H beam welding jig fixture

[Frank S]

A project I am working on according to the confines of the design I need a pair of specialty "H" beams not only height but both flanges are dissimilar in widths I could possibly locate a beam suitable in height and flange thickness then I would have to mill both sides of 1 flange but the real problem was no beam mill makes beams out of high enough strength material to suit my requirements meaning I would have to up size to achieve the strength I want, or I would have to have buy fabricated beams to my specifications. This is fine as it will ultimately be cheaper for me to buy than make, but there is not enough money in the piggy bank to buy a minimum run of 1000ft. just so I could have 16 feet of beam for the proto type.
So utilizing the strong back beam of my tilt top table
https://www.homemadetools.net/homema...-welding-table
to make a fit up jig/ welding fixture.

[DIYer]

Thanks Frank S! We've added your H Beam Welding Jig to our Welding category,
as well as to your builder page: Frank S's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

H Beam Welding Jig by Frank S

tags: jig, welding

[Frank S]

The fixture works great for setting up and welding out the H beam. I couldn't begin to describe how many fixtures I have made on this tilt top table through the years.
But this beam fixture has to be one of the best uses I have ever found for the table
I can tack out the beam then tilt to one side and make a few skip welds than rotate to the other side make a few skip welds that flip it in a downward position then weld the top flange by repeating the process like I had done for the bottom flange then start over and fill in the spaces between the skips.
When I release the clamping force on the fixture and allow the beam to fall free it is 90% welded.
Not as ideal as a duel feed submerged arc beam welding line but I wont have to run my beams through a straightener afterwards either

[Tuomas]

Tilting table sure is useful. We have somewhat similar tables at work. Little heavier though. Possibility to tilt the table makes actual manufacturing easier too.

If you need to assemble a 10 ton plate to 45 degree angle, its more safer to tilt the table and workpiece on top of it, and lift plate in place in horizontally or vertically straight position than angled.

Nice table you have.

[Frank S]

Tuomas; the only issue I have with the table now is with the weight of the fixture and beam it makes it imperative that 2 people are available to tilt it safely.
I plan on adding a rotator gear and crank like a proper weld positioner would have real soon.

[Tuomas]

Tuomas; the only issue I have with the table now is with the weight of the fixture and beam it makes it imperative that 2 people are available to tilt it safely.
I plan on adding a rotator gear and crank like a proper weld positioner would have real soon.

How about a counterweights both ends of the table to the bottom side?
With possibility to adjust distance of the weight, you could easily get table balanced.

[Frank S]

How about a counterweights both ends of the table to the bottom side?
With possibility to adjust distance of the weight, you could easily get table balanced.

You are correct I could counter weight the opposite side. However I really want to keep the flat side of the table clear even at the ends so when I flip it over I can use it as an assembly table or for clamping other fixtures on it
what I did was add some pipes to the end where i have the position lock now I can insert a bar at many angles to lift or push down for advancing to the next position

[Frank S]

I finished welding the 2 beams today so now it will be time to set up some other fixtures for more parts to be fabricated
loading the beam fixture went like this place the table in the vertical position fixture horizontal with the web spacers facing up
drop in the web then slip in the flanges. One flange is 1/4" wider than the other so car has to be taken to place them in the correct location
then it is just a matter of tightening up the clamping studs on the ends of the top beam



then tap the web down to the stops tack up the beam when pre heat slightly position the fixture angle and skip weld then rotate and repeat until the beam is fully welded allow to cool and remove by tilting the fixture loosening the top clamping beam and allow the finished beam to fall free to some blocks of wood on the floor



The beam came out straight ,straight , straight less than a few thou. deformity in the flanges 10 times straighter than any mill run structural beams

[Frank S]

And here are the completed beams

To control warpage. I welded the beams completely while still clamped in the fixture
Started out with making small tack welds to each of the 4 places for the fillet welds then since this is T1 steel it is best to warm the metal slightly before welding 150 to 250°f is enough to remove any surface moisture and displace any stray hydrogen molecules My mig machine does not have digital readout so the weld current and voltage is approximated at around 180 to 200 amps 24 to 27 volts or on my Millermatic 210 the #7 setting with the wire setting at 4.1 I use Esab duel shield flux core .045 wire with C02 gas 35 CFM
after tacking and warming I made 4 inch long welds skipping from end to middle to end and back again then rotated to the opposite side made skip welds at the gaps between the welds on the other side then rotated the beam to then next side and started the process all over again continuing to weld and rotate until the beam was fully welded left to cool in the fixture for a while and removed

The completed assembly will look something like this but there are several bearings and rollers to make it into a telescoping unit