Commercially available welding tables...

[joe49]

Fellas. It's a table. Not as political stance... Come on now...

I would disagree on that, this is a deep personnel thing for many here.
I don't like working in the dirt, but spent much of my career doing that. The old make it work with what you got.
But too get to the root, pick what you like, holes/no holes, size, color what ever floats your boat. You can always change it up later if you like, or as your needs change. Your table is also included in rule #1 of welding, get as comfortable as you can.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

That table would be great for MIG welding, but if you want to TIG at it, you will be hating the horizontal cross bar after you smack the front of your leg on it a few times. If you're not going to build your own, look for one without the lower horizontal bar.

I tig on mine all the time; it's the only welding I use it for. Besides, to eliminate your cross bar.......just don't put it in when you assemble the table.

 

[bullnerd]

I wasn't pointing fingers or making any statements.

I'm surrounded by farms and know and have helped most of them. I know what the stuff looks like. Also worked in production shops where your *** freezes to the toilet because the owner doesn't want to turn the heat on in the winter let alone buy nice equipment.

Just saying, because those options exist doesn't mean everyone wants to do that in their home shop.

 

[Lelandwelds]

rule #1 of welding, get as comfortable as you can.

Quick! Give me a synonym for profound! That ought a go on a t-shirt or become somebody's sig line.

I tried four different stools before I found the perfect ratio of chair vs. ***-hang-overage. I moved my fan to maximize cooling without blowing my shield. I tried every glove possible looking for one with thin leather and short fingers. I worked out the perfect spot for my filler and consumables.

I just hate to see somebody commit to a "table system" that will total $3k if you equip it to take full advantage of the feature set. Yes, it is less than the $10k of the name brand ones it is modeled from. These tables are designed for jigging up to produce repeatable copies of a fabbed part. That is called "manufacturing" , a "day job" or "sweat shop".

I think most GJers would be served just as well by a flat table. I think they would get better use of dollars spent by investing in more clamps or a better welder. That is not a "political stance" but a mildly interesting diversion for a couple of hours.

Tables are one of the few things that are ideal for in shop construction. Shipping costs are a killer for store bought. Raw material is locally available. Recycled items even allow eco cred among those who notice such things. Have you seen the guy's work who made a vise stand from a firehydrant? Have you ever worked on a post anvil? I like operator built equipment.

 

[bullnerd]

Yup, and second rule is, don't put a bar across the floor where the TIG pedal goes! LOL!

 

[FallibleFlyer]

I just hate to see somebody commit to a "table system" that will total $3k if you equip it to take full advantage of the feature set. Yes, it is less than the $10k of the name brand ones it is modeled from. These tables are designed for jigging up to produce repeatable copies of a fabbed part. That is called "manufacturing" , a "day job" or "sweat shop".

On this note, I'm quite glad I didn't get the certiflat, I quite like my $3 HF clamps which sure won't work in those lil' holes.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Quick! Give me a synonym for profound! That ought a go on a t-shirt or become somebody's sig line.

I tried four different stools before I found the perfect ratio of chair vs. ***-hang-overage. I moved my fan to maximize cooling without blowing my shield. I tried every glove possible looking for one with thin leather and short fingers. I worked out the perfect spot for my filler and consumables.

What do you do when you aren't welding on a table? Christ, I've welded in the dirt on my side using my knee to work the pedal against a tire!

I just hate to see somebody commit to a "table system" that will total $3k if you equip it to take full advantage of the feature set. Yes, it is less than the $10k of the name brand ones it is modeled from. These tables are designed for jigging up to produce repeatable copies of a fabbed part. That is called "manufacturing" , a "day job" or "sweat shop".

You are making the Certiflat out to be some proprietary system. The holes can be used in numerous ways. I don't have $400 into my whole Certiflat including the clamps. Jigging parts isn't necessarily for manufacturing; it's also for people that want to produce parts to a tighter tolerance and control warpage and pull.

I think most GJers would be served just as well by a flat table. I think they would get better use of dollars spent by investing in more clamps or a better welder. That is not a "political stance" but a mildly interesting diversion for a couple of hours.

I had a flat table before and I prefer my Certiflat because of the holes.

On this note, I'm quite glad I didn't get the certiflat, I quite like my $3 HF clamps which sure won't work in those lil' holes.

I used cheap HF bar clamps to assemble my Certiflat.....and then used my welder to weld a bolt on the bottom of them to be used on the Certiflat.

 

[FallibleFlyer]

I used cheap HF bar clamps to assemble my Certiflat.....and then used my welder to weld a bolt on the bottom of them to be used on the Certiflat.

... Thats a damn fine idea.

 

[PugetDude]

I used cheap HF bar clamps to assemble my Certiflat.....and then used my welder to weld a bolt on the bottom of them to be used on the Certiflat.

I've got about 60 bar clamps. 4"-36"; a 40-60% combination of Jorgenson and the old wooden handle HF clamps. Jorgensons were $10-$15 each, a few were <$5 at garage sales. HF clamps were $2-$5 each, on sale. They all look and work the same. Only had one fail, an 18" HF...big deal. I painted the HF clamps orange to match the Jorgensons 20+ years ago, most all of them are chipped and weld-scorched now. Just used a pile of them (and some Pony/HF 1/2" pipe clamps) welding a 32 Ford roadster frame together.
BTW, the roadster frame on sawhorses, with a piece of scrap 3/16" plate on top made an excellent fab/weld table for brackets, etc...

I like the looks of the Certiflat table. May be my next tool purchase.

 

[kazlx]

It's all personal preference. I like fixturing. It doesn't have to be fancy, it doesn't have to be expensive. With a little creativity it's pretty easy to make stops/angles/squares things like that. If you are making a frame or something, it's not hard to have some pins that drop in to make squaring it super easy. Obviously the more stuff you have or the more capability you have makes it more convenient.

Commercially purchased is almost always going to cost more money. That's what you're paying for. The Certiflat is a good blend IMO. It's super rigid because of the design, but doesn't weigh a ton for the smaller ones. It's easy to assemble and get right pretty much any way you put it together.

I get that there's guys that weld everything to their top. I'm not one of them. I've never liked that method and never will, but if it works for them great. If holes or jigs or whatever don't work for them, no sweat either.

There's always the difference between balancing time and money. I put this together for under a grand, material, holes and everything, but I got stuff where I could and bought an old table and dismantled it to take the top plate since it was a fraction of what new material cost. But it also took a while to get everything done and built.

I plan on building another one soon, but a bit different style.

 

[kazlx]

These are $5.50 each for 10 with a 5/8" shank. Pretty easy way to square up frames and stuff on a certiflat...drop two or three in on each side you need...

https://www.carrlane.com/en-us/product/locators/locating-pins/round-diamond-pins/round-pins

 

[lis2323]

These are $5.50 each for 10 with a 5/8" shank. Pretty easy way to square up frames and stuff on a certiflat...drop two or three in on each side you need...

https://www.carrlane.com/en-us/product/locators/locating-pins/round-diamond-pins/round-pins

I did the same. Drilled my own 5/8" holes.



Chopped the top off some Strong Arm clamps and welded on 5/8" bolts.


As mentioned, getting comfortable will make a world of difference in your abilities. And as a side note I've done 50 years of farm welding on dirt floors.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I did the same. Drilled my own 5/8" holes.

Did you use an annular cutter or a drill bit? How many holes did you get out of each cutter/bit?

 

[lis2323]

Using an annular cutter properly ( consistent, heavy feed rate and use of coolant) I can't see why one couldn't get several hundred holes drilled before sharpening. Keeping in mind this was only a 3/8" top.

 

[Lelandwelds]

I did the same. Drilled my own 5/8" holes.

Chopped the top off some Strong Arm clamps and welded on 5/8" bolts.
As mentioned, getting comfortable will make a world of difference in your abilities. And as a side note I've done 50 years of farm welding on dirt floors.

I have sold Hougen and Yancy at two different LWS . Great products and companies too.
I can't open the page about diamond pins. I don't know what they are for?

I am not sure how the Great Dirt Floor debate got started. I have done my share but my co workers used to call me Mr. Clean so, . . . Better put me down as "undecided". I am definitely against laying on your back in the mud in a trench.

I guess I would rather buy my clamps and homebrew my work tables than the opposite. I have used wedges and tacked directly to the tabletop. I have made a bunch of jigs and bending posts. I darn sure did not store and keep the things. Lots of things were heated up and squirted with water to bend. It was all one offs and eyeballed then squared up with a tape and hammer. I dunno. Maybe because it is I had six table like objects to work off of.

 

[kazlx]

My point was that just as easily as you can make tooling to suit the job, you can source or make make tooling to make a jig table very useful. Just because they sell all the fancy accessories to go with it, doesn't mean you are stuck buying. Like everything else in fab, there's easy ways to save money if you're clever.

 

[Lelandwelds]

My point was that just as easily as you can make tooling to suit the job, you can source or make make tooling to make a jig table very useful. Just because they sell all the fancy accessories to go with it, doesn't mean you are stuck buying. Like everything else in fab, there's easy ways to save money if you're clever.

Aah, that must be a 5/8 round pin to weld on your clamps. What is the Carr lane diamond pin used for? My Android will not display.

 

[kazlx]

You can use them for stops. Just drop in the table and have a way to square up tubing. I think they are sold for aligning jigs for machining or whatever. Drop onto pins to locate multiple fixtures.

 

[Lelandwelds]

My point was that just as easily as you can make tooling to suit the job, you can source or make make tooling to make a jig table very useful. Just because they sell all the fancy accessories to go with it, doesn't mean you are stuck buying. Like everything else in fab, there's easy ways to save money if you're clever.

I am a big fan of rolling your own. I suspect most people buy the fancy table and two fancy clamps and never realize any benefit. I think it smarter to sink money in things not easily DIY like welders, real estate, aircompressors, electric motors, hydraulic pumps, etc.

I am not saying any thing negative about the table. I believe it is a better purchase for some guy who has welded for years and is ready to up his game or is cranking out a better mousetrap. The new welder who has not mastered his machine and has not completed his first project yet should not run out and buy one of these. If he reworks a CL gem and completes several projects , he may learn that a $1500 fancy table is better suited for his particular corner of the world.

 

[kazlx]

That I 100% agree with. There's no point in over engineering 4 legs and relatively flat top when you don't even know what you are doing in the first place. Get a nice little flat work place going, bang out some projects and then really sit down and design something better if you think you'd like it.

 

[Lelandwelds]

That I 100% agree with. There's no point in over engineering 4 legs and relatively flat top when you don't even know what you are doing in the first place. Get a nice little flat work place going, bang out some projects and then really sit down and design something better if you think you'd like it.

You nailed it. That's what I like about GJ! Sit down and design something better.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I'm all for making stuff, but those Certiflat tables are perfect for guys like me who are often gone on weekends, have 10 projects going on, and would rather spend 4hrs on a table and spend the rest of my time finishing a project. A trip to the metal yard, hardware store, etc is a morning of chasing. I then need to spend hours cutting, fitting, and welding. Certiflat shows up at my front door and I buzz it together.....done.

 

[ilovevocs]

Get a nice little flat work place going

Therein lies the quandary.


“Flat” is relative, mysterious, and when taken to seriously - expensive.

 

[kazlx]

I love Blanchard ground tables but a the right piece of plate is good for most guys to start out with.

The certiflat tables are pretty stupid easy to assemble. They are really well thought out.

 

[kkroger]

This thing is expensive... But pretty great too... Light duty, but good enough for me...

WAY overprices welding cart but at least it has a 3/8 top not the 3/16 that you usually see, only issue I have it is a HUGE welding cart...

 

[kkroger]

Fireball Fab....

https://www.fireballtool.com/shop
https://www.fireballtool.com/product-page/welding-table-package
https://www.fireballtool.com/product-page/plate-leveling-fasteners
https://www.fireballtool.com/product-page/universal-cast-iron-fixture-plate

 

[Lelandwelds]

Fireball Fab....

https://www.fireballtool.com/shop
https://www.fireballtool.com/product-page/welding-table-package
https://www.fireballtool.com/product-page/plate-leveling-fasteners
https://www.fireballtool.com/product-page/universal-cast-iron-fixture-plate

Interesting squares. Especially the cast iron. I use speedsquares and framing squares. And the pythagorean theorem.

 

[joe49]

Interesting squares. Especially the cast iron. I use speedsquares and framing squares. And the pythagorean theorem.

I started with trig and a slide rule, then moved on to a scientific calculator, and then to a Construction Master. Punch in rise and run and done.
Now there is even a app for your phone.

 

[rmack898]

I have two of my own home built tables that suit my needs but if money were of no object and I didn't have time to build, this is what I would buy https://www.weldsale.com/product/ws36d-lite-duty-platen-3-ft-x-6-ft/.

We have two of these at my day job and they are pretty damn nice to work on.

 

[kkroger]

Interesting squares. Especially the cast iron. I use speedsquares and framing squares. And the pythagorean theorem.

Nothing wrong with that... but a tool is a tool, I want a double set of the squares the Cast Iron and the Aluminum... two of each

Would make my life a LOT easier! I was more referencing the Table parts the 10x10 cast iron platens... and the adjusters for same.

 

[dr_clyde]

Ryan,

Send me a PM with all your requirements. Budget, top size, flatness required, weight you can handle, reciever inserts, anything you think you want. I'd be happy to quote building you one and taking a road trip down to Texas.

 

[sberry]

I like to see value as a first recommendation and to help the poster get a grip on what is really important in these equations, Anyone can simply toss way too much money at something and sit around and admire it. Having a use for it is a different goal than having the best which may never be utilized. I own a welding shop that doesn't have a perfect flat table. Nothing I build really has machine tolerances and if it did on that rare occasion am aware and compensate for it.
A goodly share of the worlds work is built with tools that are tossed in a gang box and carried around in a 5 gallon bucket. Simple speed and common 5$ combination square does most of the worlds handwork. Long time at one point where 41/2 grinders were a luxury, Ironwork was done with a torch, a square a chipping hammer, couple clamps and a welder.

 

[sqznby]

Ryan,

Send me a PM with all your requirements. Budget, top size, flatness required, weight you can handle, reciever inserts, anything you think you want. I'd be happy to quote building you one and taking a road trip down to Texas.

That's what I'm talking about

OP,
No need to look anywhere else.
Have you seen his table? Perfection.

 

[Ryan]

That's what I'm talking about

OP,
No need to look anywhere else.
Have you seen his table? Perfection.

Michigan is a long way away... but yeah, pm on the way.

 

[PugetDude]

Ryan,

Send me a PM with all your requirements. Budget, top size, flatness required, weight you can handle, reciever inserts, anything you think you want. I'd be happy to quote building you one and taking a road trip down to Texas.

Michigan is a long way away... but yeah, pm on the way.

^^This is why I love this forum^^

The Internet makes the world smaller every day...

 

[pi_guy]

I started out with HF table but it did not take well to traveling. And the bolt holes enlarged and the table developed a wobble when you leaned on it. Made it pointless to tig on it.
I bought the miller portable table and it has been great for 4 years it travels to the track or other sites like shops.
Quite capable of building a table have done several but the cost turns out cheaper to buy the Miller. Ideally to do production runs you want to be the most comfortable you can be while tig welding it does produce the best welds. Had a stool with a mounting for a tig pedal.
But I have done the wedged in this position with knee on pedal to complete a chassis welding repair at the track. I have the finger control but prefer the pedal.

 

[kkroger]

Half hour on the plasma table to poke the 400 holes... this one is 3/8 plate... 3" channel for the frame and 3x3 Square tube for the legs... then someone welded the vise down...

 

[tarmy]

Just make one...hell I learned by doing...today I am using my first table to make a bigger 4x8 fab table...thing is going to weigh in at about 1/2 ton...

 

[Lelandwelds]

Just make one...hell I learned by doing...today I am using my first table to make a bigger 4x8 fab table...thing is going to weigh in at about 1/2 ton...

One guy here has a 3 inch thick top mounted on an old version of an in floor vehicle lift. It rotates.

Kinda curious. How did your first table fall short?

Which plastic boxes for small part storage did you choose?

 

[fordcragar]

I bought one of Harbor Freight welding tables and it has worked out fine. It's a good deal for the money.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=242247&highlight=Welding+table