Why isnt Aluminum Used for welding tables?

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  • kraythe
    Senior Member
    • Nov 2009
    • 124

    Why isnt Aluminum Used for welding tables?

    Just currious. I know it would be more expensive but is there another reason?
  • Winger Ed.
    Senior Member
    • Oct 2006
    • 180

    #2
    After you get past the expense:
    Alum. is so soft: it'd get dinged & gouged every time something got tossed up on it.
    Plus, Steel won't get warped- or bent out of being 'flat' as easily.

    On my plywood topped workbench at home,
    I've got a (scrounged) 2' x 3' piece of 1/2" Alum. that I do a little welding & plasma cutting on.
    The surface of it is a pitted & burned up mess- just from doing a few of my little backyard projects.

    After seeing how fragile Alum. is just for the little things I'd use it for-
    If I had a big enough sheet of Alum. fall in my lap and was going to build a real work table:
    I'd sell it for scrap and buy what I needed for the table top to be Steel-
    Hopefully a sheet cut of armor plate from a scraped out Navy ship.
    Last edited by Winger Ed.; 02-01-2010, 11:56 PM.
    "Gone are the days of wooden ships, and Iron men.
    I doubt we'll see either of their likes again".

    Circa 1920.
    Author:
    Unknown US Coast Guard unit Commander.

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    • FusionKing
      Senior Member
      • Nov 2006
      • 4293

      #3
      A steel table with a removable aluminum top would be fine for working on aluminum projects. Steel tables can scuff the crap out of your aluminum projects.
      Other than expense, there is no reason why an aluminum table, properly designed would not be fine for an aluminum fabricating shop.
      If you were to use it for working on rusty steel etc. it would be less than ideal IMO.

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      • Diverdude
        Senior Member
        • Nov 2009
        • 257

        #4
        The shop I work for on the side has a large aluminum work table. They do allot of aluminum welding and no steel. I think its 3/4" thick and about 3' by 10' has 3" by 3" square tube legs and 3" angle bracing. been using it for 13 years now, has held up great.
        "The only source of knowledge is experience." Albert Einstein

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        • GTA/SPEC
          Senior Member
          • Feb 2004
          • 469

          #5
          My welding table is made of 1" Kaiser Precision 6061 T651. Its 48" x 48" with a large cut out on one side for me to work from.

          The precision aluminum was a good solution as compaired to buying steel plate, then having it blanchard gound to a similar tolerance. The table top is drilled and tapped every 4".

          I have had it for ten years now and it is still in great shape. But I only tig weld on it.

          One other point is that with an aluminum topped table, you really should ground your part, dont just rely on the table grounding it for you.

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          • Freelance Fabber
            Member
            • Sep 2009
            • 37

            #6
            lots of portable guys have aluminum fab tables they carry around on their trucks. makes it easier to load and unload. I keep meaning to build one for the back of my truck but havent yet. They are handy even if its just a tool collector to keep the truck deck clear for the actual welding job.
            sigpic

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            • MR.57
              Senior Member
              • Nov 2008
              • 371

              #7
              Several reasons:
              Much of my work is tacked directly to the table (or the jigs and fixtures holding my work are). Ever try welding AL to steel? My table also occasionally serves double duty as an anvil, so if it was made from aluminum it sure wouldn't last long. I would never weld on a machinist's surface plate, just the same as I would never try to do precision work on a welding table.

              I use my table solely as a work surface, not a dimensional reference - that's what squares, rules, and precision levels are for.
              2007 Miller Dynasty 200 DX
              2005 Miller Passport 180

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              • captkipp
                Senior Member
                • Jan 2007
                • 514

                #8
                Aluminum table

                I've topped my usual work surface with a piece of 1/4 6061 Hullamin. As most of the fab work I do is anodized aluminum this works great. But one quick lesson learned after doing this was (as another memeber noted) you gotta ground your work. Other wise the arc will jump across and can damage the pretty thing your trying to weld up!
                Mustangs Forever!

                Miller equipment.

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                • Cickavage
                  Junior Member
                  • Jul 2016
                  • 3

                  #9
                  I disagree that aluminum will warp easy. You have a greater chance of achieving localized heat with steel or iron, which is the cause of warpage. Aluminum will tend to absorb and disperse heat throughout more evenly.

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                  • Olivero
                    Senior Member
                    • Apr 2015
                    • 599

                    #10
                    Really depends what type of work your doing on it, nothing wrong with it if all you do is aluminum and stainless, in fact I would recommend it as you would eliminate contaminating either with steel if there is no steel table. But if you like to tack your work to the table, it won't be good.

                    Doubt the table would necessarily warp or bend but that depends on the build.
                    if there's a welder, there's a way

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                    • aametalmaster
                      Chairman Of The Board
                      • Sep 2005
                      • 5761

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Olivero View Post
                      Really depends what type of work your doing on it, nothing wrong with it if all you do is aluminum and stainless, in fact I would recommend it as you would eliminate contaminating either with steel
                      I agree. Where i used to work all of the SS work was done on a SS table. It wasn't allowed to be anywhere near a steel table. Just company rules but thats what they wanted. Almost all of my welding fixtures are aluminum coated steel to keep the BB's down. Just clamp and weld. But only certain parts are made on them...Bob
                      Bob Wright

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                      • Olivero
                        Senior Member
                        • Apr 2015
                        • 599

                        #12
                        Originally posted by aametalmaster View Post
                        I agree. Where i used to work all of the SS work was done on a SS table. It wasn't allowed to be anywhere near a steel table. Just company rules but thats what they wanted. Almost all of my welding fixtures are aluminum coated steel to keep the BB's down. Just clamp and weld. But only certain parts are made on them...Bob
                        Good policy, I have to be extremely carefull when I do stuff on my nice black carbon coated steel table, normally put rags down to protect it, a real pain when the piece gets hot though. Hate having to get melted microfiber rag off my stainless lol.

                        Aluminum coated? What is that, never heard of it.
                        if there's a welder, there's a way

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                        • aametalmaster
                          Chairman Of The Board
                          • Sep 2005
                          • 5761

                          #13
                          Originally posted by Olivero View Post



                          Aluminum coated? What is that, never heard of it.
                          Steel fixtures with alum plate bolted to them...Bob
                          Bob Wright

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                          • Olivero
                            Senior Member
                            • Apr 2015
                            • 599

                            #14
                            Aaaaa, got ya. Cool.
                            if there's a welder, there's a way

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                            • BennettSmith
                              Junior Member
                              • Jun 2016
                              • 10

                              #15
                              Using the alum should not be an issue, it will actually help pull the heat out and act as a hink sink of you need it. However most use steel due to splatter and durability the alum will mark easy.

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