First time I watched this... I didn't finish the video. 2nd time I watched it ( just now ) I'm impressed at the amateur's skills. I've always just assumed fab shops would use a fixture table. With that said, I just completed a welding course..... not once did I use a fixture table and they don't even have one in the school's welding shop. So I wonder where to go from here?
I really hope the pro shops you commissioned to do this project…..when they see this video don’t get defensive or upset towards you , you exposed a huge but fixable issue in how they are producing work. You were very respectful in how you spoke about the quality of the parts they fabricated for you and you demonstrated such a valuable lesson that they clearly needed to be shown. You are a class act my friend. What a great job you did and you provided a solution that will fix the errors they made. The parts were bad and out of spec you absolutely would be n the right to have them redo the job. Part failed inspection pretty straight forward.
I can't believe ppl are actually commenting and dogging the expensive table. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner or pro. The right tools make all the difference!!!
There are too many over confident people out there who don't stop to even look at their own work. So glad you are getting people to take a close look at their work.
I bought all the Stabilas and Stilettos and always got, "ah you must be new with all that fancy equip" nah Billy im just tryna make it look amazing and get it done on time. 😂
Okay, you convinced me. I was thinking C was very close, that your standards were too high, that this is, you know, metal fabrication like this and it's not a precision art. But then I really thought about it. And you have to imagine, let's say you get an order for 50 or 100 of these and then they show up to the job on a pallet, you want them all looking the same. They've got to be. And having really high tolerances is gonna be the only way you get that. Also a lot of times the aesthetic demands that you don't grind down one of the faces or something, its a show side. That's a rookie mistake. And I really don't understand the mix-up with the materials. Do they not have a phone?
The pros I bet looked at the project and said this is so easy and throw it together I believe laziness is the tool that they used not professional tools
I worked for a while in commercial furniture production, and that's the point, usually at that level you work with a "millimeter" level of precision (1/16 is 1.6 mm). But tolerances are usually bigger than 1/16 (unless you have metal parts) The guy who was the "chief furniture maker" had worked in injection molding, and I had basic training in machining, so we both measured "half millimeters" with measuring tapes and mechanical pencils lol. One of the things that worked for us was that we always bought the same measuring tapes (same brand , same batch ) for all the workers in the workshop. We worked mainly with plywood jig sets, cheap but functional. And one of the biggest headaches was that we often had to buy large glass panes for some furniture, from a relatively large company (laser cutting, everything automatized, expensive stuff). And the pieces always had discrepancies!!! If you work with metal, wood panels, plastics, composite materials, you can "make it work", you can retouch, it isn't that bad. But a huge chunk of glass? If the holes are off-center, if the corner comes at 88° and don´t fit, you're dead 😂 .
I "learned" the metalworking trade ~10 years ago. In a small workshop, probably between the size of the first and second shop in this video. I always wanted to make a good product and suffered alot of backlash and pushing because I tended to be "too slow". Because precision and adherence to the drawing was more important to me then speed. When I was given a simple task of building a tube frame like in the video for example .. my struggle would be the warped work surface, the saw that would never cut what it was setup to (it needed to be shimmed or used with testcuts always) We did not even have a sheet table, just heavy beams on trestles ... it was a nightmare to build anything. Your best bet was to have your cuts as precise as it got and "tack in the air" and weld as fast as possible and oppisite sides to counter warping. I went on to study and did some other things but I am still not cured from the ptsd that these shitty shops gave me.
A bit off topic, but do you ever use any 3d printer services? Or any 3d design software, like eMachineShop , Tinkercad, Freecad, OnShape,etc)? Similarly, any thoughts on those $70 mini Mini Table Saw (Saker ).. that supposedly can make good wood and pcb cuts?
If you're going to accept a job that requires precision there are no excuses to get it wrong. You should already have all the tools necessary to do it within spec requirements.
Common sense and caring about what you are doing goes a very long way in this type of work, be it metal, wood or any other fabrication. Experience comes with time and can only improve on your final output. Im kinda surprised the older dude in the smaller shop dropped the ball so badly but not so much with middle guy and big shop. Congrats to your lad though, did a great job, shows a sense of pride in his work.
When robots start replacing these egotistical experienced welders, that is when the market corrects itself. No egos needed in the making of the product.
I have been fabricating steel for 40 years , my biggest regret is not investing in a high quality table a long time ago . Many times , i have had to redo parts . Unfortunately now at 70 , it is pointless , as my investment will never be repaid .
The fab shop experience. You hand them a drawing, they say "No problem at all! We can absolutely do that!" and everything comes back out of spec.
Anyone saying Jigs are useless must not be into precision
First time I watched this... I didn't finish the video. 2nd time I watched it ( just now ) I'm impressed at the amateur's skills. I've always just assumed fab shops would use a fixture table. With that said, I just completed a welding course..... not once did I use a fixture table and they don't even have one in the school's welding shop. So I wonder where to go from here?
Now this is correct advertisement
hmmm maybe i should've gone to school for welding
I really hope the pro shops you commissioned to do this project…..when they see this video don’t get defensive or upset towards you , you exposed a huge but fixable issue in how they are producing work. You were very respectful in how you spoke about the quality of the parts they fabricated for you and you demonstrated such a valuable lesson that they clearly needed to be shown. You are a class act my friend. What a great job you did and you provided a solution that will fix the errors they made. The parts were bad and out of spec you absolutely would be n the right to have them redo the job. Part failed inspection pretty straight forward.
I can't believe ppl are actually commenting and dogging the expensive table. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner or pro. The right tools make all the difference!!!
There are too many over confident people out there who don't stop to even look at their own work. So glad you are getting people to take a close look at their work.
I bought all the Stabilas and Stilettos and always got, "ah you must be new with all that fancy equip" nah Billy im just tryna make it look amazing and get it done on time. 😂
Okay, you convinced me. I was thinking C was very close, that your standards were too high, that this is, you know, metal fabrication like this and it's not a precision art. But then I really thought about it. And you have to imagine, let's say you get an order for 50 or 100 of these and then they show up to the job on a pallet, you want them all looking the same. They've got to be. And having really high tolerances is gonna be the only way you get that. Also a lot of times the aesthetic demands that you don't grind down one of the faces or something, its a show side. That's a rookie mistake. And I really don't understand the mix-up with the materials. Do they not have a phone?
The pros I bet looked at the project and said this is so easy and throw it together I believe laziness is the tool that they used not professional tools
I worked for a while in commercial furniture production, and that's the point, usually at that level you work with a "millimeter" level of precision (1/16 is 1.6 mm). But tolerances are usually bigger than 1/16 (unless you have metal parts)
The guy who was the "chief furniture maker" had worked in injection molding, and I had basic training in machining, so we both measured "half millimeters" with measuring tapes and mechanical pencils lol.
One of the things that worked for us was that we always bought the same measuring tapes (same brand , same batch ) for all the workers in the workshop. We worked mainly with plywood jig sets, cheap but functional. And one of the biggest headaches was that we often had to buy large glass panes for some furniture, from a relatively large company (laser cutting, everything automatized, expensive stuff). And the pieces always had discrepancies!!! If you work with metal, wood panels, plastics, composite materials, you can "make it work", you can retouch, it isn't that bad. But a huge chunk of glass? If the holes are off-center, if the corner comes at 88° and don´t fit, you're dead 😂
.
Definitely gona have to get me a table🔥👌🏽
600$? Damn...
interesting information. i dont weld but i watched the whole damn video and learned a lot thanks jeff
Those tables are super usefull in my opinion
I "learned" the metalworking trade ~10 years ago. In a small workshop, probably between the size of the first and second shop in this video. I always wanted to make a good product and suffered alot of backlash and pushing because I tended to be "too slow". Because precision and adherence to the drawing was more important to me then speed. When I was given a simple task of building a tube frame like in the video for example .. my struggle would be the warped work surface, the saw that would never cut what it was setup to (it needed to be shimmed or used with testcuts always) We did not even have a sheet table, just heavy beams on trestles ... it was a nightmare to build anything. Your best bet was to have your cuts as precise as it got and "tack in the air" and weld as fast as possible and oppisite sides to counter warping. I went on to study and did some other things but I am still not cured from the ptsd that these shitty shops gave me.
A bit off topic, but do you ever use any 3d printer services? Or any 3d design software, like eMachineShop , Tinkercad, Freecad, OnShape,etc)?
Similarly, any thoughts on those $70 mini Mini Table Saw (Saker ).. that supposedly can make good wood and pcb cuts?
If you're going to accept a job that requires precision there are no excuses to get it wrong. You should already have all the tools necessary to do it within spec requirements.
Use the table. Its like a condom. Can you get the job done without one, but there may be unintended consequences
Common sense and caring about what you are doing goes a very long way in this type of work, be it metal, wood or any other fabrication. Experience comes with time and can only improve on your final output. Im kinda surprised the older dude in the smaller shop dropped the ball so badly but not so much with middle guy and big shop. Congrats to your lad though, did a great job, shows a sense of pride in his work.
Disappointing, but that's the experience across most trades. Lots of work just isn't very good.
This was great! Thanks.
Wow that caliper! I want one
When robots start replacing these egotistical experienced welders, that is when the market corrects itself. No egos needed in the making of the product.
Great video
I need one of them tables. Got any you can't sell ? Lol
The others are used to "Just good enough" being the norm.
I have been fabricating steel for 40 years , my biggest regret is not investing in a high quality table a long time ago . Many times , i have had to redo parts . Unfortunately now at 70 , it is pointless , as my investment will never be repaid .
And keep taking them back until they get it right
He did good
Wish i could afford one
All you table doubters got absolutely destroyed! Tombstone Piledriver 1...2...3 DING DING DING 🔔