Aluminum Fabrication Table?

[Tweedz55]

I need a fabrication table for my shop, to pair the welder I recently bought. Got a quote from a steel distributor for a table top and it was over 1$ a pound. My craigslist search for steel plate came up negative, however, I found a couple nice peices of aluminum for under 1$ a pound. One is roughly 4x5 by 3/8 thick(about 110lbs) for 100$. Another is 3 1/2 x 6 and 3/4 thick(220lbs) for 200$.

Would aluminum make for a good fab table top, and which thickness would be more ideal? I know that it would be easier to dent/scratch than steel, but it would be a lot nicer for aluminum projects. This would be my only fab table as my shop is space constrained. Also a vise would be mounted in it.

Thanks

 

[pi_guy]

The issue with aluminum table is it will take the heat out of a welding job.
I have a steel table for welding and have two aluminum tops one on my transmission bench and the box I refer to as my press box.

 

[Tweedz55]

Ok, so I assume the 3/8 thick would take out less heat than the 3/4 thick? Smaller heatsink?

 

[pi_guy]

Do not know. I could pitch arguments for both sizes.
If it mattered I would test it. That would be only way.

 

[dr_clyde]

I have a small aluminum fab table with a 3/4" thick plate top. It works great.

I use it mostly for TIG work on smaller stainless parts and as an auxiliary table to float around the shop.

I have some pics in my shop projects thread.

I would consider building another bigger aluminum table if the price was right.

 

[gorilla]

I have a 3'x5' piece of mic-6 aluminum tooling plate 1.75" thick that I've used for a welding table for years works just fine.

 

[bullnerd]

My welding table was two sheets of 3/4 ply with a 3/16 aluminum plate on top. I loved it. Nice and dead when you banged on stuff. Unlike thin steel that just bounces and rings.

It went bye-bye in a shop fire.

My neighbor has been in the fab business for well over 30 yrs, his main welding area is aluminum.

 

[jeepinerdeep]

Another is 3 1/2 x 6 and 3/4 thick(220lbs) for 200$.

I'd already own that piece if I was in Maine.

 

[Tweedz55]

If anyone is in the Massachusetts area, there is a listing for 4x8 1/2 plates under $.20 a lb.

 

[gofastwclass]

I'd already own that piece if I was in Maine.

If I found that the only thing that would stop me would be space.

 

[Bretny]

I use an aluminum piece 2in thick and 12"x3' for a clamping surface. It can pull heat out but usualy use it for welding aluminum.

Since you can get it so cheap i would use the 3/4in piece.

 

[rsanter]

Seems to me it Splatter would stick to it and it would pit easier if you weld something with the aluminum on the back side of it.

Unless you are welding just thinckmstuff, pulling some heat out of it should not be an issue

 

[Jack Olsen]

I guess it depends on your style. 3/8" aluminum is not going to stand up to a lot of pounding.

 

[readhead]

I tend to weld down a lot of fixtures which wouldn't work well on an aluminum top.

 

[pi_guy]

I have a foot by a foot and inch thick of al plate that I use for small parts I want to pull heat out of fast.
I have found that if I am preheating parts and putting them on a Al table I am loosing heat to fast.
But for gearbox assemblies and the like, no damage happens if you drop parts on the table.

 

[thejimmy]

I have a 3'x5' piece of mic-6 aluminum tooling plate 1.75" thick that I've used for a welding table for years works just fine.

Nice.
In my garage I have a 3/4" x 24 x 36 Al plate, doing mostly small stainless parts.

 

[bad_idea]

I work in a fab shop. We do structural work for Navy ships. Lots of heavy stuff done with a fair amount of brute force. I tend to use that 'style' of fabrication at home on my projects. Heavy steel forced to do what I want. As readhead said, I tend to tack things down to my table a good bit. Aluminum would not fair to well.

I would hold out for a piece of 1/2" (at least) steel plate. I have 5/8" thick steel on my table and really like it.

If you work with finesse and a gentle touch, mostly with TIG then the aluminum should be fine. If you hammer things to shape and weld it out with stick or MIG (more splatter), then you may want to hold out for steel.

 

[bullnerd]

Can you drive to Staten Island?

This is 1" and has a nice patina! lol! It'll look like you know what your doing!

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2074337126201534/

 

[Bretny]

Im about 2.5hrs away from staten island and wouldnt drive there if it was free.

 

[bullnerd]

Im about 2.5hrs away from staten island and wouldnt drive there if it was free.

lol...its not that bad.

 

[bad_idea]

Table looks to be about 2'x4' at least and 1" thick. That's at least 400 lbs of steel already in a table. Would make a good weld table in a home garage.

 

[bullnerd]

Yup, 28"x5'

 

[metal1313]

Damn I’d jump on that table, it’s a little over an hour from me.

 

[PugetDude]

My weld table is 1/2" Aluminum, with countersunk screws holding it to a piece of 2" butcher block-mounted on top of an old 12-gauge steel rolling workbench drawer unit I picked up at a salvage yard next door to the Bremerton Naval Shipyard. It's been great, I cut the plate to a 1-1/2" overhang on all four sides for clamping. If I need to weld something down for fixturing I clamp a piece of 12" wide steel channel down first, then weld to that.
Have not had a problem with it scavenging heat away from the weld or bb's sticking to it. It's worked great for me.

 

[bullnerd]

My weld table is 1/2" Aluminum, with countersunk screws holding it to a piece of 2" butcher block-mounted on top of an old 12-gauge steel rolling workbench drawer unit I picked up at a salvage yard next door to the Bremerton Naval Shipyard. It's been great, I cut the plate to a 1-1/2" overhang on all four sides for clamping. If I need to weld something down for fixturing I clamp a piece of 12" wide steel channel down first, then weld to that.
Have not had a problem with it scavenging heat away from the weld or bb's sticking to it. It's worked great for me.

That sounds nice! Nothing like a solid table.