Welding Tools - Modular tooling, and a Precision Welding Table

Watch Part 2 of Welding Tools, Tooling, and Table

I accepted a job recently that involved fabricating 10 carts that will be used to store expensive airplane parts.

I thought this simple metal framing job would be a good opportunity to demonstrate some Stronghand welding tools, and especially the mac daddy build-pro table.

Like I said, there are 10 carts to build so I thought I could really save some serious time by fixturing this job instead of fabricating each one using a framing square.

The main frame is 1 1/2" square tubing with 1/2" thick plates welded as feet threaded to accept 8" casters.

The top of the cart is stainless steel 1 1/2" angle with a 14 ga sheet of hot rolled sheet for the flat lid.

a couple of eye bolts were welded to the bottom so that that cart could be pulled around in-plant by electric tugs.

Normally, I would frame the entire cart at once lid and all... but painting was the issue.

The carts needed to be welded without the top lid so that they could be completely painted first and the very last operation was fitting the stainless angle iron and sheet lid on and welding it from underneath with no extra painting.

You will see how it goes together in the video

So what exactly is a precision welding table anyway?

...and what is this modular fixturing I speak of?

I am not too sure you will find official definitions on Wikipedia, but here are mine...

A precision welding table is one that is flat within a very close tolerance and that has precisely placed slots and/or holes that accept tooling specifically designed to hold things flat, and precisely at right angles.

Modular fixturing is tooling that is designed to make a precision welding table super useful...and can be adapted to hold just about any shape in any position.

The StrongHand tooling package and other welding tools and table helped me do a production run of 17 sewer tractors last year along with several other jobs and today, its proving to be a huge time saver for this metal fabrication job.

I have seen demonstrations where this table and modular fixtures are holding a bent tubing go-kart frame with all kinds of bends, twists, and odd angles and the tooling holds it all together by using all kinds of innovative clamps, v blocks and other tooling.

My cart job with its 90 degree angles was a piece of cake.

But here is the best part.

I find that when I have all the tooling stored in point-of-use fashion and in plain view near the build pro table, I get better ideas and I get them quickly. Its a visual aid.

I am dead serious. It sounds like hype but its not. After working with this table and tooling for about a year now, It only takes me minutes to figure out exactly how to fabricate something in a way that saves me time and money.

I spent about 30 minutes to an hour on each set up, and then probably saved that amount of time on each unit.

With 10 units, I am happy to invest 30 minutes to save 300 minutes....and that was only on one side.

Just in case you missed the last video demonstrating Stronghand welding tools...

exit welding tools and see another stronghand table video