Picket jig for railings and gates

[David Kailey]

I use a lot of tube to save on weight and material cost. So I have to weld baskets, twists, and other decrative elements to make a picket. But it's a pain to keep them straight and weld them with out dealing with slang getting on the jig and having to be cleaned all the time or accidentally welding it to the jig. Then having to build a new jig next time cause that job has a diffrent design.This is the answer for all my issues. I took a piece of 3" x 1 1/4 channel and had a 3/8" slot milled in it 12" long with a 1"gap between them to help keep the strength of the channel.

I had standoffs cut out with 1/2" thru 1" then welded bases on them.

I use flat bar with nuts welded to them the flat bar can rotate in the channel and so I only need one wrench to tighten them.

I have clearance to weld 3 sides and can adjust the standoff to any configuration.

[Guest]

nice jig ! if you have a Tig welder thats what I would use No clean up then !

[dogblazer9598]

Hi Dave , Railings and gates is a large majority of our shops work and we use a spray made by  walthers that we buy by the gallon and put it in spray bottles .a fine mist around all the weld joints makes the cleanup of the little tiny spatter almost effortless they basically fall off .

 

doug

[David Kailey]

I use a good antispatter.... not sure on the name but the jig gets a good coating before i use it. better then a cold chisel. lol

[Exo313]

Have you looked into metal cored wire? (MCAW process). From the photos,  it looks like you're using solid wire (GMAW).  I find far less spatter with "metal core".