Metal manipulation

[Badger1bear]

hi guys, I’m one of the old skool welder fabricators, a bit like @8ob (I’m still uncertain of how to tag people in posts)
This post is about what tips and tricks you use or you have found in vids online for manipulating metal. Not necessarily using heat. Pretty much it’s looking at metal thicknesses of 10mm and thicker. I have found a channel on YouTube where some Russian welders use a C shape which is welded to one of the two pieces they need to move and drive a wedge inside the C to move the metal. Another way I have found and use is to use large threaded bar and weld two L shaped brackets to the parts I need to bring together. Winding up the nuts can give you a precise fit

What tricks have you picked up over the years ?

 

[rory1]

Wedging with the c shape plate and the wedges is called “dogging” as in “go and dog that plate into place”

 

[Ruffian]

Tagging people is @ then the person's name.

I used to use porta-power (hydrolic rams) for manipulating steel well.
Have clamps and spreaders which can move up to 10tonnes of force.

 

[rory1]

I use jacks under the dogging plate instead of a wedge when I can. Much easier on both the back and your ears

 

[Badger1bear]

Much appreciated mr Ruffian for the curly (A) lol

 

[pressbrake1]

hi guys, I’m one of the old skool welder fabricators, a bit like @8ob (I’m still uncertain of how to tag people in posts)
This post is about what tips and tricks you use or you have found in vids online for manipulating metal. Not necessarily using heat. Pretty much it’s looking at metal thicknesses of 10mm and thicker. I have found a channel on YouTube where some Russian welders use a C shape which is welded to one of the two pieces they need to move and drive a wedge inside the C to move the metal. Another way I have found and use is to use large threaded bar and weld two L shaped brackets to the parts I need to bring together. Winding up the nuts can give you a precise fit

What tricks have you picked up over the years ?

with big stuff heat can have the opposite of desired, ie heat side that's being stretched to pull round but when it cools it shrinks back and puts more strain in

 

[zzr1200]

I use clamps, a porta power G clamp and push/pull rams up to 35 tons.

 

[Hitch]

One good one for getting plates aligned is tacking the end of a bit of flatbar (50x8/60x8 sort of size) onto one plate near the edge, then use the advantage to push the other plate down. Its fast, and much easier if theres 2 of you. Suprising how much force that will exert with a decent tack on the edd of the flat.

 

[sako243]

My best trick is to take it around to @8ob and offer him some venison. If I'm in Wales pop it around to Chris @ CLH Trailers and he'll have something big enough to bend it. After all he can guillotine inch plate easily...

 

[8ob]

Had the privilege of working with an old school fabby at a mechanical services company when I left school, he only had the most basic of tools. One of the first jobs I worked on with him was fabricating those hooped ladder fire escapes you used to see up the outside of tall buildings. He used to beat those hoops round out of 2"x 3/8" flat bar across spaced apart sleepers that were bolted to the workshop floor, they were checked/tweeked against a chalk outline/template on the floor. Never ceased to amaze me that when they were all erected they were bang on to the eye.

Bob

This sort of thing but all made by hand, hammer , gas and arc.

 

[pressbrake1]

old school don't need no fancy tools

 

[TechnicAl]

The daftest I ever saw was an outfit making Aluminium Boats....expensive ones.....who had basically made a frame and were holding the plae against it wit rachet straps....welding where it touched....and then cutting off the excess......thats the honest truth....I couldnt believe it.

Its a long story but they went bust after the one and only boat they built sank after launch

They had only ever made plastic boats before they got a contract to build a number of Aluminium boats.....amazing....almost as mysterious as giving a contract to a Ferry company who dont have any Ferries.

 

[Eric the chicken]

old school don't need no fancy tools

Old school never had fancy tools1

 

[cianh91]

Wedges chains straps all get used regular . Workin in quarry’s with basic tools in the back of the van you learn very quickly how to do things without the fancy equipment. You be very suprised how tidy you can do stuff with a sledge a grinder and a bit of practice. I always keep some heavy plate with holes for tacking in to pull stuff around and scraps of timber so the sledge doesn’t leave marks in stuff