Squaring fixture or jig, call it what you like

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 10-10-2007 20:52

Good stuff Allan

I printed those off and will have the metal fab class make some.

very nice

Anything else?

By aevald

Date 10-10-2007 21:20

Hello Lawrence, I do have a number of other items and as I drag them out and get pictures and such I will try to get them posted. Hopefully this will prompt some of the other folks on the forum to post some of their gadgets and tools as well. Regards, Allan

By Wrench Tech (**)

Date 10-11-2007 04:03

Oh, I like this one!

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 10-11-2007 05:05

I have used woodworkers corner clamps for that purpose, they are a bit wimpery and the ones I have don't have the cutout for acess. Yours look good.

By Tommyjoking (****)

Date 10-11-2007 08:51

yes leaving that corner out makes it more then twice as handy...which reminds me I need to make the time to make up some more of them ...I only have one....sometimes its good to have one cooling and another to fit with. I wonder does anyone make a "factory made" version of this??? (no I dont wanna hear "I made mine in a factory")

By 803056

Date 10-14-2007 01:01

I just when through the posts you folks posted showing all the ingenious tools you built. I have to say, you have your thinking caps on and show some true craftsmanship and pride in your craft.

Now I can hear the "QA" folks asking, "Where's the calibration stickers?"

I had to say it because it is exactly what I had happen at one of my clients during an audit. The welder took the improvised tool, flung it across the shop, it bounced off the wall and landed on the floor with a thud. He looked at the auditor and said, "Your right, it's out of calibration! It was supposed to go up your a$$!" Then the welder turned and started welding again.

The auditor turned red faced, but he didn't say anything more. No one would have heard him anyway due to the laughter!

Keep up the good work gents.

Best regards - Al

By Tommyjoking (****)

Date 10-14-2007 11:45

ROFLMAO!

Dang Al that story sounds like me LOL! Well you got a point to be sure. The one I got I welded the points of contact on...but I put it in a mill and shaved both surfaces to make sure it was spot on.....everything I do will be checked anyway so....but no mine has not been QC. If they had to QC all the fixtures I built they would have a cow...they just check the end result. Although I have picked up several fixtures made by others that for me were useless (think misplaced drill bushings and such). I really wish that any tool did have to be qualified...it would save a lot of wasted metal in my shop. Inefficiency I think is our company motto.

Best Regards
Tommy

By 803056

Date 10-14-2007 16:35

I suppose that is the goal of calibration, but I think some auditors get carried away with their thought process and lose sight of the real objective.

For instance, I had an auditor write up a client for not using calibrated fillet weld gauges. Sorry, I don't see the point in calibrating something that has no adjustable features. I agree they should be check to see they are in reasonably good condition, but a calibration sticker on each leaf? I don't think so. They are in 1/16th and 1/8 inch increments and we are not checking weld sizes to the nearest 1/1000 th inch. Hell, we're usually happy if we can interpolate to the nearest 1/32 inch!

I've never seen a fillet gauge that was so worn that if couldn't be used for in-process checks of weld size. Usually they are lost long before they "wear out".

I make my own weld gauges using a pair of tin snips and heavy banding straps for areas where a standard weld gauge won't fit. I check it with a machinist's ruler and from a practical stand point it is adequate for weld size verification. Likewise, I have a couple of homemade gauges to check back gouges. One is the minimum and the other is the maximum size permitted by AWS D1.1. I also use the "index finger rule", which doesn't involve calibration, to check the size of back gouges.

Personally, I wish the welders "tool" had been calibrated. I would have loved the surprised look on the auditor's face if it had landed where it was supposed to!

Still laughing over that incident!

Best regards - Al

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 10-15-2007 12:37

Morning guys,
Had to catch up on my reading this morning...you guys have really been posting this weekend.

Anyway, regarding the calibrated tools. At our shop, I'll allow all sorts of tools (homemade and store bought) that are used by the fitters, but.....the inspectors, I calibrate/verify every tool in their box. Any tool used for final inspection requires a calibration sticker. So far this approach has satified all of the auditors that have audited our shop.
When I started working as the QC, they had me verify every tool in the shop. I found this to be very time consuming and redundant. From then on, I rewrote our calibration procedure and I gathered up only the inspector's tools and gave them a check against our calibrated tools. After all the inspector's are the ones who will sign off that everything was fit-up correctly and if it isn't then the fitter gets to knock it all apart and refit it before he gets the "OK2W"(OK to weld).
Nice to have all calibrated/verified tools, but it isn't always necessary.

By eekpod

Date 10-15-2007 12:53

John's right, only tools for final insp. need to be calibrated to pass the AISC audit. That includes fillet weld gauges even though there isn't anything that moves. In theory if a welder on the shop floor were doing the final insp. of the welder next to him, and also using his guages to check his own in-process work, they could get worn down over time, I've seen it happen, more than likely it was also used as a slag pick and scraper, so it shouldn't happen but it could.
If they are clean and pristine and only used be QC personnel, it makes calibrating them very easy, use the certified calibrated tape to measure the fillet gauge, since it's not worn down, there should't be any question it's not right. Chris

By 803056

Date 10-15-2007 14:12

Unfortunately the auditor in this case was of the opinion that any tools used to measure or verify dimensions needed to be "calibrated" and to have a sticker affixed to it.

I agree that measuring instruments used for final checks should be included in a calibration program, but not the tools used by the tradesmen to perform in-process checks unless it has some means of adjustment, such as is the case with a micrometer. Likewise, in those situations where the measurements are of a precise dimension, say to the nearest 0.001 inch, the tools should be checked, but not when the measurements are to the nearest 1/32.

In the case I cite, the auditor shot down the calibration program because every tool was not included in the program. He wanted the fillet gauges and other miscellaneous measuring tools used for production checks to be checked to the nearest 0.001 inch. That included squares, combination squares, fillet gauges, templates, etc. This was a case where the auditor had experience in machine shop environments, but little experience with fabrication shops.

We did come to a compromise, but the auditor was still way off base in my opinion. It took some long discussions and the threat to turn away any future work for that client to come to some rational terms.

Best regards - Al

By makeithot (***)

Date 10-25-2007 03:01

Allan Thats a good one do ya have a patend on that or can I just go ahead and copy it. I see that as an every day tool.

By aevald

Date 10-25-2007 05:38

Hello makeithot, copy away, I've got a number of the same type of fixtures that I have used for different projects over the years. Some for pipe, some for tubing and angle iron, some with adjustable angle features to handle repetitive angles. Our industry challenges all of us everyday to come up with something to make things just a bit safer, easier, or more accurate. That's part of what keeps it interesting. Best regards, Allan

By Tommyjoking (****)

Date 10-25-2007 14:37

oh crap Allan I have already "copied" your fixture and been using it for years......Do I owe you royalties? And can you help me force my employer to pay them????

By aevald

Date 10-25-2007 14:53

Ok Tommy here it is, tell your employer that you need to pay royalties on the use of this fixture. Then explain to them that they need to write the check to you as you will be taking care of this. Then just keep the money! Sound like a plan? HA HA HA Best regards, Allan