Jigs!

[JohnRobHolmes]

especially for making tube frames. does anybody have a jig set up, or make disposable jigs for thier tubers? TC, do you have a jig for your maxx axles? post up some pics if you have them. i want to make a jig to help me build up a tuber. i have the basic frame built, but i want the alignment to be spot on for link/tranny/shock mount locations.

[TwistedCreations]

nope, I don't use a jig for the axles... all by a tape measure,eyeballing and a few other tools

But here is a pic of Old Dog doing a jig

[JohnRobHolmes]

if you set anything up on blocks to get the right hight or angles, i consider it a jig. it doesnt have to hold the material. c'mon, you mean to tell me that you just eyeball and build the axles while holding them in your hands?

[mike]

here are my jigs.

[Davkin]

here are my jigs

Hey! Get your hands off my jigs!

I use putty to hold one end of a piece of tube sometimes. In some situations even a Vice Grip won't hold onto, at least not at the right angle.
If I was working with steel I'd probably use magnets, but so far I've only worked with brass.

David

[rckjeep]

Come on now people lets be PC here the term JIG is a racist term. Around here we call them manufacting aids. :flipoff all I did for the tuber was weld it to a large plate to keep it from moving and somewhat square. Good luck trying to keep it dead nuts square when you apply a ton of heat from welding.

[Plays_with_Toys]

My shop teacher had these alligator clips on pose-able arms, I was planning to ask him to borrow them for my excursion into tube brazing. They are for soldering wires, probably available from radioshack.

[TwistedCreations]

Originally Posted by johnrobholmes

if you set anything up on blocks to get the right hight or angles, i consider it a jig. it doesnt have to hold the material. c'mon, you mean to tell me that you just eyeball and build the axles while holding them in your hands?

well i don't consider a block of wood a jig. i consider a jig is something that you can use every single time and it give you the exact same thing each time. i block of wood to hold something up is just that, a block of wood...

and FYI-- yes i just hold it all in hand, unless i use the vice to hold something. but other than that, it is in my hand being flipped every which way. no need for a jig when your just that damn good unless you consider a tack weld a jig since it holds parts in place also

[JohnRobHolmes]

welding... pppffffftttt. that's the easy way around it. If I had a mig, i would use that as my jig i reckin.

i see some great ideas though! keep em coming if you have them!

I just dont like the squareness of my tuber. It is the first that i have built, but my methods are very exact yet. one side is 1/16th inch longer than the other etc etc. i figure if i had a jig i could realign the frame as i go through the process before the bracing.

my thoughts are to use a thick peice of steel with threaded holes in it. then i could bolt down one side of the frame and tweak the rest to suit. you could braze with it too, but some angles would get tricky to get the heat on proper.

[TwistedCreations]

well i draw out a area on my workbench that is exactly square and just start from there.. once i get an area that is square, the rest is cake work... just takes time,measureing,more time thinking, then more time measuring, then drink a beer and think about it some more

but like i said, i don't use a jig at all... once you do a few, you start to get the hang of little tips and tricks to help along

[JohnRobHolmes]

hmmm, a workbench! that would probably be a first step

but seriously, thanks for the input. im sure my next tuber will be more square. i only drew up and followed the side drawing. i didnt do a top view for some reason. eh, its all good. i dont think ill be making many plate chassis from now on. its much easier to locate parts in a tuber (in theory not practice). ive been thinking about making my next tuber a low profile deal with body mounts for a lexan shell. kinda against the grain, but i know it would be lighter than any other way i can build.