Just Another Work Table

[AMurray]

While my new shop is getting built at home I decided the first thing I would need when it got done was a good work bench.

I really like a big table so I decided to just use a 4x8x1/4" sheet of steel and build the table right on it. I've done this before and it really makes it easy to keep square and flat. I like the other tables posted here with the receiver hitches built in so I stole that idea. I also really like the idea of electrical outlets in the table so I'm using that idea also. I'm going to put one outlet in every leg and one receiver in each end.

I'm using 4x4 square tubing for the legs and 2x6 tubing for the sides. I'm sure this is way overkill but it gives the table a nice beefy look.

Since I'm running electrical in the table I had to cut out passages between the legs and sides for the wiring.

Cutout for the outlet boxes. This is more complicated than necessary because the boxes I had laying around had screws sticking out of the sides.

I'm using some of McMaster's weld nuts and rubber feet. Don't judge my welds . I was in a hurry that day and I really didn't care too much since no one was ever going to see it.

Here is the table all cut and laid out. Still have to square it all up and weld it. Also going to add a lower shelf but progress is over until next week .

 

[zkling]

That's going to be nice. What are you using to cut the electrical box cutouts? Plasma table?

 

[richtersrodz]

x2.. nice job..

 

[jimgood]

That's going to be nice. What are you using to cut the electrical box cutouts? Plasma table?

x3...I'd really like to know your technique for that. Nice job.

 

[AMurray]

Thanks! Yes, I built a 5'x12' CNC plasma table last year. I don't know how I ever lived without it I use it for everything now.

 

[Richard D]

/How about more info on the CNC plasma

 

[great white tj]

Nice Job..

 

[zmotorsports]

Looking fantastic. Great job.

Mike.

 

[AMurray]

How about more info on the CNC plasma

Absolutely.

I don't have any pictures of it completed for some reason but here are a few in progress.

This was actually my second CNC plasma table build. The first was a 4x4 which worked nicely but was just too small. I used the 4x4 to make a lot of parts for the 5x12 and fixed a lot of the things I didn't like about the 4x4.

I pretty much used the same pattern as this table... 2x6 tubing for the side rails (though I used 3/16 wall on the plasma table I think) and 4x4 legs. It was designed to be a water table (keeps the smoke down & parts cool) but I could NOT get this table to stop leaking for some reason so I gave up (yes... it has a solid bottom not shown in the picture ).

I could not find any gear reduction boxes that I liked and I really didn't want to use a belt drive so I built some small gearboxes. Milled them out of aluminum & used some gears from McMaster. They ended up working really nicely.

I used some linear railing & bearings from ebay and a 2x6" stick of aluminum from onlinemetals.

I bought a pre-made Z axis floating head from ebay.

I wanted the computer to be on a pendant type setup instead of an actual PC so I made an enclosure out of 16ga and mounted a micro ATX board & hard drive inside. I cut this enclosure out with my old 4x4 table.

Turned out pretty good I think

I'm using the candcnc electronics and a hypertherm 85 plasma cutter.

I have probably cut up 50 to 60 4x8' sheets so far with zero problems. Pretty happy with it so far!