When you've got to "spread" something just a bit

Date 05-25-2010 23:40

Hello folks, there are those times when you're fitting something up and it pulls in a bit too much and you possibly need a little something to spread it back out just a bit. In this case by using a bit of pipe or square tubing you can gain that little bit of an edge in adjusting the width without having to invest in porta-powers or other rather expensive tools. Either a bolt with full threads or a jacking bolt possibly can be utilized. Along with that, a length of appropriately sized pipe or square tube can do wonders for adjusting the width of your particular application. If you have various lengths of the pipe or square tube around you can be ready for just about any spreading challenge. In these two examples I have used a 3/4" jacking bolt and a 3/4" full threaded bolt, the jacking bolt in the square tube and the 3/4" bolt in the pipe. I prefer the jacking bolt and the 1" square tube because with a little bit of grinding on the square end of the jacking bolt the tube will keep the jacking bolt from turning while you are adjusting the length of it with the nut. I have included a couple of pictures to show the basic set-up and principle of this. If you have any variations of this sort of thing please speak up and possibly include some pictures. Best regards, Allan

By Skaggydog (**)

Date 05-26-2010 03:36

Frame with threaded rod tacked to plate through it, pulling plate up. Perhaps pulling out a dent.

By aevald

Date 05-26-2010 04:06

Hello Skaggydog, have used something similar to your illustration. A crew that I was working with was installing new wear plates in a lot of conveyor pans. On the wide ones there was a concern for "oil canning" which might cause edge welds to fracture and break loose. We would cut holes spaced evenly down and across the various wear plates that we were installing and use a clamp such as you have shown to pull the wear plates down tight to the conveyor pan bottom and then proceed to weld all the way around the edges of these holes to prevent movement of the wear plates that might cause the edge welds to fail. Thank you for including this. Best regards, Allan

By 803056

Date 05-26-2010 20:18

“Necessity is the mother of all inventions.”

I don’t know who said it, but it seems appropriate. More practical solutions to problems faced by fabricators everyday. Good show.

Best regards - Al

By Metarinka (****)

Date 05-27-2010 01:01

I wish I had a picture we often used a device just as you mentioned both for leveling and squaring during fit up and "minor adjustment" after screw up. it consisted of 4 threaded bolts we could connected to a flange. The flange was tacked to the piece (if allowable) and that saved the threads or nuts from getting messed up.

And just today I used a set of 3 C clamps interlocked to make a "C-chain" to bring something back into square.

By Skaggydog (**)

Date 05-27-2010 22:36

Plato said, "Necessity, who is the mother of invention." Over 2000 years ago.

By 803056

Date 05-28-2010 02:50

Thanks Skaggy.

Al

By Blaster (***)

Date 05-27-2010 01:33

That is a beautiful thing Allan. Why didn't I think of that!