''WARPED'' Plate

[henerythe8th]

Posted similar prior to the BIG CRASH...

Bought some steel at the scrap yard a week or so back, thought I was on my way to a GREAT start on my post vise stand...

What I have is a piece of 3/4 plate about 24 X 36 with a 4'' SQ tube welded to the center, welded to the 4SQ and plate are 4 gussets (1/4 plate). When I got it cut to approximately the right height, I stood it on the concrete floor and determined that the plate is warped from all of the weld, it rocks like mad!

Any ideas on how to ''get it back''?

I don't think that my small (110v) wire feed will pour enough heat into that plate to pull it back.
It's obviously too big to place in my forge/furnace...
Suppose that a big propane weed burner torch would put enough heat into it that I could give it a smack or three with a sledge and get the rock out of it?

Also considering welding three or four large (1 1/2 in diameter) ball bearings to the bottom of it, one of which would be placed directly under the leg of the vise...

Suggestions?

[Woody]

It would probably be easier to shim up the corners with some thin stock to keep the plate from wobbling than it would be to try to straighten it. Ball bearings will work but be careful they can shatter when you weld them if they have not been annealed. I would stick with mild steel shims and save the bearings for knives.

Woody

[cheftjcook]

May sound crazy.... What if you were to weld a large nut on each corner of the plate, then thread a bolt thru each as an adjustable kind of foot.
adjust the head of the bolt to the height needed. Then You would be able to lock it in with a lock washer and second nut. Not to lift but more to make up the warp of the plate or uneveness of a floor. If you move the stand you can readjust the bolts/feet to the floor. Much like the feet on a stove or washing machine.

[Glenn]

Hofi has some ideas that may help in his BP1009 Post Vise. He has about the same idea as cheftjcook for leveling things.

[Ralph]

I have some four foot round that I plan as a base. Plan on usuing a 3 in pipe thread as the base then use a vice 3 inch flange to hold the vice?

Ralph

[henerythe8th]

Originally Posted by Ralph

I have some four foot round that I plan as a base. Plan on usuing a 3 in pipe thread as the base then use a vice 3 inch flange to hold the vice?

Ralph

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying, Ralph...
Sometimes when we write, it makes perfect sense, probably because we have a mental picture of what we're describing, that's why a picture is worth a thousand words...

Do you have a 4 foot diameter piece of plate? Going to weld a 3-inch coupler to the plate and then a 3-inch flange to attach the top end of the vise?

The plan for mine was to weld a small "table top" of 1/2-inch thick plate to the top of the 4" SQ tube and weld a stub of the right sized pipe (3/4 or 1 inch) to the base for the bottom of the vice leg to be held by.

[Cory]

Henry you can weld a couple of passes on the bottom side of the plate, may take a few passes in both directions. When done grind the welds off. I used to work at a place that made boat docks here in Missouri and sometimes the help would forget to clamp in the jig and it would come out twisted, I would run a few passes here and there to straighten.

[rthibeau]

You could shim the plate to level, then weld a 4" length of 1" square along the side of the plate at each corner to make the adjustment permanent.

[Ten Hammers]

Just my humble opinion. you could forge some wedges ( good smithing skills) and slide them under the plate to level it. Even a 110 VAC welder should make a good enough weld to attach them to the plate once things are level. Then cut the extra length off so you don't trip on it. My nickels worth.

[rthibeau]

So, what did you end up doing to fix the problem?