Anyone Build Your Own Fixture Table?

[EverydayDiesel]

Hello

I am curious if anyone has attempted to build their own fixture table? I find myself (lately) having a need for one and I am curious if anyone has attempted this.

My concerns are.
1. Getting the holes square which is pretty critical since the table will be a reference for your work
2. Not sure the exact size holes to drill


I was about to buy a strong hands table but then I came across this video and it got me thinking
youtube.com/watch?v=Prik-_GVHss

Thanks in advance!

 

[f150skidoo]

I've built 4 fixture tables over the years. the first 2 I mag drilled 1/2" plate on a 4" grid. The other 2 were the tab and slot type but one I cut on my cnc plasma and the other I had laser cut. Before I would go and drill all the holes i would contact a laser shop and see how much it would cost to laser cut the holes. From experience its extremely time consuming to drill all the holes even with a good mag drill with annular a cutter.

 

[dr_clyde]

I’ve built a few.

Hard to compete with Acorn/Weldsale if you can find one cheap enough.

If you want true flatness, my best advice is to have the top burned or laser cut ahead of time, have it ground to size after the cutting, then build the frame.

What size are you wanting to make?

 

[EverydayDiesel]

Thanks for the advice.

I keep flipping back between a 4x4 and a 4x8. I will probably eventually be building both (4x4 on wheels and the 4x8 stationary)

How out of square would C1018 cold rolled plate be?

Is it better to build an acorn table vs round? The acorn/weldsale clamps are 200-300 EACH!!!

 

[dr_clyde]

Well, I have found a 1-3/4” square hole allows the use of both a standard F-clamp or an acorn style drop in clamp.

BTW, StrongHand sells an Acorn compatible clamp for $60 or so compared to Weldsale’s $300.

If you ordered your plate machine cut to size on a laser and ground flat to like, 1” or so, I would expect squareness to be very close, within a few thou, and flat within a few thou. I did 1-1/4” thick and it has been plenty thick.

Sheared or hand cut plate could be all over the map.

 

[dr_clyde]

I wouldn’t use 1018, either. Use A36. Cheaper and more readily available.

It will have scale on it, hence the Blanchard grinding recommendation.

I would also recommend holes be placed on 12” centers.

 

[Stephenw]

https://weldtables.com/

I went with one of these.

 

[fordkid88]

Not traditional but it works with t nuts.

 

[Richard D]

My Take:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=225206

 

[InDaRed2]

Mine is currently in process. I got lucky and got the steel for free and have access to a water jet at work.

If I didn't score the steel I was going to buy a table from certiflat.

 

[paranoid56]

this guy did a nice review of some. I do like the idea of his top on a rolling bench.

 

[jh1990]

this guy did a nice review of some. I do like the idea of his top on a rolling bench.

He also sells plans for a table that uses a bunch of his machined 10 or 12 inch plates. He used to have a build video of it but I think it got lost.

He also used to sell a tool to get all the plates perfectly aligned IIRC.