My son made me this safari rack and I gotta admit it looks awesome, only thing is he made it from 3/4 inch copper tubing so it's not as sturdy as I'd like it to be because the tubing is hollow so what can I fill this thing with to make it harder? I was thinking JBWeld but that'd be really expensive, I also thought Bondo or cement. Any ideas?
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Silly roof-rack question
- Thread starter Zoro
- Start date
OT
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Jensen, UT
Need pics.
As for the filler, maybe sand or lead, maybe cement.
As for the filler, maybe sand or lead, maybe cement.
jeepinandy
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- SWVA
I would say cement... molten lead is pretty hot and heavy. but the cement would make it kind of heavy.? If it is possible how about wooden dowels? that would make it some stouter.. just a thaught
noresttill
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- South Florida
I wouldnt do sand or any other loose material. If you puncture the tubing you dont want to make a mess.
OT
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Jensen, UT
If you could melt it, all the tire shops around keep a bucket next the balancer and it seems like they're always full of old lead weights.Zoro said:
Ask if you could have 'em.
I know we just give them away by the bucket in our shop.
azdesertrhino
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Tucson, Az
Pictures would help so when you get your camera fixed, make sure to post them. May be possible to fit the next smaller size copper inside the 3/4" pipe and solder, depends how the rack is actually constructed.
OT
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Jensen, UT
Silicone caulk! :lecture:
stay away from cement, sand, or lead- you're not ancoring a basketball pole.
I would go with expanding foam or some type of epoxy.
are you concerned about it bending out of shape with a normal load of gear on it?, or do you want it to stand up to a rollover?- no rack is a roll bar.
I would try to keep it as light as possible.
just my thoughts-
B
I would go with expanding foam or some type of epoxy.
are you concerned about it bending out of shape with a normal load of gear on it?, or do you want it to stand up to a rollover?- no rack is a roll bar.
I would try to keep it as light as possible.
just my thoughts-
B
motorcityxj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- detroit suburbs
if you use expanding foam be sure its closed cell foam or it will hold water. Not that the pipes cant stand up to water but it will be unneccesary weight and maybe even get moldy and stinky if the foam takeson water. Great stuff makes regualr expanding foam and closed cell foam available at any home depot, lowes, menards etc.
bajacalal
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- San Diego (North County), California
I've worked some construction jobs, here are some things that popped into my head - I would fill it with something that will resist the copper from denting, so expanding foam is out. They sell a product made to rubber-coat your hand tools (like the handles of pliers) its gone off in the bottle on me before so that might work. You could fill it with fiberglass (chopped fibre glass) and resin.
Why not sand anyway? I think clean sand would be the least messy, as it would blow away, could be brushed or hosed off anything were it to escape.
Commercial kitchens are now often coated about half inch think with a pour/spray on compound, its like a urethane. Very durable.
I know there are stores that sell nothing but stuff related to coatings, resins, paints plastics so you could go from there.
I would put something like a filler (like airsoft pellets) then go with a flexible, liquid binder like a gel or resin, assuming you can fill the whole rack from a single point when its tilted.
Why not sand anyway? I think clean sand would be the least messy, as it would blow away, could be brushed or hosed off anything were it to escape.
Commercial kitchens are now often coated about half inch think with a pour/spray on compound, its like a urethane. Very durable.
I know there are stores that sell nothing but stuff related to coatings, resins, paints plastics so you could go from there.
I would put something like a filler (like airsoft pellets) then go with a flexible, liquid binder like a gel or resin, assuming you can fill the whole rack from a single point when its tilted.
derekrichardson
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- MA
How about Herculiner, LavaLiner or whatever Wal-Mart sells in kit form?
Thanks for the tips. I only want to fill it to make it just a little bit harder than it already is, I don't want to crimp down on it with my spare mount and have it bend or deform.
I'm really thinking about bondo because I know it dries nice and hard, will it dry if it's not in direct contact with air?
I'm really thinking about bondo because I know it dries nice and hard, will it dry if it's not in direct contact with air?
OT
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Jensen, UT
Yes.Zoro said:
the hardener is what really makes it dry.
It creates it's own heat, which you probably already knew, so I'm saying this for other people to benefit.
XJnDixie
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Alabaster, Alabama
Couple of things to keep in mind.....
One is that concrete expands and contracts - if you fill that tubing with concrete and consider how soft copper is, it will bust. Anybody that lives close to Birmingham will attest to that. Somebody had the bright idea years ago to fill the Vulcan (a local statue) that's made out of cast iron with concrete. Over time with the expansion of the concrete, the Vulcan fell apart.
Another is that if you use something soft or flexible such as the expanding foam, silicone or even sand, it will still bend rather easily..... As a matter of fact, I see the weight of the sand and it's flexibility actually helping the thing bend.
My suggestion would be to use the 2 part epoxy in the syringe. Fill it a little at a time from multiple points if possible - give it a half hour or so between fills so that air can get to the epoxy and allow it to setup. You can even attach rubber tubing to the end of these syringes to reach way down inside the copper tubing.... You can get the stuff at Wal-Mart. Granted it will be slightly on the expensive side - but probably your best option....
Let us know what you end up doing.....Sounds like an interesting project...
One is that concrete expands and contracts - if you fill that tubing with concrete and consider how soft copper is, it will bust. Anybody that lives close to Birmingham will attest to that. Somebody had the bright idea years ago to fill the Vulcan (a local statue) that's made out of cast iron with concrete. Over time with the expansion of the concrete, the Vulcan fell apart.
Another is that if you use something soft or flexible such as the expanding foam, silicone or even sand, it will still bend rather easily..... As a matter of fact, I see the weight of the sand and it's flexibility actually helping the thing bend.
My suggestion would be to use the 2 part epoxy in the syringe. Fill it a little at a time from multiple points if possible - give it a half hour or so between fills so that air can get to the epoxy and allow it to setup. You can even attach rubber tubing to the end of these syringes to reach way down inside the copper tubing.... You can get the stuff at Wal-Mart. Granted it will be slightly on the expensive side - but probably your best option....
Let us know what you end up doing.....Sounds like an interesting project...
OT
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Jensen, UT
What he said. :lecture:Okie Terry said:
xj trenton
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- canada alberta
From what you are saying I would go down to your local rollshutter manufacturer and ask them to fill with the resin/epoxy based expanding foam they use for security shutters. it makes the aluminium shutters almost as strong as steel and as light as plastic.
