Heavy Duty Welding and Cutting Table Design

[Broccoli1]

Kraythe,

Your C Channel will be useless for Clamping, you need a much larger over hang.

1/4" Top for 2000# work???

[Pass-N-Gas]

Thanks for the comments guys,

The table is 1 inch thick(like my sig says "a forklift to move the heavy stuff with"- the complete table weighs over 2,000 lbs), I had a "Really Good" day at the salvage yard the (3) sheets were pre drilled, the angle iron used in the legs is a 3x3x1/2, I only have about $650 in the table. the most expensive part was 20' of the 2 1/2 receiver tubing. I use that size as it is compatible with the receiver on trucks, that way any of my vises I use on the work bench or welding table can be used on the work truck as well.

You can use drill press clamps in the pre-drilled holes or jig up as needed for about any project, the middle slats slide for adjustment as well, the tables can be separated if needed. the floor-grating shelf allows you to stack metal on edge.. the shelf is high enough to roll a cherry picker under the table to pick up the projects with..

billybee60,

Save your time on the mig torch holder they are only $7 at harbor freight:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=3642

They have the magnet for the plasma holder as well:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=96650


Here's some pics of the work-bench, 1/4" plate with 3" channel iron ribs and more 2" pockets for the tools, I used polishing compound and flap discs to polish the top with and use WD-40 for furniture polish:



With tool boxes:



The Blue over the bench is 1/8 HR plate..that could be another line to the YMBAW if you use sheet metal instead of pegboard over the workbench..

[Jim-TX]

Great looking shop Steve!! I love that heavy table. I built 2 separate tables so that I can combine them if needed. I like the way you did your's better with the "slats" between them.

kraythe, I used 3/8" plate on my tops. If I were building them again today I would not go under 1/2". Building a good table isn't cheap, but it's cheaper to do it right the first time rather than have to go back and do it over to make it right. I personally would NOT use 1/4" for a table larger than about 2' x 2', especially if you plan to use a heating torch on it. Leave 3 or 4 inches overhang to clamp to. (another reason for a thick top) Use GOOD casters and you will be able to move a heavy table by yourself.

[kraythe]

Yeah thanks. I think the size up to half an inch has to happen for sure. I think I will have to brace underneath the welding surfaces. I am debating ditching the c channel altogether and going with rectangular tubing as I can get more strength per weight. Of course the question then is which tubing. I calculated a 2000# load on a 2x5x1/4 tubing (standing tall) was about 1/20th of an inch if loaded at the center and that is probably acceptable. I am going back and forth about the cutting portion of the table. Part of me says just make a small inset in the end rather than a whole huge area. There is merit to that line of reasoning but I get concerned about running out of space while cutting which would be inconvenient. I do need a cutting area though as I love to use my torch and it would be much better to have a collector of sparks since this will be in my garage.

[Pass-N-Gas]

You could keep the c-iron just allow the ends of the plate to hang over 3" or so ( the depth of your biggest clamp) You could make these out of some 1/2 or 3/4 x 6 plate, drill and tap the bottoms so they could be attached to the c-iron frame with an adjustable bracket. This would prevent them from coming off when you get western with the project.. by spacing your slats (see my center section) this would allow your clamps to be placed just about anywhere on the table..

This design would allow you to build your cutting end and spark chute under it,or you could even make it a wet table to minimize the smoke going into the house. To save time on the cutting section look at some floor grating material.. Like Jim-TX says good casters and leveling feet are a must as well..

[kraythe]

You could keep the c-iron just allow the ends of the plate to hang over 3" or so ( the depth of your biggest clamp) You could make these out of some 1/2 or 3/4 x 6 plate, drill and tap the bottoms so they could be attached to the c-iron frame with an adjustable bracket. This would prevent them from coming off when you get western with the project.. by spacing your slats (see my center section) this would allow your clamps to be placed just about anywhere on the table..

I was thinking i would have to put a bolt all the way through the plate and through the C channel to deal with the potential for warping. I thought about putting a half inch bolt clean through and using a smooth top head so it wouldn't interfere with the surface much but do you think I could tap the plate only from underneath and it would still have enough strength to hold?

I have also had problems finding fasteners that are neither galvanized nor zinc plated (no heavy metal poisoning pls)

This design would allow you to build your cutting end and spark chute under it,or you could even make it a wet table to minimize the smoke going into the house. To save time on the cutting section look at some floor grating material.. Like Jim-TX says good casters and leveling feet are a must as well..

You would build the cutting end underneath the plate slats forming the table surface? Interesting. Of course you would have to unbolt the slats to reveal it and that could become a pain. I dont need the whole table to be a cutting surface, even what I have designed here is a little overkill. I had thought of downsizing it to only 12" wide with vertical 1/4" plate slats every 4 inches.

I dont know what you mean so much by a wet table but would be interested to hear.

As for the casters, I had planned to use these: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w..._363217_363217

[Pass-N-Gas]

I was thinking i would have to put a bolt all the way through the plate and through the C channel to deal with the potential for warping. I thought about putting a half inch bolt clean through and using a smooth top head so it wouldn't interfere with the surface much but do you think I could tap the plate only from underneath and it would still have enough strength to hold?

I have also had problems finding fasteners that are neither galvanized nor zinc plated (no heavy metal poisoning pls)



You would build the cutting end underneath the plate slats forming the table surface? Interesting. Of course you would have to unbolt the slats to reveal it and that could become a pain. I dont need the whole table to be a cutting surface, even what I have designed here is a little overkill. I had thought of downsizing it to only 12" wide with vertical 1/4" plate slats every 4 inches.

I dont know what you mean so much by a wet table but would be interested to hear.

As for the casters, I had planned to use these: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w..._363217_363217

Use 3/4 x 6 plate for the table slats, this allows your clamps to come in from both sides for hold down, these are clamped to the HD C-Iron base via the 1/2 tapped holes in the plate (nothing above surface). these holes would hold a tab made of 1/4 x 1 1/2 strap(or similar materials). this allows you to space as needed and or remove the plate for drilling with a drill press for the custom jigging that you mentioned..

The floor grating is just a suggestion and is normally available at metal salvage yards in small sections. so is a lot of other metal, I normally walk out back before I go in the front door when I buy metal..

Like you say do your cutting station on one end of the table.. you could have the top of the grating the same height as the welding section of the table (the only thing I suggested you put under the cutting table was a spark chute - to save your socks).. A wet table is just that it has water in it that takes up the smoke and slag..do a youtube search for CNC plasma wet tables.

Link to metal floor grating for ideas:
http://www.capesteelgrating.co.za/st...or_grating.php

Check out this table for ideas:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...4165_200374165

Castor's should be an all metal design for best results, used in conjunction with leveling feet they will last a long time..

Here is what I did for my feet 1" plain steel all-thread weld a nut on top for turning and weld a nut on the bottom of the pad for the height adjustment.. before running the bolt down put a piece of pipe over the threads for protection.. these casters were on hand so I used them they tuck under the pad for safe keeping from the sparks..

[kraythe]

Wow a lot of great ideas. You think thick angle iron is sufficent for the legs? if so they would save a lot of trouble with welding in steel tube. If I used angle iron with straps reinforcement between legs, what size angle do you think would be appropriate for a total weight of 2500 lbs? I like your solution with the casters. That is nice. You could use a drill to crank them down and move them.

Do you have an idea where i can get non-galvanized, non zinc plated bolts?

Oh one more thing on the surface mounts, you would tap them from underneath to 1/2" depth? and then just screw the bolts through the c channel into the top plates?

[Pass-N-Gas]

Wow a lot of great ideas. You think thick angle iron is sufficent for the legs? if so they would save a lot of trouble with welding in steel tube. If I used angle iron with straps reinforcement between legs, what size angle do you think would be appropriate for a total weight of 2500 lbs? I like your solution with the casters. That is nice. You could use a drill to crank them down and move them.

Do you have an idea where i can get non-galvanized, non zinc plated bolts?

Oh one more thing on the surface mounts, you would tap them from underneath to 1/2" depth? and then just screw the bolts through the c channel into the top plates?

I hope you have some high paying jobs lined out for this table so you can pay my consulting fees for the project..

1- I am not worried about my 3x3x1/2 angel iron legs collapsing on me , the material was cheep so I used it..

2- any bolt supply house can take care of you Fastenel, Mcmaster Carr ect..

3- you can drill and tap the hole all the way through the table just don't let your bolt go above it, use some anti seize before you put it together and it should come apart. This hole will be aprox 1" from the edge of the flange of the C-iron the tab will bridge over the c-iron and clamp the plate to it..

Just look all of my pics over..It is time to shut off the lights and go home..I'l be back tomorrow..

[kraythe]

Alas I am only a hobbyist but you have my eternal thanks, not that it means much.

I have integrated a lot of things you said and I am working on a CAD program that fuses the ideas.I upsized to 3/4 inch plate but slimmed them to 6 inches wide and overhang is now 3 inches. I also am seriously considering the angle iron approach. Although it would be thick to weld half inch steel angle iron, I am pretty sure I could manage it with my torch or pull out my old stick welder. The benefit is that all of the welds are easier of course.

Right now I am thinking about whether I need a center reinforcing beam underneath the top panels. The quandry is that 3/4 of an inch is stong stuff but 2k# is nothing to laugh at.

By the way your work on the tool chest with the drawers is awesome. You do them yourself? I had thought of that on the welding table. Have a shelf near the bottom and on top of that a couple slide out drawers for tips, filler rods, electrodes, grinder wheels and so on. I suppose I could get a box pan bender from harbor freight fairly cheaply.

Oh one more question, you used WD40 to get that finish? That is incredible! it looks beautiful. How did you manage to do that?