Anyone build a locost or haynes roadster

[Thor101]

As per title and any tips or hints on welding the chassis, ie tig or mig what size wire and what power levels. was thinking about using 25x25x2mm square tube for the construction.

Thanks

 

[cumbriasteve]

I use that size box section a lot, nice stuff to weld, think I have the MIG set at about 130 amp for flat welds and up it a notch to about 150amp for corners, using 0.8 wire.

For detailed stuff I always flap wheel the weld areas nice and clean prior to welding, most other times I don't bother, it does not seem to come with the mill scale flat or round bar does.

 

[pedrobedro]

25x1.5 or 1" 16g is what's usually used. Using thicker wall is just adding weight for no strength gain. I built a Locost, now sold on after I had it on the road for a few years. Mig and .8 wire and the best welder you can afford is all I can add. My friend built his car using a Clarke 150 amp welder I used an Erfi 170 and both cars passed SVA no problem.

 

[Thor101]

Thanks Guys.

No problem with the welder, got a kemppi 2501 and swp mig but wasnt sure if I should mig or tig, but i am better with the mig.

Thanks for the advice bout 1.5 Pedro.

 

[troppo]

One tip i picked up when i was building mine was where you have a T joint or any joint where you are welding to the side of a piece of RHS is to take a small shifter and bend in the sides of the butting piece pf the joint, it will give you a stronger joint when you buff it flat. Probably not the best description but its the best i can do at 3am lol

 

[stew]

building one at the moment, have a look on the haynes forum.

im using 25x25x2mm RHS as its what i could get easily. prob welded mine at 20volts, 370ipm with 0.8mm wire.

forgot to add: dont TIG it unless you have loads of patience!! takes a while to mig up, but TIG would be killer. Having said that i may TIG my wishbones up, just for look, as they are on display.

 

[Scamp]

I spent nearly 6 years working for Sylva Autokits building Striker chassis.

Standard chassis were 1" x 1" x 16 gauge ERW and light weight chassis used 18 gauge. Everything was welded with 250 amp MIG's using 0.8mm wire. Used to take me about 30 hours per chassis including all the prep work, cutting all the steel and modifying the uprights, back axle etc. And that was with jigs to work with - god only knows how long it would have taken if we'd TIG'd everything.

 

[dannyp]

build it on something flat is the most inportant,

i welded the verticals first, move about lots when welding the tops and bottoms to avoid it pulling. cant rember what wire i used but it was for a friend probs used 1mm

 

[EngineeringTatty]

Thor


Are you aware there is Locost builders which has an excellent forum for car builders, and that Haynes also has one ?

You will get specific advice related to putting your locost chassis together.


Just another resource you might want to consider

 

[ronconinn]

Locost chassis

Hi,

I have recently started to build a Locost using 25.4 x 25.4 x 1.5 ERW (electric resistance welded) tube.

Both Ron Champion and Chris Gibbs and others, constantly refer to RHS (rectangular hollow section) when talking about square tube - as the name suggests RHS is rectangular.

SHS is square hollow section and CHS is circular hollow section. Hollow sections are not made in thicknesses under 2 mm and are therefore not suitable for chassis building.

Ron

 

[Wozzaaah]

Better get some build pics in the automotive section of the projects forum then Ron...and an intro too.

 

[stuvy]

I spent nearly 6 years working for Sylva Autokits building Striker chassis.

Standard chassis were 1" x 1" x 16 gauge ERW and light weight chassis used 18 gauge. Everything was welded with 250 amp MIG's using 0.8mm wire. Used to take me about 30 hours per chassis including all the prep work, cutting all the steel and modifying the uprights, back axle etc. And that was with jigs to work with - god only knows how long it would have taken if we'd TIG'd everything.

no way I raced a sylvia pheonix RGB