# Weekend welding project Third hand



## churchjw (Oct 30, 2012)

Had seen one of these at the local high school's welding shop so I finally took the time to build one.  Ok I guess there are 2 of them.  








The uprights are 16" tall 1" pipe.  The balls are 1" I got from Enco on a huge sale.  I put them on the surface grinder and ground a .250" flat spot to weld on the rods.  The rods are .375" O1.  The flat plates are .375" * 1" * 4".  I have to 2 more of the bearings to weld up another style of clamp for the ends if I need.  The sockets for the balls are cut .250"  deep with a 1" ball end mill.  If I did it over I would cut the sockets shallower.   This would give them more movement.  Not that I have found a position it would not adjust to yet.  I originally did the sockets that deep to get more surface area for more holding power but I think it was over kill.  The unit is very ridged with only a snugging of the allen bolts.  Next step is to tool black everything.  I don't want to paint it so it conducts electricity.

Jeff


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## xalky (Oct 30, 2012)

Cool project. The only thing I would do different is make the Allen screws toolless, by welding some T handles onto them, like wing nuts, for quick easy set-up.


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## churchjw (Oct 31, 2012)

xalky said:


> Cool project. The only thing I would do different is make the Allen screws toolless, by welding some T handles onto them, like wing nuts, for quick easy set-up.



I originally was going to put T handles on them.  I even have the stock cut but I am not sure they would not get in the way.  I am going to try it for a bit like this and if its a pain I will weld the handles on.  I think in the long run you are right it will be the better way to go.

Jeff


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## churchjw (Nov 4, 2012)

Final pictures for them finished.  Had to get the tool black on them.  Used them to weld up a project this weekend.  Worked better than I could have hoped for.


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## Rbeckett (Nov 5, 2012)

Way too slick and high class for a bunch like us, send it to me and I'll "dispose" of it properly.. Just kidding, looks like a great tool to have in the shop when your helper is gone.
Bob


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## salger (Nov 7, 2012)

excellent tool, I will have to try something like that when I get some time


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## Kennyd (Nov 7, 2012)

Awesome project, thanks for sharing with us!

Can you explain the "tool black" a little more please? Also, what clamps did you use (around the pipe)?


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## akcycle (Nov 7, 2012)

Jeff, excellent execution of and old idea. I believe yours are the best I've seen. Pete


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## churchjw (Nov 10, 2012)

The tool black is just a chemical you put on steel to help stop rust.  It basically forms an oxide layer.   I got mine from MSC years ago.  






The vertical adjustment is from 2 collars I had left over from another project.  They are stainless but I already had them made.

Jeff





View attachment 95453


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## Syncrowave (Nov 20, 2012)

churchjw said:


> The sockets for the balls are cut .250"  deep with a 1" ball end mill.



Jeff-

I want to make one of these jigs, but I don't have a milling machine or a lathe. 

To cut the sockets for the balls, could I chuck one of these ball end mill things in a drill press and cut the sockets that way, do you know?

If so, what speed in RPMs might I need to use for a cutter like that in mild steel? I'm only a wannabe "machinist" and I'm wondering whether my drill press has the proper speed...

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## churchjw (Nov 21, 2012)

Syncrowave said:


> Jeff-
> 
> I want to make one of these jigs, but I don't have a milling machine or a lathe.
> 
> ...




I am not sure that a drill press would be ridged enough to work with a ball end mill.  I used a 1" one in my small mill and it shook some.  I have seen these built with just a hole drilled where the balls go and they seem to work well.  I think rounding the cup for the balls is over kill.  Mine lock to the point you could bend the steel before the balls slip with just a snug of the bolts.  So if you don't have a mill try just building it with holes not cups to hold the balls. I think a slight chamfer to the holes would help as well.  All of the small ones I have for electronics are just holes at the joints.

Jeff


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## Syncrowave (Nov 22, 2012)

Jeff-

Thank you for your reply. That makes sense about the drill press chattering or "fighting back" against the work...1" is a big hole! (And now that I think about it, I'm not even sure the 3/4" diameter shaft on that ball end mill would even _fit_ into my drill press chuck!)

So instead I will probably drill some holes of maybe 1/2" and chamfer them with a countersink...and maybe "roughen up" the balls (which would give them more traction in the clamps) by annealing them in a wood stove.

On another front...did you anneal/normalize the balls before welding on them? Or possibly do a preheat and postheat and slow cool-down in wood ashes or something? I'm concerned that the balls will be so hard in their unwelded state that they might crack after Tigging.

(I'm probably making this more complex than it needs to be...)

Thank you again and Happy Thanksgiving.


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## churchjw (Nov 22, 2012)

Some others could chime in that know more than me.  But I didn't have any problems with the balls cracking from the TIGing.  I did let them air cool and didn't quench them, so I guess that probably softened them a bit.  Before I went to a lot of trouble I would try one first and see if you had problems.  I would not rough the surface up.  With the counter sink you will get a good amount of surface area and just the friction should be enough.  I would try it and see before I roughed them up.  If you do need to rough them I would try sandblasting first.  On mine a friend suggested lapping the sockets to improve the friction by increasing the surface and fit.  But it turned out not to be needed.

Jeff


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## Syncrowave (Nov 23, 2012)

Jeff - That's good info to know. Thank you again. If I run into any problems, I will post up here for the sake of others in the future.


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