Posted by Chris Ray on October 28, 1997 at 12:20:17:

I have purchased a number of heavy duty hold down clamps (the kind where one leg bolts directly into a table surface) and here is a way to make a temporary weld of the cast steel clamp to a steel table top.

Since the clamp itself is cast steel, welding this material to a steel plate isn't a good idea (lack of strength for one thing, even when using a nickle rod). However, if you made a series of shoe blocks that fit beneath the mounting hole of the clamp, drill and tap a 1/2" hole or larger you can then bolt the clamp to the shoe. This way you will have a steel to steel connection to weld when you want to set up these clamps on your welding table for a temporary hold down. This will then enable you to precisely place your clamp postion in relation to the work rather than being bound by the limitations of predrilled holes in a table top.

Afterwards of course, you grind off the welds to remove the clamp from the table. We do understand, don't we, that the welds made for a temporary hold down shouldn't be x-ray quality or super welds, right? No need for that. A few well placed tack welds does the job well enough.

Chris Ray

Follow Ups:

• Re: Adapting A Hold Down Clamp For A Welding Table andy 9/20/99 (0)