I know this is a common problem but never asked anyone what they do for it.. I know you guys have c-clamps. Every welder or fabber has lots of them. Well, if youre like me, you get them from garage sales,swap meets,friends, relatives (dear old Dad) and the like. But many that I have- have the little swivel base gone off the screw jack. Is ther a place to buy these? Or do you make them? How do you guys solve the problem of that little missing swivel base on the screw jack? I know this sounds kind of gooney, but I must have about forty of them from little 4 inch ones to great big 16 inch gunners, that are missing that little swivel base... Wot do you do??...Pictures or any help would be really appreciated..trust me!! Mikey
Take a large enough bolt (large enough based on shank size) and turn the hex head portion into the rounded pad (if desired) Cut off the bolt to about 3/8" or so below the head (or where it used to be if you rounded it off) Drill a hole in the shank to accept the ball pivot, make sure it's deep enough for the "fingers" Make some relief cuts in the sides of the shank (about 8 should do), insert pivot ball into the drilled hole, and using a punch or other implement of persuasion, bend over the fingers to "grasp" the pivot ball.
.......Or take a few washers with holes just large enough to accept the little "nub" where the old pad held on. The washers stack togeather. The bottom one will form the bottom of the pad that will grip things when tightened (or for this bottom one ya can use a slug without a hole). Stack enough washers togeather to go just above the nub (4-6 ?) to form a small "barrell". The last washer goes on top of the stack and should have a smaller hole than the others. The hole should accept the shank of the nub but smaller than the nub itself. OK, now split this last washer, heat it, and open it up with pliars enough to get it around the nub and then bend it back flat. Now you have a stack of washers and the top one with the smaller hole will keep the thing on the nub. Tack weld the washer "stack" around the sides, grind smooth and there ya go.............I've done this several times.
Don't know if this is still true. Wilton clamps used to be guaranteed. So if any are Wilton, check with your local welding supply.
If you can't get them local: http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNPDF...391859&PMT4TP=*ITPD&PMITEM=78089711&PMCTLG=00
McMaster-Carr also lists them, http://www.mcmaster.com, page 2543, replacement swivel pads for C-Clamps.
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