Make your own universal holding tool

This is one tool that we have used a million times in our shop. While similar tools are available commercially, ours is made from off-the-shelf parts found at any big-box store or at a good hardware store, and a little welding.

You can scale it to fit pipe of any size or diameter.

Here’s how it is built:

• Use a vertical pipe that is ½-in. and the mounting flange of the same diameter.
• Make the base from layers of plywood covered with cement board. You also can use metal, but I chose to use a nonconductive surface.
• The main pipe fitting that slides up and down the vertical pipe is a ¾-in.-dia. fitting.
• On the left side of that fitting is a ¾-in. plug that has been tapped to 3⁄8 in.
• Build a simple T-handle with 3⁄8-in. bolts; his will go into the hole tapped in the ¾-in. plug and be used to lock the fitting in place on the vertical pipe.
• A ¾- by 3-in. piece of pipe is located on the right side of the main fitting.
• Weld a 3⁄8-in. nut to the top of that pipe.
• Construct another T-handle with 3⁄8-in. bolts. This will go in the nut on the ¾-in. pipe.
• Weld a C-clamp to a piece of 3⁄8-in. pipe the length depends on how far you’d like it to extend). This part will be locked in place with the T-handle.

This tool is extremely versatile and can move in any direction. It can hold parts while fabricating, or it can hold another tool that is holding the parts for welding.

George Bertolotti

San Ramon, Calif.