Technical Butt weld cleco clamps?

Yeah, I did a search but all that comes up is the HF wing nut clamps that have a gap in the butt weld.
What I am looking for, and I HAVE seen them, is thin, two and four hole pieces of sheet metal (don't know if they are steel or alum.) that you use cleco clamps with, to secure and butt weld sheet metal with. The 2 holers looked a bit like a dog bone. I had found a rod shop that made them somewhere in AZ or NM, but can't locate the website again.
Anyone familiar with them?

 

Yes!!! Roseville rod and custom has them and they are the bees knees.
http://www.rosevillerodandcustom.com/framedoorsandbutweldpage.html

 

Those frame doors are cool also.

 

You can drill an 1/8th hole in the middle of the seam, stick a cleco thru it and use a #10 washer on the back side, if you have enough flat area you can use a fenderwasher. Its rare you'll find enough flat area on a car. Anyway, thats what I use - those little washers you can buy to back up a 1/8th pop rivet work good.

 

I just drilled two holes in a piece of 1/2" sheet metal across the joint, nothing fancy in my garage. Once you tack on either side it can be removed.

 

I have a Roper Witney hand held hole punch. It has a set of dyes from 1/16" up to 1/4". I make things like the Dog Bones often. The tool is like using a paper hole punch only for tin, S.S. and Alum. If your using 1/8" Cleko's you'll love how this works for 1/8" holes. Way better than any 1/8" drill bit.
The Wizzard

 

I like those, might need to make some.

 

Damn, those are super-trick. Putting in an order on payday!

 

That's exactly what I saw, thanks Devin!
I'd prefer to buy them, instead of make them, I dont' have lots of spare time, and also, I do a LOT of fabrication, and I'd need for them to be uniform, and precise.

 

They're pretty damn cool. Never saw that style before - I'm really digging the 4-holer . Might have to put an order together.

 

Lazze has them in 2 and 4 hole bases as well. I think you could just make your own to be honest with you. Here is the link, he has a lot of good bead rolling videos as well if you're in to that.
http://www.lazzemetalshaping.com/in...oduct_id=73/category_id=9/mode=prod/prd73.htm

 

I could make them, but I my time ain't free.

 

Neither is the vendor's

Ray

 

Yeah, sure, but I get paid A LOT more.

 

My time isn't free either, but at $1 a piece (or $.50 a hole) plus shipping I can find a few minutes to whip up a stack.

 

I figured as much...was just yanking your chain.....seeing if you were working...or screwing around on the I-net. Oh, wait.......time zone difference....you are on your lunch break

Ray

 

Off-campus lunch.

 

I put 'frame doors' in my '32 frame under my last '27. Never saw them before, musta had 4 hours in 2 of 'em!
I'd buy these for my present '27 Hiboy, just a sanitary way to go!

 

With this tool and a Jump Sheer I bet I can make 20 4 hole pieces that all 80 holes line up exact to each other. Just saying. Plus it's a Kool tool.
The Wizzard

 

I don't want to get in the make vs. buy debate, but these are super high quality and uniform so each one is absolutely interchangeable if you go back and forth fitting panels etc. Roseville rod and custom always has a presence at the Sacramento Autorama every year, so if you're ever there, it's worth pocking some up and saving on the shipping.

 

If you want to make them, make them. It just isn't cost-effective for me. The small ones are $0.80/ea, and the large ones are $1.50/ea.

If I keep all of my money, how are other people going to pay their bills?

 

I don't bother with butt clamps at all ....just butt the metal to metal then tack in a few places and just run the 1mm
cutting disc thru the seam and weld....easy

 

You and I think a lot alike. However I've learned there are several ways to accomplish the same end result.
The Wizzard

 

a REALLY well matched butt weld could conceivably be 'fusion' welded...no additional filler...with gas or tig........no gap needed.......minimal/no grinding and receptive to hammering the weld joint.

yeah...I know...easier said than done.....but it is doable with care and some skill.

Ray

 

looks like you could grind up some old motorcycle chain to get the links.

 

Ray, now your talking. Once done it's easier than you think. No clamps, no Cleko's just tacks and weld it up. Both these projects were metal finished and only needed primer prior to paint. Like gimpyshotrods I get payed pretty well also. Every job brings it's own little needs with it also.

The Wizzard

 

I did get an introduction to that with aluminum at Ron Fournier's metal shaping classes some years ago. After fitting the parts closely, Ron would clamp one end of a joint and gas weld the seam, moving one part in alignment with the other as he tacked the seam and then when fully tacked, welded it solid.
We students had to replicate that. Opened my eyes to the possibilities and have done that on occasion with steel.

Ray

 

OK, I'll throw my .02 in, I just did two qtrs. On a off topic Camino, with nothing more than a couple self tappers an a harbor freight air saw an Zero warpage, an no fancy hoopla, I'm old an all but I Know someone "feels" me here, I did use a tool I came up with to Quench the weld, 8 1/2 feet of welding , An hour an a half to finish Note: per side...

 

Harbor freight sell them.

 

I use the parent metal to make tabs, then you don't need anything else besides the cleco.
If you're interested in seeing it, it's in my '54 chevy build that has a link in my signature. The explanation of the process starts at post #31 right at the top of page 2.
Just another way to go about it.