Welding Table..

[Justin00Stang]

I am thinking of building two 2'x8' welding tables. What thickness should I go with for the top? I want something that will provide a flat working surface for projects. I can brace the bottom side with box tube.

[hankj]

I have two samall tables. One is on casters, and is 24" x 28" with a 12" x 24" cutting table at one end. The top is 3/8" plate. My other table is a sit-down affair with a 5' x 3' 3/16 plate top. That has worked fine to date, but I've never sat anything really heavy on it, except myself! If I were going to build something as large as 8' lonng, I'd want to have several holes in it for clamping details and the like, so I'd be looking at 1/2" plate for stabilty as a minimum, but most shops I've been in have overkill 1" or better tops!

Hank

[aametalmaster]

I have 3 tables, 2 with 3/8" plate tops. Those are OK as i got some flat plate to start with. My good table has a 1 1/2" machine ground top, it was perfect until i needed it to weld my bridge building fixture onto. Also try to limit your leg welds on the plate to keep the warping down. I attached my legs to an angle frame and welded the frame to the 3/8" plate only welding along the edges to keep it from warping where i didn't want it...Bob

[FoxPerformance]

I have a 4x4 square top made from diamond tread plate on 2x4 steel rec. tube legs and it's 1/4" thick, plenty thick in my opinion, the smooth side is mounted up and it's a heavy turd, I have a 5" vise on one corner and I have no problems mounting somehthing heavy in the vise and grinding or hammering on it, the table doesn't tip..

I think 1/2" IMHO would be too heavy to move around, and at the price of steel right now, cheaper is better.

[PJinNJ]

Well

If you're still thinking, I'd suggest a 1" ALUMINUM top.

[Coalsmoke]

Realistically, I think 3/8 is a fair minimum. Just make sure it is welded to a support frame underneath just like aametalmaster said. I wouldn't go with aluminum. Magnets and aluminum don't work so well together, and IMO not much is faster or easier than having a hand full of 45* and 90* welding magnets.

[Coalsmoke]

If you're still thinking, I'd suggest a 1" ALUMINUM top.

Did you even think about the logistics of this? I just ran the numbers, on two 1" 2X8' Al tops, you would be spending in the area of $4536.32

[Gary]

I agree with Bob and Hank. A 3/8" or 1/2" for a lay out and welding table. I also like the suggestion of having holes in the middle of the table for clamping. Another thing that I like on a welding table is holding the table top reinforments in about 2-3" in from all edges so you have a nice lip to clamp to on the edge of the table also.
I would not build the table any larger than the largest project that are going to weld. Its always nice to be able to get in and weld from all four sides, and I always found the unused end of the table collecting junk.
Gary

[ASKANDY]

10-4 Gary

I have 2 tables and the one with 3/16 top will warp some when doing a lot of welding. The other one I put together was 5/8 and already had the holes drilled and tapped. Got a large piece of it from the metal scrap yard. I even had enough to cut a 2.5'sq piece for the floor so I can bolt different fixtures or vises to.

A

[Justin00Stang]

Got some quotes:

Steel plus:
4'x8'
3/8" $313.39
1/2" $436.97

Alro 4'x8'
3/8" $342
1/2" $455
$40 cut half

1/2" is expensive, but its only 30% more and I am already spending a lot of money.

[Coalsmoke]

1/2" is expensive, but its only 30% more and I am already spending a lot of money.

That's the way I see it too. For me, there would be no question, it would be 1/2"

[tigman250]

i tend to think bigger is better for a work bench but i get into ALL kinds of fabrication, my table is approx 7'X8'X1.25" thick and sometimes it's too small. yes the unused portion collects junk but so does every other flat surface that is somewhat parallel to the floor and i can afford the room taken up by it, others may not be able to justify a bench that large or heavy.

before buying new material i would check the local scrap yard, our local scrap yard owner sets that stuff off to the side just because he knows it's worth more than scrap price to the right guy, but still sells it much cheaper than new.

[Joseph]

FWIW..

I saw this photo of a table on another site;

http://welding-forum.com/files/weldbench2_127.jpg

Quote from the post;

"40"X60" 1" thick heat treated, stress relieved, blanchard ground plate. The legs are 2"X3" tubing. The shelves were laser cut, and the back and sides bent in the brake, the front edge was made from separate pieces so I could blend a knee friendly radius on it. "


This is a NICE Table!

Regards

Joseph

[FoxPerformance]

hey, if you've got $500 to burn on a table, go for it. I personally couldn't spend that kind of money on just a table, unless it was for some kind of production work that I used everyday single day. I say spend $250 on the table and take the other $250 and and go to the t!ttie bar.

[Sundown]

Mine is 30" X 40" X 1/2", I have about $75 tied up in it and so far it's proved to be just the right size for me.