Welding table from a cast iron tablesaw top?

[jeffreythree]

I am just starting to mess around with welding with a little flux core welder after not welding since shop class many years ago. I have the top from an old '30s tablesaw with a busted arbor that I used to put practice pieces on and set up on sawhorses. It is about 21"x36" cast iron. Is the cast iron ok for a little weld table? If not, maybe use it as a support underneath a thinner plate top? If so, maybe this is a tip for others out there looking for a cheap top since I picked this up for free through the local freecycle group (thought I could fix it until I found a cracked, previously repaired casting) and regularly see motorless old ones for cheap on CL.

 

[jake98]

Sounds like a good idea to me, but I'm not much of a welder... the hole in the center would be good for clamping.
Do they use a metal top as the ground, or do they still clamp it onto the workpiece?

 

[Raspy]

That sounds like a good choice to me. It will even pick up the ground if you need it to. But the main thing is it won't get burned and it's flat. You can also use those magnetic squares on it for setup.

 

[BXpanded]

Cast iron makes a great welding table. Spatter won't stick to cast like it does to steel, and it won't continually distort from the heat. It is probably really flat which makes fit ups easier. It might not be thick enough/ rigid enough to clamp larger pieces. If it's large enough for your projects, it should work well.

 

[jeffreythree]

I am glad to hear it makes a good table top, thanks. I have a spare Delta Homecraft TS as a parts machine for my restored one that has matching fence and wing holes to the top I am using; so I can always bolt it up for bigger projects making a 21x72 or a 42x36 top.