I want to build a new welding bench for my garage. Not to big maybe around 6'x2.5' You guys got any ideas?
Check around your area for old machine carts, the type that production plants used to move stuff around machine shops and such. I have one that you could park a car on top of, it's roughly 4'x5', the top is 1/2" steel plate. They're worth hunting for...
I picked up a free old metal desk that I use for a welding table. Added locking wheels and a rack to hold s****, rod, wire, g***es, etc.
I picked up one of those roll around carts from a Sam's Club. It was laying out on their trash heap with a couple of busted wheels. I found the manager and asked if I could have it and he told me it was mine! Made an excellent welding table top.
Build something out of heavy wal tubing with legs that plug in receiver hitch style. Then you can breal it down and lean it in a corner when you want it out of the way. I love my monster table, but it's a handfull to move and hard to work around at times.
Find an old cast iron storm grate and install angle legs. It will only be about 2' x4' but will work well and you can not hurt it. Be sure to get a flat one not dished.
My advice...become a professional dumpster diver. S**** prices being what they are right now ,I see folks not getting upset if you ask before diving. I got pretty lucky when our stamping shop moved into a new building. Pallets of random length angle, flat bar, tubing etc ....all waiting to be hauled offf and "take what ya want and get it out of my way" After building a welding bench and Mig cart, I have enough stock left for an English wheel, a rotisserie, wheel dollies, and another bigger bench. My welding bench is built with 2" x 1/8 wall sq. tube and 1/8 diamond plate for a top and shelf. It's 2 x 4, rolls nicely on 3" castors, and has holes to mount my chopsaw, vise ,drill press , and bench grinder. Plans are for roller extensions and a small English wheel down the road. I'd LOVE something bigger, but with a 14x20 single car this fits the bill fine.
I picked this one up last week for 50 bucks at a pattern shop that was closing down. Could be made portable with some heavy duty casters. It's heavy, all cast iron.
i have built a couple of tables over the years, one thing i like is to have the top over hang by 1-1/2" or so all the way around, this allows me to use c-clamps to clamp parts or jigs to the table, when i built a table from scratch i use 2" angle for the legs and 1-1/2" for the top support and shelf support, by useing 1-1/2" it just makes it all fit nice and neat into the legs, for the shelf support i weld the angle open side up so i can place a piece of 3/4" plywood inside, with the angle being 1-1/2" it gives me a nice lip to keep things from rolling off, for the wheels i like small plastic wheels, the small hard wheels that i never ever oil keep the bench from rolling to easy. i like a vice on one end as well.
I put my welding table on wheels, drilled & tapped holes in the top, added a built in stool to sit on while tig welding, added some storage tubes so the tig rod is always at your finger tips - made it one of the most used conviences in my garage!!
Lot of good ideas here. If you need a plasma/torch cutting table, metal aquarium stands are great and lurking in one of your friend's ba*****ts right now.
I went to the Sears outlet and bought a scratch and dent rolling tool chest and attached a 1/4" plate to the top. The table top is 2" bigger then the chest all the way around so that you can clamp stuff to it. The drawers are handy for storing all of your clamps, welding supplies, metal s****s and air tools that you will need to use. .
The cast iron table is only going to be used for tig welding and layout,if I can keep the junk off it. This portable table is what I use for plasma cutting and mig welding. It's 67 x 30 and has a floor grate for the top and a pan underneath to catch the slag.
My problem with tables or any other flat surface is they collect so much junk, I read in another thread, where a guy was talking about his dads shop, it was going to be designed that when he turned his lights out, the tables were hinged from the wall and would dump everthing in the floor. that would work for me.
Get you two of these and a piece of plate. When you're not using it, you can prop the plate up against a wall and fold these ****ers up into a package about the size of a 2X4X38. http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 Weld or burn a couple of handles in the plate and you're good to go!
Replaced the plywood top on an old workmate table with 8" channel. I have even drilled and tapped holes to act as clamps. It's a real good portable workhorse.
I would like to see more pics of what looks like a 3 headed drill press!!! That is a nice table but you'd prolly have to put an engine and brakes on it to get it mobile!! Hahaha
My table top is 5/8" plate 2'X5' ...legs are 1/4"x3"x3" angle and a 2-3/4" overhang on 3sides, 35" high
VERY true about how junk collects on ANY flat surface on a garage. I had to move my tool cabinet away from my entrance. It's too easy to set something on in onthe way inside. Oh, and let me know how he gets the dumpo-matic to work! That sir, is hilarious!
Years ago I picked up a "homemade" Bar-B-Que grill with the idea it would become a welding table. It's made with 1" X 1/4" steel stock layed and welded to a rebar base. It's heavy, and more than big enough, but I'll probably never get around to building it, so it sits out behind the garage/shop taking on a very thick coat of "patina" (rust). But, it would be perfect for a welding table top. Butch/56sedandelivery.
I know this is a two year old thread but I picked up one of these Nomad tables made by Strong Hand for $119. One of the best tool investments I have ever made. It is strudy and stable and folds up so I can put it away when I am not using it. I would highly recommend it. http://www.stronghandtools.com/pdf/welding_table_2007.pdf
Maybe a little O/T but to mount some wheels , a friend used two fixed and two swivel HD casters, mounted them on a cam operated cross bar at each end with a lever that would go over center when the wheels were in the down position to move it around. He used a 1" thick top with plenty of hold down holes in it .
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