My $100.00 Welding/Work Table

   / My $100.00 Welding/Work Table #1  

cmuncy

Silver Member
Joined
May 26, 2004
Messages
167
Location
Willis, Texas
Tractor
FarmTrac 300DTC
For all of the time I have been on here, I've never posted a project. So, I thought I'd share what I got accomplished this past weekend. Nothing fancy, but it felt really good once I was finished.

About 7 years ago, I aquired an old work table that had been left out in the weather several years before even I got my hands on it:

11109table_1-med.jpg


It's 5' x' 8' and about 34" tall. The top is made out of 1" thick plate.


Here's a shot after I cleared all of the crud off of it:
11109table_cleared_off-med.jpg


If you look closely at the surface, its got a lot of rust and pits:

11109surface_rust_and_pits-med.jpg


So, since I had to move it anyway, I flipped it over ad drug it over some iron ore that I have spread out. That should help clean up a surface a little bit, at least the surface rust.

After having a hard time even dragging all of this steel around, I brought my torch out to the table and cut off the 3 feeet that weren't really supported by legs. Only 2/3rds of the table were actually supported so removing just under 3 feet of table and about 800 pounds wasn't a big deal.

I finally got it in front of the shop under the watchful guidence of CJ:
11109supervisor-med.jpg


I had purchased some 8" 1500 pound swivel casters from Northern Tool thinking that the table was going to be a bit heavy plus being on bigger wheels will help move it around the shop easier. I used 7/16" grade 8 hardware to secure the casters. I thought about weldign them on but I wanted to make sure they would hold up to the use first:
11109closeup_of_caster-med.jpg


The plate on the bottom of the table legs were about 5/8" thick, but using a good 7/16" cobalt bit after a 1/4" pilot hole it was like drilling through butter:
11109marking_for_casters2-med.jpg


Here's a shot of the completed table rolled up in to the shop:

11109table_in_shop-med.JPG

I had to use the tractor to get it over the lip from the dirt to the slab, but once inside the shop it moved more easily than I thought.

Over all a neat little project that only cost me my time and $100.00 for the hardware. The final dimensions are 5' x 5' x 42", just about 4" to 6" taller than I would have liked, but it will work.

The sides are not true to each other as they were all hand cut and the center of the table has a deflection of about 1/8", but it will be more that ready for me to sue for a welding table and when I'm ready to rebuild the engine and tranny in my Jeep.
 
   / My $100.00 Welding/Work Table #2  
Whooh, that's one heavy duty welding table Chris, just how thick is the top? I could use something like that. Good find. Have you already got a project planned for the piece you cut off?
 
   / My $100.00 Welding/Work Table #3  
Chris,

Lawdy, Lawdy that's one beefy table! I could really use something like that. I plan on welding a table together soon. I've been scouting around on this site for pictures for a while.

Your table definitely gets the HEAVY METAL award!:) :) :)

Thanks for the pictures!
Mud
 
   / My $100.00 Welding/Work Table
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Thanks guys.

The top is 1" thick. If you rough calculate that 1 square foot of plate 1" thick weighs 40 pounds, then just the top weighs in at just over 1000 pounds. The piece I cut off weighs in at about 600 pounds.

I think I'm going to try to scrounge up some "I" beams and make a shorter mini-table with the other piece. Unless you guys might have anotehr suggestion?


Here's a pic of the piece I cut off:
11109remainder_of_table-med.jpg

It's approx. 3' x 5'.

Eventually I'd like to either buy or make a sand blaster and get the remaining crude off of the framework of the table.
 
   / My $100.00 Welding/Work Table #6  
Be careful...by the looks of it with those nice new wheels you get that big ol' table rolling and it just might end up on the outside of the shop again. :rolleyes:
 
   / My $100.00 Welding/Work Table
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Megado said:
Be careful...by the looks of it with those nice new wheels you get that big ol' table rolling and it just might end up on the outside of the shop again. :rolleyes:


I've thought about that too :eek: I wouldn't want the table to run away on me :D.

That was the other reason that I didn't weld the casters on. I would like to find at least 2 that were locking.
 
   / My $100.00 Welding/Work Table #8  
cmuncy said:
I've thought about that too :eek: I wouldn't want the table to run away on me :D.

That was the other reason that I didn't weld the casters on. I would like to find at least 2 that were locking.


That was exactly what I was wondering why you didn't use wheels with brakes on them. You could maybe make some wooden wedges and just tap them in lightly with a hammer when you wanted it to stay put. Just an idea. Looks really nice!
 
   / My $100.00 Welding/Work Table #9  
Use four bags of birdshot as wheel stops. Might be easier than messing with wedges, although they will work too.
Nice table. Wish I could take that smaller one off your hands. But, you are just a little to far away.
 
   / My $100.00 Welding/Work Table
  • Thread Starter
#10  
I've got a few extra leather rifle rests filled with sand that might actually be easier to use than the wedges.

Thanks for the idea weldingisfun!
 
 
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