Welding Station Tabletop - steel or aluminum?

[Samurai Dave]

I'm designing a welding station. Most tabletops I've seen are mild steel. I'm leaning toward using 1/2" aluminum plate for the following reasons:
1. Pulls heat away from the backside of a weld faster than steel.
2. Less chance to scratch stainless steel during fixturing and welding.

Other than the fact that it is softer than steel, are there any reasons NOT to use aluminum; such as excessive arcing or warping? I'll be running 200 amps max, usually in the 100 range.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences.

[jamscal]

I'd have to give it a thumbs down for the following reasons:

1. Price of Aluminum

2. You'd have to have aluminum legs and structure for a real table...
Otherwise you'd just have an aluminum surface bolted to a steel table.

That might be the best way to go: Conventional steel table to which aluminum plate (or even barstock) is bolted to the top for certain parts/welds. Aluminum would get scratched/banged, discolored, splattered on, etc. I don't know what kind of welding you'll be doing but if you mig the corner of some steel right on that surface, what's going to happen to the surface of that aluminum when you run the steel wire into it?

-James

[Samurai Dave]

I'd have to give it a thumbs down for the following reasons:

1. Price of Aluminum

2. You'd have to have aluminum legs and structure for a real table...
Otherwise you'd just have an aluminum surface bolted to a steel table.

That might be the best way to go: Conventional steel table to which aluminum plate (or even barstock) is bolted to the top for certain parts/welds. Aluminum would get scratched/banged, discolored, splattered on, etc. I don't know what kind of welding you'll be doing but if you mig the corner of some steel right on that surface, what's going to happen to the surface of that aluminum when you run the steel wire into it?

-James

I like the idea of a steel table with an optional aluminum cover. Thank you for the suggestion!

[fun4now]

i have seen them made from 1/2&1/2 so i dont see whay you couldnt get away with just aluminum. only thing i can think of is like you said its soft so it will get dented ans scratched easily. i hve set dont my grinder with it still spinning and had it grrrrr to a stop the last lil bit and i would think that would leave a huge chale, in aluminum but did nothing to steel. so as long as you keep the soft isue in mind when building you should be fine. extra bracing and be shore not to melt threw.
maybee a steel top with an aluminum place mat so to speek??? that would give you the best of both.

[HMW]

Why aluminum? do you weld aluminum stuff all the time? Just curious, I ahve never seen a aluminum work table

[dabar39]

I'm not real sure that an aluminum work surface will be the right thing to do. I would have to think it would get imbedded with the welding splatter and grinding debris a lot easier than going with a steel top. When ever I do aluminum or stainless I either put a piece of stainless sheet or even the sheet cardboard that comes between the sheets of metal on the table as a pad to work off of. Dave

[Sundown]

I am always tacking stuff to my steel table during setup, hard to do that with aluminum unless all you work with is aluminum.

[fun4now]

not to mention magnets are out on an aluminum table.
i think a steel table with a pice of sheet in aluminum or SS would be a better option. i just cant see an aluminum top lasting too long in my shop, but your milage may differ.

[dabeldesign]

I am always tacking stuff to my steel table during setup, hard to do that with aluminum unless all you work with is aluminum.

This would be one of my top reasons for a steel table. I weld small jigs to my table top all the time for bending/ fixturing of parts. Steel is going to last longer and be more versitile than an aluminum top. Besides, when the part your welding on arcs on the aluminum top, it will put nasty little pits in the surface.

[Samurai Dave]

I am always tacking stuff to my steel table during setup, hard to do that with aluminum unless all you work with is aluminum.

Great Idea! They would kill me for tacking to the tabletops in class, so it never occured to me to try. However, if it is on my own tabletop, PERFECT! Thanks for the suggestion!