Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A commenter told me the 3-Axis Square was unnecessary...that a framing square and a couple of tack-welded plates would do the same job. So we raced. Same frame, same four legs, both methods timed.
The result: 4 minutes 45 seconds with the 3 Axis Square. 26 minutes with a framing square and flat bar plates. Five times longer, with worse accuracy.
In this video I tack weld four legs onto a welding table frame twice. The first run uses the 3 Axis Square fixture: clamp the frame, drop the tube into the corner, two clamps, weld. Perfectly plumb, square on both axes, consistent tack size, diagonals within 1/16".
The second run is the old-school method the commenter suggested: clamping flat bar to each side, checking with a framing square and a miter square, tacking and re-checking. I measured over 75 times. I had to redo legs two and three times when tacks pulled the tube out of position. The finished frame came out about 1/16" off, with inconsistent tack sizes that look unprofessional under a finish weld.
Both methods work. That's not the argument. The argument is what your time is worth. Five frames in the time it takes to build one is five times the invoice.
Is a 3 Axis Square worth the money?
How much faster is a 3 Axis Square than a framing square?
Can you weld table legs square without a fixture?
Why do tack welds pull parts out of alignment, and how do you stop it?
What's the fastest way to tack weld legs plumb to a frame?
Think you've got a faster method? Film it, show your measurements and your time, and send it in. Beat 4:45 and we'll run it on the channel.
Post it to the Fireball Forum here: https://fireball.discourse.group/
#welding #fabrication #weldingtable #metalfabrication #weldingtips
Get this tool and many more at
Fireballtool.com
A commenter told me the 3-Axis Square was unnecessary...that a framing square and a couple of tack-welded plates would do the same job. So we raced. Same frame, same four legs, both methods timed.
The result: 4 minutes 45 seconds with the 3 Axis Square. 26 minutes with a framing square and flat bar plates. Five times longer, with worse accuracy.
In this video I tack weld four legs onto a welding table frame twice. The first run uses the 3 Axis Square fixture: clamp the frame, drop the tube into the corner, two clamps, weld. Perfectly plumb, square on both axes, consistent tack size, diagonals within 1/16".
The second run is the old-school method the commenter suggested: clamping flat bar to each side, checking with a framing square and a miter square, tacking and re-checking. I measured over 75 times. I had to redo legs two and three times when tacks pulled the tube out of position. The finished frame came out about 1/16" off, with inconsistent tack sizes that look unprofessional under a finish weld.
Both methods work. That's not the argument. The argument is what your time is worth. Five frames in the time it takes to build one is five times the invoice.
Is a 3 Axis Square worth the money?
How much faster is a 3 Axis Square than a framing square?
Can you weld table legs square without a fixture?
Why do tack welds pull parts out of alignment, and how do you stop it?
What's the fastest way to tack weld legs plumb to a frame?
Think you've got a faster method? Film it, show your measurements and your time, and send it in. Beat 4:45 and we'll run it on the channel.
Post it to the Fireball Forum here: https://fireball.discourse.group/
#welding #fabrication #weldingtable #metalfabrication #weldingtips
Get this tool and many more at
Fireballtool.com
