Sheet metal pinch clamps (?)

[preston]

YOu know those little clamps that hold two pieces of sheet metal together flush? They look really useful for aligning and welding sheetmetal except that they imply a minimum gap of 0.032" between the metal pieces to allow their "key" to fit through the metal.

Everything I've ever been taught is you want your gap to be as minimal as possible. Do good fabricators ever use these or are they for hack repairs?

I've never used them due to the "gap", but they do look really nice for holding everything in place while you tack, not to mention a .032 gap on each side would make the filler piece a lot easier to cut since you have .064 leeway.

I'm inclined to think the magnetic versions would be better although of course its difficult to weld anywhere near a magnet and they're obviously no good on aluminum.

edit - these things - http://www.eastwood.com/review/product/list/id/56/

[GregWeld]

Just use a magnet to hold your patch.... if that's what you're doing - and tack it in.

If you're hanging an entire panel - that's a job for clamps etc and there's usually somewhere you can get a clamp to hold the panel until you put a few tacks in it.

Just my experience is all.


If you're TIG welding -- make sure the magnets aren't near where you're attempting to weld -- TIG and magnets don't like each other. :cheers:

[WSSix]

What happens if you get a TIG near a magnet? Is it a something destructive yet wickedly cool? :unibrow:

[GregWeld]

What happens if you get a TIG near a magnet? Is it a something destructive yet wickedly cool? :unibrow:



Just........... No

[GregWeld]

Just one other "thought" because lots of people read these kinds of threads...


Many of our panels are compound curves or curved in some manor... and they take a bit of hammer and dolly work as you weld in patches etc... these clamps are good for flat and STRAIGHT cuts etc. Many times the patches I'm making are not straight... they're shapes with curves and around other stuff and on and on.

I've always just used a variety of clamps (you can never own enough of them) - and or magnets - or I've welded on temporary "hand holds" etc. Once you put a tack or two on the piece -- then it's "there" and there is much other consideration - like trying to control warpage -- and shrinkage -- and all manor of other nuances to these types of "jobs".


Just thinking out loud here....

[preston]

yeah I never really thought of them as being used to hold in the whole patch panel but more as a "local" device to help in place of having a 3rd hand and a good way to get it held tightly flush. So the gap was my main concern. I have a set and after experimenting with them in the past I never used them but I wanted to see if anyone else had success with them.

[Garage Dog 65]

Ron Covell grinds away a little bit of the metal where the center pull goes thru to the other side. That allows the clamp to be used - and you can flush up the panels and tack them. Then pull the clamp and weld the small slot.

Or you can use cleco fasteners and straps on the back side to tack up the panel. Then you can weld the little cleco holes no problem.

Jim

[elitecustombody]

Jim, that's a good tip:thumbsup:

And I agree with Greg about TIG welding near magnet,lol.

[IMPALA MAN]

Maybe a dumb question but I have to ask. When you talked about warpage, etc. Are MIG welds used at all or is everything sheet metal wise TIG welded? I just purchased a TIG but am still learning how to use it. Whereas the MIG I am pretty decent at. Also, anyone used an item called Muggy Weld? It supposedly prevents warping.

[GregWeld]

MIG filler wire is harder to metal finish.... it's a harder metal.... TIG is softer filler so easier to finish etc and it's easier to control the heat with TIG IMHO.

More people MIG sheet metal than TIG because of the skill required and the costs of TIG.

[64pontiac]

Just thought I would chime in here with some of our experience.

MIG hates magnets too by the way! Haven't you found this Greg? I have never ever had luck with magnets!

I second the cleko/strap method. We made a ton of 1/8 one inch straps with two holes, and you span the gap with clekos. Usually though, we don't try and cut the hole or panel off and fit the other piece or patch to it, as it is a pain. Simply overlap the entire panel you are trying to flush in, cleko it down the seam, and make a cut through both layers with a super thin cutoff disc. go about 8 inches, peel back the outer and inner strip that is cut off, and the panel lays in perfectly flush and ready to tack. Just dont go close to the end of your cut, always cut further.

you will like this method I promise!

[IMPALA MAN]

Thanks for the tip. Honestly, I have not ever got the mig close enough to the magnet to discover the issue. Glad I didn't!

Also I can attest to the mig being harder to grind. More grinding, more heat, more warpage. Looks like the tig lessons will accelerate.

Thanks everyone for the tips.

[GregWeld]

Well --- if you really get down to it -- there is "metal working" -- and there is car building the "normal way". The normal way is making a patch panel - welding it in -- grinding it down without compromising the body --- and then slathering bondo on it and doing some bodywork.

Don't kill yourself if you're not building a 1.3MM SEMA car.... A thin skim coat of bondo and some primer and block sanding works just fine. I prefer low spots over high spots... high spots are a biatch...

I'm being totally serious here.

Few people are ever going to do enough work like this to be doing "metal work". TIG or no TIG... TIG is just a finer art of welding - and it is more versatile - cleaner - and blah blah blah... but being able to TIG won't make you a metal worker so don't over estimate its significance.

[Ketzer]

Well --- if you really get down to it -- there is "metal working" -- and there is car building the "normal way". The normal way is making a patch panel - welding it in -- grinding it down without compromising the body --- and then slathering bondo on it and doing some bodywork.

Don't kill yourself if you're not building a 1.3MM SEMA car.... A thin skim coat of bondo and some primer and block sanding works just fine. I prefer low spots over high spots... high spots are a biatch...

I'm being totally serious here.

Few people are ever going to do enough work like this to be doing "metal work". TIG or no TIG... TIG is just a finer art of welding - and it is more versatile - cleaner - and blah blah blah... but being able to TIG won't make you a metal worker so don't over estimate its significance.

That is some sage sh!t right there. Way to put it in perspective GW!


Jeff-

[GregWeld]

Just thought I would chime in here with some of our experience.

MIG hates magnets too by the way! Haven't you found this Greg? I have never ever had luck with magnets!

I second the cleko/strap method. We made a ton of 1/8 one inch straps with two holes, and you span the gap with clekos. Usually though, we don't try and cut the hole or panel off and fit the other piece or patch to it, as it is a pain. Simply overlap the entire panel you are trying to flush in, cleko it down the seam, and make a cut through both layers with a super thin cutoff disc. go about 8 inches, peel back the outer and inner strip that is cut off, and the panel lays in perfectly flush and ready to tack. Just dont go close to the end of your cut, always cut further.

you will like this method I promise!



Stuff like this is why I love LAT G.....


When you get a chance -- would you post up a couple of "demo" pics to show us all what you're saying.

Pictures are worth a 1000 words you know! :lol:


I really like this method!

[GregWeld]

Thanks Don - but what I wanted to see was his method of cutting out the patch.... that he was describing. Where he's cutting thru two pieces of material - the patch and the rotten part so that the patch fits the cut perfectly.... I just wanted to see it in a couple pics... and not just for myself - but for others to learn from as well.


:cheers:

[64pontiac]

Gregweld, I will do a little demo this week and post it up for everyone. Once you see it it will "click" and make sense. Works awesome

Tyler