FABRICATION!! We want to see what you've built.
#34
#40
I just finished it this weekend so the only piece I have bent with it is the rear cab cross member you see laying on it, that piece is 16 ga. a little over 5' long. Took two of us to get it bent, once anchored to the shop floor it will be a little easier. The ends of it have a nice crisp 1/8" bend radius and the get a little fat in the middle. I noticed the clamp bar flexing and will be adding bows to it as well to hopefully eliminate this. I think a 4' version of this would work quite well. I think 18 and 20 ga. panels should do real nice.
The center portion is a piece of HP14x70 that was a cutoff on one of my construction jobs. I split it down the center and welded the two halves back together. I wanted it to be 6'6" to do short bedsides. The two halves worked out to be 6/8" after I dressed them up. Now I think it would be much better and easier to make the table out of a piece of 1/2" x 12 plate and a 1/2" x 8" plate underneath for the T. Have to be careful with warpage, as I even warped the HP section during welding. I clamped it to some 2x3 tubing to hold them straight and when it cooled it warped the middle of my table down about 1/16" over 20" section or so.
The legs and cross brace are all 2x3x1/8" tubing. I used grade 8 - 1/2" bolts for the pressure with coupling nuts on the end to raise and lower. The clamp is 1/2" x 4" steel which allows flex between the bolts offering forgiveness if you don't get the raised an equal amount. The plates and handles are cut from 3/8" plate on a plasma table after I drew them in CAD. I used some scrap 7/8" bolts from the last bridge we built for the hinges.
Now having built it and used it, I would recommend the following, for the apron I have used 1/2" x 4" horizontal plate backed with 1/4" x 2" barstock and a reinforcing bow. I would use a piece of 1"x6" oriented vertically for my bending edge and orient my handles so that they are pointing at the floor instead of tipped out (you run out of leverage.
I would also keep it under 32" including casters. I made mine around 36 in order to roll and store stuff under it when not using it and it is definitely too tall. I am 6' so the taller guys wouldn't have issues anyone under 6' needs something shorter.
My table was basically FREE, I have around 200.00 in the other materials and 100.00 for having the handles and hinges cut out and SHIPPED. So I am pretty happy with it.
hope this helps.
The center portion is a piece of HP14x70 that was a cutoff on one of my construction jobs. I split it down the center and welded the two halves back together. I wanted it to be 6'6" to do short bedsides. The two halves worked out to be 6/8" after I dressed them up. Now I think it would be much better and easier to make the table out of a piece of 1/2" x 12 plate and a 1/2" x 8" plate underneath for the T. Have to be careful with warpage, as I even warped the HP section during welding. I clamped it to some 2x3 tubing to hold them straight and when it cooled it warped the middle of my table down about 1/16" over 20" section or so.
The legs and cross brace are all 2x3x1/8" tubing. I used grade 8 - 1/2" bolts for the pressure with coupling nuts on the end to raise and lower. The clamp is 1/2" x 4" steel which allows flex between the bolts offering forgiveness if you don't get the raised an equal amount. The plates and handles are cut from 3/8" plate on a plasma table after I drew them in CAD. I used some scrap 7/8" bolts from the last bridge we built for the hinges.
Now having built it and used it, I would recommend the following, for the apron I have used 1/2" x 4" horizontal plate backed with 1/4" x 2" barstock and a reinforcing bow. I would use a piece of 1"x6" oriented vertically for my bending edge and orient my handles so that they are pointing at the floor instead of tipped out (you run out of leverage.
I would also keep it under 32" including casters. I made mine around 36 in order to roll and store stuff under it when not using it and it is definitely too tall. I am 6' so the taller guys wouldn't have issues anyone under 6' needs something shorter.
My table was basically FREE, I have around 200.00 in the other materials and 100.00 for having the handles and hinges cut out and SHIPPED. So I am pretty happy with it.
hope this helps.
#41
#42
#43
I don't know if I've posted this little redneck project on this site or not. I grabbed my post off the Hamb and brought it here. I guess you could call this a fabrication to help with fabrication.
I'm always working in situations where I don't have the tools that I would really like to have. I occasionally go to help friends fabricate brackets and such for their cars and they never have anything to work with. The one thing they usually have is a vice so I threw this "low-no-tech rig" together to help me dress up rough cut parts.
I used a ten dollar HF grinder and fashioned brackets that are bolted in the holes that the grinder handles fit into.
I added a cross brace and a piece of 1/8" plate for a rest.
Just loosen the 2 bolts and the rest pivots so that the flap disc can be changed.
It's convenient for me since I can throw it under my work bench when not needed and just clamp it in my vise when I need it.
Not pretty, but it has been handy.
I know that HF tools are frowned on, but I have 3-4 of the cheap grinders and I haven't been able to kill any of them. I figure they're cheap enough to just throw them away when they finally give up.
I'm always working in situations where I don't have the tools that I would really like to have. I occasionally go to help friends fabricate brackets and such for their cars and they never have anything to work with. The one thing they usually have is a vice so I threw this "low-no-tech rig" together to help me dress up rough cut parts.
I used a ten dollar HF grinder and fashioned brackets that are bolted in the holes that the grinder handles fit into.
I added a cross brace and a piece of 1/8" plate for a rest.
Just loosen the 2 bolts and the rest pivots so that the flap disc can be changed.
It's convenient for me since I can throw it under my work bench when not needed and just clamp it in my vise when I need it.
Not pretty, but it has been handy.
I know that HF tools are frowned on, but I have 3-4 of the cheap grinders and I haven't been able to kill any of them. I figure they're cheap enough to just throw them away when they finally give up.
#45