Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

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trucks1948
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Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by trucks1948 »

How do you hold down small pieces of metal for cutting on your table?Thanks Jim
Dawgonhawg
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by Dawgonhawg »

Tack weld to the slats.
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by WSS »

DO NOT weld on the table! If you have to, disconnect the motors and make sure no power is going to the table and that your grounds are very stable.

You can use a short piece of angle iron and two visegrips (small C types), clamp one to the slat and the other to the piece. Be careful to make sure the gantry will cross over and that the torch will miss the vise grips. A break-away like the one possumplasma has is helpful.

WSS

Edit: I am not sure about other systems, but the smart motors used by DynaTorch have a microproscesor with driver software loaded on the motor and are very sensitive to voltage going through them.
Last edited by WSS on Tue Jun 21, 2011 2:32 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by Dawgonhawg »

Jim, thank you for the info. I never thought about the issues of welding to the table.
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trucks1948
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by trucks1948 »

Dawgonhawg, It wasn't me but i appreciate the advise too .jim
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by WSS »

I noticed I had the visegrip affair set-up yesterday and took a quick piccie.....
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by Eagle Mtn Metal Works »

Just DON'T hit it with the torch when your talking to your buddy. :lol:


Tom I tryed to call you ????? Did You Pay your phone bill? :lol: :lol:
Rod S in AZ
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by WSS »

Rod,

LOL!!!

Just takes a moment hey?

I have a mil. spec. phone that can withstand 30 feet of sea water and some amazing amount of Gs as well as dust proof.

Things not to do with it:
1) hand it to a three year old.
2) expose it to EMF, RF, HF (welders)

It has been just flat shutting off randomly, especially when I try to answer it.

I'll call you Manana
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by hinesigns »

These clips can be kept loose or welded to the side of the vicegrip. You can make several sizes if required. These are about 2" x 1.5" with a 1" cutout. have about 20 of them sitting in on the inside edhe of the table. Yes you can drop a few now & again.
table hold down 001.jpg

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trucks1948
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by trucks1948 »

Thats what i love about this site,everyones got a different idea on how to do something.It's great having so much help when you need an idea.Thanks everyone.jim
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by steelfx »

I would've thought of that....eventually! (okay, maybe not!) what a cool idea. i won't even say
how i've done it up 'til now...hint: very podunk!

thanks!!

bw
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trucks1948
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by trucks1948 »

ya i know sure looks better than my brake rotors too. :lol:
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by bignoles »

WOW, that is easily one of the handiest and simplest ways of holding down material ever!
-shear some flat bar
-notch in the ironworker
TADA, I now have 10 new hold down ears
Thanks Hinesigns!
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by hinesigns »

All welcome. Have been at it quite some time. May 27 past makes 30 years in the sign business. Everything from sandblasted glass & mirror & glue chipping. Have built over 200 lamps. Most popular, John Deere, all out of 1/8" mild steel. Almost all of my signs I make are from 1/8" aluminum. Good for taking Krylon paint & not worrying about rust.
I am here to help.
Bob hinesigns.ca
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by adbuch »

hinesigns wrote: Tue May 31, 2022 1:34 pm All welcome. Have been at it quite some time. May 27 past makes 30 years in the sign business. Everything from sandblasted glass & mirror & glue chipping. Have built over 200 lamps. Most popular, John Deere, all out of 1/8" mild steel. Almost all of my signs I make are from 1/8" aluminum. Good for taking Krylon paint & not worrying about rust.
I am here to help.
Bob hinesigns.ca
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by Joe Jones »

This should be easy to make...

Joe
HOLD DOWN WEIGHT.jpg

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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by adbuch »

Here are some hold down clamps I made several years ago for holding down flat strap or other smaller pieces for cutting. These are made to fit over the cutting grates on my Plasmacam DHC2 table with stock cutting grates, but the same idea could be used to fit other grate styles as well. I have also used the vice grip method as well.
David
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by adbuch »

Joe Jones wrote: Fri Jun 03, 2022 12:40 am This should be easy to make...

Joe
HOLD DOWN WEIGHT.jpg
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Re: Holding small pieces of metal on your table?

Post by acourtjester »

Neat to share the personalize tools we come up with, I have a folder marked "homemade tools" with all the different tools people have posted. Never know when one will scratch that etche you have. Ones I make for my router spoilboard, similar design to Davids.
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