This steel is used for structural components and load bearing areas on a vehicle such as a utility vehicle's bed.

When sheet metal is used on a vehicle, it not only has the characteristics and strengths of the type of steel used as mentioned above, but the shape also adds to its strength and structural ability. When a sheet of steel is formed or bent it takes on certain properties that harden it. (Such as seen in the early Fords. The body shape has a slight slope on the door skins to improve the steel's resistance to damage). Even though a flat panel and a curved panel are made from the same steel, the curved panel has undergone a microscopic change that increases its compressive strength. Just like any other material, sheet metal is made up of atoms. These atoms form particles that in turn form a grain and the grains form a structural grain of the material. Think of these grains at a microscopic level as thousands of playing cards erratically arranged on a table. When one of these grains or "cards" moves, they disturb the surrounding grains or cards. If one card is pushed under another, the surrounding cards get pushed up (bulge). When you change the shape of a sheet of mild steel, the grain structure rearranges. Mild steel's grain structure can withstand a considerable amount of changes before splintering or breaking. You can test this at a non-microscopic level by simply bending a piece of coat hanger back and forth. At the point of the crease the coat hanger will become very warm. This happens because each individual grain of the grain structure is rubbing against each other (friction) creating heat.

Now that you understand the microscopic structure, think of a flat sheet of steel as a single playing card. If the flat sheet (card) is held by the sides with nothing supporting the center, the card is pretty flimsy and you can push it in with little force. Now if the sheet (card) is slightly arced, it can withstand much more compressive pressure due to its new shape.

Now that you have a little insight on the structure of a sheet, its time to discuss the other side of the spectrum -- damage. Just as your sheet metal can be changed in the forming process, it can also be changed through damage much the same way. When a dent develops, the elasticity of the steel has been surpassed. The elasticity is the ability to be stretched and bounce back to its original shape. When the elasticity of the steel has been surpassed, a plastic deformation has occurred. A plastic deformation happens when the grain structure has been changed. A "dent" or a simple indentation of a panel is a plastic deformation in which the grain structure has been changed by stretching or surpassing the compressive strength of the panel. This can be simply shrunk to repair. In most vehicle collisions, severe plastic deformation occurs. Usually in front or rear impact crashes a "kink" occurs. A kink develops when the steel has been folded at more than a 90-degree angle. A kink is a severe change in the grain structure, often resulting in broken sheet metal and flaking paint. The sheet metal breaks because the fold or crease becomes work hardened, this happens when the grain structures have changed so much that each grain becomes stiff and brittle. Correcting this is much more difficult and requires the use of a heat source. Flaking paint occurs when the grain structure has changed so severely that the bonding agents in the paint cannot hold onto the grain any longer.

Once you understand the nature of the substance you're working with, it's a simple thing to repair or form.

We bought the satin coat for my f350 project. 16 Ga, through my work it was 50 a sheet or so. It does suck to weld, its like galvanized stuff. We just flap disked the coating off. Our main purpose of buying it over the cold rolled was that it will rust, and satin coat has a little more resistance to that and since 16 ga is really thick stuff and not used that often for body work (aside from structural stuff), it will sit around for a while. But since your gonna use probably all of the sheet metal you buy, cold roll may be cheaper and work just fine.

Whatever you choose to get, if you want to build it I would build it. If its anything like me, youll love the project and trying something new

OK so here we go.  I have been slowly working on building my own box for the truck.  So I thought I would just continue with this thread as it has a bit of history and questions in it as well.  First I want to thank all who have offered there advise and opinion on this idea.  For the encouragement to try it and see what happens.  OH and I can't forget those who think this is not a great or good idea, they are the best as when people say I can't do something it motivates me to try even harder to prove them wrong.  Quite a while ago I bought a bunch of steel.  It sits in the shop begging me to use it but alas I have greater ideas then time.  However I have been working away on it.  So to start there were a few things I wanted to change from the original box that I do have.  Wanted to cover in the stake holes on the box sides, I like the idea of rounding off the bottom of the stake posts as well.  From there the front panel was well bent, probably because it was a truck that was used and loads would hit the front panel, go figure .  Also wanted to cover up the little round holes in the ends of the tubes at the top of the box sides.  While I was at it and making the list the way Ford built the stake pockets was to bent into a hat shape a piece of steel and spot weld it to the side of the box.  I like the pocket but not the way it was welded on.  And now we start.  First order was to build a frame to support everything.  The front three cross members are 14 ga. bent into a "U" shape.  The two rails that go from front to back are 14 ga "L" shapes.  I had them bent up.  The back piece is a 2 x 4  piece of steel.

If you look closely. they are all screwed together right now.  Once I am convinced it is all good I will weld that together.  In this picture I needed to make sure the cross pieces are in the right location for the metal strips to be fastened down.  Rusty strips for now, down the road they will turn into stainless steel and shiny. 

For the back 2 x 4 piece I cut out some holes on the bottom of the rail.  That way I will be able to bolt the steel strips and wood boards to the frame work I am building.  Also tacked in the picture are the two angle brackets that will be bolted to the frame.  The bolts are welded to the angles.

For the three other cross members I welded in a plate of 14 ga. and a bolt as well.  That will be what holds the frame of the box to the truck frame.  I will be welding on some angles to the truck frame.  Had I planned this differently I would have found another way of bolting this down but because I boxed in the frame first this seems like the easiest way.  They will be welded complete as well, just tacked right now. 

  

I have also been experimenting with stake pocket sides.  I ordered  up some 16 ga bent into a "U" shape, with radiused corners.  I wanted to have a rounded bottom so thought I would try to build one myself.  Picked a radius to start with and make a couple of cuts.  The radius is a small paint can if I remember correctly.

Some heat from my torch to help bend the steel, welding on the back side and grinding on the front side and now I have a rounded bottom for the stake pocket.  Do again and I have 4 of them.

All the steel is washed is an acid rinse and then sprayed with an epoxy primer.  Some steel was done if required before welding, then sanded off and reprimed afterwards.  That is why some is not done in the pictures and some is.  All exposed steel will be reprimed shortly.

 

 

 

 

            

So once I had the stake pockets curved to what I liked, it became a question of how to attach them  Found out that spot welding them to the side could cause some warping issues so I cut, primed and welded a plate in the back of them.  Did that for the front two for now.  The back two will have to wait until I figure out how to mount the tailgate and latches.  I am thinking of putting some extra reinforcement in them for those two items.

 

Next was on to the side panels.  I bought some 16 ga. for that as well.  Had it bent to the profile that was similar to the existing box.  One difference here was the original had some filler panels attached to the bottom and I did not want to see the seams so had the panels made longer.  Bought some tubing for the top roll.  That is what others have done and looks good.  Took a straight edge, well actually a piece of angle iron and clamped it to the tube and made a straight line on the tube.  Took a grinder and scored a small groove in it and them flatted one side so the panel could sit in it and be straight.  Does that make sense to you?   Picture done not show well, sorry.

 

Primed panels and tubes.  Next was clamping and start welding.  Was told the best was to tack weld it all, no heavy welding as it will warp.  So several thousand tacks later I was done.

 

Some more grinding to make it look nice.  Reprimed it and now I have two panels, ready to be mounted.  Took these out to the guy that is supplying my primers and he was real impressed with how it turned out.  The guys back ground was, his dad was a body man and had his own shop.  The son grew up in the shop and did not want to be a body guy.  So instead he opened his own supply only company and did some body work on the side so hopefully he knows his stuff.  Has been real helpful for me so far.

Looks like I took the picture before priming.  Don't know why some pictures are sideways as they are right on my 'puter.  Don't know how to turn them.  Chuck, any advise here? 

So part of the logistic challenges with this build has been the shop space.  You can see what is suppose to be a really nice floor.  It is called Race deck but is made of plastic.  So I would like to keep it looking reasonable. So cutting and grinding are done outside and welding is done indoors but trying to keep plywood down over the floor.  The shop was set up for woodworking and is full of those tools now.  So very crowded, every flat surface now becomes a potential storage or working surface.  Don't be shy folks if you see me doing something wrong.  I am just guessing at most of this.  Trying to learn as I go.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice!

Well it has been a while since I have even been in the shop.  got in there today.  Got my sides and front welded to the frame work of the box.  All plug welded.

Been working on the rear roll pan as well.  Bought this unit but was not happy with some of finishing so did a bit of work on it before cutting it all up and attaching it to the frame of the box.

 

Plug welded in the picture but will also be welded on the top where it meets the frame work.  That way you will not see a seam.

I added some shims to the side as well.  That will be used to attach the hinges for the tail gate.  You can also see how I attached the side of the roll pan to the side of the box.

Everything will be ground down to flush and reprimed.  Next challenge is the box is now to heavy to lift by myself as I need to grind outside.  Also thinking about a hidden hinge system for the tailgate. 

toomuchjunk wrote:

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Nice work Marten. I am truly impressed you sure make it look easy. That being said I'll take one of those boxes too. I'll send my measurements tomorrow after I double check my measurements.
TMJ 

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In the works of some cartoon, "you want it when, ha, ha, ha"

But I do have a very special deal just for you TMJ, if you leave your truck here I will look after it real good build and install a new box, ready for paint.  Will only cost you the material.  But I do need the keys so I can move it around.  One time deal just for you.

With sides all together there was no reason not to install the front stake pockets.  Theses are spot or stich welded only.  The seams will all be finished with some sort of caulking type product for a nice finish.

 

Next up was to build a tailgate.  I wanted something with a hidden hinge set up so I played around with a couple of ideas.  Got some great scrap steel out of that.  Ended up with this idea.  Got a connecting nut and epoxy glued it inside a piece of 1 x 3 steel for a bolt to attach to.  Did that on both sides.

 

Then welded a frame together.  The original tailgate used a tube top and bottom and 1 x 3 for the sides.  I was looking for something a little more balanced, hence the design change. 

The back side of the tailgate will have a piece of 16 ga steel welded to it.  And it looks like this when mounted.

Whole lot of welding and grinding in my life.  But lots of fun and learning.  The goal is to make it look like a one piece unit.  Looks better when it is all cleaned up.

 

Need to make sure it stays on the box so I make up some hinge pivot points.  Near the top is some steel reinforcing that will later be used to support the latching system I bought.