Im building a chassis for a glorified go kart... Im curious as to how other people are keeping their chassis' perfectly square and flat.

I used a leveling table with 1/2" thick steel.... leveled it with a level and cut my tubing to perfect length and measured diagonally to make sure it was square.

Is there anything else....or special tools that help keep the chassis square/true?

 

Just generally speaking, you have to keep it tight to the table with clamps or fixtures, and you should brace it in 2 corners kitty-corner to eachother to keep the square until it's welded.
Move around when welding it out so you don't have all the heat trying to pull it in one direction.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 9bells &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just generally speaking, you have to keep it tight to the table with clamps or fixtures, and you should brace it in 2 corners kitty-corner to eachother to keep the square until it's welded.
Move around when welding it out so you don't have all the heat trying to pull it in one direction.</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah Ive heard of people using JIG to keep the frame in place while welding. And I figured as much for welding. I've just tacked it together so far...so I can tweak it to be juuust right.

 

A frame jig is definetly the way to go if your making something with tubing.

A flat table like that works well if your using rectangular stock. You can just measure out the design on the table, clamp the peices down, and then tack.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RTErnie &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Im building a chassis for a glorified go kart... Im curious as to how other people are keeping their chassis' perfectly square and flat.

I used a leveling table with 1/2" thick steel.... leveled it with a level and cut my tubing to perfect length and measured diagonally to make sure it was square.

Is there anything else....or special tools that help keep the chassis square/true?</TD></TR></TABLE>
The sad thing is, i've seen guys on national television build a hot rod chassis using a bubble level!! The proper way is with a digital angle finder. But for a go kart, i would say you are just fine using a regular level. I do alot of stainless fabrication in the marine industry and a trick i use, because we all know how stainless warps badly when welded, i first tack the two corners being joined, then square it up with a square, then tack in some gussets. That will hold them square for sure.

This is a custom kicker motor bracket for a 30ft. Maxum. This thing held square after welding both sides at 180amps. These gussets were part of the design, but you could just cut them out and have your two square corners. Plus i just had to ***** this out

 

Nice coinage man.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 4cefed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
The proper way is with a digital angle finder.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

oh please do tell where I find such a quality thing

 

i cant tell if you are being serious or not. regardless, you can get them from art morrison enterprises.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 4cefed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i cant tell if you are being serious or not. regardless, you can get them from art morrison enterprises.</TD></TR></TABLE>

AME has some great tools and some nice advice too if you call them. 800 929-7188 or you can go to http://www.artmorrison.com their electronic digital protractor sells for $215.00

Joel

 

ive now welded up two sae mini baja frames.

we use the smart tool from trick-tools.com
also lots of measuring, quick clamps, tacking and remeasuring, and using squares.

good luck.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 4cefed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
The sad thing is, i've seen guys on national television build a hot rod chassis using a bubble level!! The proper way is with a digital angle finder. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I I guess they never built a straight chassis before the advent of the digital protractor? Come on. They use bubble levels to set machine tools in place all the time. I assure you they are much more accurate than the typical hardware store bubble level plus they don't lose calibration like a digital unit does.

There is no reason why an accurate chassis can't be built with a standard machinist level.

 

Im not saying it isnt possible. but i mean come on? If the tool is available and superior to all the others, and you are putting together something important like a backhalf or something, wouldnt you want it to be PERFECT? Its very easy to be off by a couple degrees even with a bubble level. Ive spoken with race chassis builders who wont let a chassis out of their door, or a backhalf job thats not absolutely spot on.

 

You can eyeball to within a couple of degrees. 1 degree over 60 inches is 1 inch out of level !! a tenth of a degree is about a tenth of an inch over 60 inches.

If you can't get within a tenth of a degree, or better, with a bubble level, you're using it wrong.

Plus, the smart levels I've used only show resolution to the tenth.

Just my $0.02

Gabe

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gabepari &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You can eyeball to within a couple of degrees. 1 degree over 60 inches is 1 inch out of level !! a tenth of a degree is about a tenth of an inch over 60 inches.

If you can't get within a tenth of a degree, or better, with a bubble level, you're using it wrong.

Plus, the smart levels I've used only show resolution to the tenth.

Just my $0.02

Gabe</TD></TR></TABLE>



The first digital levels started being available when? I can't imagine any earlier than the mid 80's. That means there were 80+ years of automotive manufacturing done without them.

 

plumb bobs work pretty well also.