Shop Tips #10

By Dick Raczuk

Shop Safety

I really made an error when I started "shop tips". This should have been the very first one, and if it's the only one that sticks with you is, it will make my day.

Do not think for one minute that you can get away with not taking the time to clamp or secure the piece you're about to drill, use a push stick to move your part through the bandsaw, grab the pliers to pull on some chips, etc., etc., etc. You get the picture. How many times have you said to yourself, "I knew I should have taken the time", as you are running to the medicine cabinet. It's actually cost effective. Think about how much time it takes to run and get some stitches and then work around your wounds.

Next time you are about to take a short "CUT", THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH IT MIGHT COST YOU. Don't ask me why I remembered this.

Welding Accessories and Tips from Gordon Bartlett

Torch holder for TIG and Oxyacetylene; pretty self explanitory. Easy to find with helmet on. Got another one welded to visegrips to take with me on shop floor.

Other shots are from the top of my TIG welder: weld wire rack made of 1/4" C.R. bolted to machine. I can look at the box ends and see the type of wire. Plastic three drawer Rubbermaid from Walmart ($6.88) keeps all my cups, electrodes, collets, etc. I run a restoration shop with lots of dust, dirt and paint overspray. This keeps everything clean.

Helmet Box / Rubbermaid again . I can keep helmet, gloves and welding sleeves in there and snap the top shut where everything stays clean.

Green Welders Sleeves - Tillman Prod. These are great. I work in short sleeves during the summer so when I go to weld they keep spatter and U.V. rays off my skin. Works very well as covers for your arms when you grind metal/alum. Cost $8.00 and have elastic on both ends. I don't know how I lived without them; wish I'd found them years ago .

Crazy Tools from Jacin Barnes

I wanted a tool to quickly lay out holes from the edge of panels as well as find/mark the center of a piece of round tubing - actually marking the Center of a piece of tubing was my main reason for these - I figured you can both measure the OD and scribe the center with the same tool. Had an "old" pair of calipers no longer suitable for machine work (been dropped - ID part bent) so they were "freebies" and I figured - what the heck - nothing ventured... nothing gained.

I think I'll get alot of use out of these. Time will tell.

As you can see - holding them parallel is key to keeping your line on the mark. Normally I wouldn't scribe metal with a "good" set of calipers - but these are perfect for that as they were "junk" to start with. I will admit I have used some of my "lesser" calipers for scribing metal (for rows of rivets for instance) of course I was always struggling to keep the calipers at the proper angle. With these you simply tilt them back and use the long jaw as a guide - works pretty good. Of course - I'm an admitted simpleton - so it doesn't take alot to amuse me.

TIG Welding Table from Graham Burrow

For the past 15 years, I've been promising I'd build myself an "official" welding table. At a flea market, this year, I scored (for $15Cdn) a robust adjustable old-style computer table from the days when computers weighed a ton. What caught my eye were the hydraulic lift and the keyboard support hinges. It makes a good foundation for a very adaptable welding table. Here's a preview of the progress I've made so far. I'll put it all in an album when it's done.

Photo 1: The original configuration. The keyboard support has two pivot joints with locking levers and it's mounted on slides. The keyboard arm is strong enough to support my weight - I sat on it before buying it.

Photo 2: Shown fully up with a new top installed and an auxiliary leaf mocked up. The top is 36" x 24" x .5" HR. The leaf is a 36" length of 6" x 2" channel. It will be milled flat and square on three sides before final assembly. The raised height is 34", before adding casters. If I were doing it again, I'd spring the extra $$ for 5/8" or 3/4" CR. It was a pain removing the scale and although 1/2" will be okay for my purposes, a thicker top might be better. It's fastened to the original framework using brass screws with the threaded shanks ground flush with the table. The brass fasteners should prevent them from being accidentally welded permanently. I was careful to make sure the mounting layout is symmetrical, so the top can be turned over if it becomes scarred with use. Still to do is a grid of tapped holes for bolting down fixtures - with more flush brass screws to prevent spatter build-up in the threads.

Photo 3: Fully down, the height is only 25" - good for sitting. Unfortunately, this shot doesn't give a clear idea of how low it sits. The tall stool is 27" high and the short one is 18". Pump-up is fast. When you step on the pedal, and hold it, the top makes a slow, controlled, descent until it's released - even with lots of weight.

Photos 4 - 6: These show some of the many positions the leaf can be set to. The height can be set both above and below the level of the top. The gap is adjustable from 3/4" to 6" and the locking levers and high friction joints hold the channel securely. Compare photos 1 & 2. I re-drilled the slide mounting holes to move the leaf to the rear.

Photo 7: This shows the underside of the stand. Clearly visible are the two pivot/locking mechanisms, the relocated slides, and the tube support frame.

Photo 8: This is from the rear, with the valence panel removed. It shows the hydraulic cylinder and the load balancing mechanism, consisting of two racks and a connecting shaft. In the upper right corner, you can see the interleaved fingers of one of the pivots. This presents a very large friction surface for the locking lever to clamp tight - VERY effective!!