Workbench

[hotrodjohn]

I purchased a piece of 1/8" 36" x 48" and cut it down to 24" and another piece for an apron 5" tall. Welded it up and cleaned it off nice. I screwed it to my workbench under my vise. I also ran a grounding lug and cable to mount on the wall near my welders. Now the bench is always grounded as well as the vise is grounded. Tig pedal under the bench Voila! Works awesome. My only concern is its only 1/8" over two layers of plywood and a layer of Formica. I tack things right on the bench then raise them with metal blocks or angle iron so I dont really get the bench hot.

[m.k.swelding]

that looks like it will work well but I think you could have a ground problem at times.

[hotrodjohn]

With crap on the bench? I know I thought of adding a short cable just to use on the bench. I hate alll those cables under my feet. I also was using a welding magnet to grond today. I know someone is going to say that they screw up the arc

[kiwi]

John,
Just a suggestion, do you think that adding some 1/4" Hardibacker cement board under the metal top would give you some insulation and possibly prevent a fire? Metal on wood and Formica could possibly be a danger when welding.
Nick

[UH60LCHIEF]

John,
Just a suggestion, do you think that adding some 1/4" Hardibacker cement board under the metal top would give you some insulation and possibly prevent a fire? Metal on wood and Formica could possibly be a danger when welding.
Nick

I was thinking the same thing. Have you welded on it yet? I would think that the formica would burn first, but that the plywood would smolder under hot materials. Maybe you could use spacers where you attached it to minimize the contact area? Don't get me wrong, it looks nice. I would just be concerned about burning my garage/house down.

[lens42]

The front corner looks great! Did you TIG that seam? Did you have to take any precautions to prevent warping while welding that corner? If you don't mind, I'd to hear a bit more about how you made that front edge.

[crawdaddy]

IMHO that is a definite fire hazard.Mike

[hotrodjohn]

John,
Just a suggestion, do you think that adding some 1/4" Hardibacker cement board under the metal top would give you some insulation and possibly prevent a fire? Metal on wood and Formica could possibly be a danger when welding.
Nick

I like that idea. Do you think I should use 1/2" or 1/4" is enough? I welded the front seam with a mig. I just clamped it and welded it in short sections to keep from warping. I also tacked it on the backside then ground the tack weld off on the back so I could get t tight to the bench. I havent wleded much directly on the bench much I have been raising my work off the bench. I agrre about the fire hazard,wish I had thought about the cement tile backer

[partagas]

You also have to worry about your ground clamp getting hot. That would be my first concern. I know at work my clamp gets REAL hot.

[walker]

Partagas, if your ground clamps are getting hot then you need to take them apart and revamp the wire connection. Clamps get hot from arcing between the cable and the clamp.

Hotrod, when I was younger and moved out on my own I was given the workbenck that belonged to my great grandfather. It was an angle iron frame with pipe legs and had 2 pieces of 2x12 for the top. I used a scrap piece of 1/8" hot rolled and cut it to fit the top. I welded on it for years and when I removed the metal to replace split piece of wood I found virtually no damage from heat (damage was from beating on it). I say use it as is and it will be fine. BTW I still have and use that bench in that configuration, but now also have a big steel welding table.