proxlamus© Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 So I've been designing plans to make a welding table and work bench and I've been contemplating on the materials I should use.. I can build the frame out of angle iron or square tubing... then I started thinking... Could I build a frame out of small exhaust tubing?! I mean round tubing is much stronger then square tubing... and ALOT cheaper if I go to my local muffler shop. For the table top I was thinking maybe 11g sheet metal... but is there anything wrong with this idea?! Oh.. POST pics of benches you've made!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau M Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I too need to make a welding bench. I was going to make it out of 2x4s with a sheet metal top. Is that bad? Mabey angle iron for the frame and wood for the legs, I dont need a fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I have seen many welding tables constructed of wood/metal. I have always wanted one with a mesh top and a recess so the sparks and crap mostly go down and don't burn the hell out of me. I am obviously not talking about Tigging. I don't see why round tubing wouldn't work. How much weight are you gonna pile on this thing? Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHO-Z Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I built mine out of an old metal office desk and added casters. If you look around they can be found cheap and are heck for stout. Where else can you get the drawers and all for less than scrap steel prices. If you are building a legged table, I always used a piece of 3" angle stiched welded down one side to work round pieces, ex pipefitter welder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Sho-Z thats a great idea. Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau M Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 That is an amazing idea. Off to the Boeing surplus store! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Industrial shelving cut to the correct height and then a 1/2" steel plate as the top. I've got two of these in the shop, one 3 x 6 and the other 4 x 8. Helps to have a forklift to set the plate. I once found a 5' x 10' x 1' surface plate with screw adjustable legs that was mine if I would just haul it away. There were 2" deep, 3/8" threaded holes all across the surface in a 2" grid. Unfortunately it weighed 23,000 lbs and I had nothing that could move it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalThrashingMad Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 I once found a 5' x 10' x 1' surface plate with screw adjustable legs that was mine if I would just haul it away. There were 2" deep, 3/8" threaded holes all across the surface in a 2" grid. Unfortunately it weighed 23,000 lbs and I had nothing that could move it. The one I typically use at work is 4'x8'x1" carbon steel plate with legs made of 4" sched 80 pipe, and what a wonderful bench to work on. Shame you couldn't get that one home, I'd kill to have a bench like that in my garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdsk8ter Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 So I've been designing plans to make a welding table and work bench and I've been contemplating on the materials I should use.. I can build the frame out of angle iron or square tubing... then I started thinking... Could I build a frame out of small exhaust tubing?! I mean round tubing is much stronger then square tubing... and ALOT cheaper if I go to my local muffler shop. For the table top I was thinking maybe 11g sheet metal... but is there anything wrong with this idea?! Oh.. POST pics of benches you've made!!! If your not in a huge rush i might be able to come up with some ridged metal 2" conduite peices for you stuff is way strong might take a couple months to get a couple like 4' pieces. then you would have to swing by to grab it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nizm0Zed Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 sorry, havent got any pictures of my workbench NOT covered in carparts, and projects in various stages of completeness but, it is a wooden frame, made out of some pretty solid peices of 2x4 It has a shelf running along the middle, and drawers (from an old freezer) on one side, and my air hose on a reel on the bottom shelf under the drawers. the vice is bolted to one side, and the bench grinder on the other. the top is a couple of 2 inch thick hard wood planks. at the moment all the welding is done in the vice, but im knocking up a new sub bench that has a top made out of industrial flooring grate. had one similar when i learned to weld at school. my tips on a work bench? make sure its heavy. nothing worse than a bench moving around as you bash and bend things on it, bolt the bench down if applicable. also, make sure you have plenty of power outlets ON the bench, i have 4, but 8 would be nice. if you have wood, and are welding in a vice, make one of the mount bolts really long, you can clamp your welder earth onto that, out of the way. with a metal grate bench, you only need to rest your work on it and you have a circuit. If its a metal grate bench, make sure you have a flat plate on it too, makes a damn good scratch pad, good for getting your arc welder rods prepped. also. make a provision to keep your consumeables close by, my tube of TIG rods sits nicely on the back of my bench, within easy reach without even lifting my helmet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Taylor Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 I made a pretty neat table this year. I found an elevator door (stainless top), and welded 3" exhaust pipe on the 4 corners. Came back and braced the legs with square tubing and also added gussets to the legs. Turned out pretty nice. I'll try to gets a pic of it and post it up. JT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 One thing to keep in mind when building a steel top table for welding, the top itself needs to be at least .125" thick (.250" is much better) or it will bend/warp under welding heat. Over time the table top will not be flat anymore and it will be hard to weld items square/level/plumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau M Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Where would I look for a thick steel top for a reasonable price? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Where would I look for a thick steel top for a reasonable price? Pacific Industrial Supply might have something for you. They have all kinds of scrap metal: http://www.pacificindustrial.com/index2.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proxlamus© Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 I called a local shop by me.. 3x5 sheet - 1/4" thick 11 ga. cut with a hydraulic press $120 just throwin out pricing for fyi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdsk8ter Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 interested in the ridged pipe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8wannabe2 Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Here's a couple pics of a mount I built into my bench. It could be used for a drill press, vise mount or many other things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8wannabe2 Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Here's a pic of the entire bench. 12' long, 1/4" top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filmjay Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I built a portable one for a shop I worked for out of wood, them covered it in 3/8" diamond plate. I got heavy duty castors from http://www.penn-elcom.com/ They do mostly entertainment/road case hardware (that's my background), but I always use their castors and extrusions. They're just about EVERYTHING resistant (oil, chemical, fire, etc.), have great weight ratings, and are very well built. I might even have a few of the 5" lockers, and a few feet of their aluminum extrusions, around if you're interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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