Keep t simple

Please believe me when I tell you that the “C” throat your going to build has to be very very strong to accomplish the metal work shown in our catalog. But, a good strong machine will give you good results for many years. Years of using these machines tells me that the throat doesn’t need to be all that deep! Mine here at the shop is 25 inches deep, and it seems just right. But, that’s up to you. The shorter the throat, the stronger the machine. Also, I don’t think its necessary to make a dropped throat “C” throat like to one shown on the cover!

You will need about 10 or 11 foot of 2"x4"x1/4" wall rectangular tubing, 20 foot of 1 ½" x 1 ½" x 1/8" square tubing and 18 inches of ¼" x 2" flat strap. Now, cut your upper and lower “C” throat main tubes to your desired length for the throat depth you want. Probably about 30 inches or less overall. Remember to add 2 inches because of the gusset in the center of the rear cross member bracing.

Now it’s time to swedge down the front ends of the main tubes. I cut pie sections out, then heat and bend the sides in, and weld and grind to make sure I have room for the 5/16 nuts that hold the heads onto the face plate. No problem if that’s to much work , as I included 2 pads that can be centered and welded onto the ends of the tubes to give clearance for the nuts.

To build the “C” throat I start with an inside measurement of 11 ¾ inches between the upper and lower tubes at the front opening. Although, I set the inside measurement at 11 ½ inches at the rear upright cross member. The front measurement will shrink down a little during the welding process. Anything close to 11 ½ inches after welding is fine. Please complete ALL welding on the “C” throat and let it cool Before you weld on the faceplate. Don’t overweld the faceplate and leave plenty of room for the 5/16 nuts. You can now cut the center out of the faceplate to complete your “C” throat. The center plate should be welded to the back of the “C” throat so you can bolt your machine to a good sturdy wall. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how to build a stand for your machine. I will say one thing though! You should weld tabs to the bottom of the legs so you can bolt your Metal Machine to the floor. Our machine here at Lowbuck Tools is bolted to the floor plus an overhead truss back to the wall and one up to the ceiling.

BUILDING THE “C” THROAT - page 2