[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by RidgeRunner

I never thought of making my own, Great idea, but using the drill press with the spindles still welded onto the axle might be tricky.

I only suggested a drill press so that it's a straight hole down the center..
You can do it with a hand drill if you're really careful.

What is the best way to line up the spindles, v-block or string it out using the hub face and axle as a reference?

I have no idea... Obviously you want the spindle to be 90 degrees from the frame so it tracks correctly, but I don't know what you're welding it to. If you have an axle stub then I'd think that, yes, a "v-block' is the way to go. Tack it in place, remove the block and let fly. Be careful to keep the welds short so you don't pull the spindle off center.

Stick with 7018 rod is what I was planning on using, waiting on parts. Any suggestions?

7018 is the stronger rod.. (70,000 lbs tensile as opposed to 60,000 for 6011). Depends on your skill level I think. I like 6011 because it has better penetration than 7018. It's great on rusted/painted parts.... and you can run it reversed polarity, which you can't do with 7018. But 7018 gives you a better looking finished weld and you can just drag it whereas with 6011 you have to keep the stick away from the metal. Straight in and J stroking it always seems to work best for me. That's a really rough call. If the metals' clean I'd go with the 7018. If it's dirty/rusted then the 6011 would be my choice. You could also use 6010 which is a fast freeze rod (which means the puddle cools and hardens much faster than 7018). Useful on vertical welds.

Don't forget..when welding vertical from bottom to top (which is how any experienced welder should), don't be hesitant to move a half an inch out of the puddle to allow the molten metal to harden. It makes it easier to run a consistent bead. When doing it, move upward (out of the puddle) so that you cover up any chicken scratch that is created. It makes stick welding in vertical positions (especially the root pass) much easier. It takes a few times to get it right, but you'll use it for a lifetime once you figure it out.

Hope this helps a little...