A modular welding table is only half the system. The other half is the tooling: the clamps, stops, squares and bolts that hold the work in place and let you repeat a set-up next week. This guide explains how to choose it. If you have not picked a table yet, start with our guide to choosing a MAC table, then come back here.
Start with the holes in your table
Before you look at a single clamp, check the hole size in your table. 16mm and 28mm tooling are separate systems.
16mm (often listed as 16D or D16). This is the standard grid on MAC tables, with holes on 50mm centres. Those holes take industry standard 16mm and 5/8" tooling, so clamps you already own from another maker should drop straight in. 16mm suits most fabrication work.
28mm (28D or D28). Larger pins and heavier tooling for bigger fixtures and production work. On MAC tables, the PRO 10 can be ordered with 28mm holes, which you select in the configurator. The ULTRA comes as 16D, with 16mm holes on 50mm centres, or 28D, with 28mm holes on a 100mm diagonal grid. Only buy 28mm tooling if your table has 28mm holes.
If you are moving up to a bigger table, you do not have to throw out your 16mm clamps. 16mm runs through the whole MAC range.
Clamp types and what each one is for
Most workshops end up with a mix, because each type suits a different job.
Screw and T-handle fixture clamps. The general-purpose clamp. The post drops into any table hole and you wind the screw down onto the work. MAC's own Strong clamps come in 150mm and 300mm clamping capacities with a 120mm throat and a listed clamping pressure of 135kg. There is also a 150mm screw handle version that sets at 45 or 90 degrees. Buy these in pairs at least.
Plier (grip) clamps. Quicker to put on and take off than a screw clamp, so they suit jobs where you are clamping and unclamping all day. The Piher TGA plier clamp is available in 16mm and 28mm versions, with a listed clamping power of 150kg and a pivoting copper head.
Piston clamps. The Piher TCP piston clamp works horizontally or vertically and can be set at any angle, which helps when you need to push sideways or reach round an awkward part. A 90-degree support bar and tube adapters are also available.
Toggle clamps. The MAC X YAHANDA vertical toggle clamp, in D16 and D28, is useful on fixtures you set up again and again, where you want fast, consistent hold-downs.
You will find our clamps across the weld table tooling collection and the clamping tools collection.
Stops, squares and bolts
Clamps hold the work down. Stops and squares decide where it sits.
Stops. A stop is a hard edge you push the work against. MAC tab stops are laser cut from S275 steel and come in several lengths: 50mm (8mm thick), 75mm slotted (6mm), and 150mm slotted and 250mm flat angle stops (both 10mm). Slotted stops let you fine-tune the position between holes. The MAC X YAHANDA locating bars and locating angles do the same job in D16 and D28. Table dogs are pins that sit in a table hole to give a quick locating point.
Squares. Squares hold parts upright and at 90 degrees, and give you extra drilled faces to clamp from. Our range covers three levels:
- EZ Squares (50mm, 100mm and 200mm): laser cut from 6mm S275 to within +/- 0.1mm and folded to within +/- 0.2 degrees. Small, quick squares for tacking corners, on or off the table.
- Rapid Squares: a lower-cost option with a stated fold and angle tolerance of +/- 2mm. Fine for quick jobs. For tighter work, use a PRO square.
- PRO squares: fabricated from 6mm S275 with 16mm holes on 25mm centres, in sizes from the Mini Slim Jim up to the 1000mm Super Tall Boy. Most are offered as a self-weld kit or ready made by us for an extra charge. The PRO Adjust square has fixed positions at 30, 45 and 90 degrees plus free angle setting.
The 3-way corner brackets (100mm and 150mm) are handy for mitred corners and tube frames.
Bolts. Bolts fix squares, stops and brackets to the table or to each other.
- Lock down ball bolts fit from above. Three steel balls in the shank push out against the chamfer under the plate, so you never have to reach under the table.
- 16mm shoulder bolts with wing nuts come in packs of eight with 10mm spacers, for clamping thicknesses from 10mm to 25mm. They are slower to fit, as the nut goes underneath.
- Quick locking bolts from the MAC X YAHANDA range are available in D16 and D28.
Our slotted stop tabs and angle stops are sold without bolts, so add some to the order. Browse bolts and stops in fixture fasteners and stops, squares in squares, and V-blocks and lift blocks for tube and raised work in blocks.
Starter kit or build up piece by piece?
A starter kit makes sense if you are new to fixture tables or kitting out a new bay from scratch. You get a working set on day one and you can see which pieces you reach for most.
- The 520 x 520mm BASIC portable table, built to ±0.5mm, comes with a starter kit: two 150mm clamps, two V-blocks, four lock down ball bolts, two EZ squares, two stop pins and two slotted stop tabs.
- The MidiPRO 1250 x 750mm starter kit table includes two 300mm T-handle clamps, four ball bolts, two magnetic V-blocks and two EZ squares.
- The PRO Square 3-piece starter sets give you three squares in different sizes.
- The MAC X YAHANDA accessory packages come in 81 and 111-piece versions, in D16 and D28, for a large set in one go.
Building up piece by piece suits you better if you already own some tooling or your work is quite specialised. Buy what the next job needs, then add to it. A sensible first order for most 16mm tables is two to four fixture clamps, a pack of lock down ball bolts, a handful of stops and a pair of squares.
The brands we sell
MAC. All MAC squares, stops and brackets are made in-house at our workshop in Shobdon, Herefordshire, to suit the same 16mm grid as our tables. We also sell our own MAC clamps and blocks.
Piher. Plier and piston clamps, plus the bars and adapters that go with them.
MAC X YAHANDA. Clamps, locating parts, bolts, ground connectors and accessory packages in D16 and D28. See the full MAC X YAHANDA range.
Tooling checklist
- Check your table's hole size (16mm or 28mm) and only buy tooling to match.
- Choose clamp types for the job: screw for general use, plier for speed, piston for angles, toggle for repeat fixtures.
- Buy clamps in pairs at least.
- Add stops so parts land in the same place every time.
- Pick squares to suit the accuracy you need: Rapid for quick jobs, EZ for small corners, PRO for fixture work.
- Order bolts with your stops, and check each product page for what hardware is included.
- Decide between a starter kit and building up piece by piece.
Frequently asked questions
Will my existing 16mm clamps fit a MAC table?
Our tables use 16mm holes on 50mm centres, made to take industry standard 16mm and 5/8" tooling. If you are unsure about a particular clamp, call us.
Do I need 28mm tooling?
Only if your table has 28mm holes. On MAC tables that means a PRO 10 ordered with 28mm holes, or an ULTRA 28D. For most fabrication work, 16mm does the job.
What is the difference between ball bolts and shoulder bolts?
Lock down ball bolts fit and lock from the top of the table. Shoulder bolts use a wing nut underneath, so you need to reach below the plate.
Are PRO squares supplied ready made?
Most PRO squares are offered either as a flat-packed self-weld kit or ready made by us for an extra charge. The option is on each product page.
How accurate are the squares?
EZ Squares are laser cut to within +/- 0.1mm and folded to within +/- 0.2 degrees. Rapid Squares have a stated tolerance of +/- 2mm. For accurate fixture work, choose a PRO square.
Get help choosing tooling
Tell us what you weld and which table you have, and we will help you put together a sensible set. Call 01432 381 233 or email sales@macindustries.co.uk. You can also browse the full weld table tooling range or see our welding tables.
