Metalworking Work Bench?

[coltonwmcc]

Hello,

So I am a 19 year old that was given part of the garage for my shop and I built a sturdy workbench in the back of my garage that holds my vise, my grinding wheel, and some storage but has a good surface area of 3/4" plywood top to provide a good working surface. My next part is, I have a area in mind, but I need a spot that I can work on metal working, welding, metal forming, grinding etc. When I take pieces off of cars and trucks, or need to just fabricate something. Instead of sitting on the ground on my knees or something, I would like to have something to work on.

I am just wondering structurally, what to build it out of, what kind of top it should have on it, should there be a back splash or something, it may have to go infront of my windows I have on the side wall.

Thank you very much everyone!

 

[A_Pmech]

Hi Colton,

Welcome to GJ! I'm sure you'll find yourself at home here.

This thread may provide you with a few good ideas:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80188

 

[coltonwmcc]

Thank you very much, I appreciate that help!

 

[metalmagpie]

I suggest a 30x30x3/8" piece of steel plate and a 55 gallon drum. Roll the drum outside and turn it upside down when you aren't using it. Lean the steel plate up against a wall. Makes a nice solid little table. I used one of those for 20 years. After a few years the steel gets rusty. Just knock off the rust with a cup wire brush on an angle grinder and oil it with boiled linseed oil every year or so. After awhile the table will stop rusting and be an even brown color.

If you are fortunate enough to have room for a freestanding permanent table, build a frame from angle iron and put your steel plate on top. The plate should overhang by at least 2" on each side for clamping. I now have 2 like this. I don't weld my top plates to my table legs. Keeps 'em flatter. Plus, that way every so often you can flip the plate over and use the "clean" side.

In the short term, get a piece of plate about a foot square. Weld a lug to its bottom side. When you need a small table for welding, catch it in your vise. Or install a 2" trailer hitch receiver under your existing workbench, and slide a small table in when you need it. Space is very important in a small shop - don't waste it.

Larger projects can be built on two sawhorses. Level them both and then it doesn't matter if they're exactly the same height or not, you can make a flat object (railing, large rectangular frame, etc) directly on the sawhorses.

metalmagpie

 

[mjozefow]

Hi Colton,

Welcome to GJ.

Ignore everything A_Pmech tells you. He will only lead you down a slippery slope of machinery.

 

[Flexia]

You could always put some fire retardant boards on your workbench and add a metal top onto that. And then you will always have a nice worktop

 

[A_Pmech]

Hi Colton,

Welcome to GJ.

Ignore everything A_Pmech tells you. He will only lead you down a slippery slope of machinery.

Pot <> Kettle

 

[Falcon67]

To save $, go to a metal sales/recycle yard and ask to look through their cut pieces of plate between 1/4 and 3/8 thick or better. Cuts are way cheaper than buying a whole sheet and having it cut down. Find a decent size piece and use that to guide the bench build. Also 24' joints of square steel are waaay cheaper than what you get at any home center. If you want to use that to structure the frame.

Edit - to back up my steel bench, I screwed some left over Hardi panel to the wall. Concrete board (like for a shower) would work too.