New welding table I made

[Wobblin-Goblin]

Our family farm and my concrete business generate a somewhat regular need for welding stuff, so after years of welding on makeshift tables made out of sawhorses and plywood, my dad and I finally made a dedicated welding table. You can see on the front corner where there is no wood under the steel top. That's where we clip the ground.

The 4" angle iron has multiple holes for a 3/8" bolt to cinch down. The bolt goes down through the steel top and through the 1 1/8" plywood to a nut that's welded to a small plate which is screwed into the bottom of the plywood. I welded a washer on the head of the bolt for easy, tool-less turning.

I used steel casters and the red handle to move the table is from a roll away tool chest. The 4" angle iron isn't quite done yet, as I have to modify it to allow clamping things horizontally.

I'll post pics of the welder and plasma cutter here soon. Our local welding shop has commented that "for a concrete outfit, you guys sure do a lot of fabrication."

 

[WranglerX]

Awesome.... Finally got to use my new build the other day.... What a improvement over sawhorses and plywood or garage floor....

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

There is a significant chance of fire with this table. Be careful. Personally, I'd have found inexpensive scrap iron rather than the expense of that large dimensional lumber to make the table out of. Not trying to rain on a parade, but I have seen wood welding tables catch fire.

 

[WranglerX]

There is a significant chance of fire with this table. Be careful. Personally, I'd have found inexpensive scrap iron rather than the expense of that large dimensional lumber to make the table out of. Not trying to rain on a parade, but I have seen wood welding tables catch fire.

Maybe raise top plate up a tiny bit and put a sheet of cement board between plate and plywood as insulator....

 

[Wobblin-Goblin]

There is a significant chance of fire with this table. Be careful. Personally, I'd have found inexpensive scrap iron rather than the expense of that large dimensional lumber to make the table out of. Not trying to rain on a parade, but I have seen wood welding tables catch fire.

How about a second layer of thicker steel?

 

[sandman2234]

Maybe raise top plate up a tiny bit and put a sheet of cement board between plate and plywood as insulator....

Or maybe just use all steel? Mark has a valid point, welding and wood don't work together well in a garage with wood studs and a table constructed of wood has the same issues, except being even closer to the fire.
Assuming this wood table is moved outdoors (I see paint and flammables in the picture) to use it, and then stored inside at night. What happens when you get an glowing ember stuck in a crevice of the wood, and put it away for the night and then the wind picks up or the HVAC fan comes on? The glowing ember finally decides to start burning better and hotter, and the table ends up burning down your shop? Is it worth it to take the risk?
Now, as far as a work table, that is a nice one, but not as a welding table. Put a vice on it keep it away from a welder!
If the O/P weren't so far away, I would even go so far as to offer him an all steel table in trade for it, since I have several of them that I got in a deal I worked out with a guy who got a bunch of tables from a manufacturing plant that removed a line of machinery and it all set on heavy duty steel tables. (one table top was 1.75" thick!! Most are 1").
I would even be willing to consider working out a trade for some fresh concrete!!!
David from jax

 

[Wobblin-Goblin]

FWIW fellas, this is our first dedicated welding table. Up until now, our welding "table" has consisted of simply plywood on top of a couple sawhorses.

 

[dstig1]

The risk is real. The problem is more often with sparks from grinding and cutting more than heat from welding. Sparks can build up in corners and start to create enough heat there to get the wood smoldering over time. If you are welding and scorch the wood, it will be immediately obvious but a smoldering fire can start long after you leave.

I welded over sawhorses for quite a while too, but those don't really have much place to catch and hold sparks. You have a plywood shelf below that is perfectly suited to cause that exact problem. If you store anything on that shelf it will create even more places for sparks to build up that you can't see.

 

[sandman2234]

I really hate that we rained on Wobblin Gobblins parade, expecially when he did build a nice table. I hope he enjoys it and never has a fire from it!
David from jax

 

[5030]

I really hate that we rained on Wobblin Gobblins parade, expecially when he did build a nice table. I hope he enjoys it and never has a fire from it!
David from jax

What a fire extinguisher is for. I built one as well but I used all steel. Top is 1/4" thick HR plate 4x8. legs are angle iron and it's on industrial neoprene casters with brakes and it's HEAVY too.

 

[SandburRanch]

Even when welding in a metal building and table , when finished do something useful for a few minutes , like put away tools , clean the shop etc . This will usually give time for any combustibles to show themselves . Yes , even blown insulation that's fire resistant / proof will smolder from the sparks of a grinder way over along a wall . Yep , something smells weird and difficult to locate but i stayed with it until it was located . i wasn't closing shop until i found it .

 

[dstig1]

Yeah I know what you mean. It looks like a very solid worktable. It is just one that is unfortunately risky to use for serious metal work. Plenty of other good uses for it.

 

[wolc123]

Reading this thread got me worried about burning my new pole barn down, so I made up a steel welding table. I used some junk from my scrap pile, and it took me about an hour.

The top is a piece of heavy steel c-channel about 12” wide x 30” long. The front legs are angle iron. The back legs are made from an old dolly that one of my old barn frame and roof fell down on and crushed a few years ago, after I had stripped off all the siding. It was a twin to this one I am dismantling right now.

 

[xrjohndeere]

Our family farm and my concrete business generate a somewhat regular need for welding stuff, so after years of welding on makeshift tables made out of sawhorses and plywood, my dad and I finally made a dedicated welding table. You can see on the front corner where there is no wood under the steel top. That's where we clip the ground.

The 4" angle iron has multiple holes for a 3/8" bolt to cinch down. The bolt goes down through the steel top and through the 1 1/8" plywood to a nut that's welded to a small plate which is screwed into the bottom of the plywood. I welded a washer on the head of the bolt for easy, tool-less turning.

I used steel casters and the red handle to move the table is from a roll away tool chest. The 4" angle iron isn't quite done yet, as I have to modify it to allow clamping things horizontally.

I'll post pics of the welder and plasma cutter here soon. Our local welding shop has commented that "for a concrete outfit, you guys sure do a lot of fabrication."

I built a wood stove once. It lasted about a half hour. Once the plywood caught on fire it was over. Lol

 

[2manyrocks]

I do my welding outside to carry the fumes away. There's no telling what all is being vaporized into the air when using a plasma cutter.

For the OP, I see some people building metal grates to fit over 55 gallon drums that they use for their plasma cutting so they don't cut up their welding table. You might look into that.

I'd use that wooden base for tool storage or another workbench somewhere else in the shop and get some metal under the OP's welding table.

 

[wolc123]

I do my welding outside to carry the fumes away. There's no telling what all is being vaporized into the air when using a plasma cutter.

For the OP, I see some people building metal grates to fit over 55 gallon drums that they use for their plasma cutting so they don't cut up their welding table. You might look into that.

I'd use that wooden base for tool storage or another workbench somewhere else in the shop and get some metal under the OP's welding table.

I plan on the same, weather permitting. I made my table small and portable enough to move inside if necessary, but most of the time it will be under the this covered porch:

 

[chim]

I plan on the same, weather permitting. I made my table small and portable enough to move inside if necessary, but most of the time it will be under the this covered porch:
View attachment 740635

That's a nice clean building and concrete. If you use a grinder, be careful which way the sparks are flying. If directed toward the building, little rust blooms will appear.

You'll probably also notice rust stains on the concrete from welding and grinding. Those darn little particles of steel have a way of doing that.

 

[wolc123]

Thanks

That's a nice clean building and concrete. If you use a grinder, be careful which way the sparks are flying. If directed toward the building, little rust blooms will appear.

You'll probably also notice rust stains on the concrete from welding and grinding. Those darn little particles of steel have a way of doing that.

Thanks, thats good to know. I’ll wheel the table over to the other side of the porch, and let the chips fly out onto the grass, or at least as far as my welder cables reach. It will also be harder to ignite that little strip of pressure treated lumber under the steel siding and above the concrete that way.

That piece of threaded rod makes a good handle to tip the table back and roll it around.

 

[Smokeydog]

Have a fan that blows above me out the door of the shop. Use respirator with 2097 filters when plasma cutting or welding galvanize parts. Also when doing much grinding or rust removal. Use some of these Covid disposable masks for grinding. Surprised what they don’t stop compared to a real respirator.

 

[WranglerX]

Thank you for reminding me to get one of these for welding table & drill press use...