Table 2 and Limitations:
I will spare you a number of details on table #2 as it's largely the same as #1. I will however add a detail on my overkill clamping to get the legs assembled. For this project I decided to get some squares, 1-2-3 blocks, and shims from Fireball tool I have been eyeing for quite some time. I could have likely done this with magnetic clamps, but when all you have is a hammer...
The difference on table #2 is I wanted to use 1x3 1/8" wall tube as the top, all on 1.5" spacing in between tubes. This was loosely inspired by
The Fabrication Series table build. It is the hopes that it will be sturdy, relatively cheap, and allow me to clamp as needed when assembling future projects. Small detail on adding clamp storage to #2.
Part of the idea with the heavy wall 2.5" tube frame is I can do hitch receiver mounts for various tools. As a design it's nothing fancy, but highly effective. I have already built a mount for my vise and bench grinder, and will build one for my jd32 tool bender next. I also plan on adding more hitch receivers on both tables before painting.
Lessons Learned/Limitations:
- So far, they have been excellent build surfaces and a good way to brush the cobwebs off my welding skills.
- Storage is still getting figured out. It doesn't sound like much, but losing 32 square feet in shop floor space does make a difference. I am still trying to figure out how to maximize the cubic feet of storage under the tables, and am shopping for a decent 27" mid chest to fit underneath. Layout will likely change multiple times throughout their lifetime.
- I probably should have been patient on tube steel table and made sections removable. It already isn't as flat as I would like, so when the pieces inevitably warp from heat, replacement will be a pain.
- I am lacking the precision I wanted in my current tool collection. My current top is a 3/8" i've had for years. The tube table top uses 1" steel. The goal from the beginning was that I could make the tables flush and link them together for one "super table" as needed. To do that, I attempted to cut a bunch of 5/8" spacers for the plate to sit on and help line things up.
The problem with that is my abrasive chop saw tends to wander quite badly from the top to the bottom of the cut. I can nail the 5/8" mark initially, but even being careful the bottom of the cut wanders off by as much as 1/8". This unfortunately makes the spacer useless. I have wanted an Ellis 1600 band saw, but can't justify the price until I find a way for it to pay for itself (which is never). An Evolution miter saw might work, but still a tough pill to swallow price wise.
- my bench grinder kind of *****. Fine for most applications it's fine, but 1/3 HP just doesn't have enough juice for removing steel. I will be upgrading that in the future.
- These were still expensive. It's not fixture table expensive, but with steel, casters, hardware for mounting, and various other accessories the tube table was over $600 to build. That doesn't include my time (~10 hours/table), or the new toys to help build it ($1200). If your goal is to learn or just have fun building something the exercise makes sense. Otherwise buying your way out of a problem has it's merits.
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