New Welding Bench - Tubing size

[TKA Welds]

Hello all,

I am building a welding bench/work bench. I am building it all steel specifically so i can use it as a welding bench, but I also do wood working. I doubt I will ever do any crazy heavy duty welding since I am primarily doing this as hobby and medium craft work. I bought a 4x4x 1/4' steel plate and 20' of 2x2x 1/4 tubing. After looking at my plans though i will need about 40' more square tubing. The question is if i am using the 2x2x 1/4 to support the actual plate as a frame, what would be a suitable size tubing for the legs and other bracings? Can I do a 2x2x14gauge - or should i stay up higher? I am not entirely sure the thicknesses and what their actual load capacities will be. I have a lower shelf, upper shelf - and a few other things that will have lots of cross sections for additional support. I can't imagine needing a super thick walled tubing like my 1/4" but I don't know these things. I calculate I need at least 40 more feet of 2x2 tubing. I bought my 2x2x1/4 for about 50.00 for the 20 feet. I am not sure the cost of the smaller tubing but sure it is a little cheaper. I am wandering should I just stay this thickness or go less. I drew out some basic plans so I could get my measurements. Any insight on the matter would be appreciated.

[ManoKai]

1/4"steel plate weighs ~ 10lbs/sf. You have 16sf, or 160lbs of static load to support with your substructure and table legs. 2x2x1/4" HSS for legs is massively overdesigned, but the hefty ~ 5lbs/ft legs would increase the overall dry weight of your table.

With your current design, my quick-look recommendation would be to use 3/16" HSS vice 1/4" HSS. 1/8" wall is even plenty strong, but welding 1/4" plate to 1/8" thick legs would be less forgiving than welding 1/4" plate to 3/16" thick legs.

Consider. 2"x2" HSS (Fy 46ksi), with an effective length (KL) of 3' and in wall thicknesses of 1/4", 3/16", and 1/8", have design axial strengths of 56kips, 45kips, and 32kips, respectively. Per Leg. Kips = 1,000 lbs. Hollow Structural Steel members, formed by ERW, are incredibly strong due to their efficient geometry & large moment of inertia (I).

Personally, would use 2x2x3/16" HSS for the legs in your current design.

[BD1]

Check craigs list under ''materials '' and the '' free '' sections for some pipe. Frequently it's listed in my area and is cheap. I like going oversize , 2 1/2'' or even 3'' might be easier to find and be the same cost as the 2''. Even 2 1/2'' or 3'' square tube would be nice. 2'' square seems small to me on a 4' x 4' table. Everything we do needs to be over built. I learned that from years doing this stuff.

[ManoKai]

Check craigs list under ''materials '' and the '' free '' sections for some pipe. Frequently it's listed in my area and is cheap. I like going oversize , 2 1/2'' or even 3'' might be easier to find and be the same cost as the 2''. Even 2 1/2'' or 3'' square tube would be nice. 2'' square seems small to me on a 4' x 4' table. Everything we do needs to be over built. I learned that from years doing this stuff.

Good option. Meant to add to my earlier post that 2-1/2" HSS would indeed "look" better than 2" HSS and visually complement the overall design.

[Cbking]

Here's my table. It is just 1/8" tubing with a some bracing and it seems plenty solid.


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[cloudman]

Hey TKA, In my opinion a welding table can't be big enough, heavy enough or flat enough. I went with 2 X 2 X 1/4" legs - !/2" tops - 3" channel for the frame, and 1/4" laser cut gussets. I made 2 tables 38" X 55" so I can put side by side, or end to end depending on what I'm working on. They weigh close to 500 lbs. each. I also put them on adjustable casters with cast iron centers with hard rubber. You will find quite a bit of info here on welding tables, so do some reading before you begin.

[whtbaron]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1479691[/ATTACH) Yea, unless you are taking up ship building as a hobby, you've got all kinds of strength there. My POS table is under 1/2" plate on top, and only has 2" angle iron for a frame. It isn't pretty and would be laughed at by most professional welders on here, but I've repaired most of the machines on the farm over the last 30 yrs on that table and would think nothing of tossing a 200 lb tranny on it. Of course it has the added advantage of being held up by all the crap under it. When I get my new shop set up I'll be adding some heftier and prettier versions but for light duty work what you propose is more than enough. If you were going to beef it up anywhere, I'd go with a thicker top, add fixtures to hold things square, solid or add tool storage rather than go wild on the legs.

[TKA Welds]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think after reading the posts I will likely increase the leg size on my table to either 2 1/2 or 3" tubing. I will talk to the guys at the steel yard to check on prices. Thinking I will go with either 1/8th or 3/16th inch on the wall thickness. Again - going to just check on the costs. Sounds like either will work based on what I will be building. The rest I will upgrade to the 2x2x1/8. That sounds like the table will be more than sufficient for the projects I will be doing. Worse case I can always build another future. I am planning on putting this on caster wheels so future tables i will be able to connect these together. These plans will have 2x2 tubes in certain areas so i can add expansions so I can always use those to link up another table if needed in the future. Thanks for the input.

[Tarmstrong]

2x2..1/4 wall...min on everything...add lots of reciever hitches for extensions, vice etc. 1/2" plates on top...

And get good locking casters...this thing with tools is 1/2 ton...the casters ate rated 800 lbs each...no flat spot type... 5 " diameter.

[rtlflat]

And get good locking casters...this thing with tools is 1/2 ton...the casters ate rated 800 lbs each...no flat spot type... 5 " diameter.

Got a link for casters like this a decent price?

[Tarmstrong]

Got a link for casters like this a decent price?

Look on Amazon at either E R Wagner, like the ones on this table...which are actually rated for 1050lbs which are 45 each...or the RWM 47 series casters....they are polyurethane and won't flat spot.

They carry a bunch of types and sizes...

I learned the hard way to not put crap casters on heavy stuff...all my big tools are mobile...drill press, table saw with extensions etc...

[wrenchMONKEY_]

I did 2x2 3/16 on my 6x4 3/4 thick top. I had the material laying around, but I never once felt that the tube was undersized. I've had no issues so far.

[TKA Welds]

I did 2x2 3/16 on my 6x4 3/4 thick top. I had the material laying around, but I never once felt that the tube was undersized. I've had no issues so far.

That's a nice table. That is good on the sizing of your tubes. I am going to get a price quote on the 1\8th and 3\16th 2x2's. There seems to be multiple places near buy that sells steel for good prices. If the price difference isn't!much I will go thicker. Originally I was going to go way thinner but decided against that now. Thanks for the pictures.

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[WNY_TomB]

Hello all,

I am building a welding bench/work bench. I am building it all steel specifically so i can use it as a welding bench, but I also do wood working. I doubt I will ever do any crazy heavy duty welding since I am primarily doing this as hobby and medium craft work. I bought a 4x4x 1/4' steel plate and 20' of 2x2x 1/4 tubing. After looking at my plans though i will need about 40' more square tubing. The question is if i am using the 2x2x 1/4 to support the actual plate as a frame, what would be a suitable size tubing for the legs and other bracings? Can I do a 2x2x14gauge - or should i stay up higher? I am not entirely sure the thicknesses and what their actual load capacities will be. I have a lower shelf, upper shelf - and a few other things that will have lots of cross sections for additional support. I can't imagine needing a super thick walled tubing like my 1/4" but I don't know these things. I calculate I need at least 40 more feet of 2x2 tubing. I bought my 2x2x1/4 for about 50.00 for the 20 feet. I am not sure the cost of the smaller tubing but sure it is a little cheaper. I am wandering should I just stay this thickness or go less. I drew out some basic plans so I could get my measurements. Any insight on the matter would be appreciated.

.
i find a much smaller welding bench more like a step stool or metal saw horse is better. i have 2 the same height and i can hold a long item using one on each end. they are small enough to easily pickup and move any where. if making handrail or a large frame over 10 feet by more than 3 feet i normally just work on the floor anyway.
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i would just make strong enough so if hit with 2lb hammer it can take it