George,
You could try to hand grind the end of the tubing. You likely already have a small try square to check it with. I consider it important to have a square cut to begin with, because you want to apply lots of clamp pressure while you tack the plate on.
If you don't have a large bar clamp that will span the length of the part so that you can clamp across one end to the other, now might be a good time to make one.
Your 5 x 5 is going to warp somewhat, too, when you weld all around. One possible method of clamping, is to use a piece of allthread rod down the middle of your tube. You will have to drill a hole in your 5 x 5 for the rod to go through. This way, you can apply significant clamp pressure to help offset the warp caused by the welding, which will always tend to pull the plate convex outwards.
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(Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management) |