James B,
My welding table at work is a hunk of A36 plate, 1"thick and 6 ft square. This is obviously overkill for the home shop, but as MNSmith pointed out, the table is meant to be welded to, beat on and drawn on...it is a multi-purpose scratch pad.
After every project, the surface is ground smooth of all tacks, over spray and miscellaneous detritus. The shiny surface signals the readiness for a new job!
Stuart
