Seat Boxes, I

Last post, if you recall, I designed the seat boxes - here is the pattern, for reference:


As with the sheet metal for the lower rear battery box, I printed it out on several sheets of 8.5x11 paper, taped it together and cut it out (the holes in the middle are extra taping points):


Since I was making two identical boxes, I just clamped two sheets together and taped the pattern on top of the stack:


Here is one of them, cut out and sanded down all pretty:


The folds are kind of tricky. If I had sheet metal wider than 24" I would not have done the pattern this way - but this is the only way it would fit on a 24x48 sheet of steel. First, I folded the upper lip over (to make a sturdy and non-sharp edge around the top). Next, I folded the "envelope flaps" partly over:


More folding. Here comes the tricky part - you need to fold it all up just about simultaneously or it does not mesh properly. Even as it meshes properly, there is some final hammering / pushing / bending needed to get it into box shape:


Here it is, completely folded and ready for welding:


To weld, I first used various clamps to keep the flaps down completely flat against the walls:


Here is KatC, spot-welding one of the boxes:


Given that this will have a complete rack supporting it, spot-welds are more than adequate. I will paint these and then put seam sealer around the edges to keep water out:

Next up - more welding on racks...