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More welding bench questions

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R6 Racer

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You might have seen a post I made earlier in another thread...
I have found a 3/4" plate thats 30" x 50".
The price is good ($100.00 now) so I am picking it up later today but I need it to work for my situation.
I am thinking about using it to make a welding bench.
My idea is to have it fold down & out from the wall kind of like Jack Olsen's welding bench.
The plan is to have the plate top fold down, but to have the legs fold out from the wall not from under the bench top. That will cut down on the weight that I will be folding down! What I mean is the legs (4 all steel 2x2 + bracing) will be attached to the wall under the bench so that I end up with 1 leg under each corner. I would build each side with top & bottom bracing as well as an "X" brace. Each leg would fold out from the wall so that the front legs would rotate/fold out from the middle to each front corner.
What I am after are your opinions on a few questions/concerns...
1) A) Will the plate be to heavy to fold down?
B) What if I incorporate counter weights?
C) What do you think this plate will weigh?
2) Is 30"x50" big enough for a welding bench (home projects only)
3) Since my leg plan is for side support only would I need any additional cross bracing in the front? (considering that it will be attached to the wall at the back)

I'm looking forward to your input!
Thanks
Steve
 
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J

Jack Olsen

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30"x50" is plenty big. And you got a great deal. But I'm afraid that plate will be much too heavy to fold down. Just the top piece will weigh 318 pounds. Even with a hoist to raise and lower it, I'd be worried about injuries (or other damage) over time. I'd also worry about the wall being strong enough for it. I think you need to look at a place where you can mount that thing permanently.

(To put it into perspective, my fold down table is 1/8" thick, and with its frame and legs it is heavy enough that I worry about being able to raise and lower it as I get older.)
 
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gj67stang

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I'm no expert nor muscle-man, but I wouldn't want to move a 325+ pound steel plate around any more than I had to. I'd find a spot and make a permanent home for the table with braced and attached legs. To borrow a line from some long-forgotten infomercial: Set it and forget it!
 
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gorilla

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That plate is a perfect size for a welding table, having access to all sides of a welding table is important and that plate is much too heavy to try to fold up unless you use hydraulics. Put a frame under it,add some good casters and roll it out of the way when you don't need it. Keep the frame in about 6" in from the edge so you can clamp things down.
 
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GN4WHLN

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Put it on casters and drill the table for hold downs. Add a hitch receiver under the table to take a vise, grinder, or whatever. You put that thing up to a wall and you'll realize, in short order, how much you need to access all sides to get something done. I think Jason Spaceman had a pretty nice table in his build thread.
 
B

Bigpigdave

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gorilla said:
That plate is a perfect size for a welding table, having access to all sides of a welding table is important and that plate is much too heavy to try to fold up unless you use hydraulics. Put a frame under it,add some good casters and roll it out of the way when you don't need it. Keep the frame in about 6" in from the edge so you can clamp things down.
Click to expand...

+1 on this idea.
Make it movable on casters and you will get 100's of times more use out of it. It will also seem bigger if not tied to a wall on one or two sides.
JMHO and good luck, Dave
 
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MFortie

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Not to hijack the thread, but...

I've just run across a piece of plate 1.25" thick x 24" x 30" that calculates out to 255 lbs. I'm planning to use it for a welding top and heavy-duty-beat-on table; was going to mount my vise directly to it, but I like the 2" receiver idea!

What would you all suggest for legs? 2.5" - 3" pipe? If I welded the legs to the bottom side of the top, think I'd need cross-bracing?
 
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gorilla

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You will need a lot of current to weld to 1 1/4" plate. I would use 4" square tube 1/4" wall and weld 1/4"x 6"x6" plates to the top of the tube and bolt it to the plate. I would cross brace the legs with angle and add a shelf underneath. IMHO put it on casters.
 
M

MFortie

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gorilla said:
You will need a lot of current to weld to 1 1/4" plate. I would use 4" square tube 1/4" wall and weld 1/4"x 6"x6" plates to the top of the tube and bolt it to the plate. I would cross brace the legs with angle and add a shelf underneath. IMHO put it on casters.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I am planning on casters and thought a shelf would be good too...
 
OP
R

R6 Racer

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The problem I have is ... space! I don't have the room for it to be a "built & set up" bench or I would for sure do it that way. Where I was planning on putting it, only 1 side (a 50" side) will be against the wall & it will have lots of room around the other 3 sides. I know thats not perfect but...
I was counting on a counter weight & the fact that it would be hinged making it workable/not to heavy to use. I had not thought about the wall strength but was planning on attaching a full length steel plate to the wall (I could make it attach to 4 studs, distributing the weight that way) & hinging off that. The legs would not be attached to the plate but instead to the wall below the plate. That way I would not add any additional weight to what I had to fold down.
Thinking 300+ pounds of plate should be cut in half by hinging & another 100 pounds or more of counter weight (train track) would make the weight I had to lift around 50 pounds or less. Does that make sense?
Any ideas for other ways to strengthen the wall attachment?
Do I need to build a frame under the plate or is it OK without one?
I'm going to have to make this work somehow, so all of your help would be greatly appreciated.
Great ideas so far!
A big thanks to e-tec for the link to that weight calculator. I think other people besides me will like having that!
I don't really want to cut it in half in order to hinge it that way.(thanks for the idea anyway AV80R)
I will also use the 6" back idea regarding the legs (or frame if I need one) for clamping.gorilla.
Receiver hitches will be used in the legs for a number of attachments. GN4WHLN

Thanks again for all the ideas... keep em coming!
Steve
 
J

Jack Olsen

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In my opinion, that plate is not just a 'little bit' too heavy. It's about 250 pounds too heavy. Sooner or later, someone is going to get injured if that's hinged and allowed to swing down. Mounts for counterweights will work themselves loose. Cables and pulleys will wear out. It could be years from now, but somebody is going to get hurt.

My thick bench weighed a little over 400 pounds. Just moving it into position was a very big job. (It slipped once, and if I'd been standing a few inches closer it would have broken my leg.) There is no way it could be turned into a fold-down bench without someone breaking an arm, hand, or losing a finger at some point down the line.

Raising1254978187.jpg


You can see the hydraulic jack and spacers I'm using to move it up, slowly.

Do you have a wood bench that you could replace with the steel one? I really think the only way you can make something like that work is to have it permanently mounted at its work height.

(Then again, I've been surprised by guys' solutions to problems I thought were un-solvable before. So I could be wrong.)
 
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gorilla

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If I had to hinge a plate like you need to I would support the hinge end from the floor on a couple of 4" 1/4" steel tubes also tied to the wall. You will need some legs on the outboard end that can support the table and what ever your welding. I assume that you will be lifting this with a winch or a come-along from the outboard end, try to make the upper lifting point as high as possible so you have a straight lift. The legs could be hinged to the top plate and swing down as you lower it. Unless you have a 300 amp welder bolt your attachments to the top plate. Making a scale drawing or a mock up before you start may keep you from saying AW ****.
 
K

kc-steve

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Steve, that plate is a heck of deal and would be great as a welding table top! However, I have to agree with others that it is too heavy to be a hide-a-table thing. I thought I got a good deal when I found 3/8"-28"x48" for $60, 18 months ago. (see photo) And I also have a space problem, but installing solid quality casters on it makes it usable and convenient. As you see it, the table weighs ~200lbs total without tools. Good luck :)

the other,
Steve
 

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OP
R

R6 Racer

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Finally got it home! It turned out to be 29"x60"x3/4" & weighs 370 pounds! Still got it for $100.00 which works out to $0.27 a pound!
Me thinks I got a deal!
Now to figure out exactly how to use it!
If I do end up making it a fixed height bench... 2 questions
1) how tall should I make it (I'm 6' tall)
2)with its size & weight can it be made with wheels (& any ideas on casters would be appreciated)

Steve
 
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Jack Olsen

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On the height: 35"-40", probably. But stand at some counters and benches and think about what feels right for you. I'm 5'11", and I have all my work surfaces match at 37". Some guys like a combination of lower and higher benches.

Get some casters rated for 100 or so pounds each. The bigger the diameter, the easier they'll roll. Locking ones will help. You can get fixed casters on one end and pivoting ones on the other.
 
G

gorilla

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Your casters should be rated so each one can hold 1/3 of the maximum load you think think will be on the table. Make your best guess on the weight and multiply by 150%.
 
K

kc-steve

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R6 Racer said:
Finally got it home! It turned out to be 29"x60"x3/4" & weighs 370 pounds! Still got it for $100.00 which works out to $0.27 a pound!
Me thinks I got a deal!
Now to figure out exactly how to use it!
If I do end up making it a fixed height bench... 2 questions
1) how tall should I make it (I'm 6' tall)
2)with its size & weight can it be made with wheels (& any ideas on casters would be appreciated)

Steve
Click to expand...

Grats! You did get a good deal. Height is a matter of preference. Most recommend it high enough so that you aren't bent over the table when welding while at the same time is still convenient for other things as well. I'm 5'6" and the height on mine is 33" total and is perfect for me. I suggest at least 36" for your height. Try testing it yourself on another table.

You'll have to accurately calculate all the material together along with the casters in order to get the correct height outcome.

As far as casters, I STRONGLY suggest going to Grainger Supply and select a set of casters that is at least rated at 600lbs each, because concrete floors are never perfectly smooth and there will be times when only 2 or 3 casters are contacting the floor. Also floor imperfections (and cracks) will cause impacts against the casters that exceed your rating when rolling it around. Grainger's also has the weight ratings and height specs needed so you won't be guessing.

My table is 200lbs (dry) and casters are rated at 450lbs each, cost me ~$50 each at Grainger's. I never go on the cheap when it comes to casters. Over-built is good here.

Steve
 
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R

RetroJim55

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With a welding table weighing that much you can't cheap out on the wheels or you will never move it . I was lucky and got mine in a yard sale and these wheels are over kill . They are 6" and have grease fitting . A guy made a metal tray to sit a big Snap on tool box on it . I have used it already as an engine cradle to move an engine and trans around on it . It moved very easily to say the least . BTW the engine was a Ford 460 with a C6 attached to it . Was around 1000 lbs . I bought that tray with wheels for a whopping $20 ! There were 2 of them and I left the other one . Only needed one at that time .
Anyway good luck with your table and build it strong . With that weight you might want to use steel wheels .
just my opinion .

Jim
 
B

blaze_125

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If you already have a bench and it's big enough for your plate, you could do something like this. If your bench is wider than the plate, then add 3/4" ply on the sides so the surface stays even.
 
OP
R

R6 Racer

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I'm ready to start welding up my new bench & I have a few questions.
I have enough 1.5" (O.D.) square 3/16" wall tube to make 6 legs that will be supported by a base shelf on 4 casters.
The bottom shelf will be made from a 2"x3"x3/16" angle iron surround with a 1"x1" support frame under a piece of 16 gauge inside it.
There will be 2 more 1"x1" frames between the top plate & the bottom shelf that I will be using for metal storage. One at apx. 10" above the base shelf & the other another 10" above that.
What are your thoughts on the tube I have (the 1.5" square tube), beefy enough? Also what do you think of the design?

Comments, criticism, suggestions.....?

Steve
 

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S

shocksystems

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Ipswich, MA USA
R6 Racer said:
I'm ready to start welding up my new bench & I have a few questions.
I have enough 1.5" (O.D.) square 3/16" wall tube to make 6 legs that will be supported by a base shelf on 4 casters.
The bottom shelf will be made from a 2"x3"x3/16" angle iron surround with a 1"x1" support frame under a piece of 16 gauge inside it.
There will be 2 more 1"x1" frames between the top plate & the bottom shelf that I will be using for metal storage. One at apx. 10" above the base shelf & the other another 10" above that.
What are your thoughts on the tube I have (the 1.5" square tube), beefy enough? Also what do you think of the design?

Comments, criticism, suggestions.....?

Steve
Click to expand...

Steve:

What is the dimension of the table? What size / weight will the top be?

Cheers!

Jim
 
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Big Rick

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kc nice bench i like the tool bords on side and outlet strip . I have a 1/2"rod about 9"down from top to hold grinders&clamps on
 
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Brad54

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R6 Racer said:
OOPS
My first drawing was wrong... forgot the middle legs!
This is more like what I mean...

Steve
Click to expand...

An idea you might want to consider, but that will make more work, is to open one of the long sides so it has a place for your legs and a chair, like a desk.
If you're working on something, you can sit down on a shop stool and slide in closer to your work/up to the table edge to rest your arms and hold them steady.

With it that tall, I'm certain there will be times when you want to sit at your welding table and get closer to the work, but without the cut-out in the shelves for your legs, you'll end up leaning over in the chair, or sitting sideways to the table to get closer.

-Brad
 
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