Shawn rated welding/work bench build

[supersize75k5]

A few weeks back I was giving the chance to get a 1/2 inch thick piece of steel.. my first thought was my back.. then scrap.. then DING a welding work bench that can stand up to my antics and abuse. This thing should be shawn rated "nothing is shawn proof" Lovin it so far, rolls real easy even in the dirt, open to ideas or input.


material.


_1/2 " thick 62" long x 30 inch wide stel slab.. FREEBIE

_ 4"x4" mild steel 120 wall legs about 30 inches long, these were scrap so the shortest one set the height These came from a customer who I get my tube from..cost FREEBIE

_Casters are some decent beefy solid roller bearing types with grease fittings, these I scored off a cart that came from a friends old shop. FREEBIE

-Handle is just some 120 wall 1 1/4" tube bent to make a handle

-Drawers are salvaged from my old tool cart my dad got me when I was 16, I figured this should last a long time and they are nice drawers.

-sheet metal is 1/8" FREEBIE plate from a nice customer



next on the list is the

-vice removable on receiver hitch material
-bench grinder-removable with hitch material as well
-trays and slots for the Dewalt grinder and the arm from socket grinder
-mount under the top for the welder and tank
-cord mounts
-tray for goggles and gloves
-helmet mounts

any idears

 

[thatK30guy]

Fred Williams made a nice table out of 1/2" thick 4x8 sheet in an article in Petersens 4WOR. Made some comment about how heavy the sheet was.

 

[cybrfire]

653.44 lbs. 4x8' 1/2" thick steel plate.

Nice table Shawn. I'm fixing to make a new one, sooner or later.

 

[tRustyK5]

I know it's 1/2" but I'd add a frame under it so you don't end up with a 1/2" thick satellite dish on wheels. Seems crazy, but you're gonna be welding and stuff on there...it will happen.

The only tables I ever worked with that I'd consider "Shawn Rated" were at one of the last shops I worked at. 1.25" plate, 60" x 120" (2500 lbs of top plate...) Support frame was 5" by 5" x .375" wall tubing set 12" in from the edges all the way around. Legs were bolt on and were also 5" x 5" x .375" wall tubing (we had a lot of it laying around)

No casters, we ran levelling feet instead.

After fab and welding the legs were removed and the table top was given a minimum skim on the big CNC mill. It was flat within .005"...then it was assembled and shot in using a transit to within .020".

Really nice to build stuff on. Once a year it'd get thrown back onto the mill and cleaned/trued. It was never off by much.

We had another table that was 1" and with a lighter support frame it did sag a little in the middle, and the edges curved slightly down. Made clamping to the table impractical if you wanted a flat/true part.

Easy math, steel is 40 lbs per square foot at 1" thick. Your table top plate should weigh 258 lbs...

Rene

 

[supersize75k5]

Thanks for the tips guys.

And Rene.. WOW on the weight.


I did read on some people having a table bow in on them. I am far from done but I will incorporate something into the middle.


One thing i just added was a 10 lb fire extingusher and commercial rated mount for it

Unfortunately I am out of welding gas so right now I am limited to tacking and sheet metal cutting. I am really excited about this though and having a blast fab'n something useful.


Trying to figure out a way to make a dual 500 watt halogen light mount for it too that I can slide in a round or square slot. I notice Im always knocking over my pedestal mounted one.

I think I might have the base powder coated when I am done, or shoot some auto motive paint on it.. I still have some mopar green left over from when I pained the 86.

 

[ARAMP1]

That's pretty badass. I was thinking about doing something similar but I'm out of space in my garage. I'm looking at making something a little smaller or that folds up a bit.

 

[MTBLAZER89]

Do the casters have brakes?

My table does not, and I get tired of it rolling around. The mobility of it is great, but when you have something clamped down and you are leaning while welding, cutting, drilling, bending, etc...it can be a giant PITA!

 

[supersize75k5]

No brakes, sadly when I started this I did not plan to get this involved..now I am spending way to much time and thinking about everything way too much



So.. I can upgrade casters or figure something out.. I was thinking of a wheel chalk that slides over the abase of the wheel and is made of rubber.

[ ?

 

[Captainfab]

To keep your table from moving, you could add some sort of foot that would contact the floor. You could either make it a lever action or a screw action. A cost effective way might be a couple of cheap C-clamps from HF, cut them down and weld them to the legs so that they will make contact with the floor. One on all four corners would be ideal.....just an idea.

Table looks good BTW. I agree with adding more support though.

 

[supersize75k5]

To keep your table from moving, you could add some sort of foot that would contact the floor. You could either make it a lever action or a screw action. A cost effective way might be a couple of cheap C-clamps from HF, cut them down and weld them to the legs so that they will make contact with the floor. One on all four corners would be ideal.....just an idea.

Table looks good BTW. I agree with adding more support though.

I like it!


Ill start looking to see if I can find something with a rubber pad on it.

 

[DR]

I like it!


Ill start looking to see if I can find something with a rubber pad on it.

C- clamp then hit walmart for the little rubber pads that go on the bottom of furnature legs. There is bound to be one that fits, and they probably run about two bucks for four.

 

[BGKYK5]

I'm waiting for pics with 5 feet of daylight under the casters.

 

[tRustyK5]

I deal with casters all day long (garbage bins) and when they're on a slope it can be a pain. They weld a chain loop on the corner so the chain lays in the path of the wheel stopping it from rolling. Add a hook to hang it when you want to roll the table and you're good to go.

Rene

 

[rdn2blazer]

Nice table build. I agree with the adding a frame under it so it stays flat though.

 

[supersize75k5]

Tried jumping it yesterday, best I could do was when I unloaded it off the trailer, sorry, only a couple feet of air.. not five





Went down to the shop to drop some metal off to a buddy and ended up just sticking around to work on the welding table.

-fully welded and set the drawer location, added some supports
-10 lb fire extinguisher and mount "what? yours does not have one??"
-paper towel holder
-cubby for the grinder that slopes downward in the rear to retain it
-cubby in the center for I dunno what yet
-welded in the floor with the lips exposed from the 1" to keep stuff on
-welded at least one divider
-welded on steel pegs for extension cords
-primed and painted to keep it from rusting for now

still left is the tank holder, cup holder, more support for the middle, receivers for the removable vice and bench grinder, and some dividers for the bottom and wheel chalks of some sort "looking into the ideas posted" Also need to add a plug in strip for 110 and a dual outlet for 220 as well as some left over rubber from a floor mat for the shelf on the bottom.



still left to do

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As soon as its done completely I might change colors, I used a high build primer and did not sand it down so it needs to be sanded and repainted anyways. I might try to find the left over lime green paint from when I painted the 86. I do not want to paint the top, it seems to not be rusting though even though it was in the rain several times?? Ill just sand the blue overspray off it and the casters when its all done.

Getting closer!

 

[BGKYK5]

Cool. I want one. That and the green car body rotisserie in the background.

 

[mr.smartass]

What about a power strip? Maybe a mini-fridge?

Nice table.