My welding table

[R6 Racer]

So I have been collecting scraps & what not to build my welding table. My drawing (in paint & not to scale) shows the top, the top frame & the legs.
The top frame (in green) is 2"x 2" x 1/4" sq. tube, the legs (in red) are 2"x 4" x 1/4". The frame is 6.5" in from the edge of the table. The receivers are 4.5"in from the edge.

The 2x2's have open ends wherever the letters A & B are. I will be using these openings as hitch type mounting points. The spacing between the "A" & the corresponding "B" are all 16.5". I designed this because I have some tools that I am planing on using 2 mounting points for. My break, rollers & bandsaw will all have 2 mounting points. With this design I can use any of those tools in any one of 6 possible locations. My other tools (vices, grinders etc.) can mount in any of the 10 positions.

The top is 1" hot rolled 65"x33.5" that I just picked up. I was going to use a piece that measures 60"x28.5"x3/4" but when I came across the 1" piece I decided that bigger is better so I switched plans.

The base will be made up of 2 pieces of train track & 2 pieces of 2"x3"x1/4" angle. With some 1"x1"x1/8" angle stringers to support the base shelf which will be some kind of open weave type of sheet steel.

The plan is to use adjustable feet & some crank down wheels/casters so I can roll it around the garage when I need to. And so the weight of the table is not resting on the wheels all the time.

I have been debating how to fasten the top to the top frame. Weld it or bolt it. I think i'm going to bolt it on using angle welded to the frame & drill mounting holes in the angle & the top plate. I'm thinking I'll drill the top plate about 3/4" deep, (not all the way threw) & tap that hole for the mounting bolts. Anyone see any problems doing it this way?

I'm still looking for a drop wheel design/idea to use for mounting the wheels.
Any ideas on that front from the group would be welcome!!

As well if anyone in my area is looking for a great welding table top I am selling the 3/4"x 60"x 28.5" piece that I was going to use before I found the 1" piece. PM me for details if interested I am holding off putting it on Kijiji seeing if anyone here is interested.

More to follow!
Steve

 

[Joe Burger]

i like it

 

[RAMBIN]

whats the plan with the rail? welding it to the mild steel? it will crack almost instantly if u don't use a hard to mild specialty rod... Im sure on this ;-)

 

[R6 Racer]

whats the plan with the rail? welding it to the mild steel? it will crack almost instantly if u don't use a hard to mild specialty rod... Im sure on this ;-)

I'm not sure what your asking/saying The plan is to bolt the top to the top frame.

Steve

 

[sberry]

A couple of things. 1st, the new dimension is way better, in fact the width is near ideal. The only frame this may need is 2 stringers long between the legs and steel to hold the shelf welded to the legs,,, high enough to sweep under and just so it can be caught with a floor jack. A couple flip down wheels on one end and screen for the shelf. Weld the stuff to it, all this doesn't need massive welded connections but some 1/2 dozen, maybe 8 or 10 bealds a couple inches long with 1/8 electrode wont hurt a thing. The track would make legs. Stab them on the plate about 6 inches in from the corners, makes the span about 24 inches between the ends and a pinch above 4 ft the other way, a piece of frame in there is useful to weld future attachments to.
I would flip that sucker upside down and stab the pieces to it.

 

[dr_clyde]

Hey, that kinda looks familiar...

I think the layout looks fine, but I'm also a little fuzzy on what the train tracks will be doing in this assembly. Could you be a little more clear on that?

As far as welding or bolting the top, I chose to bolt mine because I could then shim it for flatness adjustments in lieu of surface grinding it. I imagine 3/4" of blind thread would be strong enough, depending on the size of the bolts and how many there are. I through drilled mine, and used bolts that come just shy of flush.

As far as wheels are concerned, if you have the ability, I recommend putting casters on some tubing and put receivers close enough to the floor to slip them in when the table is jacked up with a floor jack. Weld some nuts for leveling felt under the legs and you're good to go.

Btw, if you have any interest, DraftSight is an excellent free CAD program from the makers of Solidworks. It's a fairly good clone of AutoCAD. I use it for all my quickie stuff to send to the laser or waterjet.

 

[Jon Jacobs]

Hi, like your table, here a 3X5 I built with 3 legs. I drilled out the top and threaded holes to pin assys prior to welding. Has a built in cabinet for supplies.

 

[R6 Racer]

Jon Jacobs I like the drilled top. It's something that I'm pondering. but for now I just want to get this built & standing.

RAMBIN The train track... The idea is to run the track from side to side, both at the front & back at the bottom. The track will be upside down, giving me a flat base for the bottom shelf. I was going to weld the 2x4 legs to the flat base of the track.
With the top of the table being so heavy, my thinking was to have the track kind of evening out the T to B weight bias, hopefully adding a bit of stability.

I have never heard of "hard to mild" issue before. I have vise stand that's made of RR track & the 3" tube steel that I used for the upright is still holding just fine. I have had to really beat on a few things that were in that vise & the weld is holding fine.
I used the track upside down in this application as well. would that make the difference? Is the top only hardeded?

Steve

 

[sberry]

You wont need track weight on the bottom, this will be stable. You can weld to rail iron.

 

[dr_clyde]

I wouldn't bother with the RR track. The table is low enough that it won't be needing a lower center of gravity that the extra weight would provide. If you want it for some sort of forming buck or dolly, I can see incorporating it into be top. Seems a waste to just use it as a shelf support.

But hey, it's your table. If that's what you want, go for it. I'm just offering my opinion, whatever that's worth.

 

[sberry]

There are a couple other guys that field work around a lot of benches on this forum and most of them will say the same thing, size and location mean everything and other than some room to clamp along edge and end and a place to hang clamps most of the other "features" dont mean much including flatness.
Yours will be heavy enough that being bolted to floor wont be much of an issue. I am sure some place somewhere all the holes and slots are ideal but never needed wanted or considered them, in a small shop the bench is a work bench too and I like solid top and common clamps.

 

[sberry]

I have 2 benches, they are a cobble job but instead of receivers on one just a couple bolt holes to hang attachments on including the rotator vise ,,, which btw is about as good as it gets and can keep the "bench" bare.
The benches are flimsy **** but the location of all this is almost perfect, its good enough its hard to make it any better. I reduced a super amount of soot and grit with the new cutting box.

 

[Engine]

I have 2 benches, they are a cobble job but instead of receivers on one just a couple bolt holes to hang attachments on including the rotator vise ,,, which btw is about as good as it gets and can keep the "bench" bare.
The benches are flimsy **** but the location of all this is almost perfect, its good enough its hard to make it any better. I reduced a super amount of soot and grit with the new cutting box.

I like the cutting box. I need to make one for my table since I'm using a metal trash can with sand in the bottom now. It takes up too much space under the table. I might make one that can slide in and out of the supports under the table top.

 

[R6 Racer]

sberry
Love that cutting box! What a great idea, I'm going to have to figure out how to incorporate one into my system.

I was'nt planing on bolting it to the floor. The plan is to use bolts threw the TT. That way they will be used as "leveling" feet. I plan to have a set of casters that I can somehow raise & lower so I can move the table around the garage but it wont sit on the casters full time. It will sit in 1 of 2 places 99% of the time so I don't want the casters to develop flat spots.

I still haven't figured out the caster rise & drop mechanism. That was all I needed to figure out before I start putting heat to metal. But now I need to work out how to get a cutting box of some sort to fit in with all my plans.

I did ask for input so I guess more planning was coming.

Thanks everyone for the comments! They are all appreciated.

Steve

 

[sberry]

We should ask for a snapshot thread. I looked back to no avail for a pic of one on this forum was about the neatest I have seen but lost the marker for it. I cant recall who did it either.

 

[sberry]

We should ask for a snapshot thread. I looked back to no avail for a pic of one on this forum was about the neatest I have seen but lost the marker for it. I cant recall who did it either.
Its super easy to build in convoluted features that look better than they really work.

 

[NASTYZEN]

R6, what are going to be your uses for this table. That certainly should influence your design. It's all about the functionality and what you have on hands for materials.
Sberry, how do you empty that cut box? Is it removable? Cool idea for one who torches a lot.