XJ is back on the road, excellent camping/wheeling trip done, got it smogged.
FJ40 Black Friday shopping plans complete.
Must be time to get back to the RX7...
I'm heading some advice given here that my headlight adjustments should really be done with the bumper mounted. While I'm puzzling over the lights I figured it might as well mount the bumper for real and that mean working on the mesh grill I had planned. It's 1/16" woven SS wire on something like 5/16" squares (per a Carroll Smith book recommendation). I must have bought this stuff from McMaster 3 years ago and it's been sitting in my side yard since. It still looks mint, so that's a good sign regarding corrosion properties. FWIW this was 3 square feet of mesh sized 48" x 9" (have to ask for the specifically or they will try to send you a 3' x 1' piece. Ask me how I know
).
I was worried about the edges fraying as I formed this over the edges so I decided to see if I could TIG it. (Macro shot with torch for scale)
Answer is yes, but took some practice to get consistent and stop blowing through. Best technique I found was to start on a upper strand directly, add a couple dabs of 0.030 filler to then pull the puddle down to the lower wire just before the upper puddle collapses. I did about every 4th strand laid out on the perimeter I had planned. The above was me about to rip the big sheet into three pieces (hence welded both sides of the cut).
Here it is roughed out.
And just like that it forms in nicely!
No, not just like that, in fact NOT AT ALL "just like that" but hey this is the internet and we all live vicariously through the methodical slavery of others right? Actually, forming wasn't too bad, just time heavy with a great deal of hammering over the edges of my weld table and some scrap clamped in a vice. Well that and 50+ test fits... Fine tuning done with standard pliers. It was a damn good grip workout, particularly cutting stray strands in the corners with clippers. The bigger cuts were ripped with an angle grinder. That said, the welding worked great so I was stoked on that...
Here's what it should look like... (Now is kinda my last chance to abort)
For install I was planning on just doing a healthy perimeter run with more heavy body seam sealer (3M 8308), but before I do... Can anyone sell a reason I wouldn't want to bond this in permanently? I could just hit it in spots so I have potential to cut it back out and/or through bolt the perimeter...
Only things I can come up with thus far are:
-I damage it somehow and need to replace it (possible, particularly with a tow hook protruding through)
-It totally screws my airflow to the radiator (unlikely)
-Harder to repaint down the road (not a huge deal)
Since I found I only had half a tube of seam sealer I figured it was worth posting up while the order comes in.
-Joel
