those clamps are fine for certain applications, the main problem is the gap that is there and those that are not very experienced in welding should look into a pneumatic tool that is sold thru places like harbor fright, east woods and i have seen them sold at car shows. this tool will form a lip that is equal to the thickness of the material that bodies are made from and you will have a backing strip under your joint in the form of a lap joint. this took also has the capability of punching holes in the lip that gose over the top so the joint can be plug welded like a spot weld and then there is less chance to have warping when the pieces sre fitted together i ude kleikos they are a tool that is used in the aircraft industry and they act like a rivet and hold your pieces in place and from there you know what your exact fit will look like and go from there. unless you are a master at welding sheetmetal together in a butt joint set up it will fight you and the frustration factor goes off the scale. good luck with those.
That is terrible advice. Sorry but I had to say it ,as for the clamps I have been welding in panels for a long time and have never found the need for them.Gap is way to big even forMIGg but that is just my opinion.
..what about magnets? or simply leaving a small series of tabs on one of the sheets ? works for me.. as does long reach vice grips with flat 'feet' on 'em
you should never lap weld sheetmetal. the seam will hold moisture and will rust very quickly, it will also be impossible to stretch the weld back to shape. butt welding is the only correct way to do the job.
Now this is useful! Where i live nobody has a clue when i describe this tool, even pro welding shops, which i find incredible btw, i been thinkin of making the square ones for sometime, but this style look way easier for the backyard mech.
What about magnets like the below one: http://www.harborfreight.com/6-1-4-quarter-inch-multipurpose-magnet-holder-1939.html Will not hold a roof on place but a medium size plate you can adjust the gap btw panels the way you want and do some spots to hold piece even better?
I'm a novice mig welder, but one thing I did figure out is that magnets too close to the mig welding area will interfere somehow with the welding process.
Why not use clecos and a few strips of steel.. This is what I have been doing ever since I saw these pics here on the hamb works like a charm Taken from here from .. Guy who made is 4dr shoebox into a 2dr Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
This might be a dumb question; how the "beep" do you get them out afterwards? I might be a dumb fuck, but it will only work on stuff where you can reach the backside? The cleco looks more like something that i could use, but that is only for stuff you lap? Is there ar DIY Cleco?
Lossen the wing nut ,tap the pin out on the back side ,remove the clamp. Not for blind areas without acess unless you dont mind losing the pin.
The pins actually come out pretty easily but usually the clamp get used on panels that you have some access to the back side anyhow. I don't think it would be productive to make your own clecos but they are readily available from a lot of sources including aircraft surplus stores, tool supplies that cater to aircraft work and ebay. You do need the pliers that go with them to use them though. This Ebay add has 50 clecos and a pair of pliers for 38.95 and there are dozens of similar adds for them. 190628766805
Had to Tig weld this little corner piece in on Monday didn't have anyone to hold it while i spotted it in place and couldn't get a clamp on it... Used the ole butt weld cleko trick ...thought I would show it... I use it all the time Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
That's a good idea with the fish line. I did an f100 hood for a friend, and lost a couple of my clamp rods in that stash space inbetween the reinforcement! Hope he doesn't mind the rattling! TP
Butt weld clamps http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...Industrial-Welders-Panel-Clamps/dp/B0028YIRYW http://www.amazon.com/Northern-Industrial-Welders-Panel-Clamps/dp/B0028YIRYW
I drilled holes too on the rods when i was fixing the passengers side quarterpanels of my shoebox.It was so tight fit between the wheelwell and the quarter panel that pulling the rods out with wire was only way to remove them.I've seen these clamps for sale cheap too on ebay.24 clamps for 50 bucks is a bit cheaper than 4 for 20$..
Thanks for that tip. I use the HF clamps a lot, they are available here. The gap is just right for my mig. If possible I weld from the back so there is little cleanup required on the outside of the panel.
The Jalopy Journal
