Building a Welding Table????

[Kevin Smith]

Here's the cart I built, this is for knifemaking though. I'm thinking about doing a hinged table that will fold down on the back side for welding projects.

[Okiehunter]

I don’t “work” with my welding – just play so I think the 3/16 will work for me.

Mine has to move too. My idea is to mount a trailer dolly on one end. On the other end of the table have two casters mounted so when the trailer dolly is up all 4 legs are setting on the floor with the casters off the floor.
When the dolly cranks the legs off the floor, the table tilts to raise the opposite end legs off the floor and transfers the weight onto the casters. Should make it easy to move and solid when setting on all four legs. Will also have adjustable leg footings to allow for easy level.

Also thought about building the table so I could roll the welder cart under the table when in use. Just have not thought that all the way through. Will mount some “hooks” to hold clamps, etc.

Thanks for the ideas, and keep them coming.

[hot_rod_eddie]

Most of us want thicker tables because we hammer on things and bend stuff etc. Remember there are only 5 things you can do to metal: bend, cut, join, stretch, and shrink. If you are new to welding/fabrication, in my opinion you want to build something that is practical and fun to build. You may want to think of a modular table - mainly bolted together. This way as you learn exactly what YOU want from a table, you can add, without having to start over. However, if it is movable, I would seriously consider leveling bolts as suggested by PSD. There is little as frustrating and fabbing something square to the table, then set it up and it is at an angle because the table wasn't level. Again, I am talking about a fabrication table, not necessarily the same as a work bench.

[hot_rod_eddie]

Kevin Smith - I looked at your knives. Very nice stuff.

[Chadroe]

Following

[Kevin Smith]

Kevin Smith - I looked at your knives. Very nice stuff.

thanks, I will be at it again when it cools off a little.

[Ol Thumper]

Shoot me a pm with your cell and I can send you pics of an ultimate welding table. I just built a 5x10 and a 5x4 both mobile. A true must have if you can do it is to cheese cut it meaning cutting holes in a pattern for clamping devices throughout the table. I can cut your sheet if you want to go that route. Once you use one anything else is merely a picnic table

[Draco]

Instead of plate for the table top, you might want to look at channel turned open end down. If you space them 2" apart then you can get a clamp anywhere on the table. The 2" flages of the table make for a very stiff, solid top to build stuff on. 3/16" sheet just isn't going to hold up to welding and will warp on you, making for a very hard time keeping things flat when building stuff.

Instead of bolting the vice on the table you might want to weld a piece of 2 1/2" square tube under the table, like a reciever hitch tube. The vice would be on a 2" tube that would slide into it, making it removable.

There has been five of these type tables built by other weldors, in my shop on top of my 1" thick table. All of these guys love the tables and wouldn't consider any others. They are that good.

[PSD Ryan]

Instead of plate for the table top, you might want to look at channel turned open end down. If you space them 2" apart then you can get a clamp anywhere on the table. The 2" flages of the table make for a very stiff, solid top to build stuff on. 3/16" sheet just isn't going to hold up to welding and will warp on you, making for a very hard time keeping things flat when building stuff.

Instead of bolting the vice on the table you might want to weld a piece of 2 1/2" square tube under the table, like a reciever hitch tube. The vice would be on a 2" tube that would slide into it, making it removable.

There has been five of these type tables built by other weldors, in my shop on top of my 1" thick table. All of these guys love the tables and wouldn't consider any others. They are that good.

Nice big table and still welding on your knees

That's how I'm going to do my next table.

[Btoutdoors]

I agree on the 1/2", mine is 3/8" and has warped.

[Big_gun]

Thump post up the pics here.... pleeze... lol

[jkw08]

Weld an up side down piece of angle iron down one side. it will keep round things such as pipe from rolling around during fabrication. I would bolt down the vise

^^^^^Agreed. Every welding table has to have a trough on at least one side.
my $.02

[Ironman]

Shoot me a pm with your cell and I can send you pics of an ultimate welding table. I just built a 5x10 and a 5x4 both mobile. A true must have if you can do it is to cheese cut it meaning cutting holes in a pattern for clamping devices throughout the table. I can cut your sheet if you want to go that route. Once you use one anything else is merely a picnic table

Don't tease Rueben! Post some pics!

[Ironman]

Instead of plate for the table top, you might want to look at channel turned open end down. If you space them 2" apart then you can get a clamp anywhere on the table. The 2" flages of the table make for a very stiff, solid top to build stuff on. 3/16" sheet just isn't going to hold up to welding and will warp on you, making for a very hard time keeping things flat when building stuff.

Instead of bolting the vice on the table you might want to weld a piece of 2 1/2" square tube under the table, like a reciever hitch tube. The vice would be on a 2" tube that would slide into it, making it removable.

There has been five of these type tables built by other weldors, in my shop on top of my 1" thick table. All of these guys love the tables and wouldn't consider any others. They are that good.

Hhmm. I could see doing a section of table like that, but not the entire table.

The web of channel is just not thick enough for my taste. Beating on the channel would be quiet loud and bouncy.(quiet loud, is that proper?)

[Ol Thumper]

Here is my choice of lifting/mobility on a welding table. This is my own design and I spent many hours on trial and error until I got it to where I think it works the best. Their are others out their using a trailer jacks but none that I've found in this fashion, this simple and that work this good. In the matter of about 30 seconds you can raise both sides of the table and one man can move a 1,500 pound table wherever he needs it. The other major benefit of this method is also that if you need the table higher for a certain project you can simply raise it up to your desired height and put blocks of wood or how I do it is I have different height spacers made out of 1/4" plate welded together that I put under the feet and lower it back down and sit it on them thus raising the table for your project.

Ill post pics of the top side shortly and my clamping tools. This in particular table is used for my scroll bending machines and only has 1/4" plate on the top and I have eight 2.5"x1/4" tubes connected to the under side for various different tools I use on it and I can simply slide in the 2"x 1/4" tubing that has a 90* upright and a 3/8" plate welded to that my machines are bolted to allowing me to use one table for 9 different machines in various locations depending on what I'm doing. I also have a 2" tube welded to every corner for holding the welding lead. I store my equipment Im not using on the bottom shelf and if need be I can use the table for other projects since nothing is permanently attached.