The beginning of the next project.

I just completed the next phase of the new project, designing the chassis table to build it on. This something I put a lot of thought into. A lot of chassis are built on hugh surface plates but that would be way to costly and take up to much room in my shop. So I went with a narrow design that is open and should be pretty easy to work around. It's going to constructed of all aluminum. Main part is two 16ft long 6" "I" beams with 4" wide heavy channel cross beams. Everything is going to dowel with "T" pins and bolted together very much like our fixtures at work. That way when it's not being used I can take it apart and hang the parts on the wall in my shop. I've already got David Willingham looking at some detail drawings for making some of the main jig points. The next task is to get my brothers up here to help move out all of the woodworking machinery and the old and very large air compressor on the other side of the shop .

I'd be very interested in this project as I have a 66 coupe that some day I'll do some chassis work to get that big block in there.

Ace

have tossed the idea of bend tec around for years. After seeing your drawings. I am sold on it. Your stuff looks awsome

Doug, where could I get that CAD software and could you give me an idea of what it would cost? I like using CAD, but it can be so dang expensive. And is this a solid 3d program, both, or just 3d?

bb429power wrote:Doug, where could I get that CAD software and could you give me an idea of what it would cost? I like using CAD, but it can be so dang expensive. And is this a solid 3d program, both, or just 3d?

The BendTech program is 3D http://www.2020softwaresolutions.com/index.htm , the program I used to draw the chassis fixture is 2D Autosketch 9 from AutoDesk and it was under $100 if I remember correctly. I think Autodesk has discontinued it, but I'm sure it's still available somewhere if you search the web. I have seen where Autosketch 10 is available, but I think it's around $200-250.

Doug Rahn wrote:

bb429power wrote:Doug, where could I get that CAD software and could you give me an idea of what it would cost? I like using CAD, but it can be so dang expensive. And is this a solid 3d program, both, or just 3d?

The BendTech program is 3D http://www.2020softwaresolutions.com/index.htm , the program I used to draw the chassis fixture is 2D Autosketch 9 from AutoDesk and it was under $100 if I remember correctly. I think Autodesk has discontinued it, but I'm sure it's still available somewhere if you search the web. I have seen where Autosketch 10 is available, but I think it's around $200-250.

Okay, thank you! I've used AutoDesk before and that's my favorite so far. I started an engine design in the one but it was in a class and the class ended so I never got to finish it.