Welding Table Build

[weldingisfun]

Finish welding began. My approach was to finish the legs one at a time. First the leveller/brake was welded in place, then the caster mounting plates, the spreaders and finally the external stiffeners.

The wire feed welder didn't like it to much when the temperature went over 90 and I exceeded it's duty cycle, so it shut down. Not wanting to waste time waiting on the wire feed recycle, I cranked up the Hobart and started finish welding the stiffeners to the table top.

You may notice that there are no close up shots of my welds. If you don't understand why. just go back and read the first post.

By the end of the day, two legs were finished and about half of the stiffeners. This baby will be finished this weekend. Waa-hoo!:thumbsup:

Still haven't figured out how I'm going to turn this thing over without damaging something or killing myself. Any suggestions?

Harv, you can see that 24' workbench in that last pic. That is why no deck under the table.

 

[LD1]

Still haven't figured out how I'm going to turn this thing over without damaging something or killing myself. Any suggestions?

Invite some friends over for some cold ones:drink:

Just dont tell them about the table until they get there.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I like it.

I still would round off those corners and attach a flat surface to them to blunt the point.

I'm one of those clumsy types that bump into things all the time. So often in fact that I end up with owies and no explanation. This irriates the heck out of my wife because she believes that if you bumped into something hard enough to leave a bruise then you have to remember it.

As for turning it over, I think I would pick it up as is and take it outside, assuming you're using a tractor and forks. I would turn it over on soft soil, maybe the lawn if mama isn't the mower of it. Then I would pick it back up and haul it back in right side up.

If you're using a winch and the ceiling I would build a set of saw horses like I do using two and seven eighths and two and three eighths pipe a little taller than the table. I would then turn it over on the saw horses.

What I do is use a one foot piece of two and seven eighths. I weld two legs on to it so the one foot piece is a sleeve. I make two of these units and then I can place a piece of two and three eighths inside the sleeves and have a saw horse. I use these a lot on jobs when I've got two and three eighths posts. When I'm done with the sawhorses I've got some posts left to use.

Good luck and keep the pictures coming.

 

[weldingisfun]

I like it.

I still would round off those corners and attach a flat surface to them to blunt the point.

I'm one of those clumsy types that bump into things all the time. So often in fact that I end up with owies and no explanation. This irriates the heck out of my wife because she believes that if you bumped into something hard enough to leave a bruise then you have to remember it.

As for turning it over, I think I would pick it up as is and take it outside, assuming you're using a tractor and forks. I would turn it over on soft soil, maybe the lawn if mama isn't the mower of it. Then I would pick it back up and haul it back in right side up.

If you're using a winch and the ceiling I would build a set of saw horses like I do using two and seven eighths and two and three eighths pipe a little taller than the table. I would then turn it over on the saw horses.

What I do is use a one foot piece of two and seven eighths. I weld two legs on to it so the one foot piece is a sleeve. I make two of these units and then I can place a piece of two and three eighths inside the sleeves and have a saw horse. I use these a lot on jobs when I've got two and three eighths posts. When I'm done with the sawhorses I've got some posts left to use.

Good luck and keep the pictures coming.

Once it is turned top side upside the corners will be cut off. I'm one of those with the unexplained bruises too. Guess it is being just plain clumsy.

The hay forks on my tractor can be used just like pallet forks. will go with the soft dirt method to turn it.

I like your sawhorse idea. Lots of possibilities that go with it. Thanks.

 

[weldingisfun]

Invite some friends over for some cold ones:drink:

Just dont tell them about the table until they get there.

LD1, my friends all as old as me. There just aren't enough of them to take your suggestion. :laughing:

 

[wroughtn_harv]

LD1, my friends all as old as me. There just aren't enough of them to take your suggestion. :laughing:

LOL

All of my old friends are old friends.

 

[weldingisfun]

The welding is finished. Once the welds were cleaned they were primed and the frame painted with Rustoleum black, satin. Using the words of that great TBN philospher, Eddie Walker, "The grinder and paint really help a lot in hiding my lack of welding skills." http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...81191-barebones-mule-your-suggestions-11.html
The bar to hang clamps was added and I drilled and tapped two holes to mount a six outlet extension. Then all I will have to do is run one extension cord to the table.

Tomorrow is the big day. SWMBO, the tractor and I will turn this critter over and we'll see if all that welding warped the top.
We are going to use Harv's suggestion and take it out on the dirt to turn it. Cross your fingers and wish us luck.

 

[Dargo]

Any suggestions?

Maybe it's just me, but I roll my TIG welder and stick welders under my table along with other such items. I don't have any idea if you will always be moving yours or not. If you always are moving it, it wouldn't be a useful idea, but if it will be mostly against a wall I'd cut out the shin whacker on one long stretch and just put in a couple 45 degree braces at the top corners if you feel the need for bracing.

I scratched the idea of having wheels on mine when I went to several welding shops and noticed that none of theirs had wheels and they just moved them with their forklifts. Since I have forklifts, that ended the need to find steel caster wheels. I didn't use any bolts or anything for levelers either. With the weight of my table they would just be a major PIA. Once mine was all welded up and turned over, I didn't have even the slightest bit of any leg not being exactly flush with the floor. Heck, I even notched mine to go around a post where I was mostly going to put it against the side of my pole barn; all squared up bracing under to match. (Yeah, I got a bit ****) They aren't installed in the only pic I found, but I did use some of the 4" channel at 45 degree angles to the legs and that's all I ever needed.

I could only find one pic in a quick search, but this will give you an idea of how mine looks 99% of the time. As you can see, it fits under a section of pallet racks I use for all sorts of storage. For a major, heavy, project, I'll move it out to the middle of my bigger barn with the forklift. I rebuilt a couple of excavator buckets on it this spring. That's when I was literally standing on it taking full swings with a 16 pound sledge to "massage" some of it's finer parts together. Even so, I never got any bounce at all from the table. If the table has any give to the top, it takes a lot out of your swings. Heck, after taking several swings my daughter wanted to see if old dad still had any 'guns' on him like her 18 year old boyfriend. She took pics to embarrass him. Gotta show that at almost 50, I'm still not that small.

 

[weldingisfun]

We managed to get the table turned today. Don't know what I was all that worried about, it went without a hitch. Of course, by backup was SWMBO and our Mahindra 4500. Piece of cake.

 

[weldingisfun]

While the Mahindra held the table, we installed the casters and 6 inch bolts into the legs. Then came the first test. We set the table on the floor and to our great relief, nothing collapsed or broke.
The next test was to see how easily it rolled on the floor. Again, to our great relief and pleasure it moved as though it was on ice.
Finally, we turned the leveller bolts down to act as brakes. With just a quarter turn more on the bolts after they made contact with the floor, the table was solid as a rock. :thumbsup: