I just got my TIG and am building a welding table and am having problems keeping everything squared up. I use a Jet bandsaw to make all of my cuts and have the blade squared up the best that I can. I clamp the square tubing to the table top and tack weld each side before making a full pass weld. I also let the piece cool before unclamping.

But, when I unclamp the piece, it will always be off and not perfectly square. Is there anything that I'm doing wrong or overlooking? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Tac, clamp, and weld short passes at a time. Always works for me

 

what are the specs on the materials you are using?

 

Can you provide some pictures of the assembly and your fit-ups? The direction of heat and order of your weldments will affect the material drawing in a certain direction. Below are a few pictures of the band saw stand I made from 304L 2"x2"x7 ga. and 2"x3"x7 ga.

I built it on a pipe vise equipped bench with the aid of a couple Ridgid pipe stands. For square/rectangle tubing, it is best practice in the case of mitered 45s to weld the heel of the 90* first, weld the sides toward the heel, and last weld the throat. The draw created by the fillet weld is pretty strong - especially if you 45* cuts are not accurate and you have a resulting air gap in the throat.

What directions are your assemblies drawing towards after welding/cooling off?