Looking for suggestions on my future project, it's gonna be big.

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I just became the owner of a piece of steel. I did a 5 minute welding job (really, only took 5 minutes) for a friend of mine that owns a scrap yard. I have scrapped and bought from him for several years. He even calls me when he gets something he thinks I can use to make a buck or two. I have done welding jobs for him in the past and trust the guy and he trusts me.He called and said he needed a piece of steel welded on a smoker that was mounted on a trailer. I said; "Sure, bring it over."The smoke stack had been hit by something and the original weld broke and the stack was leaning. They wanted to use the smoker the next day so they called me.The guy said that he would do me right if I could get to it right away, and I did.What did I get in return? A piece of steel. It is 5' wide and 9' long and 5/8" thick. According to a calculator I found online it weighs about 1100lbs.My plan is to make an outdoor welding table. BUT I need to be able to move it to mow around it. I do not have and do not want a weed eater, I HATE doing that. What I want to do is make the table the way I want and then come up with a way to move it.My current idea for moving it is a follows:Build a way to mount the table onto the front and rear axles of a golf cart. I got them from our own duaneb55. I want to be able to jack up one end and add the rear axle to the bottom of the legs. Then jack up the other end and add the front axle with steering to the bottom of the legs. I can then use my truck to pull it out of the way, mow and put it back. I would then also be able to move it anywhere I want it.I do not want to leave it mounted on the axles and setting on the rubber tires, they will eventually go bad in the sun or having hot stuff dropped on them.As for the top, I plan to grease the underside and oil the top then cover with a tarp or car cover of some type.Does anyone have any suggestion on how to do this? I can definitely do it without help but may not come up with a really good way and am hoping to find a second or third right answer before starting the project. I may even find out there is a better way than wheels (like Skids or something).Let the ideas flow...........................................Thanks to all that reply and thanks to duaneb55 for the materials.
Reply:Really nice score Bob, You can't beat the "old pals act" when it works right.!!Lincoln SP-170 MigHypertherm powermax 45Lorch T220 AC/DC TigButters FM 215 synergic MigKemppi 180 adaptive mig RULES ARE FOR THE OBEDIENCE OF FOOLS AND THE  GUIDANCE OF WISE MEN.
Reply:C'mon. It was really 6 minutes or more, wasn't it?I'd weld a longer for that chunk of steel.Nice score.Brian LeonardAppalachian Ironworks L.L.C.434 Long Branch Rd, Marshall, NC 28753828 649 9966828 702 [email protected]
Reply:Do you have anything with a loader, forks or a 3 point hitch?Dan
Reply:If you have a loader maybe you could cut 4 slots in it and run some slings througn it to move it so you dont have to weld any pad eyes on it.I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Until you are ready to build the table, it may be easier to store it vertically - leaning against the side of a building.  Certaining solves the lawn mowing problem.  How to lift it?  No idea... well maybe a cum-a-long?Rick V 1 Airco Heliwelder 3A/DDR3 CTC 70/90 amp Stick/Tig Inverters in Parallel1 Lincoln MIG PAK 151 Oxy-Acet
Reply:Roundup in a sprayerMillerMatic 252, HTP 221 w/cooler, Hypertherm PM45, Lincoln IdealArc 250 AC/DC"I'd like to believe as many true things and as few false things as possible"
Reply:Hey u dirty old man,,  its a come-a-long. Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Hey Bob, long time no post, eh?btw, my calc show that plate to be 1146 pounds.  Cause that 'extra' 46 lbs might make it too heavy or something.  Dragging 1000+ lbs of steel around could be done on skids of some type, but I'm thinking that that much weight might tend to sink into the ground once you eventually get some rain down there in Texas.  As well as just gouging the heck out of the ground (unless you really put some big 'floatation' skids on it to get the ground pressure down, and even then dragging things across the grass/dirt still tends to rip or gouge things).There are certainly a bunch of different ways of rigging up some sort of wheels/axles to a big heavy table so you can move it around if/when you want to.But maybe instead of doing all that rigging and jacking and moving mostly so you can mow the grass, how about instead just go and make a 'pad' and put the table on top of that?  Don't want to pour a full-up concrete pad?  Just run some sort of 'border' and then fill with rock/gravel of desired size.  No mowing and no moving needed then.  Also no fire problem (dry Texas grass and all in the summer time).More than one way to 'git er done'.  Just offering a possible 'different' take on things.Cause I'm thinking that jacking up one end of 1000+ lbs of steel table, dragging out an axle and wheels, atttaching it to that end of the table, lowering the table onto the wheels/axle, then repeating for the other end, just to spend a few minutes cutting whatever little grass happened to be growing underneath that 5x9 ft slab of steel, and then moving everything back and detaching all the wheels/axles and putting everything away would get real old, real fast.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Build a cart with four wheels that will go under your table.Use scissor jacks on each end to raise the table for mobility.Only problem is where do you store the cart when not in use?A decent weedeater is looking better and better to me.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Originally Posted by soutthpawHey u dirty old man,,  its a come-a-long.
Reply:I'd figure out where you want it and put gravel around it so you don't have to move it, and you don't have to worry about grass fires as much.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:OK, I think that unless another option comes along I will investigate the pad with gravel. I would still put skids on it just in case I want to move it.I do not have anything to lift it. The scrap yard is about 5 miles from my house and the guy said it can stay at his place until I get the frame built. I can then go over there with my trailer and he will load it with his tractor (Forks) and then will follow me home with his tractor to place it on top of the frame. Once on top of the frame I can move it around with come-a longs, winch or other ways.I have some 4X4X1/4 square tube that I will use for the legs, have material for the skids but do not have the top and webbing of the frame materials. I do have 4 full sticks of 3X3X1/4" angle that is not planned for anything so it may end up being the frame.It would also make a great picnic table when I'm not welding on it.Still need to find a decent cover for it to protect it from rain (not too worried about hail. )Also looking for anything you can recommend to add to the ease of use factor. I will have hangers for grinders and clamps, and a shelf below. I will have a waterproof outlet box that has a door on it. I will just have to open the door and plug in the cord to power the entire outlet box.I will also have receiver hitch type mounts all over it.This will be the second largest welding table I ever built. The first was 8'X20' and 3/4" thick. Used 8" channel for the frame and six 4'X4' legs. That was a table I would like to have today.
Reply:Too bad we are not closer Bob. I could bring the rig over and pick it up with the "A" frame and haul it to the shop for you.
Reply:Could make a 6' x 10' pad of 12" x 12" gray or red pavers.  They're about $1.50 each around here, so that' be $90.  Or just do a perimeter of them ($42) and then fill the center with gravel, a thin layer of concrete, scrap sheet metal, or something else non-flammable to keep grass and weeds from growing.
Reply:I can't figure grass being worth much under a welding table either. But if moving the thing becomes necessary, just remove the wheels until needed and set it on "jackstands" or other suitable cinder block looking props while it is used as a table.In other words, make running gear under it like it was a two axle trailer with the axles spread all the way apart. The front wheels will need to steer. We use a camper dolly when working on pickup truck campers off of the truck. The tires are always in bad shape, but if you store them in a cool, dark place, they will last longer.Or you could build pontoons under it and pray for rain. City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Originally Posted by Bob WarnerThe scrap yard is about 5 miles from my house and the guy said it can stay at his place until I get the frame built. I can then go over there with my trailer and he will load it with his tractor (Forks) and then will follow me home with his tractor to place it on top of the frame. Once on top of the frame I can move it around with come-a longs, winch or other ways.
Reply:I think skis is your best best.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:That big you should use it for an inside table:  plenty of room to load it up with junk and still have room to weldI'm with the Roundup or concrete under it camp.   Too much trouble to try to move it every week or two unless you have forks on your mower.  Hmmm, there's a solution:  get a tractor with a mower and front end loader!   The perfect solution for your "free" table, LOL.Or you could make this into a major project with it's own little engine and drivetrain.  The world's first self propelled welding tableKen
Reply:Bob,Instead of greasing the underside, try Fluid Film instead.
Reply:A lot of good ideas, and especially the pole shed for shade, but, just a thought if you want it portable, mobile, using pneumatic tires it may roll very easy and this set up would also allow for the leveling on uneven surfaces, I would also add that 4 bolts through the legs which I forgot to point out in my fast crude drawing, and a little grease between the slide mounts and the legs, or nylon plates. The assembly could also be built on the next size larger square tubing and slid over the legs eliminating the bolts through the legs, Last edited by drjuan; 06-20-2012 at 10:29 AM.
Reply:Sounds like whatever solution you chose will take a chunk o' time and resources. Why not just design up the table over the next few days, you already know what you want and need, you have all the parts and then then build it, you'll be using it by the end of the month? Hope that's not being too simplistic, but what's holding you back? Putting it away will take the sense of urgency away and besides, once it's built you can move it around, then!  Dosen't make much sense just sitting around collecting rust.  Last edited by bearston; 06-20-2012 at 03:35 PM.When a welder tells you to "stick it", what do they really mean?"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell