How do you keep your welding projects square?

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Most of my fabrication requires intricate bends and very small pieces, and rarely do I have to build anything very large that needs to maintain its squareness and flatness. So, lets see what you've come up with to keep everything square. I'm about to build the table in my "ultimate fabrication table" thread, and in order to fill those shoes it must be perfectly square. I'm considering purchasing this...http://vansantent.com/welding_access...ders_clamp.htmLast edited by TigWiz; 11-20-2009 at 12:33 AM.
Reply:Simple, dont throw a lot of heat at one area, spread it out. Clamp your work to a surface that will keep it square, use plenty of  tack welds, and dont weld opposite corners because it will tend to push your square into a paralellogram. The strong hand looks like a cool tool, but it is going to be limited to certian jobs. That being said, I often times weld corners simply by tacking them and truing them square before I weld, and if I weld one side of  that joint, I will weld the opposing side with the same sized bead to keep my heat distrubtion the same. As well you can make multiple passes, if  you have a part that must be square, simply make a lighter root pass to hold everything in place, then fill the joint up to a level that is nessecary. Also if  you are welding thick metal, pre heat it, it will prevent cracking of your welds, and it will prevent "pulling" by the weldments.
Reply:I have the 3 axis version. It's handy but easily slips out a degree or two and has to be trued often. I don't use it much anymore.Now, it's back to the basics. Real good framing squares, 3-4-5, clamps, tacks and the math will never let you down.Last edited by 9er; 11-20-2009 at 12:51 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by 9erI have the 3 axis version. It's handy but easily slips out a degree or two and has to be trued often. I don't use it much anymore.Now, it's back to the basics. Real good framing squares, 3-4-5, clamps, tacks and the math will never let you down.
Reply:The fancy pants clamps are fine for locating something to be tacked... never use them to hold something while you weld it. When all else fails grab the B.F.H.345 and me any units can also be 6,8,10 or 1.5,2,2.5
Reply:I have a couple of cheap corner clamps that I bought on sale from local menards.  They are pretty cheap and I wouldn't crank down on them and empect them to hold while welding.  But I do use them to temporarily hold parts while I true them up with framing squares or 3-4-5 method.  Then I either add more clamps or tack things.  I expect them to break sometime(only paid about 2 bucks a peice for them) but they are nice to use as an extra pair of hands.  Kinda like the triangle magnets, I don't use them to true things up but they are nice for an extra pair of hands.
Reply:I build tables all the time. Even out of solid bar. You are going to get the most pull in towards the center of the table. No matter the legs or the table itself. It is just the laws of structure. You can weld in a direction that will help stop this. Especially for the legs you probably want to make sure they are slightly leaning outwards when you tack them. Or else you will bend the table top material to get the legs straight after welding. Or you will bend the legs, getting the legs straight.Just a slight outward lean. And then weld out. You can always go back and make another pass in the opposite direction to pull them in. You also want to straighten everything, before you grind the welds or it will hollow the weld as you bend them straight. I do use four of those clamps you posted, but I use Bessey brand, to create the table top. But then I have to straighten the bars, there is that much strength in the weld. It actually pulls the bars slightingly inward bowing them. Often and even when I weld outward.  This is solid one inch stainless bar. This is some tubular and solid bar stuff for Hotel Furniture. Remember let it cool off well before you assess the damages of the weld pulling. I have gotten frustrated a couple times because I thought it pulled more then it did. But after total cooling it was almost perfect. A rawhide mallet is a must for this work. Just do not swing it near anyone. One shot to the head will instantly kill a man. And make sure you do not hit yourself. I hit my leg one day and almost broke it. It is a serious hammer. That instantly bends bar when you strike it.        Sincerely,             William McCormick
Reply:Thanks for the tips guys! I'm going to start on the table in about a week.William, WOW! Would you mind showing us some of your work prior to smoothing and polishing. If you were in south Florida I would put you in contact with an interior designer I know. He would have plenty of work for you.
Reply:Great thread. I could use some tips...I recently welded a "window cage" for the new shop. It's aprox 6ft by 4ft 2x2 mild square tube frame (16ga or so), with 1/2x1/2 sq tube (mild, 16?ga) bars running vertically every 6" or so. Pretty standard thing to keep the evil-doers out.. This is the first project of this type I've done and seeing how I had some warping issues I could use some help..I first built the frame, tacked on the floor, used sqaures and magnets to keep it square. then brought it up to the table, welded the corners up. It was still square at that time, but after the vertical bars were added it ended up warping/bowing by about 1/2" on either end. So if you lay it flat on the floor, the edges are cupped up, they rise 1/2" or so off the floor.We tacked the vertical bars all in place, then welded them from the left side to the right side of the cage. Should I have started in the middle and worked outwards, similar to how you would torque bolts on a manifold flange or tighten lugnuts to distribute the force more evenly??"hope for the best, prepare for the worst"Some of my equipment:Miller Millermatic 140Miller Syncrowave 200Lincoln PowerMIG 215
Reply:Originally Posted by mello*vipGreat thread. I could use some tips...I recently welded a "window cage" for the new shop. It's aprox 6ft by 4ft 2x2 mild square tube frame (16ga or so), with 1/2x1/2 sq tube (mild, 16?ga) bars running vertically every 6" or so. Pretty standard thing to keep the evil-doers out.. This is the first project of this type I've done and seeing how I had some warping issues I could use some help..I first built the frame, tacked on the floor, used sqaures and magnets to keep it square. then brought it up to the table, welded the corners up. It was still square at that time, but after the vertical bars were added it ended up warping/bowing by about 1/2" on either end. So if you lay it flat on the floor, the edges are cupped up, they rise 1/2" or so off the floor.We tacked the vertical bars all in place, then welded them from the left side to the right side of the cage. Should I have started in the middle and worked outwards, similar to how you would torque bolts on a manifold flange or tighten lugnuts to distribute the force more evenly??
Reply:^ Hah I know, I'll try to take some pictures of it soon. It's a 6x4 rectangle, with a horizontal bar across the middle. Every 6" there are vertical bars that connect the top to the middle, or the bottom to the middle..I agree it was probably too much heat in an area at once, When you have many welds like this to do, do you jump around or do you go in a pattern similar to how you would torque bolts down on a flange to even the stress out?"hope for the best, prepare for the worst"Some of my equipment:Miller Millermatic 140Miller Syncrowave 200Lincoln PowerMIG 215
Reply:I use the Bessey brand clamp. They have worked well for me.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:I do not have any intermediate pictures for square stuff handy. Next time I will try to remember to take some pictures.        Sincerely,             William McCormick