So, Mr. Scout tells me the individual bumper parts are welded and waiting for us. The next steps are to bring the Scout to the welder so he can add gussets to the outside ends of the frame and then we can mount the whole assembly to test-fit. While he’s doing that, we have to drill holes in the spare plate to accept three bolts to mount the spare tire and two holes through the bumper to mount the Hi-Lift jack. These bolts will then be welded in place and the assembly should be finished.
Then, I’ll take it home, buy a box of grinding discs, clean up the welds and edges, and prep it for some kind of paint. I called a local powder-coating company and got a ballpark figure of $300 for a basic color (black), which is a little too rich for my blood. I think I’ll stick with rattle-can black for now.
In the meantime, I bought the wrong bolts for mounting the bumper online from Fastenal, so I have to return the ones I have (they’re huge and I’ll never use them for anything else) and buy new ones.