A nice finish [Archive]

swank501

11-04-2005, 04:18 PM

Ok so I'm kinda new to the whole fabrication bit. So far I've built a bumper and some sliders but I was wondering if anyone had an efficient method of capping off tube ends. So far I've been welding in hole saw scraps.It works ok but I have seen some really clean caps that fit great. Could someone point me in the right direction please.

SurfingDrunk

11-04-2005, 05:01 PM

can't you buy "end caps"?
i typed in "pipe", "end caps" and "weld" in google and this came up.
http://www.mcnichols.com/products/handrail/weldon/endcaps/

99TACO

11-04-2005, 07:22 PM

you can also bye solid rod at whatever tube size you have. Then just cut it into small "cookies" and wled them on. A 1'-2' bar will last a LONG time.

Dunk

11-04-2005, 07:39 PM

you can also bye solid rod at whatever tube size you have. Then just cut it into small "cookies" and wled them on. A 1'-2' bar will last a LONG time.

thats a great Idea. Ive been using scrap as well.

WallyP226

11-05-2005, 07:29 AM

I have used fender washers of various sizes for round tubing, fairly cheap and easy.

swank501

11-06-2005, 10:14 PM

Cool thanks for the help. I will post pics of the bumper manana

zszac111

11-07-2005, 08:17 AM

i would just have a laser cutting service cut some out for you, it pretty cheap and super clean. just an idea..

GreenTaco

11-07-2005, 08:43 AM

I had a friend that when he built his bumper he packed each end with some Bondo and sanded it smooth, it worked really well.

CronusTRD

11-07-2005, 08:43 AM

Fender washer, welded up and grinded smooth.

GORDO

11-07-2005, 08:56 AM

I read somewhere (on here I think) someone was using large steel balls from ball bearings to close up the end of the tubing. Very clean!

swank501

11-07-2005, 02:33 PM

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=2117860524
Here are som pics of the finished bumper. I will be building a new one soon since I just got bender but this one is very stout. I needed something for TO and this worked really well

swank501

11-11-2005, 05:05 PM

Valkyrie

11-11-2005, 05:07 PM

you're still jsut trying to get people to "ohhh and ahhh" over the Navigator tailgate and exhaust you swiped... :D

swank501

11-11-2005, 06:16 PM

you're still jsut trying to get people to "ohhh and ahhh" over the Navigator tailgate and exhaust you swiped... :D
SSHHHH! aw man now they know. Guess I'll have to try to do something different with my 98. whats the back of an escalade look like?

taco502

11-18-2005, 10:51 AM

it does look sick, do you have more pics? write-up?

swank501

11-12-2007, 02:14 PM

Bumping up my old thread here. I saw a company that had some slick looking weld on caps for tubing, but I can't rememeber who it was now. I checked kartek and camburg, but did not see it. I need it for 1-3/4" tubing

mudwieser

11-12-2007, 03:01 PM

thread jack !!
whats up steve ! saw pics of you wheeling the tundra. I knew it was going to happen !! it will be sas'd soon huh lol!!

dd_sr5

11-12-2007, 03:53 PM

The beginning of the end... I noticed you had the front bumper off of it already, I'm guessing you are going to fab something up?

mojavegold

11-12-2007, 04:16 PM

Kartek has the slugs for a lot of different size tubes.

swank501

11-13-2007, 12:08 AM

Doesn't get much cleaner and comes in most popular tube sizes.
http://ballisticfabrication.3dcartstores.com/Billet-Steel-Tube-Caps_p_21-1498.html
OR
http://ballisticfabrication.3dcartstores.com/Weld-on-tube-end-1_p_89-1180.html

YAHTZEE! That's exactly what I was looking for thanks

swank501

11-13-2007, 12:14 AM

thread jack !!
whats up steve ! saw pics of you wheeling the tundra. I knew it was going to happen !! it will be sas'd soon huh lol!!

a bumper is def in the works, but the sas may have to wait a few years lol

swank501

11-13-2007, 09:12 AM

Well, I ordered 4 of them so I hope they can get them to me by next week! I can't wait to:saw: a brand new truck!

hossmaster

11-13-2007, 10:57 AM

thread jack !!
whats up steve ! saw pics of you wheeling the tundra. I knew it was going to happen !! it will be sas'd soon huh lol!!

just throwing one in here:D

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/hossmaster1/Halloween%20Run/DSC_0100.jpg

Rock Taco

11-13-2007, 07:31 PM

A&A has a lot of good stuff as well and they ship fast.

http://www.aa-mfg.com/pdshop/shop/category.asp

AggieTaco

11-13-2007, 08:50 PM

A&A has a lot of good stuff as well and they ship fast.

http://www.aa-mfg.com/pdshop/shop/category.asp

That's who I was about to post about, can't believe it took that long.

A&A is great and has just about any tab, bracket, or gusset you could need. And I second the shipping fast, as wel as pretty cheap.

ridebmxnwheel

11-13-2007, 09:58 PM

buy a small sheet of 14ga, sit down, and use a hole saw to cut out 5-10 end caps and call it a day.:jack:
why pay even .99 cents for someone elses scrap metal that they cut into a circle????

NorcalPR

11-13-2007, 10:30 PM

x2. I just removed the pilot bit from a hole saw and went to town on a piece of 1/8th inch steel. Couldn't have come out any better.

Interex

11-13-2007, 11:14 PM

Damn what an old thread. I thought it was strange that Steve was asking about capping tube. That was before I checked the dates. :)

swank501

11-14-2007, 12:53 AM

Im not after the flat ones, It's the rounded of caps from Ballistic I was looking for. I could just make my own flat ones easy enough but I might be there a minute trying to make the rounded look I was wanting

loubek88

11-24-2007, 07:51 PM

super duty headquarters sells spike end caps and any major metal shop that sells iron for gates sells round end caps. www.sdhqoffroad.com

NorcalPR

11-25-2007, 07:30 AM

If you are using Sch 40, any plumbing store such as Ferduson will have weld on end caps for different sizes. I was going to go this route till I tacked it on and made the pipe look like a penis.

AggieTaco

11-25-2007, 08:37 AM

buy a small sheet of 14ga, sit down, and use a hole saw to cut out 5-10 end caps and call it a day.:jack:
why pay even .99 cents for someone elses scrap metal that they cut into a circle????

Because you can buy the caps for about the price of the steel. And those are the conical ones.

rojodiablo

11-25-2007, 06:28 PM

For a very neat looking end to bumpers, any metal shop that sells gate materials will have half round end caps. They are cheap, and look bitchin' all painted up. What I do for flat end caps is make a small template, and plasma cut about 10 at a time out of a sheet.