Welding table options

[BLUBAYOU]

Hey guys, I know this is talked about fairly often on this site and many others, but I have a question regarding dimensions for the welding table I am getting ready to build.

For some background info, I was given a Lincoln sp170t last year and have done some small projects with it (once I bought an 80cf tank w/ C25 and a new regulator). My prior experience welding was limited to times I helped my friend (who gave me the welder) with an occasional big project. Even in those cases I typically held the dumb end of the tape, if you know what I mean. I'm very mechanically inclined however I simply didn't have the welding experience to weld on his paid projects. We recently were given some old lab tables from the college where he works. The tables are fairly low (~32" maybe) with 2"x2" frames, 1.5"x48"x60" solid maple tops, outlets on each side and pockets recessed into each side as well. They also sit on pretty solid casters.

My plan is to take one of these bases, which I have removed the maple top to make a workbench from, and make a welding table from it. I haven't decided on height yet, but as a taller guy at 6'2" or so I think I will raise it at least a little bit. Because of the fact that my garage is basically a 2 car and welding isn't my primary gig, I am thinking I will cut the table down in either length or width. I've been pricing steel plate locally and found one supplier that seems reasonable, though I am waiting on a callback from a friend with a scrapyard about what he has.

I plan on having the table sit against the wall most of the time, but being on casters I can wheel it out in the open space when needed. Since it will be against the wall, I was planning on limiting it to either 30" or 36" deep so I can always reach across the top. This would leave me with either 48" or 60" of length along the wall, assuming I use the same overhang as the table originally had (maybe 4" on all sides).

The best pricing I found was ~$153 for 3'x4'x1/2" plate. 3/4" was just a bit more per lb at ~$255 in the same length/width. While I don't want to pay $200+ for "new" steel, it's not a huge issue for me since I got nearly everything else for free. Did I mention this same friend has an AC/DC Lincoln buzzbox for me now, too?!

I'm at a point where I can't decide what table size to go with. it'd be nice if there was only one choice. I have narrowed it down to 30-36" deep and 48-60" long.

I'm pricing anywhere from 1/2" to 3/4" plate for it and I'm trying to decide whether it is more beneficial to have greater tabletop surface or thickness.

I will be mostly doing random small projects with it (car fab, architectural stuff, etc) but I am wondering how you would make the decision.

I know I'll get a few responses saying go biggest and thickest, but I am trying to keep this to what I really need. I might rather spend a little more on extra fixturing if I can keep the table cost down a bit.

For a 2 car garage what dimensions would you prefer? Let's make it a bit easier by limiting choices to those that end up with the same steel weight of approx 305lbs:

0.5"x36"x60"
0.625"x36"x48"
0.625"x30"x60" (few lbs over)
0.75"x30"x48"

Based on the $/lb these would end up at around $200 which I can live with.

Thicker table or more surface area?

 

[Frank The Plumber]

If it was me, I would go for the 3 x 4 1/2 thick. That's all I needed. I have a Miller Sync 200 and play with some fabing on cars and parts and tools for the shop. Any thing much larger you usually can't lift up on to a table any how. A few features that I like, wooden legs, a designated ground peg, A ripper of wood on the edge that you will lean against when you are seated welding. Possible height adjustment. Just my 2 cents, have fun.

 

[BLUBAYOU]

Good info, thanks!

I've already got a spare 2" receiver to add to it for my bench grinder/vise/etc, so that's in the plan already. Ground peg, torch holder, etc are in the plans as well. I figure those things will be added once the main structure is together, so I can figure out the best placement. I'll wire a lead into the outlets so I can simply plug the whole table into any outlet in the garage (or outside under the carport, too I suppose).

 

[BLUBAYOU]

As far as lifting the heavy top onto the table, I figured I would move the plate right from the back of my truck onto the base, so it'd be more sliding into place vs lifting. I do have an engine hoist I could use if need be.

 

[GarageEnvy]

I think the beauty of projects like this is that you can make them to suit your needs. The stuff I weld tends to be larger so I went 60" long. I had the space to make it 30' long if I'd wanted but for the sake of being able to pull it out and move it around and still reach 72" seemed pretty good. I went with 30" depth mostly because it was 32" from my wall to the garage track but I don't see anything wrong with 36". My father-in-law has a 4'x8' table and it's great when he's doing sections of ornamental iron fencing or security screen doors but for other projects it seems too large to work around for me. I believe MIller makes a 30"x30" and a 30"x60" table. Presumably they did some market research and know a little about what size works best.

 

[BLUBAYOU]

I thought the same about Miller's 30x60 table. I love the idea of holes/slots in it for clamping, too. I won't be doing that now, but at some point I would like to borrow my friend's mag drill and put a pattern in the top. Any reason to go thicker than 1/2" if I plan on doing that (holes in table for clamping)?

4x8 size tables are simply bigger than I would need 98% of the time and would probably be in the way more often than not. If I plan tool storage and accessibility well, I won't need to just drop the tools on the table. I have a few projects that will be a little bigger, but I might rather build a removable outrigger or similar for those instances (building a new railing for our balcony, for example). It's not like I'll be doing that daily!

 

[BLUBAYOU]

this is a 36x60 from another member that I just found in a search. It's pretty close to what I had in mind. Mine would also have the outlets, receiver(s), etc and probably expanded metal beneath.

 

[Frank The Plumber]

That's a really nice looking table. I don't think I would be too comfy at it though, it's not really set up for how I would use it. Most stuff I end up doing in a seated position, little tig stuff that you're trying to make the filets look purty, so for me it works better set up as a desk, that's why I put the wood ripper on it and the wooden legs, I get the jimmy leg going on under there and sometimes I get turned into the ground. Tingle tingle, usually on ss or aluminum, I also am really sort of afraid to lean my chest (heart) up against that steel for a long time, I dont always wear my leathers for TIG ing small parts. Just things to consider as to how you would perform your tasks. Everyone works different, might as well be comfy.

 

[gsport]

here's mine, got it on CL for $50.00... i really like being able to move it around. i have two shops and move it back and forth when i need it. it probably weights 200 lbs or so and if it had a much thinker top it would be hard to roll around...

 

[BLUBAYOU]

well, here we are 2 months later and I have finally come up with a top for my table. A few weeks ago it dawned on me that an acquaintance of mine owns a scrap yard They don't sit on material long, but I made a phone call and within a few hours he was holding a piece of plate aside for me.

When I met him to pick it up, I found he had a (very rough cut) 29"x72" piece of 3/8" for me. There is also about 5-6" of a "back-splash" on one side. The short ends were straight, while the long side cuts looked like the rocky mountains. For the price I couldn't complain, however ($free).

Fast forward to today and I am still wrestling with the dimensions a bit, even though I have a piece in front of me. Due to the horrible O/A cut finish on two sides, I am trying to decide what to do with it. Most people seem to dislike the idea of a back-splash on a welding table, and I kinda agree (garage walls will have corrugated steel in that area anyway).

One of my coworkers has a plasma torch at home and is willing to make cuts for me if I need him to. He's also looking for a smaller piece of plate for his welding cart. My thought is this, should I keep the ugly cut plate at 29"x72", spending hours and $$$ on cut-off/grinding wheels to clean the edges up, or should I make a deal with this guy to cut my plate 4 ways (two long cuts to straighten the ugly O/A cuts, then a cut above and below the corner of the back-splash, removing it.

The second option would leave me with 2 straight cut pieces, 5"x72" and ~28"x72". I could weld these together making a 34x72" plate, and cutoff some from one end to make myself a 34x50" plate and a nice little 34x22" piece to fit on his cart (trade for the cutting work).

Simplified, would you rather have a 34"x50" clean cut table top with no back-splash or a 29"x72" rough cut table with an unnecessary 6" back-splash?

Ignore the grid (playing with hole layout for clamping):

 

[jtbinvalrico]

What did you decide to do?

I would consider option 3: If you cut off the back splash (definitely cut off the back splash, no matter what), you would have a piece 72 x 29 3/8. I would take that piece and cut it in half, so you have two 36 x 29 3/8 pieces. Use those two pieces for a table top with a 1 1/2 inch gap between them for a clamping space in the middle.....your overall table dimension would be 36 x 60 1/4.