Got it into the shop. EDIT, new idear

Crosley.In.AZ · July 30, 2006, 10:53:46 PM

Rolled it into the shop. 2x6 material , 4ft x 11ft .

time to build some legs for it and get to work.

donsrods · July 30, 2006, 11:12:06 PM

Your jig looks a lot like ours, except we decided not to put legs on it as it would take up too much room in the shop. When we use it we just lay it out on the floor. But legs would be nice so we wouldn't have to stoop and bend so much.

It's amazing how often we use it just to hold something absolutely straight while welding it up.

Don

Crosley.In.AZ · July 31, 2006, 10:48:30 PM

what do y'all think of like 6 of these to use ?

Set the jig up , level it out, use it.

Fold up the jacks and set the jig up out of the way ... more or less

EMSjunkie · July 31, 2006, 10:54:58 PM

Why not throw a set of axels and wheels under it, you'd have a car hauler for your Crosleys

Vance

enjenjo · July 31, 2006, 10:58:27 PM

I like it. I would mount the frame bracket upside down, on the bottom of the jig to keep the top clear.

In some of the pictures I have posted, you might have noticed a pair of steel saw horses I have. I built them about 25 years ago. I set jigs on them, shim them level with steel shims, and tack weld everything together. It works for me.

donsrods · August 01, 2006, 01:52:25 AM

Those trailer tongue jacks could work out real well, especially for the leveling, as you mentioned. It's amazing how heavy jigs like this end up being. Ours must weigh like 250 lbs.

If you look in the background befind the T body, that black table is something else my Kid built. It is a steel topped welding table with wheels on it so you can move it around. He put a 1/2 inch thick steel top on it, about 2 feet x 3 feet, and it is great for working off of. He and I fight over using it all the time, because you can clamp stuff to it for grinding and welding. We have also tack welded stuff right to the top of it, then ground the welds off later when we are done using it.

I'd love to have a big welding table, but they take up so much room.

Don

tomslik · August 01, 2006, 05:35:27 AM

Quote from: "Crosley"what do y'all think of like 6 of these to use ?

Set the jig up , level it out, use it.

Fold up the jacks and set the jig up out of the way ... more or less

how about 2 of those and 4 with the casters on the bottom?

jaybee · August 01, 2006, 09:16:19 AM

"what do y'all think of like 6 of these to use ?"

I think it's a great idea. Careful with the handles, though. Don't know if it's poor quality steel or work hardening but they seem to snap off pretty easily. I broke one off and my brother-in-law has also after they got bent and we tried to bend them back.

tomslik · August 01, 2006, 09:50:41 AM

Quote from: "jaybee""what do y'all think of like 6 of these to use ?"

I think it's a great idea. Careful with the handles, though. Don't know if it's poor quality steel or work hardening but they seem to snap off pretty easily. I broke one off and my brother-in-law has also after they got bent and we tried to bend them back.

now, you guys know they make powerd trailer jacks, don't ya?

jaybee · August 01, 2006, 03:43:06 PM

"now, you guys know they make powerd trailer jacks, don't ya?"

Wild guess here, cut the handle off to a stub and chuck it in a cordless drill?

tomslik · August 01, 2006, 04:01:10 PM

Quote from: "jaybee""now, you guys know they make powerd trailer jacks, don't ya?"

Wild guess here, cut the handle off to a stub and chuck it in a cordless drill?

no, really they do make 'em BUT what about welding a socket on each jack so you wouldn't be fighting the handles?
then you could use a rachet (or an impact if you've got the ballz)

sirstude · August 01, 2006, 09:05:58 PM

I may have mentioned this before, but when I built my frame we put together a jig. Started out with an old hoist, the kind that had 2 I beams about 15' long. We tied them together on the ends and then welded one end of them to an old rear end. The other end we built some jacks out of square tubing and all thead. They worked the first year, but after storing it outside the jacks kind of quit. The trailer jacks would work much better. We would just hook on the one end and drag it around. Set it up in the shop on jackstands and there you are. It weighed a bunch and did not move around. Just welded stringers to it when we needed. I built 2 frames on it and another guy built a sprint car on it. I think it is buried under a pile of junk right now, but next time I am down at my friend's I will try to take a picture of it.

Doug

Crosley.In.AZ · August 01, 2006, 10:40:16 PM

I am now wondering IF the trailer jacks would be a good idea... ? Possibly not sturdy enough??

The jacks seem sorta 'wiggly' .

I wonder if the frame jig would move around a bunch as you worked on the chassis... add more weight and it would move around more??

donsrods · August 01, 2006, 11:04:13 PM

Yeah, I sell these at work, and they do have some slop between the two swiveling mounts. They might be a little shakey now that you mention it.

How about just making some removable legs that drop into sockets or something? You could pick up one end with an engine hoist and put on two legs, then do the same to the other end. Just a thought.

Don