welding table

[fab175]

looking into building a weld table. i will be using for an assortment of things including lots of bending with a vise. any ideas would be great. i get material at cost, but i think 1/2" top is over kill for what ill be doing.

[fendermender]

If you get materials at cost, go for the 1/2".
You clean a welding table off with a grinding disk as a rule.
Or at least, I do.

[nocheepgas]

Get the biggest, thickest plate you can afford (and move). A 4' x 8' x 1/2" plate will weigh in at 652.8 LBS. My wife got me a 3/8" plate as a gift and asked the steel supplier to throw it in the back of her Geo Metro! Ignorance is not bliss!

[fab175]

Get the biggest, thickest plate you can afford (and move). A 4' x 8' x 1/2" plate will weigh in at 652.8 LBS. My wife got me a 3/8" plate as a gift and asked the steel supplier to throw it in the back of her Geo Metro! Ignorance is not bliss!

lol...geo metro...lol even at cost 1/2" may be a lil $$$. i will see what the price is from my ex boss. 4X8' would be nice, but i am thinking i may only need a 4X4' table. i have a 2 car garage and its a lil tight. tomm ill get some quotes on table tops and sizes and post them on here. thanks for all your replies.....3/8"+ geo metro = nightmare....lol

[STRENGTH AND POWER]

I went 1/2" on mine and in retrospect, i'd have gone 3/4" and have it ground flat but that was quite expensive.

Sure you can go thinner and then spend the money you saved on the top on support structure for the thinner table. Depending on the material you are going to be bending, you may want the added mass of a thicker table to keep it from walking as you bend something in the vise. Also if your work requires the frequent use of a 5 or more # persuader (hammer/sledge) you may want to go with the thicker top

[SmokinPRanch]

Can take a look here it might have a couple ideas you can use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgA0i1AYh30

The frame is gonna have to be heavy and stout to do any bending or you'll be chasing it around the floor.

The heavier the top the better but also more $$$. I fabbed my top from what I had on hand. Definitely not ideal but works good for most of what I do.

Hope it helps some. Al

[mikeswelding]

This is an idea for a welding table that showed up here a few years ago and that I have since built. For the work I do, it is far superior to the previous solid plate table I had because it allows you to clamp pretty much anywhere, is not subject to warping, and works really well for cutting plate.

Picture 094.jpgPicture 103.jpg

[rgunn1]

This is an idea for a welding table that showed up here a few years ago and that I have since built. For the work I do, it is far superior to the previous solid plate table I had because it allows you to clamp pretty much anywhere, is not subject to warping, and works really well for cutting plate.

Picture 094.jpgPicture 103.jpg

I like that idea... especially for cutting. I may do mine 1/2 plate and half channel now that I think of it.