Author |
Message |
jamowmow Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2017 Posts: 2 Location: Burien, WA
|
Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 12:41 pm Post subject: Re: Cheap DIY ARGs |
|
|
I followed the instructions and made a set of these for my 1983 Air-Cooled Westy. They look great, are strong enough to hold the racks, and cost less than $15, including mounting hardware.
_________________ 83 Westy, the last of the Air-Cooled |
|
Back to top |
|
|
jackbombay Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2007 Posts: 2723 Location: Eastern Idaho
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Franklinstower Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2006 Posts: 1892 Location: PNW
|
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
buildyourown wrote: |
It can actually be hard to buy shorter pieces of steel or aluminum.
Tube comes in 20ft sticks, buying less will cost you a cust charge. For only a foot or 2, check onlinemetals.com
They will sell buy the foot and ship and prices are reasonable. |
Build your own - you can go to Pacific Industrial Supply in South Park and they have bins of scrap of all types of tubing and materials. then pay by the pound. Very cheap.
http://www.pacificindustrial.com/
I need to get some square tubing and angle for some projects and that is where I will be going. Probable spend less than $10 for the 4 feet of each that I need.
paul _________________ '89 Westy - EJ25/22 Frank 4.44 5mt
'75 Miami Blue Sunroof FI Standard Bug |
|
Back to top |
|
|
jackbombay Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2007 Posts: 2723 Location: Eastern Idaho
|
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
At bigger metal shops they will typically charge you for the amount you buy if you are buying less than half the 20' piece, if you want more than 10' you have to buy the whole thing and you can keep the scrap or leave it with the shop, which they will then resell as "drops". If they have a "drop" of the right material you'll typically get charged a cut fee and for the amount of material you leave with.
In small towns things are typically easier, you pay for what you take from the shop.
All in all the onlinemetals.com posted by buildyourown is a quick hassle free way to get smaller pieces of metal, and if I didn't have a metal shop a mile from me that I do regular business with I'd order online for a couple of feet to make some ARGs. _________________
Gas struts to pop your top easily!
Pop Top strut kits now available for late Bay window Westies
Samba ad here.
DIY artificial rain gutters (ARGs) |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Dobie Dude Samba Member
Joined: September 14, 2008 Posts: 56 Location: 33950
|
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 11:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
Metal suppliers either keep what is left from custom length orders or recycle the pieces that are too small to be resold. If you look in their shop you will see a dumpster full of this sort of thing. _________________ "Of all the things I have lost I miss my mind the most" |
|
Back to top |
|
|
buildyourown Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2009 Posts: 1668 Location: Seattle
|
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:28 am Post subject: |
|
|
It can actually be hard to buy shorter pieces of steel or aluminum.
Tube comes in 20ft sticks, buying less will cost you a cust charge. For only a foot or 2, check onlinemetals.com
They will sell buy the foot and ship and prices are reasonable. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
crowinghen Samba Member
Joined: July 12, 2010 Posts: 423 Location: near Seattle,wa
|
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:27 am Post subject: |
|
|
r39o wrote: |
crowinghen wrote: |
I don't seem to have any steel tube lying around - where would I buy some?
thanks!
Susie |
You buy metal like this where they sell metal, interesting enough. Google and you will be rewarded. Most bigger cities have metal supply houses. Look for the ones the specialize in surplus and scrap. You only need a little piece, like a cut off, which is exactly what these sorts of places have laying around. You buy by the pound. CHEAP..... |
I guess I wasn't thinking--" scrap" being the key word here. I had already googled it--
thank you!
susie _________________ 1984 Westfalia a work in progress " Butters" |
|
Back to top |
|
|
r39o Samba Polizei
Joined: May 18, 2005 Posts: 9800 Location: San Diego
|
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
crowinghen wrote: |
I don't seem to have any steel tube lying around - where would I buy some?
thanks!
Susie |
You buy metal like this where they sell metal, interesting enough. Google and you will be rewarded. Most bigger cities have metal supply houses. Look for the ones the specialize in surplus and scrap. You only need a little piece, like a cut off, which is exactly what these sorts of places have laying around. You buy by the pound. CHEAP..... _________________ "Use the SEARCH, Luke" But first visit the Vanagon FAQ!
1990 Multivan EJ 22, Rancho trans 0.82 4th, Small Car front AC, CLKs w/ 215/65-16, homemade big brakes 303mm, Konis, Recaros, etc....
Click to see my ads for Cup holders, Subaru clutch fix and CLK wheels (no wheels currently) |
|
Back to top |
|
|
crowinghen Samba Member
Joined: July 12, 2010 Posts: 423 Location: near Seattle,wa
|
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 8:44 am Post subject: |
|
|
I don't seem to have any steel tube lying around - where would I buy some?
thanks!
Susie _________________ 1984 Westfalia a work in progress " Butters" |
|
Back to top |
|
|
floggingmolly Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2007 Posts: 1106 Location: San Diego, CA
|
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 8:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
Another great idea Jack. Too bad I spent the $$ about 2 years ago! Thanks for trying to keep us fully equipped on the cheap! _________________ '85 Wolfsburg Weekender |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bjrogers86auto Samba Member
Joined: March 26, 2009 Posts: 1375 Location: Halifax, N.S.
|
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:58 pm Post subject: arg |
|
|
Now that I to know what ARG means I can comment. hehe
It's amazing what you can come up with if you take some time to think it through. These are cool. I spent a little less at GW for the Yakima ARG's but still seems expensive for what you get. I didn't see this thread before I bought!
Got the shocks Mark...now can you melt our snow so I can get my van out?
Brian. _________________ 86 Vanagon GL Westfalia 2.1
18 Nissan Frontier Pro 4X
19 Honda Civic Hatchback
A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day. Calvin and Hobbes. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
jackbombay Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2007 Posts: 2723 Location: Eastern Idaho
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
70coupyel Samba Member
Joined: September 06, 2006 Posts: 1657 Location: So.Cal
|
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:35 pm Post subject: Thanks Jack |
|
|
Thanks Jack. I missed this last year. When I need Thule ARG mounts and found some I craped my pants on how much they cost. I payed almost $50 bucks 6 years ago. So if you do not have the fab skills expect to pay around $60 now a days.
Check http://www.rei.com/product/494360 _________________
TheAndante wrote: |
Saying that specs are different than dimensions doesn't make sense. Porsche specs/VW specs/engineering specs are nothing but a series of dimensions,sizes,percentages,measurements, etc. |
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=338946&highlight=
70 KG Coup
83 Westy Waterboxer |
|
Back to top |
|
|
jackbombay Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2007 Posts: 2723 Location: Eastern Idaho
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
GMByers Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2008 Posts: 642 Location: Retired in NW PA
|
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 2:11 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Just my opinion.
ILO - It looks odd and
ILU - It looks ugly _________________ And then there were two...downsized to 83 Doka &
74 Thing. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
jackbombay Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2007 Posts: 2723 Location: Eastern Idaho
|
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:42 am Post subject: |
|
|
vanagonjr wrote: |
Any recommended wall thickness for that square tubing?
|
12 gauge should be plenty. I just used whatever I had laying around for mine and it was probably closer to 14 gauge (thinner than 12 gauge). I never put a massive amount of weight up there, but have done 2 canoes around on the roof several times (about 150 pounds) and all was fine. _________________
Gas struts to pop your top easily!
Pop Top strut kits now available for late Bay window Westies
Samba ad here.
DIY artificial rain gutters (ARGs) |
|
Back to top |
|
|
vanagonjr Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010 Posts: 3424 Location: Dartmouth, Mass.
|
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
Any recommended wall thickness for that square tubing? So glad I have not mounted my racks yet so I can take advantage of what I have learned here.
Thanks to JackBombay and others too.
John
LiMBO |
|
Back to top |
|
|
peasant Samba Member
Joined: April 25, 2009 Posts: 321
|
Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
Cool post. I'm thinking about putting a roof rack of some sort on my westy _________________ 89 wolfsberg weekender carat
89 Westfalia |
|
Back to top |
|
|
jackbombay Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2007 Posts: 2723 Location: Eastern Idaho
|
Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:42 am Post subject: |
|
|
Bump.
With rack mounting season upon us I though I'd bump this to possibly save people some money.
For cutting the steel an angle grinder and a cut-off wheel work well, you can pick one up from any harbor freight for $20-30, probably the cost of a set of ARGs, and then you have a grinder left over which is a very useful tool to have around IMO. You'll need a drill too of course, but most people already have one kicking around. _________________
Gas struts to pop your top easily!
Pop Top strut kits now available for late Bay window Westies
Samba ad here.
DIY artificial rain gutters (ARGs) |
|
Back to top |
|
|
climberjohn Samba Member
Joined: January 11, 2005 Posts: 1840 Location: Portland Orygun
|
Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 9:28 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Warning, mystery TLA alert . . .
(Three Letter Acronym) _________________ '86 Westy, 2.5 Subaru power
Know your limits. Exceed them often. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|