Building a Shop / Weld Table

[NewfieDan]

My table is about 4ft wide and 30" deep. It has a 1\2" thick top, with legs of 2x2- 3\16" thick. I put bracing about 2\3 of the way down for rigidity. Then I used plywood to close in the sides. My welder and pneumatic tools all sit in this cabinet. I decided to close in my table because my shop is mainly for woodworking, and I wanted to keep the dust out of my tools and MIG welder.

 

[rkidd]

Pretty much finished my table yesterday. What a huge improvement in working conditions. Until now, any welding work I've done at home has been either on a pair of saw horses with a piece of plywood on them, or just grovelling about on my knees on the blacktop. At some point it might see some paint, but I doubt it.

The top is 3/8" thick 3' x 4' steel with a 2-1/2 x 2-1/2 x 1/4 frame under it. There's at least a 2-1/2" clamping area all around. Cable hangers are pieces of large EMT with some 3/8" allthread to keep the cables on. Floor jack idea stolen from an earlier post here is a must - I work in the (sloping) driveway. I don't worry about having the table itself level because I haven't worked on anything that squares didn't suffice.

The vise is bolted on with 4 bolts and if I find the need to use the entire table more than a few times, I'll do something with a piece of receiver for it. The drawer is made from an unused electrical panel can found in a pile of stuff at work. Flat bar on one side provides a place to hang clamps, and serves as a handy place to connect a ground. The wheels are swivel on one end only (floor jack end) and are large enough to roll over the difference in elevation to get it into the garage easily.

First project was repairing the 6' scraper blade we were using on the Ford this week at the church. It appears the factory welds didn't have very good penetration. Several just peeled off one side, and it looked like two of the 7 different welds actually grabbed both sides. One ripped a small piece of the horizontal square tube out and one vertical weld broke, leaving half the weld on each piece. What is quite remarkable is that this blade was used for 10 years on the B7500, then 5 more on the Ford 1210 before it came apart.

For the most part, the factory welds were very convex and looked like caterpillars seeking refuge in the joints of the metal. I cleaned all the old stuff off and added a piece of flat bar where the heavy vertical square tube connects to the lighter horizontal tube that runs on the back side of the blade. Since the work is being done outdoors, I'm using flux core. And because I need practice, the welds were done in whatever position the blade was in. The reinforcement was welded in the vertical position.

Nice job on your portable weld table. Nice size and you have your equipment right with you. And you are mobile. I made mine a little smaller for my shop space, and the projects I do. It was my first project after I bought my welder. Got all my materials for free, and I already had the vice.

Notice the little wheel in the front. I got tired of dead lifting it after about a year, welded a little wheel on it I had, tip the table back on, and drive it where I need to go!

 

[MOTractor]

Almost there: Planning on picking up the top and square tubing this Friday. I already have the receivers and the casters.

One more question / worry.

This is the first time I have built a table this heavy and with casters. I am planning on the top being 3/8" thick, 30" deep, 60" long, with a 2" or 2-1/2" inch overhand on all sides. Height will be 36" about 7-1/2 of that will be caster, 28-1/2 actual leg.

If I put a 2 inch overhang on all sides, that will mean that the table legs on the end will be 26 outside to outside. Is this to skinny? I am wondering about the possibility of tipping it over. I had planned on the vise hanging off the long side too. To me that sounds to narrow, but all my table building experience is with wood, not metal.

Is it tipping over a practical consideration considering its weight? The top will weigh 192 pounds, the frame (approx 60' of 2 x 1/4 square tube) will weigh in at about 324 pounds, total about 516 lbs. That is not including the receivers that will be mounted (6 of them) or the grinder brackets, expanded metal bottom shelf, etc...

Just checking I like my toes! Besides, it might chip the concrete if it tips over.

 

[BukitCase]

Things that will decide whether the narrow width is gonna be a problem -

terrain(smooth/level = good, rough/sloped = BAD)

caster size - you got that covered, unless you're on sloped/gravel (or worse)

Center of gravity - lower is better; which is why, if you're gonna mount the vise on the long side, you might wanna consider Truck Diagnostics' post # 62, this thread, and ONLY move the table with vise hanging LOWER - either that, or reserve a place on your LOWER SHELF for the vise, and ONLY move table with the vise down lower - (less of a PITA than a tip-over )

Where you push/pull on the table to move it - the LOWER the force is applied, the less likelihood you will tip it (might wanna consider something like a "wagon tongue" handle that attaches just above the casters, and push/pull with THAT) - in the same vein, push/pull LENGTH-WISE will be TWICE as stable as moving the table SIDEWAYS.

Example - I can tip my 3'x7', 1" thick table (approx. 900#) over BY HAND pushing sideways (not easy, but doable) - but NO way can I do that LENGTHWISE...

These are considerations I would look at if building a portable weld table; but YOUR level of OCD is probably lower than mine - ... Steve

 

[bigtiller]

Does the table have to be 36" tall? Mine is, and when I clamp something in the bench vice that is on the tabletop and start with a new weld rod, the project is a little to high for comfort. I could have been happy with a 32" table height, and I'm 5'11".

 

[MOTractor]

Things that will decide whether the narrow width is gonna be a problem -

terrain(smooth/level = good, rough/sloped = BAD)

caster size - you got that covered, unless you're on sloped/gravel (or worse)

Center of gravity - lower is better; which is why, if you're gonna mount the vise on the long side, you might wanna consider Truck Diagnostics' post # 62, this thread, and ONLY move the table with vise hanging LOWER - either that, or reserve a place on your LOWER SHELF for the vise, and ONLY move table with the vise down lower - (less of a PITA than a tip-over )

Where you push/pull on the table to move it - the LOWER the force is applied, the less likelihood you will tip it (might wanna consider something like a "wagon tongue" handle that attaches just above the casters, and push/pull with THAT) - in the same vein, push/pull LENGTH-WISE will be TWICE as stable as moving the table SIDEWAYS.

Example - I can tip my 3'x7', 1" thick table (approx. 900#) over BY HAND pushing sideways (not easy, but doable) - but NO way can I do that LENGTHWISE...

These are considerations I would look at if building a portable weld table; but YOUR level of OCD is probably lower than mine - ... Steve

Luckily smooth concrete floor, only enough slope to send water to the front door. If moving it much I think I would always spin it a s shove it length wise.

I was thinking more about twisting of shoving something in the vise...

 

[MOTractor]

Does the table have to be 36" tall? Mine is, and when I clamp something in the bench vice that is on the tabletop and start with a new weld rod, the project is a little to high for comfort. I could have been happy with a 32" table height, and I'm 5'11".

I will go up and look tonight, mock something up... I am 6" and I have my wood working table set at 36', but it doesn't have wheels and I'm usually pretty easy on it.

 

[newbury]

Does the table have to be 36" tall? Mine is, and when I clamp something in the bench vice that is on the tabletop and start with a new weld rod, the project is a little to high for comfort. I could have been happy with a 32" table height, and I'm 5'11".

It has to be as high as YOU want it. That's the beauty of building your own.

 

[BukitCase]

"I was thinking more about twisting of shoving something in the vise... "

In that case, you may wanna add something like BigBarn's floor locks, or roll yer own like I did for my slip roll -



Those are just 5/8 grade 8 bolts, 3/8x3" foot welded to bolt head - I added 1/4" neoprene to bottoms since that pic was taken. No casters, I set up heavy things to work with either a pallet jack or forks.

Either way, you're probably gonna want pretty solid feet under the table if you're gonna "get vicious"... Steve

 

[Big Barn]

Keep your 2" or 2 1/2" overhang on the sides but space the legs 30" apart if you're set on a 30" wide top.

If you haven't already purchased the plate I'd be inclined to go at least 36" wide and perhaps shorter if you're concerned about space.