Welding Table Question

[mb190sl]

I am considering building a small welding table, around 24" by 48". This would only see occasional use, not daily heavy duty use. My question is how thick should the steel top be? I don't want to be too cheap and regret it later, but I don't want to go overboard either.

Thanks for the help, Steve.

 

[skinnykoch]

the thicker the better, 1/2 inch is good

 

[MXtras]

Mine is 5'X7' with a 1/4" thick top - the plate was free, therefore it determined the size and thickness of the top! I wish it was a bit thicker. Mine is warped about 3/16" just from lightly tacking it in place. The thickness is reasonable for the duty this table recieves but the additional thickness would be nice for flatness.

BTW - On the frame for the table I left the tubing ends open and I am glad I did. The openings come in handy not only for storing large prybars and such but also for twisting and straightening weldments.

Scott

 

[SCOOTER]

I'm with Koch, 1/2'' will work fine for a lil hobby table

 

[BoostAddiction]

Mine is not as nice as Scotts- or as big- but it has served well so far.

The top is 1/4" and is still pretty straight and flat. That is because I don't tack weldments to the table, don't beat on it unmercifully, and don't use heat on it much, if ever.

So you may be able to get by with a 1/4" top, though as everyone else suggests, bigger is better. When I priced out metal for the top, even the 3/8" seemed pretty costly and the 1/2" was even worse.

The thinner tops are easier to fabricate and the tables are easier to move (assuming you think this is a feature).

So far, I don't regret using 1/4".

The pic:

-Will

 

[Pony-boy]

I wouldn't go with anything under 3/8's thick for a few reasons.
If you do use it for other things you don't want it to be bent and dented.
If you need to hammer on something, Why stick it down on the floor for fear
of bending the table up, your just gonna ruin the floor.
and if your gonna build a work table be sure you can use it without thinkin your gonna break it.

My advise for a welding table. 1/2 inch T-1

 

[mb190sl]

Thanks for the input, that is what I was looking for. One more question. How is steel plate priced? Does a 1/2 inch sheet cost twice as much as a 1/4 inch sheet?

 

[MXtras]

Yes - almost all raw materials are priced by the pound. Odd sizes are priced higher but this wouldn't have any impact unless you need a super wide width - 5' is easily obtainable but wider widths might be more expensive.

Just make sure you have a way to move it - look at the weight before you have it delivered!

Scott

 

[atch]

who do you know in the scrap metal business.

i made my welding table out of 1" thick steel; about 24"x36". the steel was formerly one of the covers on a 1,000 ton water chiller which was part of a hospital air conditioning system. i could have had a 48" diameter 2" thick piece from the same chiller, but had no way to haul it or move it when i got it home. this was free. i bet you can find something similar if you look around.

i made the legs from schedule 80 steel pipe that i bought by the pound from the scrap pile at my local welding shop. the rest is angle and channel iron also from the same scrap pile at the welding shop. when they cut steel up for sale they throw the resulting pieces that are too short to sell in this pile and sell it for a fraction of retail.

a buddy has a welding table made from a 3" thick by about 5' diameter piece of steel that was part of some kind of machine. he got it (and a spare) for free, too; probably from the power plant where he works.

 

[dave in tn]

Hello all, Just some steel weights to keep in mind. 1" thick plate weighs 40.8 pounds per sq. FT. 3/4 is 30.6, 1/2 is 20.4, 1/4 is 10.2, 1/8 is 5.1. I worked in the shipbuilding industry for 11.5 years. We had charts showing material weights and such. Good info. Dave

 

[mb190sl]

Half of the fun is in the hunt. I will hit up my contractor friends and see what I can find before I purchase a new piece.

 

[sberry]

1/4 braced well is plenty for a hobby shop, it doesnt need to be super heavy and he likely isnt using 12# sledges daily on this thing.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

when they cut steel up for sale they throw the resulting pieces that are too short to sell in this pile and sell it for a fraction of retail.

I wish that were true here. A local steel supplier, Sable steel, did just that, threw all of the cuttings in a pile. The local job shops would come and bid on it and have the odd pieces for their little jobs. I intended to go and buy a pile of cuttings myself. When I finally did get by, they had a new manager, he made them throw all cuttings and odd pieces in a scrap bin for disposal by a scrap metal outfit. Told the workers they would be fired if they so much as put a tiny piece in their pocket or a customers truck. Needless to say, the employees expressed extreme displeasure to me about this manager.

Now, you go to the scrap metal place and buy it. They sort out the "good stuff" that is usable for odd jobs and rack it up and you can buy it by the pound.

Charles

 

[Chaz]

1/2 inch thick steel works well. Quarter inch warps a bit when you weld jigs and fixtures to it.

 

[caprice]

calulate volume, length x width x thickness x .2836 and presto you have the weight of your steel plate. different value for different metals