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M925 a1 armored crew cab

sawdustnsteel

sawdustnsteel

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fantastic build. I would NOT put the 2x3 tubing around the back just yet. but thats me. I think once your 100% on the welds on the outside and bead tacked on the inside you should have more than enough structure even in the case of a rollover for the cab to support the entire weight of the frame and undercarriage. your bracing with the walls and the back solid should be more than enough support overall.
Abrasion resistant plate is just that. the ONLY thing id be leery of is temp differential of the welds vs material around, IE due to the high hardness of the steel and carbon content, welding with standard wire ( not HC wire) and not hot welding you may have a chance for the welds to "rip" in the event of a roll over. but the door structure plus the overall build of it you'd still have much more durability than where you to roll in a roll caged cab. having been shot at in an MRAP with an RPG and small arms, the angled structure makes a HUGE difference in the overall ballistic resistance of the vehicle. ( a slight angle from the windowed doors, making them non-op for roll down) and a slight angle from the center down to the bottom of the door itself does amazing things in what a vehicle can take even with thinner armoring.

Id suggest taking some scrap bits of your plate and T welding them one bead solid one side and 1-2" tacks the other, then cut it between the tacks. polish it out til you can see your penetration. ( or cut with a bandsaw, the finer the tooth the clearer you'll see the weld sectional view) you should be just fine with about .125-.165 deep on the lap and likely a bit more on the flat. but be aware the weakest part of the whole thing will be where the welds are. but as you have the back plate of the cab inset to the sides, Id think barring some serious incoming everyone will be deaf but whole.

the other thing to do is take the chunk you welded and place it in a vice, then give it **** with a 2 lb hammer. see what happens when the weld gives, if it gives, if the plate around it Bends, Id say if you beat the crap out of it and it bends just past the weld and doesn't break, your solid. if it rips free and takes a chunk out of the surrounding metal, Id brace it. the weld heat will take some of the temper out of the ar500 plate, it MAY weaken the surrounding metal which is what I'm expecting and bend. I don't think that will mess with the ballistics since the thickness there is much more than the plate alone. the plasma cut plates will also have less temper on the edges than the center will, so expect to see some chipping at the edges over time. ( rounding them over a bit will control that some too). basically anywhere you saw discoloration after heat application will be weaker than the whole.

I figure you know most of this judging by your earlier comment about having welded a while, but Id write it out for others following as well so they really put home what to expect

I used to be an AWS certified welder:D Im happily retired now but remember fondly getting welds xrayed:D

If you don't have one, Id also recommend a TIG welder. being able to weld anything and everything ( ferrous and non-ferrous metals) with simply changing the wire in my offhand makes a huge difference. it takes some getting used to but once your there and have a stock of alum/stainless/ high carbon/ mild wire in different quality it makes projects MUCH easier. ( no more changing out Spools) I run pure argon constantly now for a shield gas. ( bit more costly than mixes but don't have to stop for more than clicking pos/neg and power for swapping from alum to high carbon steel welding)
 
Another Ahab

Another Ahab

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sawdustnsteel said:
fantastic build. I would NOT put the 2x3 tubing around the back just yet. but thats me.

If you don't have one, Id also recommend a TIG welder. being able to weld anything and everything ( ferrous and non-ferrous metals) with simply changing the wire in my offhand makes a huge difference. it takes some getting used to but once your there and have a stock of alum/stainless/ high carbon/ mild wire in different quality it makes projects MUCH easier. ( no more changing out Spools) I run pure argon constantly now for a shield gas. ( bit more costly than mixes but don't have to stop for more than clicking pos/neg and power for swapping from alum to high carbon steel welding)
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Interesting advice, thank you. The only reason I keep my old oxyacetylene "kit" is because of the cutting torch, and just because I learned that way. I guess I'm just old school stubborn (or is that lazy?). I'm not sure I do enough welding to justify a new purchase. But always wondered about the TIG, you got me thinking again.
 
sawdustnsteel

sawdustnsteel

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las vegas, Nevada
Another Ahab said:
Interesting advice, thank you. The only reason I keep my old oxyacetylene "kit" is because of the cutting torch, and just because I learned that way. I guess I'm just old school stubborn (or is that lazy?). I'm not sure I do enough welding to justify a new purchase. But always wondered about the TIG, you got me thinking again.
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your welcome. TIG is slower as a rule than MIG.. there used to be a Miller Ecno-tig machine that wasn't too tough on the wallet and would generate enough heat to weld 1/2 plate well enough. Chem sharpeners work best imo for the tungsten carbide lead. but others swear by manually sharpening their leads ( I'm just lazy and hate having to run to a grinder only used for lead tips.)
id think you'll cover the expense of a rig rather quickly in trades and such.
 
sawdustnsteel

sawdustnsteel

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id suggest double checking the hydrogen content of your filler metal, you want H4 or less. also fast short welds. get a good bead ( which by your photos your all on top of) longer welds will over heat the steel and mess up the temper, I know I'm likely preaching to the choir but that steel is WAY pricey, ( thanks to everyone who shoots) and it would suck to see it develop soft spots. I found out the hard way on this welding some targets for a pal of mine. ( with MIG it mostly comes down to making sure your wire is free of moisture and your shield gas is Kicking. Stick welding is where hydrogen becomes more of an issue with moisture in the rod)

of course after saying that, one of the all time favorite pranks done to many young enlisted guys in the Army, was hand them a hammer and a stick of chalk and tell them for PMCS they where to check for soft spots in the armor on m113s in the motor pool, once done with them check everything else thats armored.. no faster way to see a motor pool Sergeant loose his mind than him walk out and see white Xs all over every Vic in the motor pool.

could be fun to pull that on one of your kids who's itching to help:D
 
O

OldDuke6

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Tahlequah, Ok.
ROCKWELL-C60 said:
Sorry I know but I been working on my xm971 command camper right know but will start on truck in Feb .
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It's all good. I just want to know what your going to paint this thing when your done. Woodland Camo, or Desert?

With thy the wealth of information you and others are generating, we should start a company. Doing mods like this could very well be lucrative.

I know of C&c surplus, and "Plan B" supply, but I'm talking about just us gear heads. Not some far flung group of banana hat whackos, that are specifically in it for the "publicity". There's a deeper core value us Vets have with these monsters, and it's not remotely making a Dodge Mega Cab a 6 door pre-runner.

I mi sometimes sure wish I had the resources you guys have privately, so I could apply some ideas I have.. Some are just nuts.

For instance, instead of a diesel or propane generator, steam.. Generated by solar power.. Apply that to a MV RV build.. And I'll quiet my barking. I'm sure someone has a similar idea..


I still love what your doing!! Don't stop!!
Regards,
OldDuke
 
ROCKWELL-C60

ROCKWELL-C60

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franksville wi
Probably going to paint it woodland camouflage since I live in Wisconsin because desert tan don't blend so well. Was also thinking charcoal but probably not.
 
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