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..................................-- Making Mount Tabs --.................
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While building one of these cars you end up needing a lot of mounting tabs as I shall call them (see arrows). Instead of making these one at a time I make a batch at a time. I might have already covered this, but I'll do it again. I find that tabs that are about 2 inches long work for probably 90% of the places that I need them. I can shorten them and if I need longer ones I make them at that time.
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Here are the rough dimensions I use, but use what works for you. I use 1/8th inch strap (.120) by 3/4's wide for most of these. I'll cut 4 pieces about 9 1/2 to......................
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............. 9 3/4 inches long.
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You can just mark the locations to drill on one and then stack the 4 on top of each other and drill your 5 holes. With this mill drill each revolution of the longitude feed handle is 1/8 inch, so it is pretty easy. I set the drill on the end and set it to zero and rotate the handle 3 times to go in 38th's of an inch for the first hole. Then rotate it 15 times to go 1 7/8th's to each hole after that.
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You will end up with one longer or shorter depending on your starting length. I use 5/16 mounting bolts in most cases so I drill these holes 2 drill sizes (1/32) over 5/16. This helps during assembly and leaves some room for paint or powder coating in the holes.
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Next I cut them in the band saw to length. I cut just past the hole for the clearance on the end I need in some tight situations. I'm showing 4 in the saw, but usually stack two at a time as it cuts faster in my cheap band saw. These could also be cut in the chop saw or with a plasma cutter.
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Finally I touch them up with a grinder around the holes and round the hole end a little and take off any burrs. I made these 20 in about 15 minutes start to finish. I've used dozens on the car already and these are cheap and fast to make.
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Here I want to mount the flat stock in my hand to the square tubing behind it. I bolted two tabs together with a 5/16th bolt and held them where I wanted the mount to be. They are too long, so I marked them with a magic marker where I wanted to cut them off (arrows).
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Next I cut the ends with the plasma cutter (great, great tool) and dressed them with the grinder. This just takes a minute. When possible I round the ends to aid in welding them all around. You don't need a continuous weld everywhere, but for a car that is going to be on the salt I weld every side of something that I can to try and avoid traps for salt and moisture to get into.
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Here the tap has been welded on. Hope this helps someone, Sum.
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