Welding Table skeleton

[kshellrazor]

Table I am currently working on. 2x2 tube. .083 wall, tigged. Modified version of the table on Miller's web site. They used 1/8 inch wall, but my design uses more support, and I am not going to be using it for anything crazy, even though I think it could handle a good load and take a fair beating. I see so many things over built, and I just need it to serve my purpose as I don't weld for a living. Tubing, even thin wall is incredibly strong if it is built right in my opinion. Still need the 5-6 inch HD casters and 3/8 - 1/2 inch top. ($$$$$). Table is 4 foot by 7 foot.

Pics:

[Jasondt2001]

Lookin nice! You have me drooling, I can't afford something that big or else I'd have one just like that!
It does look like it's quite a heavy duty taking, and I think that table will handle more than you'll ever through at it.

[elvergon]

Looks like a great table!

Size is great and the welds look pretty good too...

what projects do you usually build?

What machine are you using?

[kshellrazor]

Three More:

The last one is vertical up. Still not very good at those, and the butt welds, while strong, were less pretty because I could not rest my hand on as much, and where the tubing starts to round, it leaves a gap, and I was having problems burning off the edge and left a little undercut.....Any advice on tubing when it butts up at 90 degrees? Do I need to make two passes? The problem is it takes quite a bit of filler for the gap where the tubing starts to round. Do I focus my heat on the non-edge and try to bring it into the edge? Or do I just need to run cooler and make a root pass, then a final pass? I tried using 3/32 rod, but the tubing is only .083 thousandths, and that rod was a little too much for that, and did not want to burn into the pool at the low amperage. I went back to 1/16 and while it welds great for thin wall fillets, was just not quite the ticket for the 90 degree butt of the tubing. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[clark-kentski]

Looks GREAT!! wish i had room for one like that,my welding table is the top off an old commercial fry stove maybe 36w by 22deep.They made a lot of bacon with it

[kshellrazor]

Originally Posted by elvergon

Looks like a great table!

Size is great and the welds look pretty good too...

what projects do you usually build?

What machine are you using?

Thanks,

The projects I work on are pretty diverse. I have made furniture for our home very similar to www.boltz.com. Sorry no pics of my own stuff - have not taken any yet! I like fabbing up stuff for supermoto race bikes, and also fabricating jeep parts, etc....... I am trying to become better at aluminum, so I needed a table that I could throw a lot of things at when I get a glob of **** from not having the aluminum clean enough!

I have a Lincoln Precision Tig 185. Love it, but wish I had a water cooled torch when welding aluminum!

[kshellrazor]

Originally Posted by Jasondt2001

Lookin nice! You have me drooling, I can't afford something that big or else I'd have one just like that!
It does look like it's quite a heavy duty taking, and I think that table will handle more than you'll ever through at it.

Thanks. I can't afford it either. It probably won't have a top for years!! ha

[Rojodiablo]

Originally Posted by kshellrazor

Three More:

where the tubing starts to round, it leaves a gap, and I was having problems burning off the edge and left a little undercut.....Any advice on tubing when it butts up at 90 degrees? Do I need to make two passes? The problem is it takes quite a bit of filler for the gap where the tubing starts to round. Do I focus my heat on the non-edge and try to bring it into the edge? Or do I just need to run cooler and make a root pass, then a final pass? I tried using 3/32 rod, but the tubing is only .083 thousandths, and that rod was a little too much for that, and did not want to burn into the pool at the low amperage. I went back to 1/16 and while it welds great for thin wall fillets, was just not quite the ticket for the 90 degree butt of the tubing. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

That sounds like the best bet. I weld the boat molds with 2x2 tube, .120. And we get 2 types of tube, one has almost square edges, the other has very rounded corners. I get bent with that, because even the mig welder has to add extra filler on those seams. What a nice looking table frame. Good job! Paul.

[kshellrazor]

Originally Posted by Rojodiablo

That sounds like the best bet. I weld the boat molds with 2x2 tube, .120. And we get 2 types of tube, one has almost square edges, the other has very rounded corners. I get bent with that, because even the mig welder has to add extra filler on those seams. What a nice looking table frame. Good job! Paul.

Paul, I think you nailed it. I welded some 2 inch tubing awhile back and had great looking welds, and was wondering why this tubing was much harder on the 90 degree butt joints. Sure enough, the other 2 inch tubing was almost perfectly square, and this new stuff is curved on the edges. A hell of a lot more hassle on the butt joints. Good call!

[William McCormick Jr]

Originally Posted by kshellrazor

Table I am currently working on. 2x2 tube. .083 wall, tigged. Modified version of the table on Miller's web site. They used 1/8 inch wall, but my design uses more support, and I am not going to be using it for anything crazy, even though I think it could handle a good load and take a fair beating. I see so many things over built, and I just need it to serve my purpose as I don't weld for a living. Tubing, even thin wall is incredibly strong if it is built right in my opinion. Still need the 5-6 inch HD casters and 3/8 - 1/2 inch top. ($$$$$). Table is 4 foot by 7 foot.

Pics:

That does look strong enough to even used as a bending table. Usually you end up using a welding table to clamp and bend stuff on.

It always starts out "maybe we could just clamp it down and bend it back". Before you know it you have rope, ratcheting cable wenches, chain and some guy using his pickup to give it that last pull. Ha-ha.

Sincerely,


William McCormick

[Roy Hodges]

Eventually, you'll probably find yourself tacking down a piece to the table top for bending or squaring up a project. don't worry, you can grind off the burrs &fill in craters with weld & re-grind. At first , you won't want to do that , but later ,you'll see the necessity & say "what the heck !".

[maxyedor]

Oh man! that's a great looking table, the only issue I see is that the cutting grate is a little small for my taste and the slats could be hard to replace. The table should be plenty beefy for what you're planning on doing, not sure I'd put a whole chassis on there with the .083 tubing, but for moto and Jeep parts you're set. Definitly go as thick as possible on the top, I use a piece of .250 plate, mainly because I have to lift it and move it around t be stored verticaly, but when I finaly have room to make a stationary table it's goig to be 3/4" so I can beat the snot out of it.

[kshellrazor]

Originally Posted by maxyedor

Oh man! that's a great looking table, the only issue I see is that the cutting grate is a little small for my taste and the slats could be hard to replace. The table should be plenty beefy for what you're planning on doing, not sure I'd put a whole chassis on there with the .083 tubing, but for moto and Jeep parts you're set. Definitly go as thick as possible on the top, I use a piece of .250 plate, mainly because I have to lift it and move it around t be stored verticaly, but when I finaly have room to make a stationary table it's goig to be 3/4" so I can beat the snot out of it.

Thanks,

The Grate is actually just dropped in there, with the frame underneath, so I can lift it out and put a new one in once it needs it. I am planning on putting 1/2 inch plate on it. How much do you think my table would possibly hold the way it is built? Just curious if anyone has a calculation for tubing strength, etc.......

[aczeller]

good job. i like how you thought ahead and made it tall enough to slide the stool under (i usually forget those things and make it 1/2" too short. lol). it would have been nice to see it a little taller for comfort so you can sit up a little straighter and still have room between the stool and the top for your legs. good job tho. looks super strong.

Later,
Andy

[MoonRise]

How strong?

Even at 0.083 wall tubing, that table will be dang strong. You table top sagging would be a weak point, or the possible casters.

Seriously, for a pure straight vertical load and NO side loadings or eccentricity, your table legs would support over a ton. But, and it's a BIG but, side loadings (from whatever source, including weld cooling stresses) can quickly drop your safety factor from > 10 to 1.5.

Watch out for side loading on that table!!! Pushing or pulling sideways could/would be BAD for that thin wall tubing.

Want to stiffen and beef up the table against side loads or loadings? Skin the exterior of the frame with steel and weld it to the frame as a sheer skin.

[aczeller]

Originally Posted by MoonRise

How strong?Want to stiffen and beef up the table against side loads or loadings? Skin the exterior of the frame with steel and weld it to the frame as a sheer skin.

you could also use some extra tube and run some diagonals in there... triangulate the frame a bit and you'll be fine. even a few corner gussets would help out a lot. with the 2x2x7ga that we use at work, as long as the welds are sound, the tube will bend before those joints ever bend/break/shear off.

Later,
Andy

[woof]

Nice!
What ya gonna do if you come across a $60 3'11"x6'10" x1/2" plate?

[kshellrazor]

Originally Posted by aczeller

good job. i like how you thought ahead and made it tall enough to slide the stool under (i usually forget those things and make it 1/2" too short. lol). it would have been nice to see it a little taller for comfort so you can sit up a little straighter and still have room between the stool and the top for your legs. good job tho. looks super strong.

Later,
Andy

Thanks Andy, > the table will be up 6 inches taller once the casters are on, but I think I still won't have the room to sit completely under it, but may. I will have to see once I get the casters!

[kshellrazor]

Originally Posted by woof

Nice!
What ya gonna do if you come across a $60 3'11"x6'10" x1/2" plate?

haha. Have 1 inch less of overhang. The table will be 4x7 with the sheet on it. It is currently 42 x 78.

Now if I come across a 41 x 76 - 1/2 inch plate for 60 bucks, you bet your azz I will make it work somehow!! I would pull it forward and over so I still have overhang and leave the back skeleton exposed for that price!!!

[millman52]

Originally Posted by maxyedor

Oh man! that's a great looking table, the only issue I see is that the cutting grate is a little small for my taste and the slats could be hard to replace. The table should be plenty beefy for what you're planning on doing, not sure I'd put a whole chassis on there with the .083 tubing, but for moto and Jeep parts you're set. Definitly go as thick as possible on the top, I use a piece of .250 plate, mainly because I have to lift it and move it around t be stored verticaly, but when I finaly have room to make a stationary table it's goig to be 3/4" so I can beat the snot out of it.

Mine is made from a piece of 1" T1. It was an old canopy top from a piece of underground coal mining equipment. It was free so it was for me. I do lots of pretty heavy work though. I can move it around with my fork lift or plop one of my 2000# magnets down on it & move it with the overhead hoist.

[little Jeep]

That table should last for a few years....