BPJOOP93
Well-known member
I am getting more and more ideas guys. keep the pics comin. Where to get the steel for the top? I just got quoted just over $630 for a 48"x72" 3/8 thick plate. that aint gonna fly!!
Welding table pics ?
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NASTYZEN
Well-known member
Holy cow Mike! You make me realize what a piece of **** I have for a table....
Holy cow Mike! You make me realize what a piece of **** I have for a table....
Thanks Nasty! For what its worth, your overall fabrication and technique make me realize what a hack I am, so we are even. Thank you!
metalhead212121
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2010
- Messages
- 2,897
lots a nice tables on here.
subscribing....
subscribing....
bigdav160
Well-known member
Any thoughts on building out of aluminum? I already have an 8' aluminum workbench that I thought about converting into a welding table.
This is another one of the GJ drooling threads. 
BeachBum2012
Well-known member
Thats a nice looking setup. And extra points for the Misfits Fiend skull in the background.
Britt
Member
I have one now that is 4'x8'x1" tooling plate (started life as a jig table for a job I was welding up), It works very well, however you have to be gentle with it, no hammering or sliding steel w sharp edges across it, unless you want it to be gouged up junk in no time..I save the abuse for my 4x8 1" steel table.
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Here is mine.
Got from the scrap yard many years ago, don't know
what it was originally used for.
This fall before the weather got crappy,
I did a little sandblasting and painting on it.
Added this Bulldog trailer jack,
its just to heavy to pick up without it.
Also added some cheap plastic wheels from some old trailer jacks.
I like my welding tables to sit directly on the floor, yet still be mobile
this works great for me.
Top is 3/4" thick.
The engraved lines are a handy reference for
getting things square to one another.
The holes are tapped 3/8-16 so I use a milling
machine clamping kit to hold stuff down when you can't
use vise-grip style clamps.
The hole in the table has turned out to be
a good thing to have, as it makes clamping much easier.
The small notch works great for driving shafts out of pulleys.
Grinders at their "Home"
The old Hitachi from the 1980's.
Its been a good grinder, had to put new bearings and brushes
in it a couple of times, the motor and gears work like new.
Its also got one hell of a switch, that is the original.
The Dewalt seems to have developed some noises as of late.
I think it might be time for some new bearings in it, as well.
Grinders can hang on either side of the welding bench.
I'm also going to make some more brackets so they
can be hung anywhere they are needed.
Japanese made 6" vise from the late 70's
Decided not to paint the vise, because it would probably
look the same as it does now, after about three months of use.
Got from the scrap yard many years ago, don't know
what it was originally used for.
This fall before the weather got crappy,
I did a little sandblasting and painting on it.
Added this Bulldog trailer jack,
its just to heavy to pick up without it.
Also added some cheap plastic wheels from some old trailer jacks.
I like my welding tables to sit directly on the floor, yet still be mobile
this works great for me.
Top is 3/4" thick.
The engraved lines are a handy reference for
getting things square to one another.
The holes are tapped 3/8-16 so I use a milling
machine clamping kit to hold stuff down when you can't
use vise-grip style clamps.
The hole in the table has turned out to be
a good thing to have, as it makes clamping much easier.
The small notch works great for driving shafts out of pulleys.
Grinders at their "Home"
The old Hitachi from the 1980's.
Its been a good grinder, had to put new bearings and brushes
in it a couple of times, the motor and gears work like new.
Its also got one hell of a switch, that is the original.
The Dewalt seems to have developed some noises as of late.
I think it might be time for some new bearings in it, as well.
Grinders can hang on either side of the welding bench.
I'm also going to make some more brackets so they
can be hung anywhere they are needed.
Japanese made 6" vise from the late 70's
Decided not to paint the vise, because it would probably
look the same as it does now, after about three months of use.
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Mike, I think its some kind of stock, that you can buy.
They just tapped the holes and rounded the corners off, is all.
It must be very expen$ive though.
Forgot, what this cost from the scrapyard, thinking maybe $200.
It was still in a shipping crate when I got it.
Had this thing for 20+ years now.
Rocket
Well-known member
Cool table.
My new table (that was supposed to be built last year
)
Well actually to be a car bench.
It too will have holes drilled & threads tapped so I can set up & build a whole car on there (beats building one on the ground ....like we do now
)
I have had the plans in CAD for sometime, but I just can't seem to get to it (some staff would be of some help
)
great work guys!!
My new table (that was supposed to be built last year
)Well actually to be a car bench.
It too will have holes drilled & threads tapped so I can set up & build a whole car on there (beats building one on the ground ....like we do now
)I have had the plans in CAD for sometime, but I just can't seem to get to it (some staff would be of some help
)great work guys!!
I'm still adding to/moderfyn' this one that I built this year. I thought i'd like the expanded metal... but as it turns out, I think it ***** out loud. I'd like to find a solid plate, or maybe some thick barstock to re-do the top with. I wanna add a powerstrip to the bottom as well...
Overall i'm pretty happy with it though. Especially since the bench itself cost me $0.00 (ignoring the cost of welding wire n' gas of course)
As I scrolled back through this thread, I noticed yours has expanded metal too. I'll agree, it does ****. I'm looking for a piece of steel to cover mine with at this moment, actually I'm waiting for a shop to call me back about a piece of 1/4" plate.
I would advise against using expanded metal as a welding table top.
PCO6
Well-known member
Can you "expand" on that? I have a portable welding table that I have done a fair bit if welding on and it's been great. I don't clamp things to it for "heavy duty" welding but for general welding it's been pretty good.
Can you "expand" on that? I have a portable welding table that I have done a fair bit if welding on and it's been great. I don't clamp things to it for "heavy duty" welding but for general welding it's been pretty good.
Maybe you used some heavier gauge metal than I did or have more bracing under it. My is only a 24"x36" and it has some serious sag in it. Enough that I'm at a stand still on my current project as it's too wavy to layout flat what I'm working on.
PCO6
Well-known member
That's a good point. Mine is about the same size as yours. I try to elevate what I am welding if I can or hang things over the edge and weld off of the table. These tables have their limits but I've found mine good for light duty welding and a number of other things to. You have to be careful folding it up though. It can get away from you once you release the locking pin.
Yep, I built mine for light duy work, which was (is) fine. I have found that the bigger welding projects or the build on something, it's not working out for me.
I'd like to build a bigger and permanent table but it's not in the cards at the moment. Financially or room to store it, so I need to modify my current table and cover the expenaded metal top with some solid plate.
I'd like to build a bigger and permanent table but it's not in the cards at the moment. Financially or room to store it, so I need to modify my current table and cover the expenaded metal top with some solid plate.
scott3257
Active member
Made this table on Friday from a Google Sketchup design. Total cost is roughly $200 in materials. I still have a bunch of material left over as well. The top is 25 X 49 5/16 plate and the legs are 2X2 1/8 wall square tubing. Gonna paint it red after I am finished welding on holders and mounts for all the accessories. The casters will go on today. I
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Nice table Scott.
ZTFab
Well-known member
Awesome table!!
From the looks of the cutout that may have been made for a punch press or notcher of some sort with the table layout to index stops to make repeatable cuts.
Maybe from a sign shop?
Either way it's an awesome piece.
ZTFab
Well-known member
Holy cow Mike! You make me realize what a piece of **** I have for a table....
x 2
I like all the storage on that table.
hypnolobster
Member
Big acorn table, unfortunately missed out on it's twin. Insanely heavy, still pretty flat but it's definitely seen better days
Garage is an insane mess, barn parts, tons of scrap steel, old tractors, etc.
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Zeppe807
Well-known member
I got a piece of scrap 1" road plate
screwed up by welding the plate to the legs. It went from nearly perfectly flat to bent corners.
welded on wheels to be able to be mobile. Built a new cabinet to allow the table to hide under. Added 1.25" plywood to the bottom to hold/store my anvil, bench grinder, belt grinder, vise, and miscellaneous scrap metal.
I painted it because I was bored and was also needing a clean bright surface to work on. It looks clean, and was nice doing wood work on it too after I painted it. BUT, I know I can grind and do whatever to it because it truly is a welding table.
Joe Zeppe
screwed up by welding the plate to the legs. It went from nearly perfectly flat to bent corners.
welded on wheels to be able to be mobile. Built a new cabinet to allow the table to hide under. Added 1.25" plywood to the bottom to hold/store my anvil, bench grinder, belt grinder, vise, and miscellaneous scrap metal.
I painted it because I was bored and was also needing a clean bright surface to work on. It looks clean, and was nice doing wood work on it too after I painted it. BUT, I know I can grind and do whatever to it because it truly is a welding table.
Joe Zeppe
alpinewhite
Well-known member
screwed up by welding the plate to the legs. It went from nearly perfectly flat to bent corners.
How is one supposed to fasten the top?
projectPONY
Well-known member
That is an awesome table! I've been planning to build one this way for a while, just haven't gotten around to it. My plan is to use 6"×1/2" steel plates gapped just like yours for clamping. I've yet to decide on dimensions for it though.
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sunsation288
Well-known member
my little contribution
csp
Well-known member
Build a top frame for the legs. Set the top on the frame and weld tabs made out of angle iron to the bottom side of the top. Bolt the tabs to the frame you made at the top of the legs. You only need a couple of tabs front and back and you won't have as much welding to do which will distort the top plate.
kazlx
Well-known member
I drilled mine to 5/8".
Zeppe807
Well-known member
Sorry I missed the question.
Like CSP stated, If I were to suggest one thing: do not put too much heat to the top to weld it down. My 1" plate warped about 1/8". If I were to do it again I would stich weld a 5/16" x 2" x 2" angle frame to the bottom of the plate, and then weld the angle to my legs.
Joe Zeppe
sberry
Banned
You can weld it but it doesny need to be all the way around, about half a rod over 3 spots per leg, its basically to keep it from sliding off, it could be fixed but I bet you soon wont notice as it is. Mine are not flat,,, very very rare it makes any differecnce.
Zeppe807
Well-known member
Very true!
I plan on getting a torch out one day to heat the top up, sp maybe it will straighten out a little. Just haven't done it yet.
Joe Zeppe
alpinewhite
Well-known member
I think a bag of ice on the other side of the plate would act as a good heat sink while welding.
