Sandringham 6x6

[sako243]

I'm not exactly a social butterfly myself, but I've been kicking around the place a lot longer

I phoned up the place in Carmarthen - ballpark quote of £500

Funnily enough speaking to Mark @ CLH today about galvanising he recommended Mike Bleakley, I've found their contact details and emailed Tom (mainly because I could then include a picture of the chassis).

Currently leaning towards just wire-wheeling / needle gunning it and then see where I'm at. Need to phone around galvanising plants as it sounds like Cardiff (who CLH use) add a minimum charge of ~£425, Mark's investigating (I suspect just because they can).

 

[RWD3M]

I phoned up the place in Carmarthen - ballpark quote of £500

Funnily enough speaking to Mark @ CLH today about galvanising he recommended Mike Bleakley, I've found their contact details and emailed Tom (mainly because I could then include a picture of the chassis).

Currently leaning towards just wire-wheeling / needle gunning it and then see where I'm at. Need to phone around galvanising plants as it sounds like Cardiff (who CLH use) add a minimum charge of ~£425, Mark's investigating (I suspect just because they can).

I had a new rear subframe for our classic Mini galvanised at Cardiff a couple of years ago and was rather disappointed with their service, not to mention £250 bill! I've used Wedge at Newport quite a bit over the years (since McArthur in Bristol closed) and although the girl in the office is much nicer to deal, they are getting ridiculously expensive.

 

[sako243]

There might be some restrictions on where it can go because it's 17ft long. Going to phone Hereford and speak to them, apparently they're a decent bunch.

 

[RWD3M]

I've got it in my head that Newport has a 6m tank, I believe they do armco there.

I could be wrong, I often am.

 

[8ob]

There might be some restrictions on where it can go because it's 17ft long. Going to phone Hereford and speak to them, apparently they're a decent bunch.

Ed, Wessex galv at Eastleigh definitely can, you could drop it off on your next trip west and collect it on the way home. They understand and know how to string up a chassis, they wont give it back like a banana.

Bob

 

[sako243]

Ed, Wessex galv at Eastleigh definitely can, you could drop it off on your next trip west and collect it on the way home. They understand and know how to string up a chassis, they wont give it back like a banana.

Bob

That is a possibility but a very remote one since I'm likely busy next week and haven't finished stripping it down let alone repairing it in two weeks time.

 

[sako243]

Ed, Wessex galv at Eastleigh definitely can, you could drop it off on your next trip west

Not aware of an Eastleigh in Pembrokeshire. Not been to Ireland so I guess it's an opportunity to...

 

[indy4x]

@s410man seems to have lots of galvanising done, not sure who does his but might be worth an ask

He's not far from Talgarth

 

[s410man]

I don't think galvanising plants like doing chassis' much as I suppose there's so much to go wrong if it's a old chassis with some bits rustier/thinner than the rest it's more likely to heat up unevenly as they dip it in the bath and hence they're easy to warp

I always use cardiff I'm down there every Friday I used to use hereford but changed after I had a job I needed doing asap-hereford were quoting their usual approx 7 days and werent interested in helping me out even tho i was there most weeks back then, so I rang cardiff and they said if its urgent they'd do it the same day if needed and ive used them ever since.I don't expect that every time but if I do have a job that needs doing quick they'll help if they can. The big boss will always say hello when you see him and I like companies with that attitude.

They have got a big sign up in reception that says something about all chassis are a minimum of £x I suppose due to the extra care etc needed to jig them up and dip them they probably can't do them as fast so fair enough really

I believe there is a "galvanisers" out west Wales direction that isn't actually a galvanisers but a big holding yard then 2 or 3 times a week cardiff send a few artics out there to collect and drop off the previous work

@sako243 there's usually atleast 2 or 3 clh trailers there every time I'm there so I'd guess they could be getting 10+ trailers a week galvanised there!

Just to add aswell I may be wrong but I believe hereford has one of the longest baths in the country and cardiff has one of the widest-talking to the boys in cardiff you'll quite often see bits in there from Oxford or Portsmouth etc I believe partly to do with the bath size

They also do the shot blasting, powder coating and spray painting all in the same place if your chassis needs blasting first

 

[sako243]

@s410man, @indy4x there in lies the crux I think. They simply don't like dealing with old chassis frames. Mark said that one of the things they usually add is a "skimming" charge to clean all the baths from the crud that they say comes out.

He did show me a video from Highland galvanisers where a hole hadn't been drilled into a cross member and they missed it, it exploded and blew the side of out the tank sending 11t of galv out all over the floor.

Given there's no replacement chassis for these it's going to be a case of phoning around and seeing what prices there are and get a decent job done.

Regarding blasting etc., I wanted that done beforehand so I can see what needs repairing etc., but that's proving so far to be unaffordable at the moment. With everything being stripped down it's a bit easier to attack with the needle gun and wire wheel. We have a decent few days now so hopefully I can spend an hour or two each day. I'm tempted to leave it on four of its wheels for the moment so it's easier to roll in and out of the workshop to prevent dew on it in the mornings.

 

[bletchmonster]

I suspect one reason galvanisers don't like old chassis is the grit from blasting is impossible to completely remove from internal chassis sections.
This then flows out during dipping and contaminates the zinc bath.
This is why occasionally the likes of me complain when jobs come back galvanised looking like they've been dipped in hundreds and thousands .
Apparently they can settle out the contamination by throwing talc on the bath but this is all extra process and meither for them.

 

[s410man]

Think it was hereford where a bloke got killed a few years ago due to a vent hole not being done and the subsequent explosion of molten zinc

Does it really need galvanising? There's some very good chassis protection products now if applied correctly to a good clean chassis will have a looooong lifespan-especially if you can engineer out some of the known rust trap areas.

 

[sako243]

There aren't any replacement chassis available so when it's done it's done. I have no idea how many were truly built, perhaps only 12.

So no it's not really required but whilst it's all apart I see it as the best option for protecting the inside of the chassis. I'll still paint it afterwards but I don't really see why not.

 

[minimutly]

There aren't any replacement chassis available so when it's done it's done. I have no idea how many were truly built, perhaps only 12.

So no it's not really required but whilst it's all apart I see it as the best option for protecting the inside of the chassis. I'll still paint it afterwards but I don't really see why not.

Guy up our way made his own chassis, then had it galved. Questionable legality I guess, but who's questioning?

 

[sako243]

As long as it's made to the original specs then I don't think it matters too much but I don't want to go down that route.

A wee bit of needle gunning happened this evening after mowing one of the lawns and then destroying it with the JCB.

Some holes were made

I'd always found the needle gun a bit lacklustre but seems to be quite good now so must have been a bit underpowered on Dad's compressors.

 

[OJCar]

^ Time for some boroscope action as well I think.

It'll be rusting from the inside to out as well as outside to in.

 

[minimutly]

^ Time for some boroscope action as well I think.

It'll be rusting from the inside to out as well as outside to in.

Hit and listen...

 

[sako243]

Hit and listen...

I'm hitting it all over, with the needle gun, that's definitely finding the holes. It's not taking too long either, basically did a 10th of the chassis in half an hour last night so a couple of good sessions should see most of it done.

 

[reb78]

This is how my chassis change started. Little hole, tap tap, bigger hole, oh sh1t this is so far gone it needs replacement (in my case with a 110 they are available).

This is going to get a lot worse before it gets better!!!

 

[m_c]

I'm hitting it all over, with the needle gun, that's definitely finding the holes. It's not taking too long either, basically did a 10th of the chassis in half an hour last night so a couple of good sessions should see most of it done.

You've spent.gone wrong at the end of that..