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Welding table top thickness??

85mudblazin

85mudblazin

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I am planing to build my welding table and I cant decide on how thick to get the top, The table is 5ft x 3ft, I was thinking 3/8 thick but I have no idea about how much it costs and what sizes does it come in?? Yalls opinion would help alot /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
-Chris
 
Yeah I saw that and that is where I got my design for the legs, I was going to use 4" angle but them decided on the 2x2 square, stronger and cheaper /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
Just the top is driving me crazy /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif
 
for the 5x3 your wanting 3/8" would be more affordable but I've always heard 'at least 1/2"' and up to 3/4" is better but damn heavy
 
no idea man, best bet would be to check the scrap yard and buy for scrap steel prices then take it home and use a flap wheel to clean it up... /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
 
Best table I've ever worked on didn't have a solid flat top. It was a series of open side down channels spaced out about 4" apart, one end had a flat plate on top of that. The channels worked out nicely if you had something odd shaped and it would kind of sit down in the gaps. Clamping things worked nicely. You could get a clamp in the middle of the table.
 
It wont be 100% for welding I will use it to build stuuf that I need nuts and bolts so I think they would fall through the slots and just give me a headache /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif But it is a good idea for a welding table hmmmmmmmm.......................Maybe I need to build 2 tables /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
My table is made out of an 8'x4' piece of 1/4" plate. I know you would think that 1/4" wouldn't be enough. I made up for it by making it with 8 horizontal crossmembers. The entire table is made from 2x2 .120 wall square. Except for the chelf under neath, the frame for that is 2x2x1/4 angle. 4x8x1/2 plywood shelf.Weights about 1 bajillion pounds. Lot's of braces and 4 8" diameter locking casters. /forums/images/graemlins/pimp1.gif
 
My table is 4'x4' and the top is made out of 1" plate. I got lucky and found it on the scrap pile. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
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Anyone have a idea on how much a 5x3 sheet of 3/8 might cost/weigh??

[/ QUOTE ]

Cost...not sure, but it'll weigh 225 lbs.

We use 1.25" plate, 5'x10' at work (approx weight is 2700 lbs) /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif

My fab table was also machined dead flat (+/- .010") and square...which is a lot more important for work purposes than any home projects. I like my tables so I can slide stuff around as needed, so I keep them as clean as possible.

Rene
 
yea that would be cool to knwo what you are building is dead on, I think ill call around and see how much I can get it for.
Thanks
-Chris
 
Wow! 1.25 inches thick and 5x10 feet--2700 lbs!.Sounds like you must build battleships!. The only plate of steel that thick and large I ever see is those big sheets they put over a big hole in the road so you can drive over it during construction--come to think of it,your local highway department might have a few of those big slabs hanging around, you could probably get one there if you knew the right person--and have a crane to move it! /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif
Our little town likes to scrap stuff like that after one or two uses--after all,its only the taxpayers money! /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 
you might want to call up a few buddies when you bring it home, a big piece of thick stock like that is going to suck to carry alone.
 
Cost depends on where you get it.
As for the weight, steel is 0.283 lbs/cubic inch. So:

(5*12)*(3*12)*0.375*0.283 = 229.23 lbs.
 
I called around and most of the places said between 270-300 but they only have the sheets in 4x8 or 4x4 so I might just make a 4x4 table or just by the 4x8 and use the left overs to make winch mounts or bumpers or something like that, I havent made up my mind yet. I want something that I can put all my tools on(Drill press,chop saw, tools, ETC)
Any ideas??
 
if you mean a permennt spot for putting drill press, chopsaw, etc. on, then i would get the 4x8 piece. Once you have the chopsaw on, and the drill press, you won't have alot of room for welding still.
 
I also came up with another idea of making the bench that hold my tools out of wood and then make a welding table out of the 4x4 sheet, what yall think??
 
make sure you have something inbetween the wood and the metal, like a sheild. so if something is caught on fire, it wont spread to the wood table.
 
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