A grasshopper is a welders helper…

…it is used to hold down small pieces for welding and to transfer the ground connection from the table to the part reliably..

Lets start by sharpening some 1/4 round stock we had lying around

Use the shop built press brake to bend the ends of the sharpened rods

The press makes easy work of the bending

Make three…

Found some 1 1/4 stock buried out behind the shop…it has the weight we need, just needs a little cleanup

Here are the parts we need…lets get them welded together

Use our handy-dandy welding magnets to get the alignment correct

Weld the legs to the body…

Viola! A grasshopper…for small pieces, just lay them on the welding table and set the grasshopper on…the weight holds the pieces steady and the sharp points transfers a good solid ground.