Lately, I have been doing a lot (for me) of torch brazing  on small items of various size. I find that fiddling with clamps, vise grips etc. to hold piece in place is most time consuming and frustrating. Are there some examples of simple home made fixtures people have made for the task. Generally, the items are under six inch length and rarely weigh a pound so that is an example of the size I work with.There is no standard size so I need a "universal" fixture.

Thanks for you help.

The local welding supply has some pretty nifty fixtures that use heavy duty switchable magnets. There are a number of configurations but three main ones I looked at. First the standard articulated arm with a strong switchable magnet in a V block, the base is a V clamp to the table or whatever. The second is similar but has a switchable magnetic base. The third is similar to either of the others but a switchable magnet locks the joints so the unit becomes ridgid.

 

The lengths and capacities are variable in all the types. There are more types, or maybe just combinations of the others, different fixtures, etc.

 

They had a table set up with a bunch of the setups you can play with. I was there on a mission so I only fiddled with them for a few minutes while the gal found what I needed and wrote me up.

 

Check the welding supplier near you or maybe do a web search.

 

Frosty the Lucky.

Frosty,

Good suggestion. I couldnt find anything on the web other than fixture suppliers or examples of fixtures for one specific operation.I will drop in on the welding supply house.

Try this:   

 

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/search.htm?cx=006579968505775474095%3A8jqi0ptwm2m&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=welding+jigs&sa=Search&siteurl=www.mig-welding.co.uk%2F&ref=www.mig-welding.co.uk%2F&ss=5137j3058691j12

Thank you for the link, Knots. Fun sites to look around and some good stuff to keep in mind around the shop.

 

Frosty the Lucky

For small oddly shaped pieces sometimes " old school " is the way to go. I often use binding wire to tie the pieces together, or a small plate to tie the pieces too with wire sometimes drilling holes to run the wire through to make it more secure.

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

I have seen a small clamping thing which is for soft soldering/ model making/ electronics which acts as third and fourth hands, it has  two crocodile clips on a pair of articulating arms with friction "elbows". I always fancied one. A beefier version could be useful for larger components, I found an industrial clamping ball joint (like on a photo tripod) which has a plate attached which I have used to offer up one piece to another, but did think if I had a pair of them they would be a great basis for third and fourth hands.

 

If you found two such things you could mount small vices or the fixed jaws of snap clamps on the ends of the arms and then you could hold non ferrous / nonmagnetic as well...

 

search for soldering clamp

 

    We used what was called a "third hand" in much of our brazing work. To make one grind a point on a 2 foot long piece of 1/2" round bar and then bend the pointed end 90 degrees with the point about a 2-3 leg of the bend. Now take approx 12" of that same 1/2" bar and bend it at center to another 90 degrees. Braze that v shape onto the long end of your other bar so the point is down when the "legs" are flat on the bench.

   The way to use this is you place the assembly you want to braze on the bench, Place the point of the "3rd hand" on the part you want to fix in place and then place something heavy on the leg end of the 3rd hand.

  I had one with a bit of thin plate tacked onto the long leg so I could place a work light right where it would do the most good. Easy and quick to make, store and use. Sure beats looking for the right size clamp and then balancing both the work and clamp while you`re trying to tighten it. Also works when the base piece is too big to clamp or the secondary part is too far from the edge for a clamp to work.

   If I knew how to post pics I`d post one of mine so you can see how simple they are. (just like the guy who makes them) :D

  

   If I knew how to post pics I`d post one of mine so you can see how simple they are. (just like the guy who makes them) :D

  

Yes please, your device sounds intriguing.

 

I have seen some image posting instructions somewhere, I am sure they will show up if you do a search. Basically if you are doing a reply click on "More Reply Options" bottom right of the dialogue box, a couple of buttons appear so that you can find the image on your hard drive and upload it to the site and then attach it to your post.

 

Your device reminds me of a system I saw once which was a bit like the wall mounted arm and ruler they measure your height with for a medical. This was just a bit of round bar for a post welded on end on one corner of the brazing hearth. The arm was just another bit of bar welded onto a short sleeve or bush (as long as its internal diameter) which slid over the post and rattled up and down, there was enough spring in the post and lock in the short bush to keep pressure on the work piece, a bit like a light weight hold down dog.

 

Alan

Yes please, your device sounds intriguing.

 

I have seen some image posting instructions somewhere, I am sure they will show up if you do a search. Basically if you are doing a reply click on "More Reply Options" bottom right of the dialogue box, a couple of buttons appear so that you can find the image on your hard drive and upload it to the site and then attach it to your post.

 

Your device reminds me of a system I saw once which was a bit like the wall mounted arm and ruler they measure your height with for a medical. This was just a bit of round bar for a post welded on end on one corner of the brazing hearth. The arm was just another bit of bar welded onto a short sleeve or bush (as long as its internal diameter) which slid over the post and rattled up and down, there was enough spring in the post and lock in the short bush to keep pressure on the work piece, a bit like a light weight hold down dog.

 

Alan

 

 

If I am visualizing this correctly the post must have been secured in a vertical position to the work surface.  How was the post be secured ?

Yes you are. It was just stood upright on the brazing table and a weld fillet run around it's base.

Yes you are. It was just stood upright on the brazing table and a weld fillet run around it's base.

 

Ah.   So you could drill and tap your welding table for the vertical post bar as an alternate to permanent mounting.

 

Between this idea and Mainley Bob's Y hook fixture and the occasional magnet holding parts down to the table are pretty well covered.

 

A few weeks ago I bought a couple of tiny locking pliers.  I am thinking that these welded to  a round bar that would fit into one of the magnetic dial indicator base column fittings suggested by Frosty would be one handy way to position the odd piece that is up off of the table.

Yes, or attach it to a moveable base plate or block, provided it was heavy enough to counterbalance the arm, it would be the most versatile.

Of course what we all really need is a sky hook

Ah now I can picture Mainely, Bob's device, I had the vee around the wrong way broad arrow fashion and could not understand the stability, now you say "y" it all makes sense. Thank you!