downsizingnow48
Elite Member
I have been using a couple Harbor Freight welding tables for quite a while now, and they are just fine. But a while back I got a plasma cutter. After a few cuts that blasted astonishing amounts of fine black grit all over the place, I realized I really needed a cutting table that would capture the crud.
I found a side draft table in a scrapyard. It is 26x38, a good size for what I do. I made a stand out of 1 x 2 x .120 tube, and put some Harbor Freight casters on the bottom. I bolted a piece of sheet metal against the back, to block out the hole that was formerly used to extract fumes. Some pieces of square and rectangular tube make an adjustable grate for plasma cutting. It accommodates any shape and is easy to clamp.
I made it 39" high, a good working height for me. I found that I much preferred that to the Harbor Freight tables, that are 33" high. So after a while I adapted the top of a HF table for use on the cutting table. It works very well. In addition to welding, I can put my metal cutting chop saw on it, or the upside down belt sander I use as a belt grinder. The table captures pretty much all the chips and dust.
The bottom shelf is a piece of 3/16 plate cut out of a larger piece I had left over. I also used the 3/16 material for a 8" top shelf behind the table. Eventually I will find a good vise for reasonable money and put it there.
The table has really helped in keeping crud under control, I spend much less time cleaning up. It can be shoved off out of the way when not needed, which is most of the time, and does not take up a huge amount of space. The pictures below illustrate.
I found a side draft table in a scrapyard. It is 26x38, a good size for what I do. I made a stand out of 1 x 2 x .120 tube, and put some Harbor Freight casters on the bottom. I bolted a piece of sheet metal against the back, to block out the hole that was formerly used to extract fumes. Some pieces of square and rectangular tube make an adjustable grate for plasma cutting. It accommodates any shape and is easy to clamp.
I made it 39" high, a good working height for me. I found that I much preferred that to the Harbor Freight tables, that are 33" high. So after a while I adapted the top of a HF table for use on the cutting table. It works very well. In addition to welding, I can put my metal cutting chop saw on it, or the upside down belt sander I use as a belt grinder. The table captures pretty much all the chips and dust.
The bottom shelf is a piece of 3/16 plate cut out of a larger piece I had left over. I also used the 3/16 material for a 8" top shelf behind the table. Eventually I will find a good vise for reasonable money and put it there.
The table has really helped in keeping crud under control, I spend much less time cleaning up. It can be shoved off out of the way when not needed, which is most of the time, and does not take up a huge amount of space. The pictures below illustrate.
