Skills Used: SOLIDWORKS, Mechanical Design, Problem Solving, Welding, Fabrication, 3D Printing
Project Dates: June 2022
Additional Documentation Available: Yes, CAD models
Project Description:
I wanted to add a grill guard to the front of my Jeep but did not want to spend the money on a pre-made one. I set out to use a pre-bent piece of steel tubing to make my own. While simple in concept, I found that accurately cutting the end of the tubes at the proper angle to be extremely difficult with only an angle grinder. In order to mark where to cut, I needed a tool that would show me exactly where to cut. To do this, I designed the setup in CAD and then designed a tool around that setup that could be slid onto the tubing and located simply by setting the distance from one end and laying it against a flat surface on one side. The Figures show the left and right-side marking tools that allowed me to accurately mark and cut the tubing such that it would sit as intended on the mounting plates.
Project Results:
The tools worked great, and I was able to quickly and accurately make a complex compound angle cut in the tubing using only an angle grinder.
