Welding Jigs, Holdfasts

[brandonphuong]

I want to know how are you guys holding your work for welding? Or what you use to make clamping easier?

I love to read about traditional woodworking on occasion, and it seems these guys lovetheir clamping systems. I know there's tons of welding tables with gridded holes, but it seems like woodworking takes the cake when it comes to enthusiasm for clamping. Every woodworker I know spazzes out about the necessity of a bench vise, tail vise and bench dogs on the table legs.

But more often than not, I just see welders using C-clamps or sliding clamps like it's no big deal. Don't get me wrong, having to screw that clamp for every joint on your work is kind of a pain in the ***. And bench dogs on the tail vise are pretty clever and time saving. Is it just me or are welders more relaxed about it?

Old Japanese clamp, the rope tightens as the wedge drives into the piece.

Holdfasts. Not conventional these days, but the bread and butter of ye olde woodworker. I love these because they're so simple. I think it should be used more often. Tap the top to clamp, tap the side to release. They're roughly 1/8" thinner than the dog holes so it grabs on when tapped into a slight angle inside the dog hole. Table has to be 2-3" for this to work though. I'm thinking about welding 3/4" x 2" round tubes the the underneath the holes in my 1/4" welding table.

So basically, what are some welding clamps that you think everyone needs? And do you think holdfasts would work well for welding?

 

[bsaint]

Something like this?

In metal manufacturing, work holding is a multi million dollar industry. Our machine use CANOpen controlled clamps.

 

[brandonphuong]

Yes. Aren't those tables 2 grand though? Maybe woodworking tables are just so cheap and easily flattened/planed that it's much easier.

Another clamping thing. It's pretty clever.

 

[kbs2244]

A big difference between wood and metal working is impact.
You can get metal pieces in place and hold them lightly with clamps, magnets, sandbags, whatever, until you do a few tack welds.
You cannot do that with wood.

 

[brandonphuong]

I'm not sure I understand you, are you saying that tacking is pretty much an equivalent of clamping in woodworking?

 

[bsaint]

To me tacking takes place of a lot of clamping.

 

[brandonphuong]

Well, there goes my theory. What are CANOpen controlled clamps by the way?

 

[bsaint]

Like a process clamp. The clamps hold the part down until the process head comes by, then it re-closes.

 

[pipsters]

Those holdfasts actually look really neat.

Here is one someone did on a welding table.

If you could get a plate of steel plasma cut to fit them, you'd have something similar to a $2000 welding table for 1/4 the price.

My guess is why clamps are used over the holdfasts is that like you said, you need 2"-3" to make them work. A 2"-3" plate of steel is pretty heavy. I think you have a good idea about welding tubing underneath your table as long as you don't warp it.

How did you cut the 3/4" holes in your table?

 

[pipsters]

Here's another one, sorry big image

 

[OccupantRJ]

Here's a workholder that I posted a thread about.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74213

 

[Josh_C]

Holdfasts are really cool, and I really admire the old woodworking benches, but I have never had any issues just using c-clamps. If a c-clamp or a set of 11R vicegrips cant do it on their own, I am not above welding up a jig. I just don't see it being practical to build a specialty table for use with pegs. If you are building your dream table from scratch, maybe. Working in the field and in different shops you don't always have the luxury of a table, I will take a half dozen c-clamps and a couple pairs of vicegrips any day just for their versatility.

 

[gorilla]

If you want to see the ultimate welding table Google Acorn tables. IMHO they outclass anything else.

 

[INSP380]

Acorn table & dogs.

 

[MoonRise]

Another option for metal (steel) on a steel welding table is to just tack the work or a clamp/jig right to the steel table.

Tack being the important word. Rarely would you need a full-up weld!

When done with the clamp/weld operation, just zip-cut the tack(s) and then a quick dressing with a flap wheel onto the table top and all back in business for the next job.

Can't really do that as easily with wood. Although there are some woodworking steps that are done most easily (or sometimes no other way!) with gluing things (extra clamp blocks glued onto a sloped/curved exterior surface, for instance) together temporarily. Or gluing a turned vessel (or the wood that will be turned into the turned vessel) with a 'weak' joint (layer of brown paper between workpiece and 'sacrificial' piece) to a piece that is then screwed onto the lathe faceplate. Or doing similar with double-sided tape (aka 'carpet' tape) for slightly less stressed semi-permanent assembly joints and then removing said tape with a splash or suitable solvent (aka usually mineral spirits or maybe some acetone) and a bit of gentle prying action.

And as mentioned, a lot of times with metal you can just make a few tacks to hold things in place before you do the full-up welding. Yes, the tacks are acting as 'clamps' to hold the joint together before doing the actual weld(s).

Yeah, one 'biggie' is an Acorn table. <drool>

pipsters picture of the T-slotted and drilled welding table with all the holdfasts is pretty nice though. Nice forearm rest too.

 

[brandonphuong]

Eep, I've neglected my thread, sorry!

Those holdfasts actually look really neat.

Here is one someone did on a welding table.

If you could get a plate of steel plasma cut to fit them, you'd have something similar to a $2000 welding table for 1/4 the price.

My guess is why clamps are used over the holdfasts is that like you said, you need 2"-3" to make them work. A 2"-3" plate of steel is pretty heavy. I think you have a good idea about welding tubing underneath your table as long as you don't warp it.

How did you cut the 3/4" holes in your table?

I used my acetylene torch with a compass attachment, it wasn't too bad at all. I'm going to experiment with holes just 1/32" larger than the holdfast, filing a larger hole until I get a slant that will hold.

Holdfasts are really cool, and I really admire the old woodworking benches, but I have never had any issues just using c-clamps. If a c-clamp or a set of 11R vicegrips cant do it on their own, I am not above welding up a jig. I just don't see it being practical to build a specialty table for use with pegs. If you are building your dream table from scratch, maybe. Working in the field and in different shops you don't always have the luxury of a table, I will take a half dozen c-clamps and a couple pairs of vicegrips any day just for their versatility.

Ah, there we go, that makes a lot of sense now.

 

[kald]

I would love to have table with holdfasts, dogs etc... I would rather get kicked in the
nads than use a traditiaonal c-clamp.

 

[joe49]

I've always called holdfasts DOGS. They will work fine in as thin as 1/2 plate. I make mine from 3/4 cold roll and burn the holes in the table top as needed.

 

[Richard D]

Yes. Aren't those tables 2 grand though?

Try five grand. And another five for all the clamps. I think I can build something similar for about a grand. But then I have a milling machine and can drill the holes accurately.

 

[kazlx]

If I only had the money.....

http://www.bluco.com/

 

[sberry]

Holdfasts are really cool, and I really admire the old woodworking benches, but I have never had any issues just using c-clamps. If a c-clamp or a set of 11R vicegrips cant do it on their own, I am not above welding up a jig. I just don't see it being practical to build a specialty table for use with pegs. If you are building your dream table from scratch, maybe. Working in the field and in different shops you don't always have the luxury of a table, I will take a half dozen c-clamps and a couple pairs of vicegrips any day just for their versatility.

Yes to this.

 

[msnow]

Depends on heavy you are going but below is very popular for light tube work. I like to hole saw 1-1/2" holes in the table top as well and clamp the piece down as flat as possible with bessey clamps. Before some one jumps all over this about the plywood flexing and all that BS it is all about application. Welding up a 16ga 2" box tube frame for a home project and welding up a 1/2" wall 4" box frame for some manafacturing job are two totally different things. Alot of guys on here build steel tables which are great especially if you are doing a lot of one offs but a wooden table you can screw or staple plywood jig blocks to comes in very handy when you need to make multiple of the same frame. Just something to think about.

I also really like the ********* tables because even after tacking every joint depending on what your welding and how fast you are trying to go you can still warp the tubes in weird ways. The clamps keep most of that warp to a minimum it just all depends on your application. Obviously moving around the piece helps to keep the piece from warping as well.

 

[joe49]

Holdfasts are really cool, and I really admire the old woodworking benches, but I have never had any issues just using c-clamps. If a c-clamp or a set of 11R vicegrips cant do it on their own, I am not above welding up a jig. I just don't see it being practical to build a specialty table for use with pegs. If you are building your dream table from scratch, maybe. Working in the field and in different shops you don't always have the luxury of a table, I will take a half dozen c-clamps and a couple pairs of vicegrips any day just for their versatility.

The dogs (holdfasts) can be easily fabbed and only require a hole in the bench only a few minutes work with a torch.

 

[darkk]

If I only had the money.....

http://www.bluco.com/

Don't EVER EVER! Post links like that again!

 

[03protege]

Here's another one, sorry big image

What the hell is that thing made of 2 4"x4" and 2 8"x4"? If we pretend that it is 6' long the table would weigh over 2000lbs!

 

[Murphy4570]

What the hell is that thing made of 2 4"x4" and 2 8"x4"? If we pretend that it is 6' long the table would weigh over 2000lbs!

Somebody repurposed navy ship steel, that's for sure. Battleship armor, all cut up into a table.