The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Welding table ideas?

My next welding project will be a welding table. I'm thinking to save on floor space maybe 2' x 3' with an overhang around the edges for clamping. Maybe castors on one end to make it portable. How high should the top be? How thick, 1/4" ?

I need real world ideas, whats in your shop, what works?

Thanks, Buddy

The table I made is about that size, little bigger. I like it, it's a good size.
I don't know about the casters. I think for welding you want a good solid table that you know's not gonna move.
I use my table for bending also. Sometimes I'll just weld some round bar directly to the table to make a jig for bending. Casters may inhibit stuff like this.
I decided 3.5' was a good height. I'm only 5' 6" so it's a fairly comfortable height for me. If you're taller, maybe 4' would be better. You need to find the comfort zone. Uncomfortable = bad welds.
I used 3/16" thick for the table top. It's not perfectly flat anymore with all the torching and welding jigs to it, but it's plenty good for me. 1/4" would probably be better.
Hope this helps.
-David
Kustoms-and-Sleds

I made mine out of an old shopping cart. I used the basket turned upside down for the welding table and the lower part made the best 235 engine dolly!

Rick

Arc, Acetyline, or both? The welding table in our school shop has a cutting area made of 1/4" X 2" flat bar, mounted edgewise, and spaced 1/2" apart. The acetyline-welding area is lined with firebrick, and the arc weld area is made from 1/2" plate. about 2' square. The complete table is about 3' square, with the acetyline cutting and welding area across one end. It's a good general-use table for layout and fabricatrion work. For big layout jobs, we've got a 5' X 10' piece of 2" solid steel plate, supported by six 6" pipe legs. Rigid!
Jerry

I forgot to mention the 3/16" table top is only a "cover" sheet that's bolted down to 2 large 12 gauge pieces that I snagged off a rolling rack.
That's what the legs are welded to and what provides the sturdiness. The 2 large pieces are shaped like a Monopoly box top so when I welded the two together longwise, there was natural center support.
The 3/16" sheet was just to finish the top and have a nice flat surface.
-David

I had one that was about that size. IT was great I used 3/8 for the top it was plenty thick for pounding as well as welding even heavier stuff. The leggs were "2" sq tube I think 3/16. and "1" angle for braceing and a shelf about halfway up it was heavy but it didnt move when you got rough with it and we left about 4 in. around it to clamp to oh almost forgot mounted a vise to it also that really worked nice for smaller parts. What mugsy said about the height is right find your perfect height and go with it.

Thanks Guys, as always, good ideas. I'll let you know how it turns out.

More ideas welcomed......

Buddy

Hi Buddy,
I have two. One is a heavy peice of 12" wide flange beam with 3 legs with round caps so it sits well on un-even floors. I have my vice mounted to this one and it has an adjustable clamping plate for welding on hard to position stuff. The other is a pattern that I got off an Arc Welding Projects Book that the James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation prints and sells. It is about 4x5' with half statted for cutting and half solid. The slatted portion has a removable tray that catches the slag for disposal. It has tubes for holding arc rod and several areas for clamping, etc. They are both nice. Those welding projects books have some good ideas in them, but dont pay the $25 plus dollars for them on e-bay. You can order them from the foundation for $5.00.
Ralph

Thanks O~48,

My shop will be growing in goodies in the next year or so as my Father-in-law thins out his 20 yr. blacksmith shop .

Plasma cutter is on the list and I had not thought about building an area for cutting. A few weeks back he gave me some books and one was Welding Projects II. Not sure if it the same one you mention but I do remember a table as you described. I'll have to look again.

Buddy