Welding Table Top - What to Use

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I built a foldable bench that drops down from my shelving unit to save space. It's a simple design and has a half inch OSB top. I recently got into welding and want to put a sheet of metal on top of the OSB and weld a grounding lug onto it so I can use it as a welding bench..so my questions are; what should I use to put on top of the OSB and what should I use for a grounding lug? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Reply:Scrap the OSB and use min 1'4" plate steel top....Idea being a steel top can be used for ANYTHING and won't catch fire like my wood workbench did under 1/4" plate...been there, done that.Forget grounding lug and always try to attach work clamp to actual work piece, as FIRST practice.
Reply:You can use just about anything for the top. One thing to think about though, is that if you get the material hot enough, you can set the OSB to smoldering underneath. I've welded plenty of stuff on temporary wooden tables, but I'm always careful to be sure there isn't anything smoldering ( usually by dousing the piece with water when done). I'd hate to see you fold up your table and have a fire because you overheated the top. If you use common sense I doubt you'll have any issues.You really don't need a dedicated lug. Most ground clamps will open wide enough to grab 1/2" OSB plus say an 1/8" steel top. Go much thicker and you might as well do away with the OSB all together and just use the steel..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I would use a 1/8 inch sheet and bend a 1 inch or so lip down on the front edge (will make it more rigid).  Weld a rod, bolt, nut, washer, etc to the bent edge for a ground lug.  Light weight and strong enough for most things.Edit: I do agree somewhat with the above, if you're welding a lot of flat on the sheet over OSB you could burn up the wood.  I'm usually doing structural stuff where I'm not putting the heat directly on the surface so I wouldn't have that problem.  My normal work table is 16ft x 8 ft x 1 inch plate though, so I never have to worry!Last edited by toofast_28; 01-19-2014 at 12:46 AM.
Reply:If you only plan to weld on it (without any hammering or pounding) you can overlay a panel of fire stop gypsum board on top of the OSB and then cover the gypsum with 1/8" steel sheet. I agree also that you should provide a down turned edge to keep sparks from touching the OSB edges.  The bent, down turned edge is also forgiving to you and anything else that rubs along the edge.No need for a permanent grounding lug.  You can just use any old piece of scrap metal bar or plate and C-clamp it down on the table steel surface and clip your ground alligator clamp onto that scrap.  Remove the C-clamp and scrap for easy storage and folding the table when you are done welding.  Or for that matter, why can't you just attach the ground alligator clamp onto the table top along one edge?  Most ground clamps jaws will open 1.5" to 2" wide, and that is about what it sounds like you will end up with for a table top thickness.Last edited by walkerweld; 01-19-2014 at 01:06 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by toofast_28I would use a 1/8 inch sheet and bend a 1 inch or so lip down on the front edge (will make it more rigid).  Weld a rod, bolt, nut, washer, etc to the bent edge for a ground lug.  Light weight and strong enough for most things.Edit: I do agree somewhat with the above, if you're welding a lot of flat on the sheet over OSB you could burn up the wood.  I'm usually doing structural stuff where I'm not putting the heat directly on the surface so I wouldn't have that problem.  My normal work table is 16ft x 8 ft x 1 inch plate though, so I never have to worry!
Reply:Originally Posted by walkerweldIf you only plan to weld on it (without any hammering or pounding) you can overlay a panel of fire stop gypsum board on top of the OSB and then cover the gypsum with 1/8" steel sheet. I agree also that you should provide a down turned edge to keep sparks from touching the OSB edges.  The bent, down turned edge is also forgiving to you and anything else that rubs along the edge.No need for a permanent grounding lug.  You can just use any old piece of scrap metal bar or plate and C-clamp it down on the table steel surface and clip your ground alligator clamp onto that scrap.  Remove the C-clamp and scrap for easy storage and folding the table when you are done welding.  Or for that matter, why can't you just attach the ground alligator clamp onto the table top along one edge?  Most ground clamps jaws will open 1.5" to 2" wide, and that is about what it sounds like you will end up with for a table top thickness.
Reply:Originally Posted by pigeonpoopScrap the OSB and use min 1'4" plate steel top....
Reply:Originally Posted by BistineauWOW, 1'4" thick table top would be EXTREMELY HEAVY, it would require hydraulics added to it to fold it up against the wall when not in use. Dam, that's 16 inches of steel, a bit on the thick side for a home work bench top.
Reply:What about replacing the entire drop down shelf with steel?  I like my table top made with c5 x 6.7 because you can clamp anywhere to the suface.  A 20' stick cost me about $130Last edited by AtTheHelm; 01-20-2014 at 11:56 PM.HH 210 MVPHypertherm Powermax 45300 sqft shop but it works.
Reply:Ended up covering it with 20 gauge steel.....not too heavy and easily bendable. I welded a piece of tubing to hold my gun and a steel bolt to attach the grounding clamp to. I've been using it for the past four nights and put a piece of 3/16" under what I've been welding. So far so good and it didn't add too much weight. I'll try to post a pic tomorrow.