Cap’n, I’m with you on ‘Made vs Bought’. There is something about being able to walk past something that you expended time and energy to construct, that is satisfying… That feeling of, “I made that!” Is way over yonder more rewarding than just thinking… ‘I bought that.’ Keep on keeping on… I’m along for the ride!!
Don’t sweat it I have bought used equipment that was “ready to work “ including an F 350 dump truck then turn around and spend thousands in the first 6 months fixing things that failed. At least your direction you will definitely know what you have!!! Keep on keeping on
I’m still in the middle of this video and had to come comment. First, I love what you are doing as you venture out into something that you have to figure it out as you go. Love 💕 it! Second….you didn’t need to clean up and establish your workshop just that you can go buy stuff. That stage comes later AND you get to keep the shop with all the stuff you accumulated in the process that made these projects possible….they’re like little trophies and create opportunities to share a story one day. You have to finish it because that is who you are. 💪 If when it is done and it doesn’t work the way you want or need…you can sell it or even scrap it. You never have to do another one but you’ll always know that you can if you want. Back to the video 😎
This is so much fun to see what and how you do things! Personally I enjoy this channel the most! Most definitely entertaining. Thank you for being just you.. And thank you for sharing.😊
I built an HEI distributor for an old 69 Ford I had. Took a bit of doing and had many people say I should just buy one. Made me smile every time I turned the key. Sometimes it’s just because we can!
Even if you bought a $7000 truck we all know damn well..... It's gonna have rust issues.....plus this way you're creating plenty of content for us to watch 😊
Good job Mike, as a body repair guy since the 70's the best part of the job is covering it up with primer and seeing the final finish, very satisfying. One tip if you plan to do any more patch paneling is get a "beater bag" a 14 or 15 inch flat round leather bag filled with sand that used with a hammer means you can pre-shape your panel so you don't need a slide hammer or prybars to get it right before welding.
@@CaptainKleeman Essentially a bendable "dolly" for the backside. The inertia of the hammer goes to the metal because it takes a moment to get the bag moving.
I fitted for over 20 years and I’d love to give you some tricks to the trade but it’s hard to describe how and not be able to show you Mike! I mean some back woods techniques, because the old fitter that I used to work with was actually from the back woods! But his fitting skills always worked! Like tack welding a flat bar or angle iron down standing up and tacking one corner and pulling against the opposite corner and that pulls the two pieces together Mike! Easier to show than to tell you my friend! Pulling two pieces of metal together would two big nuts and a piece of all thread and two nuts that fit the all thread pulls two pieces of steel together! Taking an old C-clamp and cutting the bottom half off and using the rest to pull two pieces of metal together, it actually pushes one side down while pulling the other side up! Oh well I wish you luck and hope you can visualize what I’m describing! It’s all things that I learned during my 35+ year doing fabrication! Thanks for sharing Mike and good luck brother! Kirk here in Louisiana sending prayers and positive vibes to you and yours my friend! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻👌🏻👍🏻👍🏻✌🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
It's coming along nicely. No pressure Mike in getting that dump truck project complete. If I bring up the project whiteboard, where all projects lead back to the RU-vid yatche, if you get behind on the dump truck, you get behind on the headquarters, and, so does the YTY! Maybe 6k does not seem that bad to stay on target! Just a thought!
I'm on target. The RU-vid yacht isn't scheduled to start again until mid March. I guess I could always not post any videos until then...of course then I wouldn't be making any even so that would push it back to April....ah shucks. Guess I better stick to following my perfect plan of killing time with a truck build.
Capt'n, I look at this as a 1:1 scale model build. This kit is from an old worn out mold with warped parts and a ton of flash. For a model builder like me, the pride is taking a kit like that and making it into a nice model. I have built kits like that every once in a while. Fellow modelers have been amazed at my end result. In the end, this is only about how you feel about it. What others say especially negative does not matter. It is your and have fun learning and doing the work. Why not when done put a metal tag on the sill saying, "Body by Capt'n Kleeman".
When I bought my first car in 1972 my father told me that I could either get rich and pay to have things fixed or I could learn how to fix them myself (probably the best lesson he ever taught me). The sense of accomplishment from a completed project is one of the best feelings in the world. At 68 years old I'm still learning and trying new techniques, even from young guys like yourself. Thanks for the schooling.
I’m the same way, except with home renovation! Doing a tile floor in the bathroom, and once the Master bedroom has its new hardwood floor, and the Living room is painted, we will have about 3K sq feet of house finished! It has taken 18 years, but we have doubled the value of the house!
Doing what you can with what you have, all while learning new skills. Some people want things easy, but when life gets tough, easy is non-existent. You need to be able to be creative and resourceful. Captain Kleeman has shown us you don't have to be an expert to get things done on the homestead. The transformation of that floor may not be perfect, but it is significantly better than what it was before.
Taking a break from what gets to be monotonous is the key. You sure shoot out a lot of videos and they seem to be just the right length. Look forward to the next one coming out. Thanks for sharing your progress.
Im glad you show the reality of projects. They’re not all peachy. Many can watch these videos and think they just look so fun in an almost romantic way, then when they try projects on their own they are not prepared for those difficult times when you simply don’t want to keep going.
Everything's fun in the beginning when it's new. But when you get down to the monotonous steps, it can definitely be a trying time. But normally worth it if we just push through
I'm super proud of what you have done. I've done any projects like this since my high school days. We didn't have mig welders, only gas welders. Keep at it.😊
thats what i like abouthe can either repair or improvise with whats readily available. this channel. Mike always keeps us informed and doesnt try to buy things when
I like your style! Much more fun to repair yourself and more fun for us to watch. Everyone can buy new parts, not everyone can make their own from scrap!!! Best wishes. Jocke / Sweden
Cap'n, you do what you think is right. I get your meaning when you say learning something new and knowing your truck well. Makes for good content in videos.
You always have a balanced counter perspective. Probably comes from dealing with the public for years as a fireman and now this channel. Love the content, love the humor.
Good explanation of why you are doing it this way. Now lets see how many people don't listen/watch the whole video and tell you where to get floor pans or other body panels..... I went the other route, but I also didn't have a donor truck or a metal brake, so all of my bends would be hand tools and beating into place.
Great job. I am doing a “recycled metal” project myself and have been doing lots of cutting, grinding and welding. You learn something on every piece and every project. Keep up the good work and it will be running in no time and you can drive it around and really appreciate what you built.
Love it. Keep on doing what you’re doing and remember that there are many people out there who like doing things themselves who really appreciate your effort. Good luck and I think your work on the floor pan is both inspiring and effective. Can’t wait to see what’s next.👍👍👍
Personally I think the way you're going about this project is awesome!! I am learning about things I've never done through you so please keep going just like you are!!
Thanks Mike… I’m learning a lot with you; I’ve tried a bit of this before but it seemed to just rust out quicker. You’ve given me some ideas to do a quality job in repairs. Much appreciated.
Good one, and good points. I'm impressed with the patience and effort in fixing that floor with random pieces of sheet metal. It's easy to get bored and frustrated on those tedious details on a project (ask me how I know), but you've stuck with it, well done! Thanks as always and take care!
When you close your can of POR 15 try using two sheets of cellophane wrap in between the lid and the can. It keeps the POR 15 from gluing the lid to the can. Love your videos!
Great job Mike - you keep inspiring me to try more things. I've talked to my financial advisor and I looks like I'm getting a welder in April so I can start my metal adventure. Lot's to do before then on the ranch, but with your inspiration - I'll get there. Thanks!!!
If the Captain says a product is good, then you're good to set sail. Also Capt. It's very important to do these things yourself. Just like life, it's not the destination, it's the journey. Keep it up young man, you're doin' just great.
Hey Mike, it is looking good. I really like the fact you will take on anything. You have a great spirit and aren’t afraid to show you don’t know everything. Keep up the good work I’ll be following along with you.
Scrap being scrap can mesmerize perfectionists! Challenging there ethos into rearranging all that scrap, plus, into … organized chaos! My kinda effort …
Capt, lookin great, giant improvement from the start!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wish I could still do that stuff! Keep plugin away and you'll have a great homestead truck!!
Love the channel Love the series on the dump truck when you're all set and done you can look at it and say,,,, I did it my way,,,, and be happy and proud
A Frankenstein truck . I love it ! I have a wood chipper that is really a few chippers glued together! It was a lot of work but one of my favorite accomplishments !
You have adopted the late Roger Welsch's philosophy. He did it mainly with Allis Chalmers C tractors. There is a technique for forming those small pieces that uses a leather pillow filled with sand and a soft hammer to shape the parts. I've seen it but never tried it.
Hi Mike. I think the floor looks awesome! I have a 1999 GMC rust bucket that I am slowly replacing as much of the rusty parts as I can. It took me all last summer to replace the floor in the bed and the supports underneath but now, it is decent again. I can surely relate to not wanting to continue from time to time. Your dump truck is going to be great when it's done!
I can understand why you are doing this project the way you are. It's like most of the projects you do. You take something and restore it or renovate it and there is nothing wrong with it. Sure, you could go buy a functional dump truck, you could have bought a functional backhoe or storage building and been moving forward with other projects. But where is the fun in that? Like you have said many times, you are learning as you go and it makes it that much better. And we get to learn right along with you as well as enjoy the mistakes (find the humor in) and victories with you. I can't wait to see this epic build completed. Can you imagine what you can do with this truck for all the projects going on and coming up? From hauling soil, rock, and timber to taking scrap to the scrap yard and much more. It's going to be a great investment. Sometimes it's just not about the return. I think too many people concentrate on the return side of things. This truck build will definitely give you your money back just in the use you will get out of it. Thanks for bringing us along with you.
Having fun and learning are two very important things! You got this! If you have an old C clamp cut the upper part of the c off then you can tack it to your metal and use the clamp to pull your metal to where you want it then cut the clamp off and use it again!
That’s as good a floor pan as there ever was. I worked in a welding shop when I was a younger fellow. Not because I wanted to be a welder, but it sure added to my skill set. Enjoy watching you work on your projects Captain!
I've done projects similar to this, but back before we had MIG welders and some of the things we have now. It is very satisfying and educational. I watch some other channels that do a lot of body work and there is so much waste involved that I just shake my head and wonder why I watch them.
Well done Mike! I watch a channel named Halfass Kustoms where a lot of this kind of work gets done. Incredible how old rotten metal can be made strong and useful again. For someone who doesn't do this everyday, you did great!
I get the hitting the repetitive function wall ( boring) when doing a project that takes a long period of time, but, when its done it gives a real sense of accomplishment, that floor pan patch job looks sweet when you compare it to what you started with, you made work, nice job getting thru it, thanks for the update and the video.
Dang Mike, that looks really good! Best advise I can give you is to make sure the floor is really smooth under the gas pedal so it doesn't catch on a weld joint at full throttle! Ask me how I know LOL
Hi captain, look at Make It Kustom’s latest sets of vlogs. Carl is a talented young fabricator who is such a great teacher. The last vlog showed him making a complicated looking patch panel with a sand bag and basic tools. You can learn a lot of skills from just watching. Lovin this jigsaw truck build and you have a go attitude. I get the I have had enough welding and need a break. I have been making a pump house from reclaimed steel, sure I could buy one but I am more satisfied with having made it from scrap, my time, solar power and some consumables. It’s the slow way but, hey, I am retired so there is no rush. I get frustrated and walk the dog knowing the job will still be there but the angst will have gone. That break makes it more enjoyable rather than persisting with that fog clouding consciousness. Keep up the good work.
You’re making great progress Mike , that cab floor looks strong as hell 👍 Watching a video of you buying a truck ready to go wouldn’t compare in the slightest to watching you build this magnificent beast, “ built not bought “ definitely way better 👍 If your 555 renovation is anything to go by, this project is gonna be fun and fascinating to watch, keep doing what you do please Mike, love it 👍👍🇬🇧🇺🇸
Absolutely love this project... my kind of project really... keeping it low on the starting budget and eventually end up having to spend as much as a better version, simply put is besides the point. It's all about the process and the learnings acquired along the way.. LOVE it, please keep going !
Great progress on the truck Captain, you are doing repairs and coating things nicely and it will last many years! You can use painters caulk on those floor pans instead of the expensive seam sealers since you have all the bare metal primed and it is going to get covered by bed liner just give it a couple of days to dry.
roofing tar works just as well. probably bunch of it in the stuff DP left in Kleeman World HQ. We've used gutter mastic that was left behind from the seamless gutters that were installed on our building
Patched enough ford and Chevy truck floors in my life Mike don't forget to seal the floor with something I used roof patch in a tube it will keep the rot from coming back great video thanks Mike
Good job Mike! I hope you stay at it! I have done projects that I felt the same way. Just wanted to walk away and buy something that works but, I was so glad I stayed with it. Ha! not the best looking but did exactly what I wanted it to do!! I enjoy watching your videos Mike.
You are doing what you want to do for your own reasons. We are here enjoying what you are doing because we enjoy your experiences. Alot of us dream of having the chance to do this and this is as close as we can get. 👍
