Sheet Metal Hack- Transition to Avoid Waterline and Light Fixture

[@haroldhayes7541]

I love your videos. I am a plumber by trade. Been dabbling with Sheetmetal for friends and family, your videos are very through and simple explanation.

[@tractorman4461]

That's cool. A fella just can't have too many tools, or learn too much about the trades. I'm actually a retired hvac service tech for the pipefitter local. Plumbers and fitters are a combined local in this area. Have you found the sheet metal playlists above..?? Here's one with a lot of fittings and basic duct as well: kzbin.info/aero/PLk72G9DTzZ1tqw8ST_xdUlPoy_O-SmuBx. Thanks for watching and commenting Harold.

[@coldspring624]

The beauty of laying out and building your own transitions. Just what you need right where you need it

[@tractorman4461]

No doubt about it !! I don't like bad looking or bad fitting duct...but worse I hate a duct system than is inadequate in design for the air flow its delivering.

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-2025]

I actually created a new category in my library of videos for this. Great technical knowledge and advice thank you

[@tractorman4461]

You know I always wanted to do a little more metal work on cars and trucks, but I am so busy with other fun stuff I just never seem to get down to it. Of course that's a whole different ball game, but I have done quite a lot of architectural sheet metal back in the day. And that stuff is always a challenge compared to simple ducting. Thanks for the kind words my friend. Rob has shown me I should have been collecting signs instead of shooting 'em full of bullet holes as a kid !! Some of those prices will knock your socks off.

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-2025]

@@tractorman4461 yeah I didn't say it, but I thought about the bullet holes in the signs. I don't know a lot about HVAC. I put in a high-efficiency furnace and air conditioner before. Some other things. I just followed the directions. For example the high efficiency unit I put in I bought the house when the guy who was an HVAC guy. He helped and for some reason he bailed on me. But then friend of mine chimney restoration on the side. He was a schoolteacher. He had experienced and we both knew how to glue water pipes together. Then the previous homeowner came back around with curious stunned by how good the job is completed. When I bailed on me I think there was some health emergency somewhere and his family. It would just like he said you know... But I've got house now we're in putting in ductwork because it had a central forced air furnace I think is what they called it. Is in the middle of the house in a crawl space he had to walk across to grill. And that was it. So no duct work nothing. My understanding every so often you got to reduce the diameter ductwork to perpetuate that flow. I'm assuming the gentleman on that house beforehand was using window units. But if you can do sheep male work on HVAC and obviously are well adapted to it. Farming up the sheet metal on a car is child's Play compared and I would think. Going back to when I was a teenager. For example I had this particular make and model and range of years of Camaro I would buy that was wrecked. Literally take two cars weld them together to make one. Then adding new aftermarket panels. Did pickup trucks mainly as well. My favorite one was later on I think I was well into my twenties and I just bought it to play with. The girl had got rear-ended in it and it was a Ford Fairmont futura are so always thought they would become Fords and such in a Malibu and they would be the ones that were made in the hot rods. This car wasn't all that old when I bought and had a house in the old neighborhood. Had a great neighbor. Another car guy and I put this thing in between my two giant trees in the front yard tied off the chains and start pulling it with a hand winch straighten out the back of the car. Surprisingly enough I am not a welder. Always had somebody else around it was more than you efficient at welding 🥽. Well I found a replacement tail light lens assembly and trunk lid and got all the fit on the car and rear bumper I don't know what else. I also use my neighbor's tree and then we had more room and put the car in the driveway sideways and pulled against those trees. I was showing a little neighborhood kids mostly teenagers. They were just come around and watch. I drove the thing like that it was fixed just wasn't painted. I took it back out to the farm. I prepped and sprayed it. I let it sit. A week later drove it back. And people complained about it. There were upset because they wanted to see me actually spray the car. Well I almost went into the fleet quick fix & paint business. Some guy neighborhood had brought his boss by to watch me for a little bit and his boss came back by and saw the car was done. Tell me that he would pay me $1,000 a van to spray them and do some rough in bodywork. Remember this is very early 1990s. 112 vans so it was well worth my time I figure I probably made about $500 at least pervan. All the Vans with white and he had all the letterings and everything taken off and then glue clean for me and I just worked on them couple nights a week and sometimes over the weekend. He was thrilled. They kept bumping things with their Vans and he said he wanted me to do more and I said I wasn't interested. ?????????

[@deesunshine9507]

Skills are amazing. Makes it look easy. When clearly it is not. love the videos.

[@tractorman4461]

Well, thank you for the kind words. But its like anything, once you do one or maybe a couple hundred it gets easier. LOL

[@ButlerOutdoorsCanada]

You are the master of metal Wendell!!

[@tractorman4461]

Hey...!! How ya doing man...?!! Sorry I haven't been up by your channel lately. How's the wife and the little ones doing anyway. I though of you and Rick today. I walked by the Allis grader and saw the left rear rim had give way...tube poking up and several holes ripped in it. Dang. Good to hear from you my Northern Friend.

[@HODGEPODGEDODGEGARAGE]

Awesome job Wendell 😁👍

[@tractorman4461]

Thanks Zane for stopping by today. I appreciate you taking time from your always busy day to watch.

[@ed6837]

you do a great job on that metal. And no cuts!!!! Any duct I do is automatically painted red.

[@tractorman4461]

Hahahaha....I've been known to leak a few times over the years myself. LOL. Thanks for the kind words.

[@Wheelloader__]

Being a highly skilled metal fabricator myself. Ah who am I kidding. The only metal I ever bend is the fenders on my truck. 😁cool video tractor man.

[@tractorman4461]

Hahahahaha....you get the gold star for the funniest comments of the day !! I've been known to unintentionally put a few custom bends into a fender or two myself. LOL

[@tonyjones9715]

Great job 👏

[@tractorman4461]

Thanks Tony for the kudos my friend.

[@1lilfarm]

Making it looks easy....as usual. 👍👍👍

[@tractorman4461]

Hahahaha...heck, it HAS to be easy or I couldn't do it. LOL

[@DeryaTanbasi]

Sir your amazing to watch and the experience you have is unmatched.... Amazing to see a master at work!!! ps any chance you can build a transition or plenum for a ducted mini split to go to a trunk duct....

[@tractorman4461]

I've made tons of metal for all kinds of normal and obscure applications. Here's a playlist for a tight attic, start to finish: kzbin.info/aero/PLk72G9DTzZ1taVZjyeN9DKr52HQ3hhcXd Thank you for the very kind comment. I DO appreciate it.

[@tomfillmore9710]

Good job buddy that is to many numbers for this old head to remember I would have that so screw up the air would go the other way take care have a great weekend

[@tractorman4461]

Hahahaha....that's funny Tom. I get some numbers backwards on occasion too so its no big deal. Have a great day my friend.

[@FanjetRG]

Sheet metak genius...great job...

[@tractorman4461]

Thanks Raymond for the kind words buddy.

[@conspiracyscholor7866]

Ductwork seems to be an art. I never really considered it much until I started watching you fabricate these things. Did you usually collect dimensions then fabricate the duct offsite or on the spot?

[@tractorman4461]

I usually do the tear out and measure the whole job if possible then shop fabricate. I do have mobile capability and for larger out of town jobs, I bolt the needed machines to the trailer and spend a few days out of town...but I haven't done that in years. Back in the day I did a lot of 'on-site' fabrications all by hand on most small change out jobs. But the larger residential jobs and all commercial jobs were measured up after the tear out, then shop fabricated. New construction is always measured on site, then shop fabbed.

[@Bob-zj8br]

Another excellent video! Is it possible for you to maybe do a video on how about you get the measurements for these jobs? Specifically how you would take measurements for a furnace swapout where you cant get any sides straight with the existing plenum? I can handle two sides straight but anything less than that and I need help...

[@tractorman4461]

Here's one of the few videos I've done showing the way I measure some of them:kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaLaZ6SaZ919ntE. It varies from job to job though. Some of them are really tough but I now use a laser level quite frequently and others I use a straight edge down to the furnace from the 4 corners of the duct to get a start. If you get one side measured accurately the rest will fall in place. But the trick is getting the first one perfect !! I don't do a lot of stuff any more because ...well, just because. LOL. I'll keep your request in mind on the next one though. I do have two to do this fall for a buddy.

[@Bob-zj8br]

@@tractorman4461 thank you! 😊

[@Bob-zj8br]

@tractorman4461 what type of laser level do you use?

[@tractorman4461]

@@Bob-zj8br I use a 6'' Stanley with three way laser. The full length is fitted with a long rare earth magnet. Actually 2 of them three inches long. Nothing else I've found will hold on duct as securely. I also use a Bosch lazer measuring tool. Supremely accurate for sure. I also use a 5 way auto-level for pinpointing or locating multiple points at one time. The cool thing about it is it automatically levels the beams in all directions in just a split second. Within reason. It's gotta be close to level to start.

[@Bob-zj8br]

@tractorman4461 thanks!!

[@marconantel7735]

You are a master my friend

[@tractorman4461]

Well, thank you and I see you found some of my other sheet metal vids. Did you find this playlist of 34 vids ? kzbin.info/aero/PLk72G9DTzZ1tqw8ST_xdUlPoy_O-SmuBx The first few are kinda boring and just straight duct iirc. But there will be lots of plenums, transitions and return air filter fittings and r/a air boxes.

[@marconantel7735]

@@tractorman4461 found em, watched em, loved em!

[@tractorman4461]

@@marconantel7735Awesome!! Thank you for that. I'll soon be adding to the video uploaded earlier this week as well. I DO appreciate you guys taking the time to watch stuff.

[@davinlaroche3029]

I feel the list of things you can't do is shorter than the list of things you CAN do.

[@tractorman4461]

Hahahaha...I just have been on a very lucky streak Davin. Besides, I'm too cheap to pay someone to do something I can muddle my way through. Thanks for the kind comment and for taking the time to watch.

[@regsparkes6507]

I say that this bit of ductwork is a work of art, but it wasn't, it was done by 'Tractorman44' :) ( that's a weak one isn't it? )

[@tractorman4461]

Hahahaha...well if its any consolation I DO have an Uncle Art !! LOL.

[@regsparkes6507]

@@tractorman4461 That will do then. :)

[@andygulick6085]

haha "funky" use that term all the time. Never seem to get easy jobs....

[@tractorman4461]

Aw man...its almost like the boss searched all around for the WORST jobs to send me on. But then I realized everybody thought the same thing !! Thanks Andy for stopping in today.