Heavy duty rolling welding/fab table build

[rust buster]

I'm finally getting around to posting some pics of the welding table I built over Christmas break. I've had the material sitting around for three years while I went back and forth on a design. Of course then I read Dukers build and it was decided that he hit nirvana, so much of my design is from his, so thank you Duker! Table is build out of 3"x3" 1/4" wall square tube with a 3/4" plate steel top. The top is 3'x5' and it is about 39" tall. The thing weighs a ton but is solid as a rock. The casters are 8" rated at 800 lbs a piece, solid steel with a polyurethane tread.

I built it to house 2" tube to mount tools/accessories like cut off saw, beverly shear, etc...Instead of welding the 2.5" tube to the 3" tube, I cut clear through the 3" tube and slid the 2.5" tube all the way through. This way I have mounts on both sides.

The vise is a Reed 106 that is an absolute tank. The bottom shelf is 1/8" steel. I built this thing to last a lifetime and then some, but it was very fun to build. The Paint is Por-15 Chevy Orange engine paint I had left over from an engine build.

Comments/suggestions on welds and overall build are welcome, you won't hurt my feelings and I am far from a professional welder...I learn something from you all everyday on here, so fire away and thanks for looking.

 

[rust buster]

Progress pics...

 

[rust buster]

And more...

 

[rust buster]

Last ones...I have no idea why the pics are showing upside down...they are correct when I open them in the folder...Any ideas?

 

[giz]

Great looking table!!

 

[richeyc2000]

Just the last four pics are upside down.
About the bench. That is built to last several lifetimes. Savage build. Really impressed with the whole execution. Very well built and when it was painted up it really set it off. Well done. Looking forward to seeing more images of it and what will be built on it.

 

[Strouty]

How about some pictures of the truck!

Also the table looks great, I can never get mine to stay on the ceiling.

 

[bl00]

Nice work on the table!

 

[77Mini]

Great looking table.

 

[clarence wetzel]

one small suggestion is to round the corners a little but other then that it looks damn good man

 

[rust buster]

How about some pictures of the truck!

Also the table looks great, I can never get mine to stay on the ceiling.

Ha ha, thank you! The pictures being upside down is really frustrating...I've even tried making them upside down on my computer and then posting them, but they stay upside down.

The trick is a 1948 Dodge Power Wagon. What makes this one special is that it has a very rare dual PTO that feeds a rear belt pulley for running attachments like a sawmill, etc... It is all there and all original but needs total restoration. The one behind it (you can barely see it) is a 1967 Power Wagon. They changed very little over 20+ years.

 

[rust buster]

one small suggestion is to round the corners a little but other then that it looks damn good man

I'm sure I'll get to that after a accumulate many bruises from bumping into them!

 

[AMCguy]

That thing is brutal. Well done. Put it in your will.

As for your pictures. I finally figured out why mine were sometimes upside down after posting. With an iPhone, if the picture is taken with the phone upside down, it will always be upside down. It only appears right side up on your device or on a mac.

Now I always take the picture with the home button to the right.

 

[BD1]

As for your receiver tube , is there a way to secure the inserted tube ? I drilled hole in the larger and welded a nut over hole then use a bolt with '' T '' handle to secure.

 

[rust buster]

As for your receiver tube , is there a way to secure the inserted tube ? I drilled hole in the larger and welded a nut over hole then use a bolt with '' T '' handle to secure.

good eyes! yes, I remembered about that after i painted it...doh! I may just resort to hitch pins to hold the 2x2s in place rather than tightly together. Open to ideas!

 

[rust buster]

That thing is brutal. Well done. Put it in your will.

As for your pictures. I finally figured out why mine were sometimes upside down after posting. With an iPhone, if the picture is taken with the phone upside down, it will always be upside down. It only appears right side up on your device or on a mac.

Now I always take the picture with the home button to the right.

Ah! That could very well be. I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 and it might do the same thing as the iPhone. Thanks!

 

[9GUY9]

Ah! That could very well be. I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 and it might do the same thing as the iPhone. Thanks!

It does. Transfer the files to your computer. Use microsoft photo viewer to view them. In that viewer you can rotate the photo. Rotate the photo to the way you want it then click the Left or right arrow to view different pics. This will save the image however you were viewing it.

Table looks awesome! I'm planning to build one almost identical.

How did you cut the holes in the 3" tubing?

 

[rust buster]

It does. Transfer the files to your computer. Use microsoft photo viewer to view them. In that viewer you can rotate the photo. Rotate the photo to the way you want it then click the Left or right arrow to view different pics. This will save the image however you were viewing it.

Table looks awesome! I'm planning to build one almost identical.

How did you cut the holes in the 3" tubing?

Hmmm...I did that and it still came out upside down on the forum...
As for cutting the holes in the 3" tubing, I used an angle grinder with a cut off wheel to cut four sides and then finished the corners with the sawzall. I thought it was going to be a log painful job, but I had all 12 holes cut in about 45 minutes using good wheels and great saw blades. The biggest pain in the *** was when I went to put the 2.5" tubes through the 3" tubes. The welded seam inside the 3" tubes sits proud of the inner service and had to be ground down with a die grinder. That took a while...

 

[FadedGray]

Very nice looking table sir!

 

[LXCam]

Excellent job, the table looks great even upside down. I wish I could have used or for that matter owed a magdrill. My table is 3 X 7 with a 1/2" thick stainless slab. I did the same thing with counter sunk 1/2" grade 8 socket head bolts into the frame which is 3/8" thick. I ended up setting my drill press up and moving that behemoth around the table, but what a PITA!.

 

[rust buster]

Excellent job, the table looks great even upside down. I wish I could have used or for that matter owed a magdrill. My table is 3 X 7 with a 1/2" thick stainless slab. I did the same thing with counter sunk 1/2" grade 8 socket head bolts into the frame which is 3/8" thick. I ended up setting my drill press up and moving that behemoth around the table, but what a PITA!.

You're a better man than me! I thought it was bad enough with the mag drill...what a process I had to do. First drill a 7/16" hole through both the top and the tube underneath. Then switch out bits to a 3/8" for the tap hole in the tube underneath, then switch to the countersink bit. I did all this for each hole so as not to move the mag drill and risk alignment issues. So I did that and repeated it 22 times. And those mag drills are loud!!

 

[Strouty]

The trick is a 1948 Dodge Power Wagon. What makes this one special is that it has a very rare dual PTO that feeds a rear belt pulley for running attachments like a sawmill, etc... It is all there and all original but needs total restoration. The one behind it (you can barely see it) is a 1967 Power Wagon. They changed very little over 20+ years.

My Dad is working on a carryall right now, but he is going a bit modern. He took an F350 diesel chassis and is making it fit. I am amazed at what he has been able to do, but he is far from done and has already started two more project vehicles.

 

[LXCam]

You're a better man than me! I thought it was bad enough with the mag drill...what a process I had to do. First drill a 7/16" hole through both the top and the tube underneath. Then switch out bits to a 3/8" for the tap hole in the tube underneath, then switch to the countersink bit. I did all this for each hole so as not to move the mag drill and risk alignment issues. So I did that and repeated it 22 times. And those mag drills are loud!!

Well probably not. It was such a pain and luckily my plate was pretty damn flat so I drilled only three length wise and one center on the ends for a total of 8. And the same as you with a pilot hole and worked my way up. In stead of taping the rails, I drilled all the way thru, then drilled up with a 7/8" hole saw and used flanged rib nuts so I didn't even have to get a socket on them. One of these days I'd like to add some more bolts, but in all honestly it really doesn't need it. What I absolutely want to do is lay out a grid of tapped and fitted holes for jig alignment and clamping.

 

[saceone]

awesome table !

isn't the best part of building a table is the frustration of not welding on a proper table? makes you appreciate the table so much more when you're done

 

[Moose364]

Awesome build, should last 2 life times,

I'm getting the stuff together to build me one, question ? why did you bolt the top and not weld it, I've seen a couple and the legs are welded to the top, now you have me wondering

 

[34kw]

Nice job! That will last forever. I am always torn between wheels and wanting something immovable to bolt my vise to.

 

[rust buster]

Awesome build, should last 2 life times,

I'm getting the stuff together to build me one, question ? why did you bolt the top and not weld it, I've seen a couple and the legs are welded to the top, now you have me wondering

I bolted it just to save me the hassle down the road if there is ever any reason to remove the top. There may be other good reasons too, but I won't take credit for knowing them.

 

[racer-john]

Awesome build, should last 2 life times,

I'm getting the stuff together to build me one, question ? why did you bolt the top and not weld it, I've seen a couple and the legs are welded to the top, now you have me wondering

The reason is: if the top plate happens to not be perfectly level, then you can shim under the low spot(s) and bolt them down.
Also as the OP mentioned if he ever had occasion to have to remove the top.

 

[aczr2k]

Looks good, nice and heavy. One option for whomever makes one in the future is to drill and blind tap the top plate and drill and counterbore the tube frame. No bolts in the top to catch slag and grinding dust. I'm a fan of the POR paint, that stuff is tough.