Mitre clamps

[Jim Davey]

My next step is a jig table. The only way people will be persuaded to buy one Is if they see and use one so that's next on the list. A lovely 1x2 metre Seigmund table on wheeled legs.

 

[Arclikeharrypotter]

Think I'm going to get a 14mm slab laser cut. 1 half full of 16mm holes other half less holes. Need to still have space to mount 2 vices. Was looking at the stronghand but I'd be too worried about it taking a beating, I need 1 table to do everything sadly. That's a nice size table Jim. Dare I ask the cost?

 

[Jim Davey]

I'm not sure yet, by the time I e got a half decent set of hold downs and general purpose fixturing accessories I expect it will have knocked a decent hole in 2.5k but I see so many fabricators struggling without even knowing they need one.
I was at a place today, they had a beautiful 1.5x3 bench with a 20mm thick top and angle welded all over the top for various things this company makes. They said the bench is completely useless now for anything else.
Whereas a jig table can be broken down and re used in no time and used for anything you want. Just put three bolts in it and you've got a perfect square, or add an upright and you can quickly fit up a frame that's square in 3 dimensions.
As for taking a beating, the plasma nitrided surface on the toughest table is rated to 700 Vickers, that's enough to take some serious gbh.

 

[Arclikeharrypotter]

Seriously nice bit of kit, limits of endless with the tooling you can get with it. Looks alot sturdier than the stronghand one. I think if I make a decent effort of my next table it'll be enough for me. I'd love a proper jig table but I can't warrant the initial outlay, trust me ive tried to convince myself many times that I need one!

 

[Jim Davey]

It's one of those things people say, I don't know how I coped before I had it.

 

[outofthefire]

Think I'm going to sack off any thoughts of mitre clamps, possibly look at building a layout bench. For the cost of 4 clamps at 150 a piece I could make a decent bench.

C grips and F or G clamps are the most versatile tools you need in my opinion. At work I build all big frames on a couple of tressles I clamp bits of scrap angle across the joints, check my width and height and check it roughly for square with a set square at one end then put a tack inside each corner. Then I make sure its square across the diagonals when i'm happy I tack the outside corners top and bottom, then add any other bits just tacking when they're all in I weld it up. If it's a big frame I just work my way round welding all the verticals then the top and bottoms.

This is a bulkhead for a curtainsider this cock on square it's 8'6" tall by 2250 wide



and this is a demount frame, it'll be square to an 1/8" this is about 30' long and 2250 wide

 

[outofthefire]

If you want a cheap layout out bench see if there is a commercial vehicle body builder near by and go ask them nicely for some chassis offcuts, they are a decent thickness and because it's channel they're very rigid plus all the holes are already there. This is one of my benches at home. I have a similar one at work but I left a 50mm gap between the offcuts which is useful for making jigs.

 

[Kent]

I use the Phier ones.

View attachment 93172

And they are sturdy as hell, but depending on the weld sequence the part can still spring a little if you aren't careful about your weld sequence or fit up. For example if the cut isn't dead square and the metal you are welding is touching in one point but has a slight gap opening towards the other side even though the two pieces of metal are square relative to eachother the joint can pull. In that case I tend to get two strong tacks on the gap first each end to bridge the gap, I then fully weld the opposite side to the gap I tacked, allowing weld contraction to effectively try to help pull my gap open (which the tacks prevent) then weld both sides and gap last. This gives me the best result.
If the joint is perfect, you can still have issues if you don't tack all four sides before you start fully welding. A cooling, shrinking weld on a heavy wall box can exert tons of force, that's enough to pull a joint out of square if you haven't tacked it first, unless you have multiple clamps on the box at its ends as well.

The point I tried to make earlier is I wouldn't weld out in a clamp especially on say a square frame - only tack.
There is no great point and it can be counter productive
If I am doing a fair few I will always fully tack out the batch then and only then start buttoning them up - after a re- check

 

[Kent]

For some reason I can no longer get my pictures to upload. However I made a large fixture bench and posted plan and pictures on here in the past
If anyone wants one I can build for a price, if anyone is seriously Interseted in building one I could copy the plans if I could find them in the office.
How useful? Well if I built a shop for a few guys they would all have one from the get go
Quality, speed and efficiency is incredible. UK importer of stronghand tools? Rubbish either front desk messages never get relayed or the sales department need sacking. Even after speaking with the company itself in the states, I failed to be able to order thier clamps after an e- mail of prices. Phone leave a message and get no response back!
Given up now make my own, there is more than one way to skin a cat on that one

 

[Jim Davey]

I've had good service when I contacted strong-hand. Got prices and info pretty fast, but ive only had dealings once or twice so I can't say if that's the norm.
As for the clamps, they work best if bolted down, this is extra work though and if it's a one off its just not worth it.

 

[Kent]

I've had good service when I contacted strong-hand. Got prices and info pretty fast, but ive only had dealings once or twice so I can't say if that's the norm.
As for the clamps, they work best if bolted down, this is extra work though and if it's a one off its just not worth it.

In the states they were great, it's the distributer here I had issues with

 

[500e]

My next step is a jig table. The only way people will be persuaded to buy one Is if they see and use one so that's next on the list. A lovely 1x2 metre Seigmund table on wheeled legs.

OR
https://www.demmeler.com/fileadmin/user_upload/Download/DE/Demmeler_Hauptkatalog_2015_EN.pdf
On my wish list next Xmass perhaps with a few extras thrown in
A slightly cheaper alternative in US though
https://weldtables.com/products/fb3636-certiflat-fabblock-u-weld-kit-modular-welding-table