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Cheap DIY ARGs
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jamowmow
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 12:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Cheap DIY ARGs Reply with quote

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.
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jackbombay
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PostPosted: Mon May 13, 2013 7:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been getting some PM/E-mail questions about using aluminum for these, which will work fine, no rust worries either, below is a link to a place that you can get short lengths of rectangular aluminum tubing for anyone interested,

http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=18003...top_cat=60
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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
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jackbombay
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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Dobie Dude
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 11:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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buildyourown
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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crowinghen
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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
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r39o
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.....
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 8:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't seem to have any steel tube lying around - where would I buy some?
thanks!
Susie
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another great idea Jack. Too bad I spent the $$ about 2 years ago! Thanks for trying to keep us fully equipped on the cheap!
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:58 pm    Post subject: arg Reply with quote

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?

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jackbombay
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 4:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

They, REI, have some others for $40, but they are a little different, "wide body brackets" looks like they would work fine though,

http://www.rei.com/webservices/rei/DisplayStyle/49...erralID=NA

But $40 is still very spendy for 4 metal brackets...
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70coupyel
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:35 pm    Post subject: Thanks Jack Reply with quote

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
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

GMByers wrote:
Just my opinion.

ILO - It looks odd and
ILU - It looks ugly


Function over fashion
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GMByers
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just my opinion.

ILO - It looks odd and
ILU - It looks ugly
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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vanagonjr
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cool post. I'm thinking about putting a roof rack of some sort on my westy
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jackbombay
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Warning, mystery TLA alert . . .
(Three Letter Acronym)
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