Looking for a little guidance on a welding table

[Teikas Dad]

I've read through a bunch of posts here about welding tables looking for ideas.

I'm looking to build a portable table for welding small projects and repairs, not a fabrication table and I came up with a couple different designs. Figured you guys all have a lot more experience welding than I do so I'd post my ideas and see what kind of suggestions, advice or comments I could gather to fine tune my final plan.

Overall size will be 24" X 36" with wheels so I can move it around. I've got limited space in my garage so I can't go too big. I also figured with wheels I can move the table to the open garage door in warm weather for extra ventilation.

I left off the top on both plans so the frame would be easier to see. I' m thinking making the top 40" X 28" that way I'll have a 2" overhang on each end and on the front side for clamps to grab on to. I'll add hangers for clamps, nozzle holder and other items. I may attach a 2" tube on one front corner leg to use for an interchangeable vice/grinder mount.

I'm getting better with Sketch Up so the second plan is a bit better than the first one.

Plan #1 (probably the cheaper version) 2X2X3/16 angle steel frame - 3/8" steel plate top. Top angle steel frame would have the leg facing outboard.

Plan #2 (probably more expensive) 2X2X1/8 square tube frame - 3/8" steel plate top.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

If you use 3/8 plate you will wish it was thicker later. I have one same size you want with 1/2 plate, works gereat for pounding out stuff. Put the two cross members in for better stiffness. I have a 5" vise and a V trough of 2" angle on mine for lining up round stock.

Ron

 

[Iowan]

I'd go with 1/2" plate.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I have plans to build basically the same thing, but I'm planning on using 2x2x1/8" angle iron for the lower shelf. A little cheaper and a little lighter, and I doubt it will hurt the design any. I also plan to put a 1x1 handle on one end to make it easier to move, and use large (10" or so) cart wheels on an axle on one end, to make it easier to roll over obstacles.

 

[mjncad]

@OP:

I like the second design better, and I agree with what others have said about going with a 1/2" thick top as a minimum. I assume two of the casters will be fixed, and the other two are swivel. If so, you might think about using a floor lock instead of caster brakes to keep the table from rolling.

McMaster-Carr

 

[rwork]

Drawing looks good. Where in sketchup did you find the expanded metal, warehouse?

 

[Gary Fowler]

The angle iron frame would be just as good as the tubing if you put the cross bracing in. If you have room for a larger table, I would go bigger. Mine is 36"x64 x 33" tall and gets too small sometimes with just laying all the tools needed for a project and has limited room for work. I also have two shelves on mine with solid surface which I think would be better than expanded metal so you can put small objects on it without them falling thru. The casters swivel on all 4 legs for easier maneuvering. I haven't found a need to lock them when working as it doesn't move that easily but can be moved in all directions with the 4 swivel casters which is much better than trying to drive it like a car to get it out of the way.

 

[Gary Fowler]

View attachment 304771View attachment 304772The angle iron frame would be just as good as the tubing if you put the cross bracing in. If you have room for a larger table, I would go bigger. Mine is 36"x64 x 33" tall and gets too small sometimes with just laying all the tools needed for a project and has limited room for work. I also have two shelves on mine with solid surface which I think would be better than expanded metal so you can put small objects on it without them falling thru. The casters swivel on all 4 legs for easier maneuvering. I haven't found a need to lock them when working as it doesn't move that easily but can be moved in all directions with the 4 swivel casters which is much better than trying to drive it like a car to get it out of the way.

As you can see from the photos, my table has a 1/2" protective plywood top mounted to the top of the 1.5" thick formica covered particle board slabs. I put a second layer under the vise where I sometimes do oxy-acetylene cutting which is getting a bit burned but still good. I found this table at a going out of business sale for $50 and thought it would be good till I built a steel table. It is 3 years old and works fine for my work so far so I haven't even thought of building a steel table. As you can see, I have an anvil for pounding on and if that isn't getting the job done, I have 2 pieces of railroad track on top of my 8 ft. disc that I use for straightening longer rods and such with my 16# sledge hammer. Up until recently I keep the anvil on the table till I got the piece of log from a dead tree we took down last summer. The table is heavy enough and sturdy enough to take a pretty good pounding without damage.

 

[Teikas Dad]

Drawing looks good. Where in sketchup did you find the expanded metal, warehouse?

Believe it or not under the paint bucket color tab for textures. It's under the fencing section.

If you use 3/8 plate you will wish it was thicker later. I have one same size you want with 1/2 plate, works gereat for pounding out stuff. Put the two cross members in for better stiffness. I have a 5" vise and a V trough of 2" angle on mine for lining up round stock.

I'd go with 1/2" plate.

Ron

Survey says.....go with the 1/2" top. I haven't gotten into pricing it out yet but I would imagine while being more expensive than 3/8", hopefully it's not outrageously more expensive.

I have plans to build basically the same thing, but I'm planning on using 2x2x1/8" angle iron for the lower shelf. A little cheaper and a little lighter, and I doubt it will hurt the design any. I also plan to put a 1x1 handle on one end to make it easier to move, and use large (10" or so) cart wheels on an axle on one end, to make it easier to roll over obstacles.

I thought about doing just the legs in 2X2 tube and the top/bottom frame with 2X2 angle but I kinda liked the way it looks with all square tubing. I know the square tube is more expensive but I don't think it's all that much more and I really don't need all that much. I would only need 40 feet of tubing for the second plan. If I switched the top and bottom frames to 2X2 angle, I would need 20 feet of tube and 20 feet of angle. Hopefully I'm only talking a difference of $20 or so (I hope!). Although, like I said, I haven't started pricing it out yet.

Wheels will be two fixed on one end and swivel on the other.

Thanks for the input, keep the ideas coming.

 

[BukitCase]

I agree about minimum top thickness, square tube, etc - since "in a city in a state" doesn't tell me much, I can't say what materials will cost in your area - in mine, there are several variables. Whether or not you have an account with the supplier, whether you can cut your own material/get it delivered free/transport 20' lengths yourself/SHAPE of the original material.

One example - I'm gathering stuff for a 4 remote add-on to one of my tractors, wanted 1/4 plate 10" wide by 30" long, will cut a 6" piece for a back plane (QD's) and the rest to mount 4-spool valve and hard pipe to the QD's.

Local supplier has 1/4" x 10" flat bar - quoted $48 for a 3 foot piece (less than 3 square feet) - they were nice enough to bring to my attention that they ALSO stock 2' x 4' shear-cut (from 4x8) pieces from 16 gauge up to 1/2" thick - bought a 1/4" 2x4 piece (3.2 TIMES the area) for $53.

This works for me 'cause I have a plasma cutter, stick, gas, wire and (soon-to-be) tig machines.

Worst case (not including cut fees) in my area is a bit under $1 per pound for nearly any shape of mild steel, having an account lowers that by about 15%.

Your 28 x 36 top, in 1/2", will weigh right at 140 pounds so I would likely give about $110 or so, NOT counting any cut fees.

If your local supplier offers the 2' x 4' shear cuts, you may want to get one of those and shrink your frame enough for the 2" overhang - it would likely be cheaper than other options.

HTH... Steve