Shop Tricks and Tools
Proven shop tricks that save time, materials, and frustration in everyday welding and repair work.
Alignment Tool
An alignment tool can be a handy gadget in the shop, especially during repair welding. This simple tool can be created in a short time and provides a bit of pressure to ensure that your materials fit up properly.
Start by cutting the bracket out of material that’s at least the same thickness if not thicker than what you’re welding. The shape can vary, depending on your specific needs and the nature of your welding job.
Weld a nut at the end of the bracket to hold a bolt in place that will apply the pressure to the part. Be careful not to damage the threads of the nut while welding. Then weld the tool to one piece and thread the bolt through the nut until it pushes the other piece into position.
This tool can be constructed as a light-duty device for thin materials, or you can create a more robust version for thicker materials. Devices like this have been used for many years to align separate work pieces in the pipe industry, but they can be modified and welded in various configurations to accommodate your application.
Copper Cover Dolly
Welding sheet metal is always a challenge, especially when it comes to welding up holes. This can be a very difficult task, one that includes the constant risk of destroying the material. This sheet metal dolly wrapped with copper will make the process much easier and give you much better results.
Start with 1/8-inch copper bar and your favorite dolly and wrap the face of the dolly with the copper. Since welds don’t fuse to copper, the copper-covered dolly acts as a backing bar to hold the weld in place. The copper covered dolly is placed on the backside of the hold with pressure and the weld is made. When completed, the copper covered dolly is simply removed.
The copper covering also serves as an excellent heat sink on the back of the weld, which gives you much more weld control. When this is done correctly, the welded hole is small and flat, with very little heat input into the panel. This results in less distortion, which is something every welder strives for.
Trimming Sanding and Grinding Discs
We all use some kind of grinder or sander, and we all know how expensive sanding discs can be. Over time, the outer edge of the disc – anywhere from 1/8 to ¼-inch – generally gets the most use and wears out the most quickly.
When that happens, the discs can be trimmed into a star pattern using a pair of old aviation snips, which accomplishes a couple things. First, the edge of the disc becomes new again, so it lasts twice as long. The star pattern also allows the disc to fit into tight corners better than a round disc.
This trick will greatly increase the life of your grinding discs. You’ll feel better when it does come time to throw them away, knowing that you’ve maximized their usefulness.
Removing a Stubborn Broken Bolt
Rusty bolts can be frustrating obstacles on any project. What’s more, removing the remaining portion of a bolt that is partially broken off can be even more challenging. There are several ways to remove a broken bolt, but the best strategy usually depends on how much of the bolt is still protruding from the hole. If there is enough to get a handle on, you can sometimes lock onto it with a good pair of vise grips, but sometimes it’s just too frozen by rust and corrosion to turn it at all.
When the bolt is broken flush with the surface of the part – or worse yet, even slightly recessed from the surface – turning up the heat can make a big difference.
First, find a nut just large enough to slide over the bolt. Hold the nut in place and weld it to the bolt from the top on the inside. This can be done with any process – Stick, MIG or TIG – but you’ll need to be careful not to destroy the outside of the nut as you weld. Attaching the nut will enable you to grip the bolt with a wrench. Even if the bolt is locked up in rust and corrosion, the small weld will usually be enough to loosen it – especially if you add some heat to the surrounding areas.
When adding heat to the area with an oxyfuel torch, make sure that the area you are heating is not the bolt but the part around the bolt. Keep the torch away from the bolt and heat around the edges of the bolt. You want the heat to expand the metal around the bolt, but not the bolt itself. Expanding the bolt will only make it harder to remove. After heating the surrounding area, something as simple as a sharp tap on the wrench with a hammer will help loosen the bolt.
Broken, rusty bolts can be challenging to remove, but sometimes the solution is as simple as applying the right amount of heat to the right places.