Help with fitting on used beams

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A little background I work in a machine shop as a welder/fitter you could say. The shop is expanding and when its been slow I've been building the beams for the new addition. The beams are from a steel shop that shut down and the owner bought for scrap price. That being said the beams are not in the best shape. I've fit beams before at a previous job so I have some experience but not much. The problem i'm having is whats the best way to fit the base plates and other items to the beams. I can't really square off anything as one flange is curled up the whole length of the beam from being used as a crane beam at the previous shop. There also not the straightest from being used, torn down, and tossed around before I got to them. Anyone have experience working with used beams? My boss is kind of cheap *** so am I doomed to just make the best of a bad situation? I can upload a copy of the prints next week sometime if that would help.
Reply:Throw away the framing square. Bone up on "3,4,5" squaring.Get cozy with a sting-line.Get yur eyeball and spirit level calibrated.Pick the best average or overall good "stretch" of a column and base squaring on that.They can easily be tacked, pulled, pushed, and twisted a lot at fit-up time. It'll be necessary, plan on it.Try to at least guess where appendages and connections will be made and do the best to try to locate "good" areas there.Likewise, try to trim off or repair the nastiest defects, or at least position them where it matters the least.Good luckLast edited by denrep; 02-11-2017 at 12:12 AM.
Reply:Thanks for the reply. I have done the 3 4 5 squaring on the first beam to check the angle at the top of the beam where the roof beam bolts together. I made a jig after that to help speed up the process for the rest. One of my biggest worrys is I know that most beams are a little off even nice brand new ones. I'm worried that since these are kind of buggered up to start that when we go to erect the building that we will have to fight the beams the whole time.
Reply:

Originally Posted by this guy

. . . I'm worried that since these are kind of buggered up to start that when we go to erect the building that we will have to fight the beams the whole time.
Reply:Check over your beams for noticeable crown, and be sure to keep them up on the top, and generally out on the verticle. If they are long enough, cutting into shorter pieces will weed out some of the bows they may have.
Reply:End plates should be square to the web.  Just set a small square on the inside of the beam to check.  As for flanges it is nice if they are not twisted however set your square along the centerline of the beam.  I often tack the plate on then put a 2 foot framing square on the outside with the leg running up the beam and then measure the distance between the center of the flange to the underside of the square close to the beam and at least 18 inches out.  Once you have a few tacks you can jack the flanges out or in if they are really badly twisted.   You can use the large square and tape to check squareness to the web if you don't want to bother with a small square.   When attaching connecting plates remember that you are setting on the centerline of the beam.  The connecting plate might be half a thickness to one side but hold angle and position in relation to the web.  The ends of the flanges can do whatever they want.