Accessories / Features For Your Welding Table

[ranchersam]

apply heat on table top to undo the weld warp

couldn't you heat up the table top with a torch to undo the warp you have on your table top? BTW, it's looking excellent. Also, I think if you weld opposite sides and keep your welds small, you can minimize warpage.

[EdZep]

table stuff

Thanks, guys.

couldn't you heat up the table top with a torch to undo the warp you have on your table top?

ranchersam, it would be worth a try. I am keeping my eye out for an OA setup. And, yes, I got carried away with some 3 and 4-inch welds, then skip 3-4 inches... but didn't alternate sides.

I wanted to post some pics of some of the welding/work tables I've made

tasslehawf, those are impressive, as is their function. I'm surprised, though, that the long tables don't need a couple of support casters in the center.

[tasslehawf]

Thanks, guys.
tasslehawf, those are impressive, as is their function. I'm surprised, though, that the long tables don't need a couple of support casters in the center.

Thanks. Nope we've never needed casters in the middle. The four casters support 350-400 lbs each. The welded cages don't flex or sag at all under the weight.

[Fishy Jim]

Receiver tube ain't exactly cheap, but that's how I would do something on this level. It's not like you need 50' of it.


Shims would be made out of whatever you wanted to make them out of. You could use regular steel flat stock, or you could use bronze (spendy), or you could even use aluminum.

The easy way to do it is with steel and drill a few holes along the path where the shim is to be placed. Put your shim stock in, then put the other tube in there to locate the shim and fill in the holes with rosettes. You'll need to shim two sides of the hole and might need to shave a little off the shim stock depending on how loose or tight you want it.

If using dissimilar metal shims, you'd do the same drilling of holes, but then you'd drill and tap the shim to accept a screw to keep it.

[EdZep]

Tube-shimming

Wow, spankin' technique. Thanks for the tip and excellent description.

The easy way to do it is with steel and drill a few holes along the path where the shim is to be placed. Put your shim stock in, then put the other tube in there to locate the shim and fill in the holes with rosettes. You'll need to shim two sides of the hole and might need to shave a little off the shim stock depending on how loose or tight you want it.

[Rob G]

Here you go.
It always seemed, that no matter where I would tack a piece of tubing to hold the gun or torch, it would be in the way of a clamp. Also, it never failed that I would snag my shirt or pants on them too.

The round one is for the mig gun and the square one is for the torch.

[Rob G]

These clamps come in pretty **** handy. For those that don`t know, all you do is tack them to the table on the front of the base here:



The heavier of the two is made from 1" plate with an 1/2" x 2" base. The other consists of all 1/2" x 2" flat stock. They both use 3/4-10 all thread screws.

[Rob G]

Now granted, this on my table at work, it would be just as useful at home.

Here lately I`ve been building some large welding fixtures, the last one being 19 1/2 feet long and almost 10 feet wide on one end. Seeing as this one was made out of 4"x8"x1/2" and 8"x8"x1/2" tubing with 1" thick plates, keeping some of the parts in place on a 4'x10' table was a bit awkward to say the least.





So this is what I did:





Continued next post:

[Rob G]

Materials used were:
3"x3"x1/4" angle iron
2"x1/4" wall square tube
1 1/2"x1/4" wall square tube
5/8"-11 x 2" long bolts
5/8"-11 nuts

With these extensions the table is now just under 14 feet long. Hopefully I will be making some for the long side of the table in the near future.


If all else fails, I still have my adjustable height stands to fall back on.

[storts]

Ken

Rather than use shims, go to where you get your metal, ask them for tubing that they use for receivers on class 3 hitches. It has a name but flew past my mind for a moment. This stuff is seam free. Saves a lot of headaches. I always try to keep a small section of it on hand.

I had a 8 ft piece,,and you answered it!!!!!!!,Its reciever tubing!,Jack

[safetydave]

welding table features

I've seen all the different post and reply's about what you would use on your tables and I do say all of you have nice stuff and for each is a different use.
I think it all depends on what works best for you as the weldor and best fits your line of work.
For me I added a couple of things to my table at my work and for my line of welding, I have a 12'x5'x1/4" table (this top is all one piece) on 1 end I have a piece of 1"x40" tubing for all my hand clamp (20-25) and also large bessy clamps as well in the center I welded 2- 2"x4"aluminum tube for my tig rod which can hold 1 box per tube 1/8" & 3/32" then also I put a 6"x12" hollow tube for all my tig drops or scraps, then on the back side I welded a couple of 2"x2"tubeing 6" long for my bar clamps under the lip of the table then were I stand I put a bracket made out of 1/4"x2" flat stock aluminum bent in the shape of an L and for my mig gun I took a piece of 2"x2"x6"alum tubeing and put it at an angle wich works just great and then under my top I have a 40" bottom 13 drawer tool box with all my small hand tools (wrenchs,grinders,screwdrivers... ect) and YES IT IS LOCKED IF I'M NOT AROUND IN EYE SITE!!! becuase everybody wants to use my tools because I have the good stuff.

[GLUE STICK]

thanks for the photo ed. inside or outside welds the table still looks great.

Nice table EdZep, I like open edge, must be great to clamp to.
what do think of puting flat plate on the bottom.
My table has a full bottom and a middle shelf, great for my grinders and clamps.
I like the idea of the plug on the side I hate runing cords.
I'm also going to cut a slot 1" X 1' in the middle of my table so i can use a c-clamp to hold down and maybe stop some warping issues.

[tasslehawf]

Here is my torch holder design, based on an earlier design posted in the thread. I wanted to add a holder for my filler rod that I'm using (I like to cut my filler rod in half and keep 5 or 6 withing reach while I'm welding).



The ring for the torch would be tilted 45 degrees and the clamp for the table will likely be larger and have a clamping bolt like the design above.

[EdZep]

Nice table EdZep, I like open edge, must be great to clamp to.
what do think of puting flat plate on the bottom.
My table has a full bottom and a middle shelf, great for my grinders and clamps.

Thanks, Glue stick. Yes, it now has 1/8" sheet on the bottom, which for now is home to my abrasive cutoff saw and grinder. I had to wait for some pieces to show up at the scrapyard, as I have no practical way to store/handle/cut big chunks of sheet.

[Jetmekdc-10]

Rob G. Those clamps are exactly what I have been needing. Thanks for posting them. It is such a simple idea but it never dawned on me to build something like that. I have the all thread (1") and
plan to get some going asap. Here is my table I weld on. It is a piece of 1/2' 5x10 on a rect frame with 6' pipe for legs. It works pretty good.