Cutting square tubing to install “on the diamond”

[biguglydave]

Starting a BIG fence project this week out of square tubing. Using 4” x 11 ga square for the posts and 2 1/2” x 14 ga for the rails. The rails will be set on the diamond (faces at 45 degrees to vertical). I’ve seen some fences built like this, but the rails are set level and changes in elevation are handled by stair-stepping the rails at each post. We want to have rails rails flow with the ground. Some of them will then be angled and need the ends cut at an angle to meet the post faces. I’m thinking we will cut with a portaband, but need to figure out how to mark these angled ends “on the diamond”. Any suggestions?


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[_Dom]

Curve-o-mark should do it. Kinda spendy but will pay for itself if you are cutting many different angles.

[Welder Dave]

Don't know if a curve-o-mark works on square tube but the corners of the tube are 90 deg's. I think a simple bevel tool would get you the other angles you need. Maybe use a string line between the posts to set the bevel.

https://www.google.ca/search?source=...w=1152&bih=607

[_Dom]

Structural steel by design. Only used on I-Beam myself and of course pipe. Welder Dave is spot on with using string line and the adjustable bevel. I was thinking about transferring the measured angle to the "diamond" rail. Probably a simple technique if I had a layout book handy but the curve-o-mark seems like a good tool.

[biguglydave]

Curve-o-mark should do it. Kinda spendy but will pay for itself if you are cutting many different angles.

Curve-O-Mark is great idea. I have one but completely forgot about it. The only issue is the curve-o-mark base is a wide angle designed to sit on pipe. I need it to sit on the radiused corner of the tubing. Suggestions?

Thinking I may make a special angle iron foot and screw to the curve-o-mark


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[biguglydave]

I lucked out in the end. Customer made a last minute change to pipe rails in place of the tubing. We are now going to cut the square tubing posts with circle burner template on a torch and sleeve in pipe. No fancy angles and no saddles either. Should make life easier on the high school boys I hired to do most of the work.


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[CAVEMANN]

Miracle point would work great too, but they're a lot more expensive than a curve-o-mark.

[OPUS FERRO]

biguglydave

I lucked out in the end . . . We are now going to cut the square tubing
posts with circle burner template on a torch . . .

No fancy angles . . . Should make life easier on the high school boys I
hired to do most of the work.

It is a rare welder [journeyman] today, that has torch skills to burn
socket [circumferal] holes to weld/joint accuracy.

High School Boys - are going to make a mess - and impossible to dress.

Cutting square tube on the diamond - thru a radial arc, would be easer
then dressing slag craters . . .

Pics & Prints would ad your cause . . .

hth


Opus

[Welder Dave]

Depends on the high school students doing the work and how good their instructor is. I went to a trade school and the biggest project in my class was a tandem axle horse trailer but all the welds and workmanship was fully inspected. Another shop used to build campers for trucks. Don't know what the current group of students has for a skill set though. Sadly most trade schools are disappearing.

[William McCormick]

I read that the customer changed up the original plan. But I think you just need to scribe, to mark for the cut. You cut a piece of wood the thickness that a marker resting on it will just touch the furthest point of the piece you are cutting, and then just mark both sides using that same piece of wood and you should have your cut marked.

Sincerely,


William McCormick

[h couillion]

im a 21 year old fabricator and just read all these threads. seems like your problem is solved but i had an idea. y'all let me know what yall think. take a drop piece of tubing and cut it at a 45 (or any angle that you wont be exceding on your cuts, im would assume it would be around 25 degrees) then place that on a piece of wood and cut it out with the intent of keeping the outside piece so that it would fit over the outside of the tubing. then cut it in half. mark your height on each 4" post of where the "Diamond" will sit. put the top of your wood "Jig" on that mark and just slide it to the edge of the 4" Post so that the you could slide your actuall tubing into it from the side and just trace a line on it to cut. should be perfectly square with the post and to get your height just measure up from the ground the same amount on each side to keep it parallel??? i may have misunderstood the question but just a thought. im on here to learn so yall just let me know.