Accessories / Features For Your Welding Table

[Wacko Welder]

I assume this is a soloution to being able to slide one size square tube inside another. If so where and what would the shims look like. ?

Confused
Wacko

[welding101]

>> does anyone have some photo of some welding tables getting ready to build one .

Brian, here's a pic of my nearly done table from the Miller plans. My first welding project, with a new MM180. I learned too late that the edges of the 3/8 plate could droop a little, with voltage high enough to get good penetration. Glad I used scrapyard plate. I think I should have welded the top on along the inside edge of the frame, rather than the more accessible outside edge. Or, maybe I should have turned the whole thing over, rather than sitting on my butt and doing overhead welds.





>> You put shims inside the tube to offset the seam.

Fishy Jim, thanks. Yeah, and I guess I should have made sure all the seams were turned the same way, so shims could be applied the same everywhere needed.

thanks for the photo ed. inside or outside welds the table still looks great.

[Wacko Welder]

That table is very good looking . . . . I have a thread on several sites trying to gather accessory ideas for welding tables . . .

[tasslehawf]

I wanted to post some pics of some of the welding/work tables I've made (I've made 7). My original table was 4'x6' with a 1/4" welded to the top. I quickly discovered that that warps the top. The tables I'm using these days are are 2x2x.125 square tubing monsters that are designed to hold 1000+ lbs of concrete countertops. Since they have melamine tops on them, I've discovered the best way to weld on them is use 4 large rect. tubing pieces to clamp to and keep the piece off the wood top and also keep the piece level. Anyway here's some pics.







The way I made these tables was to make the top and bottom a mitered square. then I welded 3 cross-pieces in the top and one in the bottom and welded the top and bottom together with 6 verticle pieces (8 on the 10' tables).

As a self-taught welder I've developed a technique that may or may not be correct, but it works for me. I tack-weld everything into place first (two welds at each contact point for sq. tubing). I have a set of cast aluminum 90" braces that I got for $25 each. I clamp onto these braces and tack-weld. I try to do all 4 corners clamped at once if possible. Once THE ENTIRE pieces has been tack welded together I go back and weld strategically to create the greatest strength but not welding enough welds to make it warp. I have never had a weld break on these tables and we use them pretty roughly. I'll weld symmetrically to cut down on warping. Sometimes I'll weld to make it warp in a certain direction.

[KBar]

I assume this is a soloution to being able to slide one size square tube inside another. If so where and what would the shims look like. ?

Confused
Wacko

Rather than use shims, go to where you get your metal, ask them for tubing that they use for receivers on class 3 hitches. It has a name but flew past my mind for a moment. This stuff is seam free. Saves a lot of headaches. I always try to keep a small section of it on hand.

[ranchersam]

couldn't you heat up the table top with a torch to undo the warp you have on your table top? BTW, it's looking excellent. Also, I think if you weld opposite sides and keep your welds small, you can minimize warpage.

[EdZep]

Thanks, guys.

couldn't you heat up the table top with a torch to undo the warp you have on your table top?

ranchersam, it would be worth a try. I am keeping my eye out for an OA setup. And, yes, I got carried away with some 3 and 4-inch welds, then skip 3-4 inches... but didn't alternate sides.

I wanted to post some pics of some of the welding/work tables I've made

tasslehawf, those are impressive, as is their function. I'm surprised, though, that the long tables don't need a couple of support casters in the center.

[tasslehawf]

Thanks, guys.
tasslehawf, those are impressive, as is their function. I'm surprised, though, that the long tables don't need a couple of support casters in the center.

Thanks. Nope we've never needed casters in the middle. The four casters support 350-400 lbs each. The welded cages don't flex or sag at all under the weight.

[Fishy Jim]

Receiver tube ain't exactly cheap, but that's how I would do something on this level. It's not like you need 50' of it.


Shims would be made out of whatever you wanted to make them out of. You could use regular steel flat stock, or you could use bronze (spendy), or you could even use aluminum.

The easy way to do it is with steel and drill a few holes along the path where the shim is to be placed. Put your shim stock in, then put the other tube in there to locate the shim and fill in the holes with rosettes. You'll need to shim two sides of the hole and might need to shave a little off the shim stock depending on how loose or tight you want it.

If using dissimilar metal shims, you'd do the same drilling of holes, but then you'd drill and tap the shim to accept a screw to keep it.

[EdZep]

Wow, spankin' technique. Thanks for the tip and excellent description.

The easy way to do it is with steel and drill a few holes along the path where the shim is to be placed. Put your shim stock in, then put the other tube in there to locate the shim and fill in the holes with rosettes. You'll need to shim two sides of the hole and might need to shave a little off the shim stock depending on how loose or tight you want it.