Buggy Construction Tips Using Dune Buggy Plans

So you want to tear up the dunes with your own dune buggy but you're not sure whether to buy a complete turn key buggy or use some dune buggy plans to build your own? Well firstly there are a number of issues you need to address before you decide which route to take.

The main factor that people consider when deciding to buy/build a dune buggy is the cost of the project, how much is it going to cost me if i decide to buy one Vs. build one myself? Now i can't give you an accurate figure for each as it will depend on where you live, how much shipping will cost and how much materials cost in your area if you decide to build one. It will also depend on how skilled you are with metal fabrication, welding etc. If you will have to pay for a shop to fabricate the parts you need you will obviously be paying more in the end compared to someone who can do it all themselves in their own garage/workshop.

But most of the time its cheaper (and more fun!) to build a buggy yourself. For most people this is easily achievable in their own garage or workshop as long as you have some basic tools and machinery or you have access to some, you know things like a welder, tube bender, grinder, drill press, you get the picture. I should mention that you can hire these things too if you want to or just take the specialized tasks to your local engineering shop. Usually when you tell the guys what its for they get pretty interested and will want to know more about your project and up giving you a good price!

I highly recommend NOT designing your own dune buggy from scratch unless you know what you are doing and have experience in design. Be warned that if you do it will usually end in disaster and a half finished bundle of steel sitting in your garage. That said the most important factor in dune buggy construction is which plans to use for construction. If you get this wrong or use the cheapest or plans you can find you will regret it in the end as they rarely turn out how you first imagined. Lets face it you are about to invest quite a bit of money and time into building a dune buggy so make sure you choose quality plans from the start.

Most good quality, proven plans will set you back around $100-$200 and will give you good solid information and a step by step procedure to building your buggy. You can get plans for cheaper but usually these are quite basic and you won't get the detail you need to build the buggy properly.

Also make sure the company you are buying the plans from has some kind of support you can call on in case you get stuck and need some advice, this could be as simple as a user form that has members that have constructed their own buggies and are willing to give you advice for free. This is invaluable when building your buggy.

For me personally, building my own dune buggy is one of the most fun and most rewarding projects I have done. From cutting the first piece of steel to firing up the engine for the first time is a fantastic feeling and i definitely recommend to those of you who are considering it.

The final outcome of your dune buggy will most definitely depend on the construction plans you follow from the start. Save your time and energy searching the internet looking for dune buggy plans and take a look at my plans of choice (click on the blue link). You'll get an excellent quality buggy for a great price and most importantly you'll save time by not having to scour through the junk that's out there! Drive safely.

Great White Shark Cage Construction

Running a safe and successful shark diving expedition is a challenge no matter how you look at it. Professional cage diving operations make the process look simple but in reality, the myriad tasks involved in bring a group of divers to a remote location such as Guadalupe Island to dive with Great White Sharks provide a considerable logistical feat. One detail of great importance that often goes undiscussed is cage construction. Great White Shark cages are the workhorses of the industry as they spend the most time in the water on the front lines. Couple that with the fact that the cages are where the average shark diver spends most of his or her time and the need for safety, reliability and comfort becomes apparent.

Safety, for obvious reasons is at the forefront of shark cage design - it only takes a quick YouTube search to see the results of poorly constructed cages and how they fare when a shark comes into contact with them. Of course, a shark interacting with a cage is undesirable, but all cages should be constructed with that possibility in mind. In the shark diving industry, cage designs are unique. Certain operators prefer certain characteristics or features and often, the boat or dive site may play a role in design. Beyond personal preference, however, there are a few recognized design features inherent in the industry's best cages.

First, and most prominent is competent welding. Cages that are built with nuts and bolts are inferior for several reasons, some of which are quite obvious. Stainless fasteners on aluminum cages cause corrosion often resulting in a compromised cage, fasteners or both. Additionally, nuts and bolts need to be constantly monitored to make sure the affects of the ocean haven't loosened them. To overcome these inadequacies most commercial grade shark diving cages are welded. While there are several options when it comes to weld techniques, TIG (or Tungsten inert gas) is preferred. Cleaner welds, better penetration and easier access to every seam makes TIG welding the safest when it comes the great white shark cages.

The other key component to proper shark cage construction is the experience for the end user. Standing on your tip-toes or bending over during long stretches underwater can detract from your experience and have an effect on pictures and videos. Most Great White Shark cages have customized viewing ports for ease of use when it comes to underwater cameras that often incorporate strobes.

Before you make a decision on your shark diving vacation of a lifetime, make sure you research the cage setup - it's where you'll spend most of your time! Professional operators can speak knowledgeably about their equipment and are your best resource.

Islander Charters
http://www.islander-charters.com
619-224-4388

How To Hire A Welder - Leave Your Construction Projects To Qualified Professionals

A large number of people who are planning to avail of a welder's services, whether they may be private customers or a business company, realize at the last moment that they are incapable of screening and hiring a qualified person.

This may sound like an odd issue to be bestowed with but truth be told, it is one of the many circumstances that many people have issues with. The issue is not simply about how to hire a welder, but also what to look for in a welder to ensure you are getting a professional who can fulfill your requirements to a high standard.

Of the two issues of how to hire a welder and what to look for in a welder, it is the first issue that is easier to arrange.

How to hire a welder

First of all you need to find a qualified welder, the best option for this is to look in reputable business directories available in your area. Most business directories have a list of welding businesses within your locale. You can find that some have paid 'premium' to have a larger advertisement and this may be beneficial as the ad will normally contain what types of welding the company carries out.

Once you come up with a welder or welding company that you think fits the job, it is imperative that you get in touch with them through the phone first to have a clearer view of their services. This is the perfect opportunity to ask how long their business has been established, about any work they have carried out, and also find out about any other qualifications they may have.

This will also give you the chance to discuss just exactly what your project entails and agree on a rough cost estimate before the actual meeting where you can inquire their quote for doing the whole project.

What to look for in a welder

When you meet a welder for the first time you can ask them for evidence of their qualifications. If you meet them at their business premises, they are likely to have every qualification and other pertinent documents at hand to show you.

Next, you can make a suggestion to inspect their work portfolio. This will display all of the past works they have successfully completed and gives you the chance to scrutinize if their standards are high enough for your requirements.

Finally, you can gauge how you feel about their work ethic and their interest in your work by meeting them face to face and examining their demeanor.

Summary

Finding a welder to hire, and understanding what to look for in one, is not as simple as many would think. Hopefully the tips stated above will be put to good use and be of help to you.

Discover free mig welding tips, guides, and a lot of advice for both novice and advanced mig welders. Get free welding projects and ideas as well as welding plans even for advanced welders.

Top 5 Tips For Detailing Software in Construction Design

Detailing is perhaps the most demanding of software requirements. It involves a staggering range of design requirements, including components, welds, reinforcements and even individual parts. This type of work was once an ordeal, rather than a job, particularly on big projects. Detailing software is now doing in seconds complex, advanced work that once took hours or days.

Detailing in detail- Managing the details en masse

Detailing is an areas where the huge practical advantages of engineering software become self evident. An expert designer using structural drafting software can turn a massive workload into an "assembly line" process instantly, by simply creating templates and design parameters.

The "assembly line" approach has infinite value to designers and construction engineers, particularly with truly massive tasks. It ensures quality and greatly improved completion times. For design contractors, this is a real "must have" capacity.

Specifications and detailing

Specifications and detailing require extreme accuracy. The "assembly line" also operates as a quality control in this field, but most importantly allows proper attention to details. This is a particularly valuable function for managers, to allow direct oversight of difficult design issues.

For example:

Highly complex specifications and detailing of some design elements must be done on a no-mistakes basis. These elements can be isolated and given intensive scrutiny to ensure performance values. They can then be integrated into the design stream with a string of correlates to ensure accurate configuration.

Sequential planning

Sequential planning is a fundamental aspect of construction. Stages of construction, building schedules, and sometimes dozens of contracts are based on this type of planning, and nobody wants grey areas in the plans.

Project managers will insist on reliable, well-constructed sequential planning at all stages of any construction project. Steel detailing is a case in point. This absolutely fundamental design area is critical to the entire construction process. Sequential planning ensures baseline oversight of structural construction, and operates as a driver for other schedules.

4D schedules- Simulations can make a big difference

"4D schedules" is planning jargon for scheduling. Simulations are often used to provide a working model of construction programs, sometimes in great detail. This is the graphic version of sequential planning, and it's invaluable for visualization.

You'll have seen simple versions of 4D, showing how a building or object is assembled. The professional version of 4D can cover everything from structural assembly to components, in a real time configuration allowing accurate time measurement and evaluation of site and construction issues.

Tasks and objects

Tasks and objects is design-speak for construction functions and design objects. Some tasks and objects are major issues, and they require intensive planning. Designers factor in these situations, and design the tasks to efficiently work with the objects.

In many cases, tasks and objects are used as cost savers. Designers work with them to streamline construction and reduce time usages. This is invaluable in terms of big projects, where it can drastically improve construction efficiency with a corresponding cost benefit.

Pacific Computing is the exclusive distributor in Aust and NZ of Tekla Structures 3D modelling construction software for structural detailing and drafting. For more information and to view our range of products, visit Construction Software.