Welding table $$$?

[RobsForge]

Hey gang,

I need some opinions on welding/layout tables for sale locally. There is a fella selling an 8x5 table on heavy duty casters for $400 ($10/sq ft) and he is also selling 2- 4x4 tables on casters for $250 each. ($15.50/sq ft). Both are 1/2" plate. I only want to buy a 4x4 table but I feel like $250 is a little much. Obviously I know plate is ridiculously expensive but still...is it a good deal for the 4x4 or no?

Thanks in advance

 

[RWorth]

right now a 4x4 plate on Metals Depot is $514.00

 

[4 FN 27]

HRP&O is selling at $0.60 per pound right now. 48 x 48 x 1/2 = $196.00 +/- plus delivery. Add the tubing and the labor...casters too...they are all three deals. Are the tops Blanchard Ground???

The real question is how flat are they and how flat do you need them to be for the type of work you plan on doing?

Have any Pics???

 

[Farmall450]

Agreed with above,

 

[slow]

If I had room, the 5x8 would be in my garage for that price if in decent condition

 

[RobsForge]

Just uploaded a pic. I dont need it to be that flat

HRP&O is selling at $0.60 per pound right now. 48 x 48 x 1/2 = $196.00 +/- plus delivery. Add the tubing and the labor...casters too...they are all three deals. Are the tops Blanchard Ground???

The real question is how flat are they and how flat do you need them to be for the type of work you plan on doing?

Have any Pics???

 

[RobsForge]

Just uploaded

Agreed with above,

 

[brownbagg]

my welding table is a manhole cover

 

[4 FN 27]

I am not a fan of rust.

Personally based on the fact they have no frame support under the Half Inch material I would walk away from these.

However if I was in a bind I would cut the tops off and weld them on a more stout frame.

The Plate is only worth $0.16 per pound scrap as is or $196 plus Flame/Plasma/Laser Cutting based on the big radii corners.

Your call. Let us know what you decide.

I have about $1200 in this one when I build it in 1997.

 

[RobsForge]

Awesome set up sir. Is your top 3/8? Also, that other bench in the back is beautiful. You bringing up the "no support issue" under the 1/2" makes so much sense and I'm most certainly passing this table up. I'm just going to search around a little more and do it right the first time

Thanks everyone

I am not a fan of rust.

Personally based on the fact they have no frame support under the Half Inch material I would walk away from these.

However if I was in a bind I would cut the tops off and weld them on a more stout frame.

The Plate is only worth $0.16 per pound scrap as is or $196 plus Flame/Plasma/Laser Cutting based on the big radii corners.

Your call. Let us know what you decide.

I have about $1200 in this one when I build it in 1997.

 

[86turbodsl]

HRP&O is selling at $0.60 per pound right now. 48 x 48 x 1/2 = $196.00 +/- plus delivery.

I WISH i could get it for that here. The DISCOUNT place in town is at $0.90/lb.

And we have multiple suppliers in town!!!

 

[EOC_Jason]

The steel supplier in town also sells some nice looking pre-built fab tables and other common in-demand items... Might want to check yours and see what they have, save you the time and probably a little cost savings in materials.

 

[matt_i]

I WISH i could get it for that here. The DISCOUNT place in town is at $0.90/lb.

And we have multiple suppliers in town!!!

I budget $1.00/# when deciding to source steel....

 

[4 FN 27]

Awesome set up sir. Is your top 3/8? Also, that other bench in the back is beautiful. You bringing up the "no support issue" under the 1/2" makes so much sense and I'm most certainly passing this table up. I'm just going to search around a little more and do it right the first time

Thanks everyone

Thank you!

The top on the one in the foreground is 5/8 Blanchard Ground to about .593. Frame is 1/4 wall 3 x 4 Tubing.

Welded the 5/8 to the Frame Top first then sent it out to have it Blanchard Ground. When it came back I welded the Legs on to minimize the distortion to the Table Top.

The Rear Bench is one I built 1999. .125 Wall 2 x 3 Tube and a 1/4 HRP&O Top. I made the Peg Board from .125 3003 series Aluminum we had left over from a job. Did that last year when I rebuilt the bench shortly after moving into my new Shop behind the house.

Below first pic is the welding bench before rebuilding at the old shop.

Next couple of pics is a Bench I made for the "Car Shop" in my building. .125 Wall x 2 x 3 Tube, .120 Stainless Top, .125 5052-H32 Aluminum Peg, T-5 Lights and a couple of Outlets wired in.

Third to the last pic is a Double Wide Bench I moved from the old Shop to the new Shop. Changed out the Plywood Top for .120 Stainless. Added T-5's Electrical Power Strip across the front.

Second to the last pic is my light assembly bench. .125 Wall x 2 x 3, .125 5052-H32 Peg, .074 Stainless Top, T-5's and Electrical. Storage for Press Brake Tooling and assorted drop from the saw for machine widgets in the CNC Mill or Lathe.

Last pic the Gun Bench is Wood...

 

[4 FN 27]

I WISH i could get it for that here. The DISCOUNT place in town is at $0.90/lb.

And we have multiple suppliers in town!!!

I budget $1.00/# when deciding to source steel....

We purchase about 10 million pounds a year. We did just over 1 million pounds of .060 CRS. Prices are increasing and they are letting us know there may be some shortages coming up.

 

[floridafarmer]

I don't have the room for a big table like many but I bought a few smaller ones from a local company that had some excess 5/8" plate they used for a bridge project. The plates were used to bolt beams together but they welded them into tables with bracing. They are heavy and work great - I bought 3 of them for under 400 total.

 

[Blain]

I picked up mine for $325, which was a steal. 4'x8'x1/2" thick top with 4"x4"x1/4" square tubing legs. I cut down the legs a bit and added the casters.

 

[BikerDad]

We purchase about 10 million pounds a year. We did just over 1 million pounds of .060 CRS. Prices are increasing and they are letting us know there may be some shortages coming up.

Any shortages will be short term. Global steel production capacity is at less than 75% utilization.

 

[steel 35]

floridafarmer

If I had two of those, I think I could get rid of 5 I have now

 

[4 FN 27]

I picked up mine for $325, which was a steal. 4'x8'x1/2" thick top with 4"x4"x1/4" square tubing legs. I cut down the legs a bit and added the casters.

That is a nice table for the money!!!

Any shortages will be short term. Global steel production capacity is at less than 75% utilization.

Define Short Term???

We only buy domestic. We are watching this closely.

 

[BikerDad]

That is a nice table for the money!!!

Define Short Term???

We only buy domestic. We are watching this closely.

That you only buy domestic isn't a critical factor. The US doesn't have enough production capacity to meet our own demands, and capacity increases to cover the gap are unlikely. China has a significant overcapacity problem which they have been attempting to ease by increasing exports, and Trump isn't the only one who has responded. 11 of 15 trade cases filed in Europe in 2017 are against Chinese steel. There's actually a pretty good case to be made that the tariffs, if imposed, won't have nearly as much effect as folks fear/hope, in large part because the Chinese gov't has already been working on "rationalizing" their steel industry, i.e. reducing the overcapacity and thus the incentives to dump. Such efforts are unlikely to significantly outpace the drop in Chinese domestic demand for steel, but they should also keep the Chinese overcapacity situation from getting worse.

The upshot is that, with global utilization predicted to remain below 76% through the next 3 years, "secondary" factors are likely to have more impact on pricing. The #1 secondary factor is transportation costs, most impacted by the cost of oil. With those climbing, my "short term" prediction is suspect, although in my (lame) defense I was making it based primarily on the utilization scenario. Another consideration in pricing (which of course affects supply), of which I have no clue where it's going, is the strength of the dollar and the whole bramble thicket of foreign exchange games.

The last consideration is, what types of steel are you buying? There may very well be constrictions in the raw materials flow or production for specialty steels and such, which is one area where domestic manufacturers are strong, that are impacting your supply. If so, you'd likely be more aware of them than I, and I will to your greater knowledge.

 

[4 FN 27]

The last consideration is, what types of steel are you buying? There may very well be constrictions in the raw materials flow or production for specialty steels and such, which is one area where domestic manufacturers are strong, that are impacting your supply. If so, you'd likely be more aware of them than I, and I will to your greater knowledge.

We purchase flat sheet stock. CRS, SST and AL mostly. Most of our customers require domestic steel. And our process in a way demand it based on consistent thickness, flatness and tensile strength. Eliminates a lot of processing issues.

I can only go by what our suppliers are telling us. They are running into spot shortages whether fabricated or real those shortages effect our supply.

Greater Knowledge? Me...are you kidding. I am a self taught fabricator that can make just about anything you can afford. I have made parts for the Space Shuttles, if you have had an X-Ray, CAT Scan, MRI in the last 20 years their is a 90% chance we made the metal for the equipment to process it...If I had time to study the Global Supply Chain I would not be in Sheet Metal Fabrication. I yield... LOL...

 

[86turbodsl]

I budget $1.00/# when deciding to source steel....

That won't cut it if your supplier is alro. They gouge me every time. Years ago I used to be able to walk in and get a drop at the per lb rate, but they don't do that anymore.

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Tapatalk