Welding table help

[adamwi54660]

I am looking to build a small (24 inch by 48 inch) welding table, what thickness of steel should I use for the top, I won't have a vice on in. Just for welding small lightweight projects. I was thinking of 1/4 inch. Any ideas what a piece of 1/4 inch 2 ft. x 4 ft. would cost?

[whateg0]

My table has a 3/16" top and is about that size. It works fine for anything where you aren't going to be pounding on it. Some people have even gotten by with a piece of plywood and some sheetmetal, though I wouldn't recommend it. It also depends on what you'll have supporting the top.

(BTW, did you know that a foam ShopVac filter will ignite when molten metal lands on it? :rolleyes:)

Cost will depend on where you get it. If you put your location in your profile, somebody in your area may be able to recommend a place.

Dave

[smyrna5]

I am looking to build a small (24 inch by 48 inch) welding table, what thickness of steel should I use for the top, I won't have a vice on in. Just for welding small lightweight projects. I was thinking of 1/4 inch. Any ideas what a piece of 1/4 inch 2 ft. x 4 ft. would cost?

If you are not going to have a vice on it, and not going to pound on it with big hammers, I think 1/4" may be overkill. I would not go over 3/16", and perhaps only 1/8".

Steel from my supplier seems to be pretty much sold by the pound, no matter what shape it is in (give or take a few cents per pound). The quote I got two weeks ago for some 2x2x11ga tube was running a bit more than $1/pound. Steel plate requires less work to make than a tube, so it might be less than a dollar a pound at your supplier. 1/4" plate weighs about 10.2 lbs per sq foot. You want about 8 sq feet, so I would guestimate about $80 for what you want.

I have a portable welding table that is 28"x20". It is only about 3/32" thick. I have a vice on it and pound on bicycle parts on it. It is supported on all sides by the frame, so I don't have any overhang. So far I haven't dented it much. If you put some cross pieces on your frame top, say about every 12"-18", you won't need much strength from the sheet steel. It is easier to clamp things to a table top that overhangs the frame, and if I had overhang, I might need thicker steel.

http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/Paint/Cart1.JPG

By the way, the Wall Street Journal had an article this week about how one of the best investments right now is non-perishable food. Its going up so much, people are stocking up. I think the same is probably true of things like steel, and any other thing that takes energy to make. So... if you are going to buy a big chunk of steel, now is probably the time, as I don't think its going to get any cheaper. Then again, if I knew how to speculate in commodities, I would be rich lol.

[adamwi54660]

thanks for the help, I live in western wisconsin

[John Stuckey]

I would stick with 1/4"; you might be surprised how much clamping you will do. A local steel recycling yard is a place to look for scrap/drop off for table tops, etc. Other ideas for tables are making a grid table out of square steel tubing (easy clamping and you can always throw a 2X2X1/4 plate on it for smaller stuff); a lift table is very handy for positioning smaller items for welding (I used a 2X3X1/4 plate on top of my HF lift table). a note: I made my 4X4 grid table as a top that fits over another table so that when it is not needed it leans against a wall taking up little space.

[whateg0]

John,

Just wondering why you recommend 1/4" or thicker. I do a lot of clamping along the edge of my table. All of it is for positioning and I've never had an occasion to blame the table being too thin for something moving. Unless it's 1/2" or thicker, I wouldn't do much pounding on it, but that starts to get expensive and heavy.

Dave

[John Stuckey]

Dave:
I'm a hobby welder and not very good at alignment and I tend to over weld stuff. I use clamps to bring things into line and having a little extra thickness to clamp to is good for me. I'm not proud of it but I have gotten pretty good at walking/jumping on 6-10' panels to straighten them out after I have bowed them too much with my torch. I also use clamps and a fulcrum to straighten stuff out on my 4X4 table.
Lighter and smarter is best if you can do it.
John

[Mr Meck]

If I were to make a welding table it would be 1 inch thick and FLAT. You can buy the cheap stuff but I won't skemp on the work surface.:D

[mudbug]

Not really changing the subject-but- I've got an old restaurant electric grill that's (2'x4') & maybe 1-1/4" thick. I was thinking about stripping it down & adding legs for a small solid table,since nobody wants to give me $250 for it in the last 15 years.Any thoughts about why this wouldn't work as a perfectly good welding table?

Unless this is a bad idea---I've seen the really large restaurant grills go for almost nothing($100-200)very big ones even less at sales and thought at the time--that would make a cheap welding table.

The gas ones seem to sell but the electric ones don't bring much--they are usually 3 phase and big chains always go with new stuff instead of used.