The tailgate coffee table project

[gwaii]

LOL, WTH? Somebody is going to teach Gwaii something?

i'm always ready to learn more

(the person who thinks he knows everything simply doesn't know how much he doesn't know)

 

[kris97ranger]

Show mom the pic...LOL. She'll be ok with it. Prollt best to start with a clean block though, An oily 83 5.0 block prolly wont go over so well LOL.

dad's down with it haha and she made the mistake when we moved in of saying we can decorate the living room how we see fit its full of speed limit signs snowmobile trail signs rock climbing equiptment and 3 tool boxes with 60 grand in tool in it now lol.

 

[TheTopher]

LOL, WTH? Somebody is going to teach Gwaii something?

That's what happens when a master blacksmith meets a somewhat talented computer geek.

Although I will admit, I may teach him one thing if I'm lucky but I've already learned about 30 new things from reading his builds.


I'm uploading the pics now. Not a lot of progress but it feels good to have finally started.

 

[TheTopher]

Alright, so here's the progress.

The inspiration

The toolbox lid
That's after I drilled out the rivets on the fugly plastic handle. Notice the huge ring where I forgot to tape/clamp the hinge in place before drilling the last rivet. It got caught and spun around like a needle on a record player. Good thing nobody's going to be seeing that part.

Here's where the camlock is attached to the lid

By the way, even at a 45degree angle it halfway locks the drawers, so I need to remove it no matter which way I'm going to place it.

Where the camlock clamps to the back of the drawers

The cam

After 30 seconds with my dremel, the drawers no longer lock. I wonder if this voids my warantee.



Now for the part where I promised gwaii I'd teach him something. (I have a sneaky suspicion he's heard of this one already)


A computer power supply. Turns 120v AC into a 3.3v DC, 5v DC and 12V DC.


On the higher end power supplies you can even use the 5v as a ground on the 12v and make 7v, or run the 12v into the -12v and make 24v. I repeat, on a HIGHER END POWER SUPPLY. Doing that on a cheapie will likely start a fire. Precisely why I'm not doing it here


The one I'm using is 10 years old and only puts out 13a on the 12v rail. The one I just installed into my buddy's machine this past weekend puts out 76a on the 12v rail. Oh my how technology has improved.

So anyway, this is actually the power supply from the first machine I built for myself. I built 4 machines for other people before I had money to build my own way back then. I got to make my mistakes at their expense... Suckers.

It's nice to put this old beast back to work. Of course after 10 years in a closet you want to see if it even works anymore.

I've got a fancy tool for the job.

But a piece of wire or a paper clip works just as well. Simply wire the green wire on the 20 (Now-a-days 24) pin ATX connector to any of the black grounds and it'll turn the supply on. You can hook any kind of constant on switch in place of this wire to control it. So far I'm leaning towards attaching this to the tailgate handle via a push on push off switch. It'll be neat to control the lights with it.

So here's the supply with half the case unbolted and even more of it dremelled off and finally cleaned up. Gotta make sure I didn't damage it in the process. Power tools and sensitive electrical equipment really don't mix...but neither does Vodka and power tools.




So my plan so far is to maybe mount the power supply to the back of the toolbox and notch out the bottom drawer to fit around it. I'll have to make sure a guard is in place so that none of whatever I have in the drawer touches the exposed power supply, that could be bad.

So when the drawer is closed it'll be positioned something like this.

and with the drawer out, it'll be sitting something like this.


I'll clean the wires up once I decide exactly what I need to run off it. So far the only thing on the list is 5v for some L.E.D.s to light the ford letters. But everything's subject to change.



Thanks for reading guys.

Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear more of your great ideas.

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

Cant wait to see this done!
The light idea is sweet!

 

[TheTopher]

Cant wait to see this done!
The light idea is sweet!

If I do go that route, I have a surprise in store.

 

[gwaii]

i figured the power supply would be something like that....the 13amp would be a little light for what i was doing,but that 76 amp would be plenty.

of course,none of this stuff existed when i was doing it

 

[TheTopher]

of course,none of this stuff existed when i was doing it

Excuses excuses. Don't be upset that this young whipper-snapper has some new tricks.


Now I need to develop some skill instead of just having tricks.

 

[gwaii]

Excuses excuses. Don't be upset that this young whipper-snapper has some new tricks.


Now I need to develop some skill instead of just having tricks.

why,you whipper-snappers[insert old-guy-shaking-his-fist smiley]

i'm really looking forward to seeing what you do with the lighting,led technology has come a long way since i was playing with them 25 years ago.

i never really kept up....seems other things got in the way

 

[TheTopher]

why,you whipper-snappers[insert old-guy-shaking-his-fist smiley]

i'm really looking forward to seeing what you do with the lighting,led technology has come a long way since i was playing with them 25 years ago.

i never really kept up....seems other things got in the way

If this douchebag keeps jerking me around on the tailgate I may end up just making a batman style logo skylight telling the world I need a 92- tailgate. But I digress.


I've got a special surprise in store for the lighting if everything works out. I think those holes you mentioned from removing the trim piece can be an advantage. Maybe put the L.E.D.s through the holes and use a sharpie or electrical tape to block off the top of them so they only shine sideways. That's not the surprise though.

 

[gwaii]

If this douchebag keeps jerking me around on the tailgate I may end up just making a batman style logo skylight telling the world I need a 92- tailgate. But I digress.

have you looked into the cost of a new reproduction one?the aftermarket has some pretty reasonable prices on some stuff.

 

[TheTopher]

Got a link? I'm a little too drunk to learn how to navigate LMC at the moment.

 

[gwaii]

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/fr/full.aspx?Page=31

i'm not sure if their gate has the ford letters though

 

[CHKNFKR]

most lmc tailgates i've seen lack the stamped lettering and are made from much thinner metal. much thinner, like don't even try to sit on it thin.

 

[LIMA BEAN]

plexi will get scuffed up and scratched very easily, before you know it you'll have a cloudy white thing on top of your tailgate and won't be able to see through it. glass is far more durable than most people think, i currently have two glass table tops. one is a 4' wide octagon and the glass is suspended on a wooden frame, held on only by a 3/8" lip all the way around. in my drunken debauchery i have actually stood on it. just sayin.

Use Lexan not glass, I would have that glass broke in a second. If it gets scratched just use pledge on it and it goes totaly clear again. Same as motorcylcle and small aircraft windows, been doing it for years here.