1948 power wagon project

[Matthew Welcher PWA]

You will be driving this truck soon! And your welcome, likewise hope to meet you as well!

[Todd M]

Completed the corners and end crossmember today. I also fabricated my wood hold downs straps with the three tabs. I did not like how flexible the 3/4" steel angle was and I hope this ensures that the bed wood is held securely. Otherwise I will have a bunch of holes to drill and screws to install.

Christmas gift from my son still needs to be welded on. He is in the process of cutting another one that fits over the C Channel currently 1.5" short. Lower left corner you can barely make out the gap.

What is not seen is my rolling chassis. While working on the flat bed I discovered my frame is not as straight as I would like or I should be. A couple to weeks before I get it back. This is a novice mistake and should have been checked earlier but if this is the biggest issue I run into then I will accept it.

[Todd M]

Close up of the rounded corner.

[W_A_Watson_II]

Looking great!

[texcwa]

Todd, my 49 came with a really beet-up bed and even worse rear fenders so I was also considering building a flat bed for two reasons, 1. the obvious "cost" and 2nd, could use a flat bed when picking up items that would not fit in the bed of my Dodge 3500. Can't wait to see how it looks when finished and hope you will help others (like me) with a post having plans, details and photos of how to build and how attached to frame. Looks great so far.

[Todd M]

Help/Advice on welds

In the process of making my flat bed corners rounded I had to cut the corners off. What should I be doing differently.

Was there enough penetration?

0.120" steel that was beveled halfway before welding

[texcwa]

Is this one of your corners from posts 92 & 93? They looked perfect there.

[W_A_Watson_II]

I bought a piece of .120 wall 4" Diameter Tube, and cut it in to the sections needed to make the corners. The biggest issue if fitting it with enough gap for proper weld penetration.

[Matthew Welcher PWA]

I love seeing this come together. I am going to build a similar frame for my WDX, something oriented to being tool and user friendly for around the farm.

[Todd M]

Is this one of your corners from posts 92 & 93? They looked perfect there.

Tex - yes the corner is from post 92 & 93. The flat bed plan for the build came from Will with a couple of changes. He has it on his website and it is a very good plan.

Will - I also ordered .120 4 inch tube but I noticed it was 0.065 when I went to cut it. hope I do not regret using it later. When you cut your pieces did they spring open and not retain the original diameter? Mine did not retain the original 4" diameter; I had to use a C clamp to pull it back into shape before welding.

I found welding the different thicknesses interesting. Still learning to weld and the tips and tricks on welding by Kevin I find helpful.

Matthew you asked about the mounting of the flat bed earlier and I neglected to answer. My apologies. It will be rigidly mounted to the frame.

[W_A_Watson_II]

I ordered 4" DOM, and did not have any spring back issues, dang sorry to hear they sent you the wrong stuff, that sucks. For your bed you might have done a 45" corner, then weld the .065 round on as a decorative cap. That way you would have strength, but the looks as well.

[Nor'Easter]

DOM is cold formed and doesn't experience spring back.

ERW will spring (caused by stresses that occur in grain structure when hot metal cools).

[Todd M]

Created the recessed taillight brackets.

Flat bed is now complete except for my rear Power Wagon emblem that needs to be recut and welded into place. Running out of fun things to do so I guess it is back to sanding on the cab.

[W_A_Watson_II]

Looking Great!

[Todd M]

Extended cab truck project

Well I went to see how my extended 48 cab project was coming along. He has had it for over a year with a deadline this past August so one can say I am not to happy. He hopes to have the cab and front end to paint in a month. I am not holding my breath. I do like the work and gives me a goal on what my body work needs to look like before I paint my other one.

He was to use the old bed from my white truck but said it was easier for him to fabricate a new one after he got into it. I believe that may have been a mistake. He ordered the front bed panel and the tailgate as he did not have a dye big enough to make them.