Pre-Weld “Tensioner Tool” Keeps Pipe From Warping

Pre-Weld “Tensioner Tool” Keeps Pipe From Warping BUILDINGS New Techniques Matt McNaughton Foothills Alberta recently built a pole shed using steel pipes instead of wooden poles as posts He sent FARM SHOW photos of a tool he made to keep the pipes from warping as he welded steel brackets onto them “I set the pipes in the ground in a row about 4 ft apart then welded 1/4-in thick brackets onto one side of the pipes every 2 ft Then I bolted 2 by 4’s to the brackets The steel siding attaches to them ” says McNaughton “Any time you weld on a pipe it will always bend toward the weld so I needed something to keep that from happening in order to keep the building walls straight So I made a pre-weld tensioner tool It works like a cam to slightly pre-bend the pipe before I start welding ” The tool consists of a 3-ft length of welded-together double pipes with steel “hooks” welded onto the top and bottom The 2 pipes are welded together to make the tool rigid A 1 1/2-ft long pipe handle fits inside a short length of 1 1/2-in square tubing with a steel yoke welded onto the end A big bolt runs through the yoke about 4 in from the end and serves as the pivot point for the tool Another bolt runs through the end of the yoke and has three 7/8-in nuts on it McNaughton holds the tool against the pipe and pulls down on the handle which causes the bolt with the nuts on it to slide against the pipe with enough force to bend the pipe inward “It worked like a charm When I was done making all the welds the pipes ended up perfectly straight ” says McNaughton “I can vary the tension on the pipe by varying the nut size on the bolt I also use the same tool any time I want to weld T-joints on other jobs ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Matt McNaughton 16253 262 Ave E Foothills Alberta Canada T1S 4G7 ph 403 938-0734; cell ph 403 816-0213; mgmcnau@gmail com

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