Welding table top

[willy3486]

Well I got started today on my welding table. I am building one that I can put the welder under it. I have a 220 lincoln and a 110 CH welder as well. I also want to put some type of drawer on it as well. Anyway I have really lucked out with it. I have a stash of old metal scrap and I found some type of frame . I was able to add one piece and make the bottom frame that I then welded my wheels to. I was able to get the bottom put together fairly quickly. It was the width I needed. I also found some other pieces to make it and do not have to buy any metal. I do have one question. I am using a piece of the diamond thread metal for the top. I am putting the tread down so the top will be flat. The metal has been under a covered roof but has surface rust all over it. I plan to clean the top with a wire wheel but is there any way to protect it? I really don't want to paint it seeing that I will be welding on it. Nor do I want ot coat it in something like oil that will catch on fire. But then I don't want it to rust up again. Or since it will be in my shop out of the weather will it be a problem? I had thought about cleaning it with electrolitic but I don't have any tank big enough to dip it even half the way.

 

[Call me the Breeze]

I wonder if a spray wax would work? At the furniture shop I work at, they spray the machine tables with a dri-coat material that lets the boards slide a little easier when cutting or routing/shaping them. I dont know how flammable the stuf is once dry, but I can check next week.

 

[jamesemery728]

My welding table top is 1/2 inch diamond plate with the smooth side up. Once I cleaned off all the surface rust I just spray it once a month or every other month with WD40 and it stays in good shape. It is stored inside the garage so it does not see rain or bad weather.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Pam or any light oil.

 

[BoostAddiction]

Interstingly, my table top is still mostly mill scale. There is no rust on it, and we live in an environment with lots of humidity, especially in the summer.

The problem with any kind of oil is that it can contaminate the material being welded, especially for TIG in general, and particularly with aluminum, which needs to be pretty clean for good welds.

You don't say what kind of welding you are doing, but it appears to be stick or MIG. If so, maybe you can live with a slight oil surface on the top if you are careful about cleaning the weldment before each bead.

I've seen plenty of welders just burn through rust when welding, but it isn't a good idea, and welding through oxidation (iron or aluminum) is just adding more risk and complexity to the task.

If it were mine, I'd let a little rust accumulate on the top (as it may happen), then hit the surface with a wheel or sander to knock it back off before dragging a weldment over it for welding.

Here are a couple of pics of my table- sounds a lot like yours.

And:

 

[Ben Iv]

like said above mine is just the millscale, had some light rust on it from sitting outside before i cut it up. I just let it be if its dirty i clean it off with brake cleaner and a red scotchbrite pad. Only rust it gets is if the old lady sets sompthin wet on it...

 

[willy3486]

Thanks for the replys and pictures. I was amazed but I got it all welded up today. The metal was just metal from my scrap pile. I usually save any metal thats straight for welding. I sometimes get a neighbor who collects scrap to get my stuff I don't want to help him out. I had some nice angle iron that had been used from other stuff. After my dad passed away I got a lot of scrap he had when I cleaned up the farm for my mom. Anyway I found one piece that I used for the bottom. I only had to add one end and a piece to help support the 220 lincoln arc welder. I have 3 welders all arc. I have a 110 welder I use for small stuff. Then I have a cheapo one that is a small 220. I probably will put that in a yard sale to thin out the stuff. It has a circut breaker that shuts off when it has been used a little. My MIL gave me my FIL old Lincoln for my birthday last year. He passed away a few years ago and I guess she got tired of me using it .

I had some really nice round tubing I used for "legs" from the bottom to the top of the table. I also made a small shelf to put the 110 welder on and I can put my rods under that. It has enough room on the other side I can store my grinder on. I will try to post pictures tomorrow. It is about 28x48. I will be able to get rid of some old TV cabinets I had in the corner that held a lot of my welding stuff. I had two areas in my shop with welding stuff. One corner had the actual welder and then the opposite side had the grinder and other stuff. Now in the other area I plan on putting a tool box that was given to me to keep it out of the dump. Its a really nice metal cabinet that I use for wrenches and stuff. I plan on making some drawers for it. I have the sliding rails now. I plan on getting rust off the top. I also plan on sanding it all over and painting the frame. It has a old look to it like it was made years ago. I want to try to get as much of my tools in cabinets with wheels so I can roll them around to where I need them. I am running out of room so this cabinet will really help. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[willy3486]

I was able to take a photo today. Its almost finished except for a few things. I want to dry fit everything in it. After I do that I want to make a holder of some type to wrap the welding cables on. I also plan to make a extension cord for 110 on it so I can just plug in grinder on the table. I also need to go over it again and see if I need to reweld any spots. I am not a pro welder like others here but I am happy with it. It seems to be sturdy. The handle I actually cut off a old trash can cart. It is made of angle iron and round tubing. The bottom was the same width so it made it really easy to adapt. I also was able to clamp the top down and it seems flat. I intend to sand the frame down and paint. I will also sand the top down and try out some of the suggestions. It will take roughly 8 square feet in my shop but it will replace some old gutted TV cabinets I had the stuff in that took up about twice that. I am having a real problem with room in my shop. I have a few more tools than I use to so it makes it harder for projects. Then a big factor I am dealing with is that they are doing a widening project in front of my place so I have stuff I will need to put in there from buildings that will be removed. I still have to put in a Powermatic 18 inch planer and a cutoff saw just to name a few. The planer is huge. It will take up the front part of the stall I have my tractor in. So every one thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[Spareparts]

Don't worry about rust on the top, just do a lot of projects on that will keep it away, remember grass dont grow on a busy street. LOL. If that big old planer gets in your to much just call me and I will haul it off for you, that is how helpful we are at GJ.

 

[willy3486]

I have it all finished now. I wire brushed it off and primer the metal. I had some really good aluminum paint and painted it with that. I have my welders and other stuff on it now. I have a lot on the top just laying but its in the corner. Here is what it looks like now.

 

[Professur]

Sorry I'm late. The ideal for that would have been to hit it with naval jelly. That would have converted the orange rust to black oxide.