| Author |
Message |
John Biundo (Jbiundo) (64.175.37.67)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 - 3:53 am: | |
Hi all,
I need a little engineering advice. I've raised the roof 8" on my MC 9, and am now installing new front and rear caps. I cut out the old cap framing, and am ready to install new. I plan to use 1-3/4" x 1/8" square tubing. I've been advised to keep the frame about 1/2" away from the cap, which I think is a good idea.
Looking at the front cap, it has multiple compound curves. In order to match its shape closely, I need to have several long horizontal pieces running laterally across the front of the bus. These will get tied in to both the windshield frame and the longitudinal roof frame members.
For the horizontal pieces, am I better off trying to bend the tubing into a gentle curve, or to join straight pieces together at an angle? I guess I'm asking which approach will yield a stronger frame. I've mocked up the frame in wood, and looking at it, I'm a little concerned about the strength of the joints if I try to fit several straight pieces together. Intuitively, it seems the curved method might be better, but I don't really have the engineering skills to verify this.
I may also have to bend the tubing that joins the new cap frame to the horizontal roof beams.
If I try to bend the tubing into a curve, I'm thinking of cutting slots on the "inside" of what will become the curved section, bending the tubing so that the space in the slots compresses together, and then welding the slots. Is this a sound technique? Any other suggestions?
Alternatively, I suppose I could try to get a metal shop to fabricate the curved sections to my specifications.
Thanks in advance for any input.
John |
mcibusnut (64.114.166.75)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 - 9:36 am: | |
John if you are going to foam the inside of the coach ( which is pretty well mandatory ) the frame structure can be sliced to create angle bends does not have to be exact curves I own a steel shop and have done multiple buses for customers when the foam is sprayed in it attaches to the structure and supports the roof caps. The thing to think about here is put enough attachment points off the structure for all the furture things that you might be hanging from the ceiling of the coach ie cabinets ect
Good luck email me if you would like some pics of what we have done |
John Biundo (Jbiundo) (64.175.37.67)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 - 12:27 pm: | |
Hi "mci",
Yes, I should have mentioned that I plan to foam insulate.
Thanks for the reminder about planning for cabinets, etc. That certainly would be easier with flat surfaces vs. curves.
Some of these angles are very shallow, so I don't know how to brace or gusset them, hence my question about strength.
Thanks,
John |
evolution custom coach (Mcibus2002) (63.188.38.73)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 19, 2002 - 2:32 pm: | |
dont over complicate lay your cap where you want it then tempory fasten it down then tack in the support under the cap we try to weld where the old supports were get as close as you to the old one.once you got it tacked up remove the cap weld every thing tight in place. in many cases we reuse a lot of what we cut out form the org structure contact me and i will send you some pictures of how we do it. it dont forget to allow for the marker lites |
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