Wicks' E46 M3 Build. Hertz 3-Way Set from Tony D!

[Wicks]

OH MY! Aluminum brazing huh?! Nice touch! Now I have questions. HOW STRONG exactly is this thing? Like for instance if I were to make a bracket to hold in a couple of side mounted batteries, small ones, and use some threaded inserts to secure it down, would this type of application hold for me? Would the bracket stay together is what I mean?

DAMN IT MAN, now you have me all excited!!!

Off to google I go!! Nice work boss!! I'm very anxious to see more! You going to paint it, or leave it raw?

Hmmm, a battery might be a bit more then I'd be comfortable with.

Here's a story:

So, I've always liked Lowes a bit more than Home Depot so since I had one closer to me, I've been going to Lowes for all my HW stuff.

Well I had a Home Depot gift card to use so I headed over there today.

WOW, Home Depot has some good stuff that I never saw at Lowes.....

I thought I'd be stuck with just a cheapo propane torch....

Well I found this which you may want to look into (unless you already have a badass torch setup?):

http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/203371801?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=torch&storeId=10051&N=5yc1v&R=203371801#.UWEK5jcV-So

I haven't tried it out yet but it looks like it should get a lot hotter than regular propane.

Found a bunch of other good stuff too.

OK back to my bracket. Yeah I was scared that the joints may give out eventually sooo today I clipped up some spare brazing rods and inserted them into the "U" channel of the aluminum tubing. I also picked up a gallon of Rage Extreme body filler. I mixed some up and filled in the "U".

I let it cure most of the day. It was still curing by the time I was done for the day, but it is SOLID now!!!

I'm planning on hitting with a new little pneumatic sander that I also got today to smooth it out and then paint it up with some underbody textured paint which should match my amp.

So I'd definitely try it out. Pretty fun to play with some FIRE!!

I was getting sick of trying to build everything out of wood and sometimes it just doesn't get the job done.

[Wicks]

So I was redo'ing my center console today since I wasn't happy with the overall look of my voltmeter/bass knob layout.

I was doing some sanding on the new voltmeter that I showed in a previous post.

Well, sure as shit, the metal file that I was using to sand the voltmeter's plastic casing slipped and I scratched the display.......FML

Time for a new voltmeter.....hmmmm

I REALLY like the innovation of the SMD VM-1 (analog response vs averaged digital readout) BUT I don't have the room to mount it anywhere on my dash that I'd be happy with.

So I got to thinkin', I have this space in my console for a digital meter but I really want an SMD VM-1 and I happen to be pretty handy with a soldering iron...

[scooter99]

I actually do have that torch. i have both, one I bought for plumbing, and then the other one, blue canister, I bought for something else. I can't remember, but I have both.

I'm not sure I follow what you did with the body filler and the U etc. Maybe you can show me what you're talking about. Sorry.

I'm very interested in what you're doing with the center console! Wish I was good with a soldering Iron like that, but I'll keep practicing and get better.

In for pics buddy!

Sorry let me address the battery thing. I think what I'm going to do, is do some fiberglass pockets for the batteries to sit in, and then use an aluminum bracket to just keep them in place. It shouldn't have any weight on it what so ever. And with it being right on top of it, the force should be less on turns, than if the battery had room to slide and hit the actual bracket.

Not sure if that made sense, but it will when I get started with it.

[Kyblack76]

Sooooo sick..

Wicks my friend... You just keep doing what you do..

Can i see a video of the system pounding, in all its glory?? .. Maybe some NIN, or something please?

anyway,...your life saver bro... So choice..

[Wicks]

I actually do have that torch. i have both, one I bought for plumbing, and then the other one, blue canister, I bought for something else. I can't remember, but I have both.

I'm not sure I follow what you did with the body filler and the U etc. Maybe you can show me what you're talking about. Sorry.

I'm very interested in what you're doing with the center console! Wish I was good with a soldering Iron like that, but I'll keep practicing and get better.

In for pics buddy!

Sorry let me address the battery thing. I think what I'm going to do, is do some fiberglass pockets for the batteries to sit in, and then use an aluminum bracket to just keep them in place. It shouldn't have any weight on it what so ever. And with it being right on top of it, the force should be less on turns, than if the battery had room to slide and hit the actual bracket.

Not sure if that made sense, but it will when I get started with it.

On the body filler,

My aluminum tubing was in the shape of a "U", so in essence my bracket was hollow.

I just used body filler to fill in the "U" and basically turn it into a solid bracket with a square cross section.

I have some pics I'll post up showing a bit of detail.

On the center console,

I'm still brainstorming the final design, but last night I ordered an SMD VM-1 and it won't fit anywhere in my dash...

Sounds good on the battery bracket that you're thinking about. Not sure if I can fully visualize it but I'm curious to see it come to life.

If you have the hotter torch then by all means give the brazing a shot. Always fun to play with FIRE!!!

[Wicks]

Sooooo sick..

Wicks my friend... You just keep doing what you do..

Can i see a video of the system pounding, in all its glory?? .. Maybe some NIN, or something please?

anyway,...your life saver bro... So choice..

NIN huh?

Kyle my man, we speak the same language!

Love me some old school NIN.

Dude, I wish I could post a video......

As it stands I have no HU installed, no amps, lots of trim panels and such being fab'd...

I also don't have a decent camera to take the vids, but I'm workin' on that too.

Hopefully soon, but I'll definitely do a full review of the car hood to trunk.

[Carbon]

Just checkin in man

Great work on that aluminum your welding!

[scooter99]

I actually do have that torch. i have both, one I bought for plumbing, and then the other one, blue canister, I bought for something else. I can't remember, but I have both.

I'm not sure I follow what you did with the body filler and the U etc. Maybe you can show me what you're talking about. Sorry.

I'm very interested in what you're doing with the center console! Wish I was good with a soldering Iron like that, but I'll keep practicing and get better.

In for pics buddy!

Sorry let me address the battery thing. I think what I'm going to do, is do some fiberglass pockets for the batteries to sit in, and then use an aluminum bracket to just keep them in place. It shouldn't have any weight on it what so ever. And with it being right on top of it, the force should be less on turns, than if the battery had room to slide and hit the actual bracket.

Not sure if that made sense, but it will when I get started with it.

On the body filler,

My aluminum tubing was in the shape of a "U", so in essence my bracket was hollow.

I just used body filler to fill in the "U" and basically turn it into a solid bracket with a square cross section.

I have some pics I'll post up showing a bit of detail.

On the center console,

I'm still brainstorming the final design, but last night I ordered an SMD VM-1 and it won't fit anywhere in my dash...

Sounds good on the battery bracket that you're thinking about. Not sure if I can fully visualize it but I'm curious to see it come to life.

If you have the hotter torch then by all means give the brazing a shot. Always fun to play with FIRE!!!

BAM, it makes sense now. I get it. For some reason I was thinking L shaped metal, and I forgot you had U shaped metal. I thought you were saying you bent the aluminum rod in a U shape and filled around it. Sorry, I'm about out of candle, been burning too much of it, so my brain isn't that sharp right now!

I can see how that would make it more rigid though. Good idea!

[Wicks]

Just checkin in man

Great work on that aluminum your welding!

I actually do have that torch. i have both, one I bought for plumbing, and then the other one, blue canister, I bought for something else. I can't remember, but I have both.

I'm not sure I follow what you did with the body filler and the U etc. Maybe you can show me what you're talking about. Sorry.

I'm very interested in what you're doing with the center console! Wish I was good with a soldering Iron like that, but I'll keep practicing and get better.

In for pics buddy!

Sorry let me address the battery thing. I think what I'm going to do, is do some fiberglass pockets for the batteries to sit in, and then use an aluminum bracket to just keep them in place. It shouldn't have any weight on it what so ever. And with it being right on top of it, the force should be less on turns, than if the battery had room to slide and hit the actual bracket.

Not sure if that made sense, but it will when I get started with it.

On the body filler,

My aluminum tubing was in the shape of a "U", so in essence my bracket was hollow.

I just used body filler to fill in the "U" and basically turn it into a solid bracket with a square cross section.

I have some pics I'll post up showing a bit of detail.

On the center console,

I'm still brainstorming the final design, but last night I ordered an SMD VM-1 and it won't fit anywhere in my dash...

Sounds good on the battery bracket that you're thinking about. Not sure if I can fully visualize it but I'm curious to see it come to life.

If you have the hotter torch then by all means give the brazing a shot. Always fun to play with FIRE!!!

BAM, it makes sense now. I get it. For some reason I was thinking L shaped metal, and I forgot you had U shaped metal. I thought you were saying you bent the aluminum rod in a U shape and filled around it. Sorry, I'm about out of candle, been burning too much of it, so my brain isn't that sharp right now!

I can see how that would make it more rigid though. Good idea!

Thanks guys!

A few pics coming on the details of the amp rack and center console....

[Wicks]

The amp rack I fab'd up needed a little bit more support so here's pics of what I did.

Some Rage Extreme and extra brazing rods:

Rage is soo much better than the cheapo Bondo stuff at the auto parts store.

I applied a little of the Rage into the "U" channel of the tubing and then inserted the brazing rods as a bit of structural support for the aluminum.

Then I filled in the rest of the "U" with more Rage, or at least tried to.

I had a gift card to Home Depot so I went a little nuts and got a bunch of goodies

So I wasn't entirely happy with the layout of my center console that I fab'd up earlier in the build log (bass knob and voltmeter in the OEM ashtray location).

Out they came and in I went with my new handy air saw

I took some bulk plastic sheet and cut out a mounting piece for the bass knob

Adding a lil JB-Weld to glue the plastic piece in

While I was at Harbor Freight I saw one of these and had to get it, hell it was only $15.

I saw the guys on Amplified (Soundman Car Audio) using them quite a bit (among many others) and it looked pretty handy.

It worked great to sand down the extra body filler and to smooth out the brazing joints

I did find out REAL quick though that my tiny lil air compressor is not designed to handle a tool that runs continuously.

I was out of air about every 30 seconds.....I bet my neighbors loved hearing my air compressor growl every two minutes while I sanding the amp rack.

Onto coat #2 of the Rage

I still had a small channel along the tubing and the body filler hadn't gotten flush with the two sides of the aluminum.

I ended up having to do three coats that day. The rack still has the third coat on it so we'll see how it turns out when I get a chance to give it the final (fingers crossed) sanding before paint.

While at Home Depot I also picked up a can of under-body textured paint. Should match the amp nicely.

Had some spare Rage left from the amp rack so I put it on the center console to help smooth out the transition to the new bass knob location.

I can tell already that this tight little area is going to be a bitch to sand even and smooth...oh well, I'll let ya know how it goes.