I am looking to build a foldable welding table, approx 2.5m x 1.3m. Was thinking about hinging it to one of the walls but not sure how to set up legs so that the table will be steady enough to work on.Any help would be great.
Reply:I have a fold down table like that on one of my garage walls. The size you're talking about is going to be heavy. Mine is 36"x72" (.9m x 1.8m), and it's only 1/8" (3.1mm) steel. It's about 130 pounds with the frame and the legs. A sheet of 4x8x1/4" is 326 pounds.Jack OlsenMy garage website
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o you want to fold it down from the wall like Jack's or fold it up and take it with you???Because jack has a point about the weight. It adds up REAL fast!HH187Hobart 500i plasma cutterClark 4.5" GrinderDewalt 14" chop saw30 gallom 1.6 hp compressor10 gallon pressure pot sand blasterlots of hand tools
Reply:Originally Posted by benc199hinging it to one of the walls.
Reply:Jack's table is what I was thinking about, the wall is about 4" thick with a cavity and another 4" block layer on the outside. Need it to fold up and out of the way when not in use, running out of space in the garage.Thanks for posting the photos jack.
Reply:Mine is really simple. The legs are 1-1/2"x1/4" square tubing welded to hinges which are welded to the underside of the table. I attached 200# magnets so that the legs would snap into position as the table is lowered. You don't need much lateral/diagonal support because the long side of the table is attached to the wall (five attachment points -- every 16"). I could jump up and down on the thing all day long. If a car were to pull in and knock one of the legs out, the table would still stay in place.I have to say that I've been very happy with it in practical use. The 1/8" thickness hasn't been a problem. If I need a firmer surface for hammering, the perimeter is reinforced with 2" L-stock that's 1/4" thick.EDIT: This under-construction picture shows how much of the plywood wall got covered in aluminum flashing to reduce the fire hazard from grinding and welding.Last edited by Jack Olsen; 04-13-2010 at 05:27 PM.Jack OlsenMy garage website
Reply:You could put legs on the back too, than the wall would would just have to be strong enough to hold it upright when it was folded.
Reply:That was part of my original plan. Or rather, to run a piece of thick stock along the wall so that the lower edge of the rear L-stock border would rest on top of it when it's in the lowered position. I have three supports which provide the same function on the fold-down woodworking table next to it. You can see them in the first picture.But once all five hinges were bolted to the wall studs and the table, it seemed unnecessary. They're very big hinges. (We're talking 27-1/2 linear inches of hinge pin.)Jack OlsenMy garage website
Reply:Originally Posted by Jack OlsenThat was part of my original plan. Or rather, to run a piece of thick stock along the wall so that the lower edge of the rear L-stock border would rest on top of it when it's in the lowered position. I have three supports which provide the same function on the fold-down woodworking table next to it. You can see them in the first picture.But once all five hinges were bolted to the wall studs and the table, it seemed unnecessary. They're very big hinges. (We're talking 27-1/2 linear inches of hinge pin.)
Reply:That's impressive Jack -- excellent job.
Reply:Also, if you don't want to weld hinges to your welding table, you could have the legs fold out from the wall (vertical hinges). The table would rest atop them.If I had a few extra nickels to rub together -- I'd buy one of these:http://www.jmrmfg.com/featured-tools...cation-tables/
Reply:Hope this link works.....http://www.millerwelds.com/interests...le-weld-table/
Reply:how does the vise work out being hung from the wall?
Reply:Is that a question for me? If so, it works pretty well.Like, say, if you've got to grind down four not-so-great picket-to-finial welds on each of the 300 pickets you assembled for the fence you're building.The double hitch is mounted to a steel bracket I fabricated that in turn is mounted to a pair of wall studs. I don't think it was a smart idea to make the anvil one of the things to mount in it -- other than for light duty nail-flattening type of stuff. But it comes in handy for a bench vise and also a bench grinder. I have two more hitch mounts like that in the garage, and it's nice to be able to move stuff to where I'm working.Jack OlsenMy garage website
Reply:Jack, if you weld on this table, how do you keep the paint from burning off the bottom?
Reply:Jack, I saw your garage in one of my car magazines. Very nice and the Porsche is nice also. My play car for track days is a Mini Cooper S.
Reply:Originally Posted by jragainJack, if you weld on this table, how do you keep the paint from burning off the bottom?
Reply:Seeing that the Porsche is parked under the folded tables, obviously the latching mechanism is sturdy and well tested!"These instructions are at our present level ofknowledge. Legal requirements do not exist.Technical issues subject to change."_________________________________________Lincoln MIG PAK 180Lincoln AC-225
Reply:How do you keep it clean after grinding? Originally Posted by Jack OlsenI MIG weld, not Oxy-AC, and nothing I've welded there has produced enough heat to blister the paint. (The fence pieces were all fitted into a jig.) But if it happens, I'd just sand it away and hit it with some more paint. Everything in the place is cheap latex, applied with a brush or rollers. That way I don't have to worry about dings -- I just periodically go through and hit the scuffs and scrapes when I'm painting something else.Thanks. It was fun to see an old 911 in Car Craft.I've rented Mini Coopers for track days when my 911 was in the shop. I've also driven some track-prepped ones in the course of instructing students. They're a lot of fun.
Reply:Hey Jack,Do you happen to know which hinge you purchased for the 2 stands? I am thinking about making a foldable table like yours to save space in the garage.
