- Joined
- Feb 17, 2013
- Messages
- 336
I've had the need for a welding table for years but just never got around to designing and building one. I was given 16 two foot long pieces of 4" X 4" square tube that were from parking lot plug in pedestals. I decided to use this material to build a table even though it is much bigger material than I need, it was free!
I started by cutting the pedestal bases off all 16 pieces.
My aim was a tilting design something like this.
I had to butt weld some of the pieces together so I used angle iron and clamps to hold the pieces in alignment. They turned out very straight.
For the top I chose 6" X 1/2" hot rolled mild steel. I bought 2 ten foot lengths at a local metal supplier and got a discount as it was pretty rusty. I cut 6 three foot long pieces for the top and milled the ends to get them all exactly the same length.
I drilled and counter sunk 6 holes in each one for 1/4" socket head cap screws.
I wanted the minimize the foot print when not in use so I put a 1 foot long hinged section on one end of both legs. I added a piece of the 1/2" thick steel to the top of each upright with 7/16" holes drilled and tapped to mount a couple of bearing pillow blocks.
I welded the top frame together and drilled 1" holes through each side piece for the bearing shafts to pass through.
I have log of 5" 4340 that I bought at an oil field business bankruptcy sale and I sliced off a 1.5" thick piece to make a hub for the brake rotor I plan to use for holding the top in any position. This 4340 machines beautifully. I bored a 1.300" hole through the center for the shaft. I made the shafts from a length of 1.375" mystery steel that was originally a roller for a conveyor system. I drilled and tapped four 1/2" holes in the hub to match the bolt pattern in the brake rotor, and welded the hub to 1 of the shafts then welded the shafts into the top frame.
I drilled a 1/2" hole through one of the uprights for a stop pin and then drilled a series of holes at 22.5 degree intervals around the rotor to allow lots of angle choices for the top. I made up a stop pin from some 1/2" cold rolled and a handle from some more of the 1.375" steel. The handle is a .001" press fit onto the pin.
Then I welded the center support into the top frame.
I wanted to make the top perfectly flat so I made up 36 height adjusters from 7/16" by 1.75" grade 5 bolts with 1/4" NC holes drilled and tapped in the center of each one. A long boring process.
I mocked up all the top slats and transfer punched the holes on the top frame, drilled 36 holes and welded on 36 nuts.
Then it was a couple of hours of fiddling around with a straight edge and feeler blade to get all the bolt heads level to +/- .003".
It is turning out well. The hole in the top slats are on 12" centers so the slats can be offset to one side or the other to create an odd shaped surface that you need sometimes.
More to come later.
John
I started by cutting the pedestal bases off all 16 pieces.
My aim was a tilting design something like this.
I had to butt weld some of the pieces together so I used angle iron and clamps to hold the pieces in alignment. They turned out very straight.
For the top I chose 6" X 1/2" hot rolled mild steel. I bought 2 ten foot lengths at a local metal supplier and got a discount as it was pretty rusty. I cut 6 three foot long pieces for the top and milled the ends to get them all exactly the same length.
I drilled and counter sunk 6 holes in each one for 1/4" socket head cap screws.
I wanted the minimize the foot print when not in use so I put a 1 foot long hinged section on one end of both legs. I added a piece of the 1/2" thick steel to the top of each upright with 7/16" holes drilled and tapped to mount a couple of bearing pillow blocks.
I welded the top frame together and drilled 1" holes through each side piece for the bearing shafts to pass through.
I have log of 5" 4340 that I bought at an oil field business bankruptcy sale and I sliced off a 1.5" thick piece to make a hub for the brake rotor I plan to use for holding the top in any position. This 4340 machines beautifully. I bored a 1.300" hole through the center for the shaft. I made the shafts from a length of 1.375" mystery steel that was originally a roller for a conveyor system. I drilled and tapped four 1/2" holes in the hub to match the bolt pattern in the brake rotor, and welded the hub to 1 of the shafts then welded the shafts into the top frame.
I drilled a 1/2" hole through one of the uprights for a stop pin and then drilled a series of holes at 22.5 degree intervals around the rotor to allow lots of angle choices for the top. I made up a stop pin from some 1/2" cold rolled and a handle from some more of the 1.375" steel. The handle is a .001" press fit onto the pin.
Then I welded the center support into the top frame.
I wanted to make the top perfectly flat so I made up 36 height adjusters from 7/16" by 1.75" grade 5 bolts with 1/4" NC holes drilled and tapped in the center of each one. A long boring process.
I mocked up all the top slats and transfer punched the holes on the top frame, drilled 36 holes and welded on 36 nuts.
Then it was a couple of hours of fiddling around with a straight edge and feeler blade to get all the bolt heads level to +/- .003".
It is turning out well. The hole in the top slats are on 12" centers so the slats can be offset to one side or the other to create an odd shaped surface that you need sometimes.
More to come later.
John
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