makign several of same frames

admin

I need to build about 12 more of these frames.I built it the long way, tacked and checked for square and again and again.Would tacking pieces around one of them to make a jig work or would it pull against the jig and spring out of square when I take it out of the jig ?Thanks,L
Reply:Making a jig would help you keep them all the same. But yeah, if you go to welding without thinking you will pull it everywhere. It would make tacking faster.UA Local 598
Reply:If it was me, I would tack on some diagonals, and maybe some tabs to clamp it to your neat horses. Limited tacks should not be too powerful for a braced jig. If you think you might make more in the future, maybe make an "extra" to use as the jig, making the bracing a bit more permanent. What are you making?Just my  opinion, not from a book, just from the road.Howes Welding Inc.www.howesweldinginc.com
Reply:they are shelves, a pair of each with 15" pieces separating them.
Reply:I would put a piece of 4x8 Plywood down and a couple 2x4's for the jig just to speed up the layout and tacking.As mentioned even with a Jig you can't weld balls to the wall unless yer making bananas.Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Yes, tacking some pieces to one of those parts and using it as a jig will work, I do this often when I have items like this to built.  I wouldn't bother with making a dedicated fixture unless I was building hundreds of them.  For a small number of them you're best off making the first part into a simple jig.  Use some flat bar (so long as it's flat), angle, channel, or drops from the tubing you're using to make the shelves.  Tack them to the part, best if they're just well enough to hold, then a simply whack with a hammer will remove them when you are done.  Clamp the tube for each subsequent part to these pads, tack the part when you're satisfied.  I typically pull a quick measure across the diagonals to ensure squareness.  Just put all the pads on the same two sides of the part if possible.  If they are all on the outside or all on the inside it can make removing the part troublesome, not likely on a part this short.  But sometimes you just don't have a choice, such as when working with channel that has to have a certain orientation.  I'm attaching a quick, crudely done drawing, the green spots are an example of where I would put the pads. Tack them to the bottom frame, the top of the stack is when you're fitting up each subsequent frame. When I do this I tack all the parts up, set them aside, and start welding when they are all tacked.  Proper weld sequence will keep them from pulling out of square, and it's how you've already done the first two. Attached ImagesLast edited by Static-XJ; 02-17-2010 at 11:03 PM.
Reply:Ok, jigged up one of the frames and ran off 10 this morning.Tacked, opposing corners, outside then inside. No problems.