[Thadious]

Interesting thought on the bump out. I'll look into it more once I get the frame extended (just waiting for the local machine shop to bend up the 3 "C" channels that will make it up) and I'll post the drawing later (once I make sure that it all works as intended!).

The stands are made from square tubing and rebar, as the previous owner of this property had this thing about jamming 2' of rebar into the ground, another 2' piece (or longer) of 1"x1" square tubing onto it and one of those solar powered yard lights into the square tubing on the top. I don't mean a couple here or there... more like 100 or so! They were EVERYWHERE! In face, a year + later, I'm still finding them! So, lest to say, I have a nice stack of 1" tubing and short lengths of rebar, and this just helped shorten the stack just a little.

Add a piece of pipe at the top with a 3/4" nut welded on, then a chunk of all-thread, a nut and washer welded to the top and machined flat. Makes for a good support stand!

I had considered a second frame, but it would be a hassle to find another exploder, strip it down again and do the whole thing over again. With an inside sleeve, all welded in and the two additional C channels, it will still be 50%+ stronger than the original frame in that section and considering it was a boxed frame to begin with, plenty strong for this project.

The jack stands are tacked to the frame sections, so they aren't going anywhere and when cut, the frame doesn't drop or collapse in any way. The benefit of having a brace so close to the cut at both sections. The insert sleeve will also ensure alignment, both side to side and up and down. The internal section of each half of the sleeve is 11" with an additional 4" for the new make up section (essentially 26" in length).

As far as alignment and pulling it all together, the final adjustments (the fine one) is accomplished by welding a nut at the after end, a length of all-thread, through a small piece of pipe (welded to the forward end) with nuts on either side of the pipe. This will allow the frame to be pushed together and pulled apart with much easier precision than a clamp or (gasp) hammering it. Then just cut off the parts later and grind flush.

I'll post a picture later of my setup. The intention of this is to get a good solid backed weld, ground flush and made to not be noticed, without sacrificing one iota of structural integrity!