No More Saw Horses

Challenges

What’s the best way to fixture a large variety of parts too big for any existing table in the shop, and too varied to build dedicated fixtures for each one? On top of that, the parts are all large tubes with finicky miter cuts, yet they must be kept square and dimensionally correct. The fact that there’s no way to clamp the parts in place isn’t helping. Building on saw horses isn’t solving the problem. There’s got to be a better way…

Solution

Floor mounted rail system

Rolling u-forms

The solution is a rail system with rolling bridge legs, which allow modular u-form beams to slide back and forth to accommodate any size part. Using beams instead of tables allows open areas for welders to access interior weldments, and allows them to work from the inside out using fixture locaters and clamps to load all the parts with ease.

Result

In a way, large rail systems function like the world’s most advanced saw horse, allowing u-forms to be rolled along the rails on a flat plane to a known dimensional spot. This allows for faster setup, less time measuring (checking dimensions, corner to corner, etc), and quicker tack times. Fixture locators can hold pieces that are hard to measure otherwise, and provide a solid point of reference. The net results are more accurate weldments, smoother assembly and a higher quality end product.