First Tubes and First Problems 

Always appreciate when builders don't hide their mistakes.

Thank you for sharing the fact that even people who are well experienced still run into difficulties.

I like how you touched on the fact that experience can be a down fall sometimes. I’m no welder/fabricator, but have very similar stories of mistakes (in a completely different career) that I have personally made from trying not to conform to the new age technology we have now. Definitely a humbling experience.

This is a great resource. The humility adds credibility. Thanks.

Future planning is a great thing. I used to make after thought mistakes early in life, then I went through over thinking, now it's plan some, do it, reassess & it seems to work good at the finished product.

Yes, people often think that everything is so simple and error-free. But everything is achieved only from many years of experience through mistakes and costs. That’s why the speed of such work should be appraised accordingly. If you did it quickly, it doesn’t mean that it’s very simple, it means that you have involved your experience and it is worth a lot! (sorry for my grammar) :-)

I know your pain, Nobody carries DOM tubing within 200 miles of Memphis in the first place. I had to truck it in from St Louis to build my car. Thanks for all your videos, they helped immensely building my cage.

I don't understand why you only have 318k subscribers... you are an awesome builder/ teacher and so transparent. You should have 2 millions minimum!!

Love the mistakes!! Feel another welding cart coming on aha

endura steel .. 10 miles from my house .. they built my water table for my home made plasma table .. well smith iron works next store . yes their steel is always dirty ha!.. dig your channel . i have a small hot rod shop and your videos help me out alot . so thanks!

That explains why I couldn't get 1.75" tube for my build! I'm 75 miles from Vegas.

I enjoyed your ramblings and your transparency. Good to show folks it doesn't go to plan. Looking forward to more.

Only the people that do work, make mistakes; mistakes are not bad, as you learn a lot from them. Thank you for taking the time to explain what you are doing.

Thanks for always being candid and real. That for me, makes you worth watching. Keep pushing forward!!!

I did a shot every time he said tube.... I'm going to bed now.

This vedio should be a required watch and healthy reminder to take your time and check everything carefully before making that first cut or bend. This will save you frustration and money! Life is too short to be making all the mistakes yourself. Thank You, JD

Love getting asked what I’m going to do about something I will be fitting a year from now. Foundation first. Good way to put it

I feel your pain on this section of your project. While I'm not at the same level I have run into these situations plenty of times. I've always appreciated how you show any issues/mistakes in your videos.

It's not scrap pile, it's a parts pile for engine mounts etc ;)

Great video Justin! I think what you said at the end was so important! A lot of us especially beginners look at you guys , the professionals and do sometimes think that it just always does work out! I always appreciate all of you professionals who put out this kind of content to show that things still do go wrong however that’s how we all learn! Thanks man, be blessed!!!

Glad I found your fab site- I’m liking your idea about 4 bolts to remove the CAB- I’m putting together an ‘80’s TOYOTA WORK MONSTER….flatbed. Thanks for great videos.

We all get knocked down, it's how many times you get up that counts. You're obviously not a quitter.

This is the video series I really needed to see, specifically this video. I've seen the second half of it in regarding Bend Tech in the past. But this video showed the ever elusive how the body actually mount to a tube chassis.

I love my bend-tech software. Its definitely a game changer once you learn it.

Thank you sir. Really enjoy the content. When I was working on my Volksrod project I built the chassis and later decided that I had a spare set of truck arms (63 Chevy) that I could use in the rear. Well long story I'd have to chop up the chassis and rebuild the back half to go that route. So It didn't happen. The good news is I'm going to see how they fit my 50 ford project when I get it in the shop. The short story I really appreciate the videos. They are super inspiring.

My 1st experience watching your channel was with manual tube bending and notching. Great episode.

Brilliant update, THANKS! I'm struggling for supplies on my rebuild and getting a balance from having to try and do the day job (teaching ) from home. Even buying cameras/mic/mixer just to make videos has been hard as every man and his dog has bought it all for home streaming. The things you face when all the kit you bought 10yrs+ ago now is so old/out of date you need to replace it. One thing you did right was to take that break, I do what I can on my project, order parts and do something else. I will be lucky to get a stock loom this year and although I could (I have lots of experience at it ) I'm not going to make my own (I can't afford a bigger scrap pile). Keep it up, drip feed us the updates and thanks for sharing it all with us!

We all have our scrap piles. Unfortunately we only need so many door bar spacers LOL

Thanks, Justin! Another great video. Thank you for blazing the trail and exploring the path. I'm glad you are finding the potholes that might help us keep from tripping. I already have the bender and the software. I didn't even know that I will very likely need the Mandrel attachment... I'm still trying to finish projects and find the money and materials for the frame jig.

Very real and honest video. Life can be humbling sometimes but you seem to have taken it in stride. Love the content!

thanks for the honesty! the scrap pile sure can tell how many times it took till I got it right!

Welcome to the real world, where we all must live. It ain,t a perfect place but it's all we got. Love the info one your build, keep up the good work. Stay safe.

When i went to community college for welding and fabrication they were very consistent with technology. Before projects we made everything on Solidworks, Bendtech, or torchmate. I've always been accustom to using technology and listening to it. From what i have learned, it is very rare that the computer is wrong.

Point of pride to have bought out a part from every supplier within a large area.

Great videos, loving the amount of information, the problems and the honesty. We can all go in our workshops and try a new thing and think "it's not going as smooth as I hoped after watching that RU-vid vid" . Editing makes great videos, but honesty about what is cut out helps us keep it together when we mess up a weld, break a tool or just don't get a measurement right. Thanks

The only tube I've ever bent was pipe, and not on purpose. I wanted your scrap pile to make a go kart, until I realized I wouldn't be able to bend any of it, I don't know how to design one, and it would be ludicrously oversized. Really enjoy the honesty in your videos, sprinkled with a positive attitude! One thing I have gotten better at is rust removal. Evapo-Rust might clean out those long tubes, if they're not oily. The stuff is amazing if you haven't used it, because it doesn't attack iron the way phosphoric acid etc. will. A bit spendy, but you soak parts in it, and reuse the solution afterwards. Hang in there!

Good video man. The blog style video is a nice change of pace. I like that you kept it real with all the hurdles you've encountered. Keep up the good work.

I was in there Monday buying steel and I told them I had mentioned them to you last week lol glad you got your material dude

Thanks for showing us your mistakes. It gives us hope.

thanks for your frankness in showing your learning curve ...to ME, that is showing respect to your followers...and sharing real knowledge....

Thank you for your tig vids, I have had the everlast powerpro 256si for 9 days now & it's my 1st tig & my 1st real welder. I've had been working with a 70amp stick & a lowes brand wire feed. Both work okay for what they are. Gtaw welding is extremely difficult. I really struggle getting a puddle to start for autogenous tacks on t-joints eventually they happen but usually after frustration & multiple dips

Mad props... not everything turns out like we plan.. but mistakes can be better tools for teaching... providing that we take the time to learn from them...

Steel cable on a drill. Put a hose clamp 3 inches from the end and fray the end. Works good for cleaning the inside of tubing.

Thanks for showing us the whole process you went through and how you showed the mistakes as well I have more respect for you for sharing that with us 👍

Nice Clean Inside of Tubs Dont forget After you Finish With Tubs Drill Smal Hole and Fill it With Oil So it will Never Rust again Love the Build🚗

If you never have to scrap material, you're not building anything. Good to see you don't sugar coat it! 👍💪

I so do enjoy yourself as human being and as a teacher and artist and best of all I get some good laughs from your humility, your a helluva great guy! Thanks for making my day!

Great Video & insight. Knowing when to back off & take a break or just step back to refocus is wisdom. It can potentially save you scrapping expensive material, breaking something or even hurting yourself or someone else. Sometimes its can be as little as just being reminded of what we already know. Not that I know how to mandrill bend....yet. I guess what your series has helped me come to terms with is knowing (the fantastic knowledge you impart aside) is being honest with myself where my limitations are, in skills, insight & equipment . So I am more than a year into a build that has a heavily modified chassis & body. I decided to pay someone with the skills & experience to get the job done right. It seems that what happened was providence the project had faded & was put aside for more than 30 years until I met this fabricator/muscle car restorer, I don;t think I would of got started if it was not for Steve. It has been frustrating & satisfying @ the same time to see him doing the build that I wanted to do with my own brain & hands. It is satisfying to see that he is enjoying the project. I think it would of been a huge mistake if it was someone else that just saw it as a job. At one point it almost went in that direction for part of the project. I almost sent the chassis across 80%of the continent of Australia to get the modifications done. I know I drive Steve nuts because, I want to be involved with it as much as possible, I am detailed in what I want & it takes a special kind of person to recognizes what that is really about & where it is coming from. I hope one day by the time this build is finished I will have the skills to do the next build project hands on. Looking forward to your next video!

Love the series, keep up the good work. For those rusted out tubes, my first thought is a four foot length of something narrow, like half inch solid rod or tube or all-thread or hell, wooden dowel would probably work in a pinch. Slice a notch in the end of it, lay in some sanding belt across that notch, then chuck up the other end into a power drill and give it hell, up and down the inside of the pipe. Not sure if it would work to the degree necessary, but it's a thought. Looking forward to the next installment.

Thanks Justin

Love the honesty

I lucked out. I lost one piece of steel from cutting it to short after I bent it. However, I used it in smaller pieces. The good thing for me was, that I was using AutoCad since 1992. Always trust your software if you know that you are not messing up, gigo. when N.H.R.A. inspected my chassis. he was amazed how flat it sat on my table no rocking at all. I ended up with a 25 -1E Certificate.

love the videos brother 😁👍 lol loved the pitt stop in the middle of the video 😆😆😆

Please continue with this series, your awesome dude. Keep at it!

I use a JD Squared tubing bender and love it!! And a whole lot simpler!!

Looking forward to the bend tech video, if you could touch on measuring out for pickpoints that would be great cheers! 🇬🇧

Man, ready for more videos on this build. Actually working on building a 2x3 rectangular chassis for a 78 Chevy Luv.

Great job Justin!

have had BTP for past cpl decades. (i'm an old PBB member) i love how you can use external dimensions for planning your bends. i dont think anything else works without centerline dimensions.

Try not to kick yourself about the schedule of this project. COVID is fucking up pretty much every scheduled task in the US right now, and I'm sure it's affecting your suppliers as well. You're an extremely skilled fabricator (obviously), so you're lightyears ahead of most of your viewers, myself included. Finding and debugging a software issue from a customer's perspective is really difficult, so mad props for that as well. You've made a ton of progress since your last update, even if that progress may not have been in the form that you wanted. Hang in there man.

You said baker and I knew exactly why you were stopping. I pass through there (and Vegas) when going to California city from salt lake.

Great video, and thanks for sharing

Good luck!!! Thank you for video!

Have you ever used evapo-rust? The stuff is amazing! It a liquid that you soak rusted metal in and it dissolves the rust with no work. 1 gallon is about $25 at harbor freight. I know! But it really works well I love this stuff and you can use it multiple times. You could fill the tube and let it soak over night, drain it back into something for reuse later rinse with water and you will be ready to go! Loving the build can’t wait to see it done!

Wow,...... Next level. Thanks for the vid. If you get a chance could you do a demo on the bender with a good look at how the mandrel part of it all works? Not so much the soft ware but the actual mechanics of it all. Cheers 👍 G

Pick yourself up one of those dryer vent cleaning kits from local big box hardware. Has threaded nylon rods strong enough but flexible enough to clean out even bent tubes. Rig up some sort of holder for wire brush and/or sandpaper, chuck in a hand drill and you're back in business with those tubes!

Awesome series

I feel your pain, hang in there. Appreciate all the content!

we're all really excited about this build! KEEP GOING MAN!

Nice to see someone with your skill level show mistakes. Too many videos of best of the best bozos out there. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Respect for keeping it real!

Thanks for keeping it real.

Finally bro! I can’t wait to watch it!

to clean out the tube take a piece of rod cut a slot in the end of it. stick some sandpaper through the notch, and run it through the tube with a drill

Just got caught up on the build, was itching for an update!

Great video.

Great content and great show.

I totally appreciate the shared foibles. I like learning that it really does happen to the best of them and not just me😂

Discount on chrome steel tube weld metals kits? Would be cool to see some strength tests between mig, tig, flame, and heat treated of the ones that require it.

I drive semi for a living...I feel your pain. People don’t know how to use the highways! 😂

Best way i found to clean long pieces of tube/pipe on the inside is to take a length of 1/4" stainless rod, slice the end an inch or so in, starting through that fork wrap a strip of 40 grit around the end, and use the whole thing in a powerful die grinder as a really long drum sander. Works great for rust and even cleans up inside seams on regular tubing.

That bender looks brand new. The mandrel, pins, springs, Linder, hoses, etc. - all look minty fresh! Either it's new or it doesn't see much of any use which would explain the pile of tubes on the floor.

thanks for letting me learn thru your mistakes

Thank you for the video, I have been wanting to learn how to go about constructing both tube chassis and square tube for hot rod. I love your series and can't wait for the next one, keep doing what you do man, I hope in the future maybe you could offer a class on the bend tech software, I will take that!!! Question: for the guy me who has zero experience could I use Emt tubing to make a practice chassis??

I’ve run a soda blaster nozzle/hose through a tube before and it cleaned the inside quite well. Might be worth trying.

Wow, wish I would’ve seen this vid when it was new. I could’ve pointed you towards two shops here in Orange County that stock it usually…

You can always check Shapiro steel in Missouri I know it’s a Distance away but that’s where I bought all mine tubes at

Great videos by the way...

Been watching you for hella years now man. Keep it up. I've learned alot from your tips and skills. Just recently obtained my welding certification for stick and tig. Needa work on aluminum. Needa invest in a tube bender now 🤘 thanks bro👍

Big up from Jamaica

I've had my JD2 bender for several years now. Since I got it I haven't really had any projects that require tube bending.

Either way its coming along. Keep up the good work.

Thing with cad software ,unless you work with it a lot and you eventualy become good at it you will loose time.I used simple autodesk thinkercad which is considered easy,and it took me 30min to find out what was wrong and why god dam thing didnt wanna make 5 holes where i wanted them ! I could have drafted that part,throw dimensions on a peace of paper in 5 min and make it in other 25! I think cad software is great tool when you design a stadium or brand new rocket engine ,when you have 25 people working on a same project and they need to see what you are thinking. For a 1 guy in a shed doing things alone in your own head where you can visual peace you are making with a greatest cad software ever created called human mind ,peace of paper and a pencil is all you need. At least that was my experience so far ,i tried several of them but it was just meeeh ,i will do it on a paper faster. . .

Oh shit, you went to Endura Steel, i had a feeling thats where you were going. My dad drives truck and trailer for them, and i live just a few miles from Endura Steel. Lol

I've narrowed down my bender choices to the Rouge Fab and the JD2 benders. I'm torn, the only thing I don't like about the Rouge is the vertical bending, I don't have high ceilings. I bought BendTec a few months ago, I haven't gotten very far, the learning curve is steep, I picked up Fusion 360 WAY faster!

I've been using Bend Tech software for years but not the version you have. When I would have a screw up I would figure I made mistake in the bend or the cut or something. When it would happen more than once I would go back to the software only to find out I had input a number wrong.

I may have missed it but did you touch on SFI rules and changes from one spec to another for NHRA certification at completion? This is something there is not much creditable information on fir a starting point. I built a chassis for my S10 which passed certification for a 7.50 second 1/4 mile pass but a rather minor change in materials and technique it would have passed for 6.00 second 1/4 mile pass. Just a thought for future discussion or videos. Thanks for all the great videos you have posted!

"We are evolving" I stood upright today...

For bending electrical and plumbing pipework we use bending springs to maintain the internal diameter during the bend (which pull out easily afterwards.) Nothing similar for your big pipes?

We have some six foot drill bit extensions 4 electrical Drilling and pulling wire and I'm just wondering if you could take a brake cylinder hone on one of these extensions or three and clean the inside of your tubing this is for aggravation more than anything because bending conduit is not like bending chromoly