NTK FabWorks

03/07/2025

This was the deepest I’ve dove into the sheetmetal genre, which was intimidating at first, but once I immersed myself, it was really enjoyable. The kick panels were literally the first parts I ever bead rolled, other than a small piece of scrap to determine the wheel offsets. It’s wild how much a simple bead line can completely transform an otherwise boring flat panel. Once the door panels were on, they were just too plain, so I took some notes from and ’s playbooks and incorporated an offset honeycomb inlay. The narrowed jeep hood was also too boring, along with having no vents to evacuate engine bay heat. and myself decided that it needed a matching honeycomb accent/vent. The cargo tray was made as large as possible and still be removable, 1/8” aluminum, plenty of holes along the perimeter for tie down points, along with L-track provisions as well.

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03/05/2025

After venturing into the realm of 3d printing it opened a TON of windows in fabrication land. Tons of parts were 3d printed on the , most of which is in the electrical side of things. I wanted the electronics to be in a waterproof non-conductive container, so after started on the wiring, I told him the location I planned to mount said container and what all he needed to house in it. Wanted the Terminator brain box to be removable without taking the box loose, so a bracket with some embedded nuts allows just that. After almost dropping the ECU a couple times, I stopped, modeled and printed a mock up ECU. The bulkhead fitting we decided to use heeded to have a few inches of stand off from the box, so a riser with removable end cap was born. A slight change in the switch panel that got used, required an adapter to make it fit to the hole and bolt pattern I had already made. Integrated some orange into the adapter to match the wheels and some heat set inserts with countersunk screws. Also needed a place to mount the Terminator’s touch screen, while keeping it protected from the elements as much as possible. Way too much time at the computer resulted in the mount with a seamless top and back, with a bolt-on faceplate. wanted a ball mount for both occupants so it made sense to incorporate the AMPS bolt pattern to the back to mount it, allowing adjustability and having a modular mounting rail on the dash. The mockup ECU and Terminator screen mount are also available on the webstore, with or without mounting hardware.

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03/03/2025

Follow up post from the last, the cable shifters that were originally in the plans not only looked like dookie, they also weren’t going to allow me to get the floor pans as low as needed and clear the seats. Measured a bunch and designed up a simple bellcrank setup with all thread and baby heim joints to do the job. The pivot uses oil impregnated bronze bushings in a 5” shoulder bolt and all the 1/4-20 bolts were replaced with cotter pin retained clevis pins. The all-thread was then sleeved with 1/4” ID tubing to keep the linkages from buckling under compressive loads, never took any pictures of them once done though. Had to dig clear back to January of 2023 for these pictures.

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02/28/2025

Another photo dump of the ’s center console and some interior panels. I pushed myself to use for as much of the work as possible, so there was a lot of measurements and cardboard involved. While that process might seem like it would take longer, the fabrication part was basically follow the blueprint. Magically everything fit on the first shot(my OCD was happy). Was always slightly intimidated by sheetmetal work, mainly from lack of experience, however once I dove into it, it’s extremely fulfilling. None of the parts I made were earth shattering, but to see it completely transform a blank canvas of tubing, it really changed my brains way of thinking and designing. Next post will be of how I got rid of those ugly shifter cables.

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02/18/2025

Well, it’s been about a year and a half of no social media posts, have quite the pile of photos to dump over the next few days/weeks. First off will be the forever buggy that got finished out over quite a few years here for . It spent almost 2 years sitting outside throughout its time here between juggling other work and keeping the webstore rolling. She made her departure from here back in September. Tons more pictures to follow this post. I must add, and inspired me to not just throw flat panels on this thing, 100% worth the extra effort!

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09/19/2023

09/08/2023

Right before Ken, “the man of much storage”, departed for yet another multiple-month trip to Death Valley back in April, he wanted more, you guessed it, storage. Even though he’s 6’ 4”, loading the already top heavy onto the bike rack is a bit sketchy with the right side pannier and top case on. We decided on making some brackets to mount both panniers and top case on his . With all 3 of them loaded, they weigh well over 100lbs combined, although not ideal to put that weight so high, we both liked the idea of that weight being in front of the rear axle, not 6’ behind it. We’ll make another lighter duty set of brackets that he can mount on the wall in his garage and neatly store them when he’s not going on any long trips. Just when I thought we were done with storage, he shows up with yet another toolbox 🤣. Whipped up some brackets for the toolbox to go on his roof rack as well, finished off with some stainless button head bolts. All the brackets got sandblasted and a powder coated with high gloss black.

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09/01/2023

Neat little dibbler punch plate project for from about 6 months ago. They needed a handheld solution to replace an automated setup that never quite worked properly. These get used to poke holes in dirt planter trays to plant grass seedlings. Put a LOT of miles on the Vyper printing all 128 of the dibbler pins(plus a handful of spares). Then tapped every one of them to 1/4-20 and assembled. Designed them up in and was JUST able to squeak them into the finger brake. As dialed in as I’ve gotten their little finger brake, I’m definitely not going to miss it’s limitations.

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08/17/2023

For sale!! Pains me to post this. When I built this thing 11-12 years ago, there was never a thought of selling it later on. Anticipated having one of my kids in the passenger seat and it being their introduction into the 4wheeling world. Life has changed, it’s time to thin the herd and invest into my business. Being that this hasn’t been on a trail in 6 years now, it’s time to part ways and go to a new home where it will actually be taken out and enjoyed(and hurt feelings).
It was built literally from the ground up, by me and has gone through many transformations along the way. It was at a point that I was going to cut the entire thing apart and redo everything and “finish it”, instead I chose to set it aside and start a business. 40k mile Jasper 22re, w56, dual stock cases with Marlin MC-07 adapter, 3/8” thick trans mount/skid, flat bellied, V6 rear 3rd, full spool, 4.10s, high pinion front, full case Detroit, 4.10s, the OG LEGIT 30spline Longfields, OG Longfield hub gears, Aisin hubs, v6 calipers, double triangulated 4 link rear with coils and bilsteins, front leafs, full hydro with psc pump, big orbital and a thicccc steering ram, Joe’s steering wheel disco, 12gal fuel cell, E2000 pump, 2x4x1/4 sliders tied to the frame with 2x1/4 box and load plates, 15x10 steel beadlocks, 39.5 IROK’s(that actually hold air), cage is DOM, corbeau SS, Crowe harnesses, warn 9.5ti with cable, battery disco. Rear housing either needs a new mounting fl**ge or swap in the rear steer housing I have for it. Rear steer housing is a bare unwelded brand new Dana high pinion super 60 housing with cover, 3.5x1/2” wall DOM tubes, 99-04 outers, 6-lug units and Branik inner shafts, centered housing @ 60.5” WMS. Also have a truss for the housing. Has a yellow top, but it will need replaced. Cooler, toolbox and tote mounts. OVERLY IN DEPTH build thread in comments

It’s not a v8 1-ton sticky tire buggy, but it’s overbuilt for what it is, performs well and is extremely predictable. It will keep up with the big boys if you have the balls to drive it hard(which I don’t). $8k takes it all away, plus a bunch of parts collected over the years.

Added a bunch more pictures from today in the comments.