Some home made corner clamp tools
Hi guys,
I've struggled through a few SHS and angle frames now without a big flat area to tack them together- so i decided to make something to make the job easier and allow me to clamp and tack a frame completely flat even though i don't have a flat surface to work on.
I first made some really simple corner fixtures out of 100x5 flat bar and some small bits of angle for the upright 90 deg walls. found that welding the uprights to the flat bar caused the ends to distort a bit and my frames were no longer clamping up perfectly level.
So i decided to use a different design, and got some 25x25x3 SHS and two bits of 50x50x5 angle, welded together like in this pic:
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2744/p6031054.jpg
http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/6636/p6031055.jpg
http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/8529/p6031056.jpg
http://img857.imageshack.us/img857/1249/p6031057.jpg
Tacked the g-clamps onto the bottom to make things easy.
I ran out of angle after making 3 so made another design again out of a short length of 25x50x3 SS rectangle tube i had lying around. I prefer this design as its easier to get the work piece sitting flush against the upright bits of rectangle tube as opposed to the curved bit in the crotch of the angle. I have to check with a square when clamping up in the other 3, but thats no big deal and probably a good idea anyway.
heres the second design:
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/6547/p5311047.jpg
http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/8457/p5311048.jpg
Now that i've got these made i kinda wonder why I bothered struggling without them, no matter how uneven the ground or table is once the frame is clamped up tightly it will remain flat and square for tacking.
I think i'll get some more stainless RHS and make 3 more of those clamps, it is in my opinion the better design.
thanks for reading!