Can you say, "clamp army"? I love the idea. Except welding too much on wood, that's where I'm not a fan. Maybe a big plate, like 1/8" with supports underneath. Then tack on the guides, weld up the frame and grind the guides off and tacks to level.
Building a Weld Fixture
- Thread starter MatthewBasaraba
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Rustydog2010
NZ Nutta :|
That was one of my concerns. The wood would just smolder away.
Ideal would be a 2mx1.5m 1/2" plate table with holes drilled every where in it.
Like this.
Jeremy.
MatthewBasaraba
Jerry Rigger
Even if it was steel plate you would half drip build up which really sucks to clean off. As I stated, my next installment with have the weld zones.
MatthewBasaraba
Jerry Rigger
Yes it would be much easier if it was a plate I could weld my stops to. The price difference is way more than I was willing to spend though.
Doc Sprocket
*********
I used to have access to a 4x8' welding table with a 3/16" steel plate top. Heavy bugger. But you're right. Every so often I'd have to clean all the spatter, drips, and tack-welds off it, which could get pretty time consuming. Rust, too. On the upside, it was flat and true, and being able to tack stuff to it was golden. Instant vise. Was really nice not having to mess with the welder's work clamp either- once the first piece was tacked to the table, I could just put the clamp on the edge of the table out of my way and work all day without having to bother with it again.
My boss sold the table for scrap one day. I haven't worked for him for 2 1/2 years and I could still strangle him.
MatthewBasaraba
Jerry Rigger
Haha I laughed out loud when I read that!
I know what you mean about that benefits of that table, I need to make myself one. This was more for a production type rather than a universal tool. I see a lot of people that complain that their kart is not square or it is twisted and this would prevent that.
I used cheap clamps, those spring clamps cost me less than $1 each. This is what I would eventually like to use. These can be positioned to clamp and give a 2 direction clamping.
MatthewBasaraba
Jerry Rigger
So the finished product... After all my stops and on and I mount my first set of materials I check where my welds that will be next to the table will be. I mark out and area around these welds that I can get my torch in and drill holes in the plate and use a jig saw to cut out a hole in that area. You can see the cut out in the picture, this allows me to roll the table and weld the bottom without having to take the part off.
I do this for each section, allowing me total access to the entire part without removing it from the fixture.
I welded all the pieces, took me about 20 minutes. Cleaned my welds and let it cool. I pulled it from my fixture and it was perfectly square and flat. Not a single twist. I still need to add a couple supports in the front section but I am waiting till a seat gets here before I determine where they will go.
Matthew
I do this for each section, allowing me total access to the entire part without removing it from the fixture.
I welded all the pieces, took me about 20 minutes. Cleaned my welds and let it cool. I pulled it from my fixture and it was perfectly square and flat. Not a single twist. I still need to add a couple supports in the front section but I am waiting till a seat gets here before I determine where they will go.
Matthew
r97
Measure twice cut once
that came out amazing! well done 
i may have to try it some time, but i would need to save up a bit of cash first, how tough do you think it would be to build a mini bike on a fixture like that?
i may have to try it some time, but i would need to save up a bit of cash first, how tough do you think it would be to build a mini bike on a fixture like that?MatthewBasaraba
Jerry Rigger
Round or square tubing? Either would work for a mini.
I used to design GP racing frames for 600-750cc class for a few AA racers, mostly girls since I made the bikes a lot smaller for them to ride. The fixture would be VERY simple since they are a mirror.
You make the fixture so the side of the bike would be flat against the fixture. You weld a complete side. Once the side is complete, you remove and welded another one, this is the opposite side.
At this point I made an upright. This was just a system of holding the cross supports horizontally. You clamp the sides to the horizontal supports and weld them in place and you are done.
To be honest you wouldnt need a roll table, unless it is an over sized bike. The frame would be so light you could just flip it up on end and weld the other side.
Matthew
I used to design GP racing frames for 600-750cc class for a few AA racers, mostly girls since I made the bikes a lot smaller for them to ride. The fixture would be VERY simple since they are a mirror.
You make the fixture so the side of the bike would be flat against the fixture. You weld a complete side. Once the side is complete, you remove and welded another one, this is the opposite side.
At this point I made an upright. This was just a system of holding the cross supports horizontally. You clamp the sides to the horizontal supports and weld them in place and you are done.
To be honest you wouldnt need a roll table, unless it is an over sized bike. The frame would be so light you could just flip it up on end and weld the other side.
Matthew
r97
Measure twice cut once
far from it! very tiny bike, wasn't planing on making the rolling table. so probably not worth trying to make it a complete jig, but instead just make a few flat sections in a jig and weld them together(what i was originally planning to do). my jig will prob be a bit less heavy duty/expensive, just a piece of plywood (maybe 1/2") with some scrap wood screwed on to it .
MatthewBasaraba
Jerry Rigger
Yeah that will work. Just make sure it is flat. 
At school, we have a table with huge sheet set on top. It's between 1/4" and 3/8". It doesn't move ever. Just put the ground on the side and go to town. It's a mess now from paint and sparks and splatter, but it hasn't seen a stick welder in a year now and has been used for MIG, so the mess is minimal in comparison.
Bluethunder3320
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my table is some 1/4" thick angle iron legs welded to a seat of a metal folding chair. lol.
fowler
New member
we brought a 1/2 inch thick welding table (8ft by 4ft by 4ft tall).
It is too heavy for an average forklift so we had to use our front end loader to move it
but we've never moved it in 30yrs. It is used as a work bench so if we welded on it, it would explode from all the oil and greese on it.
It is too heavy for an average forklift so we had to use our front end loader to move it
but we've never moved it in 30yrs. It is used as a work bench so if we welded on it, it would explode from all the oil and greese on it.
Hendu3270
banned
Wow. Great job Matthew.
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